Mountain Biking - Magicshine / MTE SSC P7 / Ultrafire lights update...

Okay then...I've had the Magicshine light for a while now. No issues. Best light I ever had.

MTE SSC P7 5-mode:
-I got it from Dealextreme
-worked fine for a couple wks
-now it flickers from half to full power
-tail cap / reflector installed or removed...doesn't matter
-I've contacted customer service.


I was initially so impressed with the MTE, I bought a highly rated little bitty light for strobe on the way to work, and backup.


UltraFire A1 Cree Q5-WC 5-Mode:
This thing is the most impressive light as far as size-to-light ratio that I've ever seen. It's freakin' bright as crap for a light that is the size of my wife's lipstick. No joke! It's that small. It runs on either a 3v lithium or RCR123A recharg.

-This light flickers after about 6 days of using it.
-I've contacted customer service.


Ther verdict so far:
The MagicShine is the PIMP's britches!



My hope:
I hope that the MTE issues get fixed b/c it's a great torch for the money...but my biggest hope is that the UltraFire gets sorted out b/c it's a beastly light that is less than half the size of a normal neon highlighter marker. Freakin' bright as a lit fart for a little packer.

Granted it's only 230 lumens, but holy crap man...230 lumens from something the size of Cheetoes cheetoes.

So basically...I bought 2 cheap flashlights...they don't work right. If they do...I'll be dang happy with my torches....though neither are as "HOT" as the MS.

The MS is an awesome light...even better when you factor in the price!

Hope you get the issues with the other lights sorted out.

I took the little Cree Ultrafire apart agian. I may have gotten it figured out. No more flicker at the moment.



I'm kinda wondering if any of it has to do with moisture / condensation. I have been riding in -3'ish degree temps and bringing the lights inside to 70'ish temps. Neither light gave me issues until I started using them in the super cold weather. Now they'be jacked even in the warmth of my home.

Like I say...I may have the lipstick torch figured. I'll keep working on the other.

It could be, I always put the magicshine battery inside a ziploc baggie and seal it up before i bring it inside from the -15 or whatever... However that battery has no sealing and condensation would be a problem... if the light is sealed condensation should be less of an issue.

I also got an MTE P7 from DX... I also get flickering; it appears to be a contact issue with the cap. I leave the cap a little loose so I can manipulate it on the go. It's not an ideal situation but it will have to do.

A little monkey'in seems to have both torches flicker-free. Yippee...and stuff.

So basically MS FTW. Good to know. Or should I say, good to have confirmation, everybody should know this by now.

I wasn't going to mention that I got my SSC P7 4-mode in yet, but since you brought it up, I will. I'm very happy with the amount of light, and so far (1 ride - this morning) works like a charm. I built a helmet mount for it with velcro, glue, and double sided tape. It sounds ghetto, but but looks really good (for a flashlight stuck to the top of your helmet) and works great too. I don't know if I'll have time to get pics, but I'll post em if I do.

Pictures here: http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?606869-1w-Luxeons-any-good

I'm still watin................

Dang, B! I got a whole second shipment since the last...what the crap?!!!

Yeah I'm working with Jessie at DX but it's upsetting that no one can find the rest of my shipment. Ha I sent another Email just now suggesting some Schwag for my patience.

A little monkey'in seems to have both torches flicker-free. Yippee...and stuff.

Might I request the steps you underwent to make it flicker free?

You might...I took out the pill and clicky. Cleaned threads. Snugged all back up. Reached in and snugged up the clicky innerds. Finally...I notice some flicker when I've been riding in -5deg up to 30deg when I squeeze the middle of the light body. I suspect it's due to the tiny amt of shrinkage that occurs with cold metal lacking good contact in thee cold. Doesn't flicker when I use them anymore though.

Dealextreme has been more than willing to rectify the issue:lol:

"Dear ed,

Apologize for the trouble.

Would you please go to our forum and see if you can find out the problem of this item.

http://www.dealextreme.com/forums/Forums.dx

If you cannot find a solution, please let us know.

Best regards,
Maggie "






Good thing I have a brain and can figure stuff out on my own.

do you have a link to where you can buy a magicshine for a good price?

http://www.geomangear.com/

+1

The MS is one great light, I love mine.

Just be sure to disconnect the battery from the charger once it's charged. If you simply unplug the charger, but leave the battery connected, the battery will continue to power the charging circuitry and slowly discharge the battery.

The MS is the brightest light I've owned so far, plenty lumens for the $.
However a couple improvements would make it better, such as a true off-mode (without having to disconnect the battery) and obviously a water-resistant battery pack.

A few nights ago I rode for about an hour in constant drizzle, got home and noticed some condensation on the lens. One reviewer over on the dx website suggested the lighthead is not properly sealed. I'm kinda nervous about using this light in moderate to heavy rain.

I wonder if it was from drizzle or heat of the light vs. cold air. My light head is water tight.

make sure the housing is together tightly and their is a rubber sealing ring

I unscrewed the bezel (which was fairly tight) and there was a rubber ring in there.
Also, it wasn't very cold that night, maybe 8°C / 46°F.

same here. I wrote to geomangear and he advised opening and drying out the unit. just unscrew the front. that worked fine for me and it's fine great in he rain - no trouble. I think I opened it for drying 2 times in 3 months using it 2-3 times a week (twice a day)

just wipe down the glass before reassembling but gently

I keep my battery in a water bole and cover with 2 sandwich bags and two rubber bands. works great!

same here. I wrote to geomangear and he advised opening and drying out the unit. just unscrew the front. that worked fine for me and it's fine great in he rain - no trouble. I think I opened it for drying 2 times in 3 months using it 2-3 times a week (twice a day)

just wipe down the glass before reassembling but gently

I keep my battery in a water bole and cover with 2 sandwich bags and two rubber bands. works great!

thanks.

I have held off getting a Magicshine and will hold off for longer while I get to hear of the long term reports.

I hate to say it but in my opinion- you do get what you pay for. 5 years ago I spent a fortune on a "Use" Exposure lamp. Two reasons- They are a local company to where I live and I saw them used on an 80 mile night ride. It is only a twin 5w Luxion LED but the power and usefull beam that it has- makes for a powerfull lamp that works. Battery life is not exceptional- only 2 hours on the high setting and 7 1/2 on the low setting. Won't go on about this lamp in particular but I have had this lamp for 5 years. It has never let me down. The battery life has dropped a bit down to 1 3/4 and 7 hours but the batteries are only supposed to last a few years before they have to be replaced. The beam is still as good as it was when new and is just as powerfull.

This lamp has been out in all weathers- been dropped quite a few times- and the only concession I can say it has is that as it is used all the time (It doubles as a house torch when not out on rides) The battery does frequently get discharged and recharged.

Still interested in a Magicshine but untill I start hearing of less problems with the lamp and the battery- I will hold off.

The only problem is people think it's a $600 light for $80 and that is why you hear all these "quality" issues... it is very bright though and so far reliable enough for my uses.

Exactly because of those problems I will be switching to Fenix flashlights in the future, I heard they are much better quality then general run-of-the-mill P7 powered lights. We'll see...

I'm gonna have to jump in here and counter the cynisism before this thread turns too negative :lol:

I really can't see how some $600 light could work any better than this thing. I could see the need for an off switch between the lamp and the cells. Would be an easy $5 DIY project AAMOF. Mine has been water tight. I guess the cells could be a little better "moisture" protected, but a little $5 epoxy has proven that an easy fix.


As far as reliability (for myself)...how can you get any more reliable than zero issues?:lol: As far as I'm concerned...this is a $600 light for $92 shipped. I totally understand though when some dude chooses to buy an Ellsworth over a Specialized, or a MontBlanc over Retro51, Rolex over Timex...whatever...does one work better than the other? Will it fail you when you need it? Probably not. Maybe in some facet, is it worth the cost? Not to me. Maybe if you have no sense of technical skills or ability to care for things. I could see the need to buy a $600 light that's bombproof or something. To my knowledge that doesn't exist though.


My MTE is still flicker-free, but I trust the MS much more b/c I've never had any issues from it from the get-go. I took them both apart and compared the build quality and the MS is actually much better. I definitely wouldn't choose a 250lm Fenix flashlight over an extimated 700-800lm 3hr 45min runtime on high from the MS.


So anyhoo...hope the value driven public out there will not be afraid of this light especially since GeoMan will stand behind it if there are any questions or issues. It's nothing to be afraid of.


But this is coming from a guy who had to build his own Jamis Komodo that will take a beating b/c I can't afford a $3000+ rig to tear up. So I basically spend as little as I need to so I can ride as hard as I want to. IMO the MS fits that description.

Well i'm not trying to be negative about the light, it is great. However there are other things regarding these lights which are not great, the battery setup is weak and the connectors are a bit of a hassle. All in all for $80 it is great light, don't get me wrong, but my point is that you can't expect it to be as good as a $600 light or rub your quads down for you.

Obviously the manufacturer can only do so much with $80 and they chose to focus on the basics. The MS light has glaring shortcomings... but it will get you out there and maybe that is what counts for most people.

ride on in darkness, or not

i'm still waiting.....................

i'm still waiting.....................


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTfbCOPApsQ

:d

I have been using my MS P7 for 2+ months now. My usual ride is 2+ hours 3-4 times a week in -10 to -20C (14 to -5F) and have even ridin in closer to -30.
No issues, no problems and I get 2 rides per charge. I think the connectors are great, tight and weather proof, I don't see any shortcomings.
I ride with the battery in an outside coat pocket to keep it out of the wind chill which can easily get to -30C and below.

I do keep the light on for 5-10 minutes after I come in to warm it up and get rid of the condensation that forms on it after coming in from the COLD.

I have the 5 mode one and usually only use the medium power level, every time I pass someone on the trail they comment on how bright the light is.
One guy said he thought a train was coming :)
I have the helmet mount but I am thinking of getting another for the bar.

I would never buy anything else it is great.

I have been using my MS P7 for 2+ months now. My usual ride is 2+ hours 3-4 times a week in -10 to -20C (14 to -5F) and have even ridin in closer to -30.
No issues, no problems and I get 2 rides per charge. I think the connectors are great, tight and weather proof, I don't see any shortcomings.
I ride with the battery in an outside coat pocket to keep it out of the wind chill which can easily get to -30C and below.

I do keep the light on for 5-10 minutes after I come in to warm it up and get rid of the condensation that forms on it after coming in from the COLD.

I have the 5 mode one and usually only use the medium power level, every time I pass someone on the trail they comment on how bright the light is.
One guy said he thought a train was coming :)
I have the helmet mount but I am thinking of getting another for the bar.

I would never buy anything else it is great.

I just toss the light into a ziploc bag before heading inside, no condensate issues, you should do this with all your electronics. I find the connectors stiff and very difficult to disconnect without removing my gloves, they are probably quite water resistant though..

I had another look at the dx review I mentioned earlier. The reviewer seems to think it's actually the underside of the lamp that's not water resistant.

link here (http://www.dealextreme.com/feedbacks/browseCustomerPhotos.dx/sku.29489~id.41884)

I've been "out of it" for a few months now and haven't been following the great Magicshine debate. For those using the light, do you use it as a helmet mount or bar mount? I have a Niterider MiNewt that I use helmet mount but want a second light (so that I don't have a single point of failure system when out at night). Torn on whether to keep the MiNewt as a helmet mount or try the MS as helmet mount and MiNewt as a bar mount. The MiNewt seems to make a great helmet mount light since it's small and light and the extension cord for the battery pack is just exactly the right length for the application. Also, the MiNewt has a nice tight beam pattern which works well on the helmet and makes the most out of its roughly 200 lumens.

So I'm thinking of using the MS as a bar mount. One of the things I want in a bar mount is a big beam pattern. Or better yet, something I can adjust.

The magic shine comes with the ability to mount on oversized and regular mtb bars(two rubber o-rings)... you'll have to buy a helmet mount separately. I know geomangear.com sells one.

http://www.geomangear.com/

Thank you for the mention. We appreciate it!

Geo

I've been "out of it" for a few months now and haven't been following the great Magicshine debate. For those using the light, do you use it as a helmet mount or bar mount? I have a Niterider MiNewt that I use helmet mount but want a second light (so that I don't have a single point of failure system when out at night). Torn on whether to keep the MiNewt as a helmet mount or try the MS as helmet mount and MiNewt as a bar mount. The MiNewt seems to make a great helmet mount light since it's small and light and the extension cord for the battery pack is just exactly the right length for the application. Also, the MiNewt has a nice tight beam pattern which works well on the helmet and makes the most out of its roughly 200 lumens.

So I'm thinking of using the MS as a bar mount. One of the things I want in a bar mount is a big beam pattern. Or better yet, something I can adjust.

Think about the shape of the beam when deciding which one to use as a helmet / bar mount.

I always try to keep my helmet light slightly more spotty and the bar mount more floody. I also want the "brightest" light as a helmet mount. I'd say the MS would be a better helmet light than the MiNewt b/c of the light output...you could prob. get optics or a diffuser to make the MiNewt more floody than spotty.

I had another look at the dx review I mentioned earlier. The reviewer seems to think it's actually the underside of the lamp that's not water resistant.

link here (http://www.dealextreme.com/feedbacks/browseCustomerPhotos.dx/sku.29489~id.41884)

NOT WATER PROOF!!!
Watch this (the 3:00 minute mArk, or a bit before for a funny warning).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3w_IFvXSICI

Found another
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQJmC3AGVE8
It seems they did treat the battery pack.

Thanks for the great review and write up on the Magicshine Chelboed, I'm now a magicshine owner.

Did ya get it yet, or is it on the way?

I saw the coolest thing today...a 2x XP-G R5 setup that was about the size of a 9v battery with a remote driver / 18650 battery. Figure 600-700 lumens and 1hr runtime...sooooo tiny & portable! I wanna build one!

Did ya get it yet, or is it on the way?

I gots it........:thumb:

Fired it up last night in the dark and yes it's bright. Due to the monsoon we just had no dirt night riding anytime soon.......:notamused:

Glad you like it. If you're coming off a 35watt Night Sun...it probably isn't terribly impressive, but coming from a 10w NiteHawk...it totally blew my mind.

The thing that really impresses me these days is the size of the battery packs. It's only getting better too with the inception of the new Cree XP-G R5. 139lm at 350mA. You can run it up to 1.5amps giving it basically Hella output and efficiency in a super small package.

There's a dude that's developing (almost done) a triple R5 integrated driver / emitters / optics that all fit on a 20mm diameter heatsink. Basically have an 1100-1300lm light in a package that's about 1"x2" assuming you drill a 20mm hole in the end of a 1x2 slug and dremel fins in it for good air flow.

Connect that to a 2x 18650 battery pack and you'll have a light that's as powerful as the MagicShine in a package that's probably 1/2 the size. (as if the MS wasn't impressivley compact enough, eh?:lol:)

http://www.lux-rc.com/temp/L331_1.jpg
http://www.lux-rc.com/temp/L331_spill.jpg