Electronics, Lighting, & Gadgets - getting a headlight for the bike, wondering if a flashlight and mount is a good route

i found this combo on ebay and was wondering if this is a good route for lighting.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Fenix-LD10-R4-Cree-LED-Flashlight-Bike-Headlight-Mount-/370393028060?cmd=ViewItem&pt=US_Flashlights&hash=item563d2515dc

here's the ebay title.
Fenix LD10 R4 Cree LED Flashlight+Bike Headlight Mount

for $66.25 or make an offer. shipping from hong kong

Light is good, mount sucks.. Pay a little more a go with a magicshine from geomangear.. If you are dead set on flashlight setup look at usa sellers..

http://www.geomangear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=180&zenid=mok7f1lqiv7uodagpps1s49jh3

lighthound website..ld10 + mount same price as hong kong..

http://www.lighthound.com/Twofish-Cyclopblock-Flashlight-Bicycle-Mount_p_2251.html
http://www.lighthound.com/Fenix-LD10-CREE-Q5-LED-Textured-Reflector-AA-battery-flashlight-6-Levels_p_2586.html

or go with a romisen light for 1/2 the price of the fenix from shiningbeam

http://www.shiningbeam.com/servlet/the-By-Batteries-cln-AA/Categories

I agree, at that price just go up a few dollars for a magic shine. I use a light from shiningbeam and two hoseclamps for under $40. This school thing is bleeding me dry. If I had the money, I'd have probably gone for the magic shine.

just wondering what's bad about the mount in the ebay link. the romisen looks fine but it looks like it takes 2 aa or one cr123a. i like the convienence of being able to use one aa battery.

the mount from lighthound looks like i could make it myself with two velcro straps.

I really like generator lights myself. No dead batteries.

But I did use a mini mag-light attached to the handlebars with electrical tape. I also made a light mount out of a clamp and piece of wood, but that was for a generator light.

Why do you want a flashlight, though?

I really like generator lights myself. No dead batteries.

But I did use a mini mag-light attached to the handlebars with electrical tape. I also made a light mount out of a clamp and piece of wood, but that was for a generator light.

Why do you want a flashlight, though?

i was looking to get a nice small flashlight and i don't currently have a front light on my bike so i figured it would be less to buy this way.

I have a MagicShine for my real commuter (and love it) but also have Costco flashlights ($20 for 2, including batteries) and a Twofish Lockblock flashlight holder for a beater bike and my kids' bikes. The holder was $5 shipped (http://cgi.ebay.com/Twofish-Lockblock-flashlight-mount-free-shipping-/330426355049?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ceef20d69) and I highly recommend it: very solid mount, easy to use, versatile and cheap. My only complaint about the Costco lights is they take 3 AAA batteries. They are however, very bright and pretty well made.

I've been using a CygoLite MiliOn 200 for a couple months now and quite like it. Its a bit more than the lamp you referenced on eBay but it seems to be a quality weather-sealed piece of equipment with a good handlebar mount.

I've also used the MagicShine and while a very good lamp, I wanted to get away from the remote battery pack.

http://www.cygolite.com/products/new/Milion/milion200.html

So I've done my research on lights (reading candlepowerforums, reading forums here). If you're into AA/14500 lights, this is a pretty good place to start for the light that you're looking at: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=277658 .

Regarding the MagicShine from Geoman (from what I understand), it's the same that you get from dealextreme, except that it has been inspected to ensure a better quality (no machining shavings in the light module, making sure that the light is properly potted for adequate heat transfer, etc). You're also getting better warranty from dealer. Apparently he's been working with dealextreme to better the quality of the units that dealextreme ships. The modes are ~650 lumens > 250 lumens > flashing ~3 Hz @ 650 lumens. On the old Magicshines (I purchased mine in 2009), the battery pack isn't waterproof though, and there are many reports of the circuit board crapping out and needing replacement after several months of intense use. I have one myself, and it's really bright! I'm afraid of taking it out in the rain for fear of water getting into the battery pack. Because it's lithium-ion, they'll eventually develop a memory effect, so expect to be paying ~$30-40 in a replacement battery pack after it reaches its recharge cycle limit. Apparently the current ones have been repackaged into a water-resistant one by Geoman. As with most high-output LEDs, there's the risk of overheating, which would eventually lead to LED damage (turning blue). It seems as though Geoman has upgraded his inventory since I last visited his website.

I mainly use a Fenix L2D Q5 (I believe the LD20 R5 is the successor to it) fixed to my bike using a two-fish lock block. From what I've read, nothing really works as effectively as these mounts. They're relatively cheap as well, and work very well for flashlights. Batteries are readily replaceable for flashlights, and they're very waterproof. I got mine from 4sevens.com.

So I've done my research on lights ...Because it's lithium-ion, they'll eventually develop a memory effect, so expect to be paying ~$30-40 in a replacement battery pack after it reaches its recharge cycle limit.

It's the opposite, Lith-ion *doesn't* have a memory effect. Not at all.

The battery will wear out eventually of course. Lith-ion might have a shorter lifespan than other kinds, I'm not sure.

It's the opposite, Lith-ion *doesn't* have a memory effect. Not at all.

The battery will wear out eventually of course. Lith-ion might have a shorter lifespan than other kinds, I'm not sure.

Don't misquote me please. I've "done my research on lights" from reading extensively on candlepowerforums so I can recommend a good review for the flashlight the OP had in question. That said, the memory effect generally refers to the inability of any battery to hold its original charge. This is usually due to aging (secondary chemical reactions) or voltage depression, which usually applies to NiCd batteries. You are limiting the definition to voltage depression. If a battery can't hold its original charge, then it suffers from a form of memory effect.

Don't misquote me please. I've "done my research on lights" from reading extensively on candlepowerforums so I can recommend a good review for the flashlight the OP had in question. That said, the memory effect generally refers to the inability of any battery to hold its original charge. This is usually due to aging (secondary chemical reactions) or voltage depression, which usually applies to NiCd batteries. You are limiting the definition to voltage depression. If a battery can't hold its original charge, then it suffers from a form of memory effect.
The problem with your argument is that no one other than an electrical engineer (and, frankly, EE's will argue with you about it as well) uses the phrase in that manner. To the public "memory" as applied to batteries means that you have to discharge it all the way before you recharge it. LiOn batteries are actually marketed to the public as memory-free due to the fact that they can be recharged from any discharge level without detriment.

The problem with your argument is that no one other than an electrical engineer (and, frankly, EE's will argue with you about it as well) uses the phrase in that manner. To the public "memory" as applied to batteries means that you have to discharge it all the way before you recharge it. LiOn batteries are actually marketed to the public as memory-free due to the fact that they can be recharged from any discharge level without detriment.

... Deterioration in a battery is caused by internal oxidation, which causes it to unable to hold a charge.

http://www.batteryuniversity.com/parttwo-34.htm

"Avoid frequent full discharges because this puts additional strain on the battery. Several partial discharges with frequent recharges are better for lithium-ion than one deep one."
Lithium ion batteries do the best when they're not recharged from a completely drained level. They *like* to be charged often.

stuff
Yes? Did I ever say they didn't? At most, I should have said "partial" or "intermediate" where I said "any" as it would have better expressed what I meant.

You said, "...they can be recharged from any discharge level without detriment." That's pretty blatantly wrong. I'm correcting you.

You said, "...they can be recharged from any discharge level without detriment." That's pretty blatantly wrong. I'm correcting you.
I think you're reading into my statement a chance to make yourself feel superior, but whatever. The world has been saved. I've said LiOns don't have memory, you've said to be careful about not fully discharging them (though it must be said that periodic full discharges are required to calibrate the charge sensor on more complex LiOn systems like laptops, etc). We can all sleep in peace.

And I think you're replying by re-stating what I wrote as "stuff" in order to discount my efforts to help the OP and to make yourself look like a jackass.

Anyway, back to the OP:

I would actually go for the LD20 for the longer battery life and greater output.

I'm not sure williaty is the one who came across as a jackass in this exchange.

plowmanjoe: I found a 3/aaa light that works pretty well. On ebay it is listed as: Brightest 3W Bike flashlight, and is sold by ledwholesalers_inc. Thet have a 'buy-it-now' option, or you can do like I did and low-bid (starting was $24.99 w/free ship). It comes with a simple but effective mount and tailight.

I plan to carry this as a backup on tour and use NIMH rechargeables.

Good luck in your search. I'm still trying to sort things out myself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyUZwes_4ew&playnext=1&videos=5vzLXiRZfXk
low dough idea

"getting a headlight for the bike, wondering if a flashlight and mount is a good route"

^^^Works for me. I also like the option of pulling the flashlight off the bike and using it as a flashlight. Works great for camping, reading in the tent, exploring caves, fixing car flats, finding stuff in the basement, etc.

Don't misquote me please. I've "done my research on lights" from reading extensively on candlepowerforums so I can recommend a good review for the flashlight the OP had in question. That said, the memory effect generally refers to the inability of any battery to hold its original charge. This is usually due to aging (secondary chemical reactions) or voltage depression, which usually applies to NiCd batteries. You are limiting the definition to voltage depression. If a battery can't hold its original charge, then it suffers from a form of memory effect.

Well, not really. The "memory effect" was first noted in satellites and refers to a specific situation where NiCad batteries were charged and discharged PRECISELY the same amount every cycle, leading to a situation where the battery simply refused to hold any more charge than that.

Simple loss of capacity through age or improper use is NOT memory effect - if you've read places that said it was, they're wrong or oversimplifying.

Even the lay understanding of memory effect does not match aging or misuse.

FWIW I have that exact mount sold in the eBay auction by the OP. It's not great. It is very sturdy but it takes too long to attach or remove, and the rotation is in definite click stops, and there's never a click stop in exactly the right place. Plus, it's a bad design with an even number of clicks - if they'd made it have an odd number of clicks per rotation, you could flip it 180 degrees and the clicks would each be 1/2 way between the clicks on the other side. But it's not, you flip it and you still have the same bad click positions.

BTW, I have a MagicShine and an MTE P7 flashlight. I quite like both for different reasons. The MagicShine is more reliable than the flashlight and it runs a few days between charges. The flashlight is utterly waterproof and is super simple, but the runtime is significantly less and I have had some small issues with reliability.

The reliability issues were totally the fault of the switch in the endcap getting loose - I just removed the endcap and used a pin spanner to tighten the switch assembly, and the problem went away. Probably just dropping in some thread locker would permanently solve the problem.

The MagicShine runs for 3 hours on high, and I don't really NEED to run it on high, so I could run it a week on a charge.

The flashlight only runs 45 minutes on high, but medium mode is plenty for my situation, giving me over an hour. Still, that means I have to charge it every day. Not a big deal, I have a pack of 2 batteries in my bag, when I get to work in the morning I swap in a new battery and pop the used one into the charger, putting it back in the pack at noon.

FWIW here's exactly what I have; other than the switch problem this works great for me

Flashlight:
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.16092

Mount (it looks too cheap to be good, but it works great. May not be good if you don't have a spot on the bars that's straight across)
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.8274

Charger:
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.6105

Batteries:
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.5790

Battery holder (DO NOT EVER put LiIon cells somewhere that they might short out - to keys, coins, whatever)
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.26711

I've used a Magicshine flashlight and the Twofish Lockblock flashlight mount for several months now during all kinds of weather, some of it pretty horrendous. The Magicshine may not be the best constructed light, but it's cheap, bright and works when I need it too, can't ask for much more then that.

i found this combo on ebay and was wondering if this is a good route for lighting. Fenix LD10 R4 Cree LED Flashlight+Bike Headlight Mount for $66.25 or make an offer. shipping from hong kong


Irrespective of the merits, unless you live in Hong Kong you might wish to buy such a light from dealers in your own country. Authorized Fenix dealers will probably sell it to you for that price, perhaps less. I recently bought an LD10 R4 and a TwoFish light block; the dealer also threw in some accessories - for about the same price as you've been quoted. Shipped from my own country, no customs hassles. Arrived next day.

Great little light, excellent output and runtime off a single high quality rechargeable AA cell. I've been using it as a secondary/backup light to a Planet Bike Blaze 2W for commuting/in-city dark bikeway riding. That it is useful for so many other purposes means I'd get one even if I had a Magicshine or NiteRider or ...

good point about local dealers. I see you are in Canada, any recommendations?

There seem to be quite a few places where you can order them on line but these are the most common for Fenix or 4Sevens in Canada I believe:

http://www.fenixtactical.com/ is one authorized dealer in Canada; I've only dealt with them. They do seem to have very competitive prices on a regular basis. Recently I ordered a few things from Alex there and despite my order coming in after lunch Toronto time was shipped out that same day. Would deal with them again for any Fenix lights.

http://www.j2ledflashlight.com/ is another Fenix on-line dealer in Canada, I've not dealt with them.

http://www.4sevens.ca/ is an authorized dealer for the also popular 4Sevens Quark (and other) lights. I almost bought one of these.

Mountain Equipment Co-Op carries two models of the Quark, the AA and AA2, at competitive prices. I'm not sure if those are available in all stores but they are listed in the on-line catalogue now (http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442632570&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302696981) and I've checked them out in person at the Vancouver store. They didn't have the single AA version in stock when I was there otherwise I may have picked that up over my recent Fenix LD10 R4 purchase, but in the end I'm glad I got the Fenix due to the mix of run time and output for a single AA light.

NewEgg.ca and http://www.paulsfinest.com/ are two places to look at for Maha chargers and Powerex batteries, perhaps there are others. Costco in Canada (http://www.costco.ca/Common/Category.aspx?cat=1309&eCat=BCCA|20076|999|1309&whse=BCCA&topnav=&hierPath=20076*999*1309*&lang=en-CA) carries Sanyo Eneloops which are kind of like IBM used to be (you can't go wrong buying them). I have both Eneloops and Powerex Imedions and like them both. The Eneloops are proven performers and very reliable; the Imedions compare very well but come in a 2400mAH version now.

The Costco price for Eneloops is quite good at $3.13 per cell when buying a 16 pack, better than anything else I've seen at retail or from reputable on-line dealers. Regardless of brand, these low self-discharge (LSD) cells are really excellent - great characteristics and they've been around long enough to be trustable.

Yeah, apart from anything else, that's not a good price. Not at all.

thanks for the informative post mwatkins