Has anyone tried the Magicshine 900 lumen?
12-17-09, 09:14 AM
#851
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Despite what some might say, the helmet light has the same advantages on the road. Compare his videos when he crosses the bridge and makes the turn with and without the helmet light. The same situation happens when using a helmet light on the road. As you turn corners, you can see into the corner and avoid lots of stuff that might be lurking there. Wet leaves, pot holes, ice, etc. It gives you confidence that a bar light just can't deliver.
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Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
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Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
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Stuart Black
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
Days of Wineless Roads. Bed and Breakfasting along the KATY
Twisting Down the Alley. Misadventures in tornado alley.
12-17-09, 09:40 AM
#852
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I argue that you need both lights. If you JUST have a helmet light everything is illuminated well, but since the light is coming from effectively the same place as your eyes, the trail gets no relief. If you ad a bar mount, then shadows are cast letting you know that actual profile of what you're riding over.
12-17-09, 09:48 AM
#853
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I argue that you need both lights. If you JUST have a helmet light everything is illuminated well, but since the light is coming from effectively the same place as your eyes, the trail gets no relief. If you ad a bar mount, then shadows are cast letting you know that actual profile of what you're riding over.
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Stuart Black
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
Days of Wineless Roads. Bed and Breakfasting along the KATY
Twisting Down the Alley. Misadventures in tornado alley.
Stuart Black
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
Days of Wineless Roads. Bed and Breakfasting along the KATY
Twisting Down the Alley. Misadventures in tornado alley.
12-17-09, 10:54 AM
#854
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You'll get not argument from me on that point. However, if one light fails (I actually use 3), I'd swap the bar light to the helmet in a heart beat. I can deal with the illumination issues of the helmet light far better than I can deal with the bar light shooting off the trail. That's pretty clear when you compare Sierrabob's videos of just the bar light and the bar/helmet combo on the same section of trail.
12-17-09, 02:12 PM
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Despite what some might say, the helmet light has the same advantages on the road. Compare his videos when he crosses the bridge and makes the turn with and without the helmet light. The same situation happens when using a helmet light on the road. As you turn corners, you can see into the corner and avoid lots of stuff that might be lurking there. Wet leaves, pot holes, ice, etc. It gives you confidence that a bar light just can't deliver.
in so far as being able to see even into dynamic ever changing turns whether they be extreme or gradual.
the demonstration was very insightful in helping to determine what field conditions were improved by what change,
specifically which lightset change; the one on the helmet or the one on the bars.
it turns out one needs both of them to do the job completely and effectively, as I have suspected all along.
the best scenario is having two lightsets on the bar mounts and two lightsets on the helmet,
for a stereoscopic wide swath of illumination for both the two aimable lights on the helmet and the two fixed bar mount lights as well.
Last edited by daniel58; 12-17-09 at 02:16 PM.
12-17-09, 02:46 PM
#856
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I am very impressed with the difference in the demonstration that the dynamic addition of the helmet light makes,
in so far as being able to see even into dynamic ever changing turns whether they be extreme or gradual.
the demonstration was very insightful in helping to determine what field conditions were improved by what change,
specifically which lightset change; the one on the helmet or the one on the bars.
it turns out one needs both of them to do the job completely and effectively, as I have suspected all along.
the best scenario is having two lightsets on the bar mounts and two lightsets on the helmet,
for a stereoscopic wide swath of illumination for both the two aimable lights on the helmet and the two fixed bar mount lights as well.
in so far as being able to see even into dynamic ever changing turns whether they be extreme or gradual.
the demonstration was very insightful in helping to determine what field conditions were improved by what change,
specifically which lightset change; the one on the helmet or the one on the bars.
it turns out one needs both of them to do the job completely and effectively, as I have suspected all along.
the best scenario is having two lightsets on the bar mounts and two lightsets on the helmet,
for a stereoscopic wide swath of illumination for both the two aimable lights on the helmet and the two fixed bar mount lights as well.
There are some safety concerns as well. On top of the helmet, the lamps don't interfere with mitigating impacts too much. Most impacts are going to occur lower down on the side of the head. Moving the lamps off the central axis of the helmet might interfere with those impact zones. Caution would be warranted if mounting two lights on the helmet for this reason.
Personally, I've found that one helmet lamp will suffice. The beam comes from close to your eyes and isn't that different from what you already experience with artificial lighting in your home. A brighter lamp on your head, if you have to make a choice, is also better.
My personal preference for off-road riding, is a narrow 12 degree spot on my helmet, a 12 degree spot on the bars and a 24 degree flood on the bars. The narrow spots do a good job of illuminating trail (and road) hazards while the flood gives good coverage of the trail by filling in the dark shadows. For road riding, all of my lamps are 12 degree spots because ambient lighting is better.
Do use helmet lights with caution in weather. Snow, rain, drizzle, fog, etc. (i.e. anything falling out of the sky
) will result in the Warp Drive effect. All you see with the helmet light is stuff flying at your eyes. It's best to turn them off in those conditions.
__________________
Stuart Black
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
Days of Wineless Roads. Bed and Breakfasting along the KATY
Twisting Down the Alley. Misadventures in tornado alley.
Stuart Black
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
Days of Wineless Roads. Bed and Breakfasting along the KATY
Twisting Down the Alley. Misadventures in tornado alley.
12-17-09, 03:32 PM
#857
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You are correct except for two lightsets on the helmet. From a logistical standpoint, two lamps on the helmet is hard to do. Even small lamps add a lot of weight to the helmet. Mounting two would require moving them off of the central axis of the helmet which would make them even more unwieldy.
There are some safety concerns as well. On top of the helmet, the lamps don't interfere with mitigating impacts too much. Most impacts are going to occur lower down on the side of the head. Moving the lamps off the central axis of the helmet might interfere with those impact zones. Caution would be warranted if mounting two lights on the helmet for this reason.
Personally, I've found that one helmet lamp will suffice. The beam comes from close to your eyes and isn't that different from what you already experience with artificial lighting in your home. A brighter lamp on your head, if you have to make a choice, is also better.
My personal preference for off-road riding, is a narrow 12 degree spot on my helmet, a 12 degree spot on the bars and a 24 degree flood on the bars. The narrow spots do a good job of illuminating trail (and road) hazards while the flood gives good coverage of the trail by filling in the dark shadows. For road riding, all of my lamps are 12 degree spots because ambient lighting is better.
Do use helmet lights with caution in weather. Snow, rain, drizzle, fog, etc. (i.e. anything falling out of the sky) will result in the Warp Drive effect. All you see with the helmet light is stuff flying at your eyes. It's best to turn them off in those conditions.
There are some safety concerns as well. On top of the helmet, the lamps don't interfere with mitigating impacts too much. Most impacts are going to occur lower down on the side of the head. Moving the lamps off the central axis of the helmet might interfere with those impact zones. Caution would be warranted if mounting two lights on the helmet for this reason.
Personally, I've found that one helmet lamp will suffice. The beam comes from close to your eyes and isn't that different from what you already experience with artificial lighting in your home. A brighter lamp on your head, if you have to make a choice, is also better.
My personal preference for off-road riding, is a narrow 12 degree spot on my helmet, a 12 degree spot on the bars and a 24 degree flood on the bars. The narrow spots do a good job of illuminating trail (and road) hazards while the flood gives good coverage of the trail by filling in the dark shadows. For road riding, all of my lamps are 12 degree spots because ambient lighting is better.
Do use helmet lights with caution in weather. Snow, rain, drizzle, fog, etc. (i.e. anything falling out of the sky
) will result in the Warp Drive effect. All you see with the helmet light is stuff flying at your eyes. It's best to turn them off in those conditions.I can also confirm the "warp drive" effect; in patchy fog it's probably best to just stop and walk in technical sections.
12-30-09, 11:51 AM
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happy new year folks; its almost 2010; its hard to believe its been another year indeed.
----------
looks like all the sales over at all-battery.com are over and done with;
both the 7.4VDC/8.8aH and the 7.4VDC 5.2aH li-ion batteries are all sold out;
and have gone back up to the normal day-to-day pricing(which is still decent btw).
-------------
Fortunately, I managed to pick up two more of the 7.4VDC/8.8aH li-ion batteries.
Now mind you the regular 7.4VDC/8.8aH li-ion battery at $72 is still a great buy;
cost competitive with two li-ion 7.4VDC/4.4aH batteries at $38.00 apiece or $76.00 for two.
The nice thing is one has the option of doubling the amp hour capacity to 8.8aH;
for about the same price, which should yield much less overall wear and tear
on the li-ion battery and extend its life significantly as an added bonus and dividend.
--------------------
Looks like 2009 has been a good year indeed for Magicshine having taken the;
bicycle LED high intenisty lighting system market by storm.
-----------------------
Just got the li-ion battery order in from all-battery and the magicshine DC power connector jacks
from geomangear, so I can finally solder on the the DC power connector jacks onto the ends of the li-ion batteries.
Now I will have not only one of the brightest cost effective high intensity LED lighting systems on the market;
but also one of the longest lived li-ion battery running times to go along with that as well; which is just as important.
----------------------------
This is because during cold weather the chemical reactions going on inside the li-ion batteries slows down
quite significantly. thus the total overall li-ion battery amp-hour reserve capacity is reduced commensurately.
Fortunately, this will no longer affect me any longer since I will have a newfound seriously augmented and
amplified six hour li-ion battery amp-hour reserve capability.
----------------------------------
I will also be putting the li-ion battery pack in a protective insulating medium provided by the combination
of a neoprene sock and also a thick 70% merino wool sock combination together.
This combination is designed to thermally protect and allow the lithium ion battery to stay as warm as possible even
in sub 32 degree freezing weather for as long as possible to allow even more efficient li-ion electro chemistry
reactions and thus subsequently allow the most efficient energy production in very cold temperatures.
----------
looks like all the sales over at all-battery.com are over and done with;
both the 7.4VDC/8.8aH and the 7.4VDC 5.2aH li-ion batteries are all sold out;
and have gone back up to the normal day-to-day pricing(which is still decent btw).
-------------
Fortunately, I managed to pick up two more of the 7.4VDC/8.8aH li-ion batteries.
Now mind you the regular 7.4VDC/8.8aH li-ion battery at $72 is still a great buy;
cost competitive with two li-ion 7.4VDC/4.4aH batteries at $38.00 apiece or $76.00 for two.
The nice thing is one has the option of doubling the amp hour capacity to 8.8aH;
for about the same price, which should yield much less overall wear and tear
on the li-ion battery and extend its life significantly as an added bonus and dividend.
--------------------
Looks like 2009 has been a good year indeed for Magicshine having taken the;
bicycle LED high intenisty lighting system market by storm.
-----------------------
Just got the li-ion battery order in from all-battery and the magicshine DC power connector jacks
from geomangear, so I can finally solder on the the DC power connector jacks onto the ends of the li-ion batteries.
Now I will have not only one of the brightest cost effective high intensity LED lighting systems on the market;
but also one of the longest lived li-ion battery running times to go along with that as well; which is just as important.
----------------------------
This is because during cold weather the chemical reactions going on inside the li-ion batteries slows down
quite significantly. thus the total overall li-ion battery amp-hour reserve capacity is reduced commensurately.
Fortunately, this will no longer affect me any longer since I will have a newfound seriously augmented and
amplified six hour li-ion battery amp-hour reserve capability.
----------------------------------
I will also be putting the li-ion battery pack in a protective insulating medium provided by the combination
of a neoprene sock and also a thick 70% merino wool sock combination together.
This combination is designed to thermally protect and allow the lithium ion battery to stay as warm as possible even
in sub 32 degree freezing weather for as long as possible to allow even more efficient li-ion electro chemistry
reactions and thus subsequently allow the most efficient energy production in very cold temperatures.
Last edited by daniel58; 12-30-09 at 12:40 PM.
12-30-09, 09:37 PM
#859
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Man, that light looks awesome, but a 90 day warranty doesn't make me feel too great. My cateye super shot plus is probably half that strength, costs about the same, doesn't require me carrying a huge battery with it, and is under warranty for 2 years. I guess I would sacrifice the lumen output for the warranty. I guess. :/ LOL! Why can't we have both????!!!!!!!!!!
12-30-09, 10:28 PM
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If so, being a one watt light, it likely puts out 1/8th the light that this does at most -- not half.
The battery also isn't huge.
The warranty really isn't a big issue. Things are usually dead on arrival, break in a few days or work for a long time. And warranties usually don't cover abuse or accidents, which kills a lot of bike accessories.
Last edited by dougmc; 12-30-09 at 10:33 PM.
12-30-09, 11:04 PM
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Single shot plus is 2 watts, so let's say 1/3-1/4 the amount of magicshine. I count on warranty for general death of product. I gotta ask, how much is a replacement battery for the magicshine? Cateye's replacement is $70. Very awful price considering the product itself cost me $80 on eBay.
I guess I worry that magicshine will blind cyclists and car drivers even on a low setting. I am in a suburban area, tons of lights, I am just practically blind at night.
I also figure my tandem partner and weekly group would be blinded badly. Thoughts?
I guess I worry that magicshine will blind cyclists and car drivers even on a low setting. I am in a suburban area, tons of lights, I am just practically blind at night.
I also figure my tandem partner and weekly group would be blinded badly. Thoughts?
Last edited by anniez; 12-30-09 at 11:33 PM.
12-30-09, 11:14 PM
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A cateye single shot probably puts out like 80 lumens. Max.
Magicshine is around 500.
This is like comparing a pea shooter to a bazooka. I wouldn't even consider the Cateye as a "to-see" light on any road shared with car traffic - it would be effectively useless. (It's ok as a to-be-seen light.)
If you're worried about blinding cars/people, a good intermediate solution is the 180 lumen $28 Terralux Lightstar 220, which is 2 xAA. Also more convenient than the Magicshine.
But I've seen Magicshines on the road in Norcal on full blast, and I have to say that although they're bright, they're extremely effective. I was waiting for one to pass at a T-intersection, and I was really impressed with how bright it was - I didn't find it blinding, but it was definitely bright enough to dominate the landscape from that direction. I consider that a plus - there was NO way I was going to hit that cyclist. I'd say that it was the effective equal of a regular car beam (but more focused), and definitely not as bright as dual high-beams from a car.
Magicshine is around 500.
This is like comparing a pea shooter to a bazooka. I wouldn't even consider the Cateye as a "to-see" light on any road shared with car traffic - it would be effectively useless. (It's ok as a to-be-seen light.)
If you're worried about blinding cars/people, a good intermediate solution is the 180 lumen $28 Terralux Lightstar 220, which is 2 xAA. Also more convenient than the Magicshine.
But I've seen Magicshines on the road in Norcal on full blast, and I have to say that although they're bright, they're extremely effective. I was waiting for one to pass at a T-intersection, and I was really impressed with how bright it was - I didn't find it blinding, but it was definitely bright enough to dominate the landscape from that direction. I consider that a plus - there was NO way I was going to hit that cyclist. I'd say that it was the effective equal of a regular car beam (but more focused), and definitely not as bright as dual high-beams from a car.
12-31-09, 02:49 AM
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I like using the Romisen - cr123 light on the helmet.. It is adjustable from spot to flood.. I use it somewhere in the middle.. Having a helmet light for being seen is almost a necessity in So Cal.. Only about 85 grams with battery..
https://www.shiningbeam.com/servlet/t...6-II-Q5/Detail
https://www.shiningbeam.com/servlet/t...6-II-Q5/Detail
12-31-09, 10:54 AM
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Single shot plus is 2 watts, so let's say 1/3-1/4 the amount of magicshine. I count on warranty for general death of product. I gotta ask, how much is a replacement battery for the magicshine? Cateye's replacement is $70. Very awful price considering the product itself cost me $80 on eBay.
I guess I worry that magicshine will blind cyclists and car drivers even on a low setting. I am in a suburban area, tons of lights, I am just practically blind at night.
I also figure my tandem partner and weekly group would be blinded badly. Thoughts?
I guess I worry that magicshine will blind cyclists and car drivers even on a low setting. I am in a suburban area, tons of lights, I am just practically blind at night.
I also figure my tandem partner and weekly group would be blinded badly. Thoughts?
Replacement batteries for the magicshine are $40 from geoman.
As for warranty, you could buy three magicshines for what one of the name brand competitors cost, and even if the MS lasts a year and you have to buy a new one, the new one you buy will probably be an even brighter, better light.
I haven't seen anyone here complaining that the lighthead itself died, just that the batteries aren't waterproof, or the wires frayed. So anyone who's at all willing to tinker can probably make a Magicshine last quite a long time if they want to replace connectors and such. I'm more than willing to do that kind of trivial, 20 minute job to get this kind of light for $80 instead of $250.
What would be really nice would be if one of the name brands (or Magicshine, I don't much care) built a premium version of this, with a proper watertight battery box and really durable wire and connectors, and maybe a better bar mount, and sold it for something like $150, I'd definitely go for that.
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12-31-09, 03:02 PM
#865
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I've had mine MS for almost as month now. I like to ride down to the coast and watch the sunset, which means I have to ride back in the dark. My route is purely city in the middle of rush hour. So far I haven’t got any complain by any driver about being too bright. What I have noticed is how differently driver reacting to me compare to my old 5 led Power Beam light. It is such a difference. I don’t think I have annoyed any motorist at all. If anything, any inconvenience is well worth my own safety with the MS .
There are three noticeable differences in the behavior of motorist around me with the MS light. One, when car are turning left into the main road where I am riding. They wait for me to clear as if they think I am a car. Two, cars turning left into their driveway see me more visible and wait till I clear. Before, they sometime almost hit me and they even roll down their window apologizing for not seeing me. Three, the biggest safety change so far is car backing out their driveway when there are several cars parked on the street in front of their house. They use to not see me at all because those parked car blocked their view. Now with the MS light, the extra Lumen cut through the window of those parked car and the car leaving the driveway will stopped immediately and wait for me to clear. Just those three safety factor alone out weighs whatever inconvenience (if any) of the brightness of the light.
I did a couple of changes to my light for my battery and cable. I'm going to share it here hoping this may help those who have MS lights. The first one is the cord that breaks at the connector. I used some rubber tape bought from OSH and wrapped it around the cord and the connector adding some extra strain relief and reducing the bends at that point. I then added some black electrical tape so that the rubber tape does not unwrap.
The second thing I did was to waterproof my battery. I bought some clear round container from Home Depot for $3. They are cylinder shape in the size of 2"dia x 4" long. They have a removable cap on one end with a slit on the cap. That slit allow me to feed the connector through the container. I also cut a small hole on the bottom end to allow any water that does get by to drain out. I attached the container to the corner of the top/down/head tube with cable ties. It can be an hassle to remove the battery out of the container to charge, so I also recommend using Velcro strap instead of cable ties. I used ties because my bike is near an outlet. The website for the container is: https://www.viewtainer.com/
Here is a picture of my battery setup. Hope this will help those MS owners.
There are three noticeable differences in the behavior of motorist around me with the MS light. One, when car are turning left into the main road where I am riding. They wait for me to clear as if they think I am a car. Two, cars turning left into their driveway see me more visible and wait till I clear. Before, they sometime almost hit me and they even roll down their window apologizing for not seeing me. Three, the biggest safety change so far is car backing out their driveway when there are several cars parked on the street in front of their house. They use to not see me at all because those parked car blocked their view. Now with the MS light, the extra Lumen cut through the window of those parked car and the car leaving the driveway will stopped immediately and wait for me to clear. Just those three safety factor alone out weighs whatever inconvenience (if any) of the brightness of the light.
I did a couple of changes to my light for my battery and cable. I'm going to share it here hoping this may help those who have MS lights. The first one is the cord that breaks at the connector. I used some rubber tape bought from OSH and wrapped it around the cord and the connector adding some extra strain relief and reducing the bends at that point. I then added some black electrical tape so that the rubber tape does not unwrap.
The second thing I did was to waterproof my battery. I bought some clear round container from Home Depot for $3. They are cylinder shape in the size of 2"dia x 4" long. They have a removable cap on one end with a slit on the cap. That slit allow me to feed the connector through the container. I also cut a small hole on the bottom end to allow any water that does get by to drain out. I attached the container to the corner of the top/down/head tube with cable ties. It can be an hassle to remove the battery out of the container to charge, so I also recommend using Velcro strap instead of cable ties. I used ties because my bike is near an outlet. The website for the container is: https://www.viewtainer.com/
Here is a picture of my battery setup. Hope this will help those MS owners.
Last edited by colleen c; 12-31-09 at 03:08 PM.
12-31-09, 03:59 PM
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Thanks, I was thinking today that I'd try to find some kind of tupperware or something that would hold the battery. However, I bought one of the 3rd party 8 cell batteries, so I'll have to get something that fits that. Still, since I'm running to the rear rack now, I can just use any old tupperware type container and strap it on.
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Work: the 8 hours that separates bike rides.
Work: the 8 hours that separates bike rides.
12-31-09, 11:47 PM
#867
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I keep my battery in an empty water bottle without a lid, and just cover it with plastic bags and rubber bands - works great. only problem is - if you run it on high for 3 hours and it konks out 5 miles from home on new years eve after it snowed. I guess the red indicator light was my clue and I should have put it down to 1/2 power, or maybe I didn't need the high power during the daylight hours - should have run it on strobe mode - and only used the high beam when I needed it to see where I was going. my stupidity. those last 5 miles were tricky but i had a front and rear strobe so people could see me. with street lights and headlights of passing cars - it wasn't too bad - but it wasn't good either.
01-01-10, 07:44 AM
#868
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I keep my battery in an empty water bottle without a lid, and just cover it with plastic bags and rubber bands - works great. only problem is - if you run it on high for 3 hours and it konks out 5 miles from home on new years eve after it snowed. I guess the red indicator light was my clue and I should have put it down to 1/2 power, or maybe I didn't need the high power during the daylight hours - should have run it on strobe mode - and only used the high beam when I needed it to see where I was going. my stupidity. those last 5 miles were tricky but i had a front and rear strobe so people could see me. with street lights and headlights of passing cars - it wasn't too bad - but it wasn't good either.
primarily the low speed sos strobe mode which is quite bright while it is pulsing the led light and
secondarily the low intensity led light setting which is still a decent amount of illumination.
If one knows if the power/runtime is going to be low its wise to be conservative in estimating ones runtime
by switching down to low intensity led light setting in advance.
01-01-10, 09:08 AM
#869
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I was thinking about another setting - the fast strobe. it's so fast that it's almost a steady light. I wonder if it uses less power than low power. it was so disappointing that the light just went out without any dimming. i thought it would dim and give me a chance to cut the power setting back before dying. well, live and learn
01-01-10, 12:48 PM
#870
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I was thinking about another setting - the fast strobe. it's so fast that it's almost a steady light. I wonder if it uses less power than low power. it was so disappointing that the light just went out without any dimming. i thought it would dim and give me a chance to cut the power setting back before dying. well, live and learn
Its probably not a bad idea however to use an extra spare lithium ion battery as an extra backup battery just for such instances and circumstances.
Last edited by daniel58; 01-01-10 at 12:55 PM.
01-01-10, 04:31 PM
#871
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I've had mine MS for almost as month now. I like to ride down to the coast and watch the sunset, which means I have to ride back in the dark. My route is purely city in the middle of rush hour. So far I haven’t got any complain by any driver about being too bright. What I have noticed is how differently driver reacting to me compare to my old 5 led Power Beam light. It is such a difference. I don’t think I have annoyed any motorist at all. If anything, any inconvenience is well worth my own safety with the MS .
There are three noticeable differences in the behavior of motorist around me with the MS light. One, when car are turning left into the main road where I am riding. They wait for me to clear as if they think I am a car. Two, cars turning left into their driveway see me more visible and wait till I clear. Before, they sometime almost hit me and they even roll down their window apologizing for not seeing me. Three, the biggest safety change so far is car backing out their driveway when there are several cars parked on the street in front of their house. They use to not see me at all because those parked car blocked their view. Now with the MS light, the extra Lumen cut through the window of those parked car and the car leaving the driveway will stopped immediately and wait for me to clear. Just those three safety factor alone out weighs whatever inconvenience (if any) of the brightness of the light.
I did a couple of changes to my light for my battery and cable. I'm going to share it here hoping this may help those who have MS lights. The first one is the cord that breaks at the connector. I used some rubber tape bought from OSH and wrapped it around the cord and the connector adding some extra strain relief and reducing the bends at that point. I then added some black electrical tape so that the rubber tape does not unwrap.
The second thing I did was to waterproof my battery. I bought some clear round container from Home Depot for $3. They are cylinder shape in the size of 2"dia x 4" long. They have a removable cap on one end with a slit on the cap. That slit allow me to feed the connector through the container. I also cut a small hole on the bottom end to allow any water that does get by to drain out. I attached the container to the corner of the top/down/head tube with cable ties. It can be an hassle to remove the battery out of the container to charge, so I also recommend using Velcro strap instead of cable ties. I used ties because my bike is near an outlet. The website for the container is: https://www.viewtainer.com/
Here is a picture of my battery setup. Hope this will help those MS owners.
There are three noticeable differences in the behavior of motorist around me with the MS light. One, when car are turning left into the main road where I am riding. They wait for me to clear as if they think I am a car. Two, cars turning left into their driveway see me more visible and wait till I clear. Before, they sometime almost hit me and they even roll down their window apologizing for not seeing me. Three, the biggest safety change so far is car backing out their driveway when there are several cars parked on the street in front of their house. They use to not see me at all because those parked car blocked their view. Now with the MS light, the extra Lumen cut through the window of those parked car and the car leaving the driveway will stopped immediately and wait for me to clear. Just those three safety factor alone out weighs whatever inconvenience (if any) of the brightness of the light.
I did a couple of changes to my light for my battery and cable. I'm going to share it here hoping this may help those who have MS lights. The first one is the cord that breaks at the connector. I used some rubber tape bought from OSH and wrapped it around the cord and the connector adding some extra strain relief and reducing the bends at that point. I then added some black electrical tape so that the rubber tape does not unwrap.
The second thing I did was to waterproof my battery. I bought some clear round container from Home Depot for $3. They are cylinder shape in the size of 2"dia x 4" long. They have a removable cap on one end with a slit on the cap. That slit allow me to feed the connector through the container. I also cut a small hole on the bottom end to allow any water that does get by to drain out. I attached the container to the corner of the top/down/head tube with cable ties. It can be an hassle to remove the battery out of the container to charge, so I also recommend using Velcro strap instead of cable ties. I used ties because my bike is near an outlet. The website for the container is: https://www.viewtainer.com/
Here is a picture of my battery setup. Hope this will help those MS owners.
01-01-10, 06:32 PM
#872
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The second reason why I don't put the battery in the stem is the fear of the battery ever leaking or shorting/over heating issue. I've figure it will less flamable and less corrosive in a clear container as compare to having it inside a nylon bag. Ten years ago, a friend of mine had a portable hi capacity NMH battery running a portable fish finder for his boat. One day, he came home to see his battery and fishfinder bag in ashes in the garage. Lucky for him, it was on top of his metal work table in the garage. Turns out his connector had a nick at the strain relieve and the two wires short out while the connector was touching the bag inside the bag. Just the thought of that on my bike does not appeal to me. So this is really nothing more than preventive measure, but better safe than sorry
01-07-10, 11:23 AM
#874
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01-07-10, 01:01 PM
#875
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Location: Austin, TX
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DX means Deal Extreme or www.dealextreme.com. An exact link would be https://www.dealextreme.com/products.dx/just.released or https://www.dealextreme.com/products.dx/category.915 (sort the latter by release date.)
Looks like they've got a replacement battery pack, various cords, glass, O-rings and a helmet mount.
DX has a reputation for low prices, quality that's all over the map (but the P7 lights are far better than average for them), slow shipping and spotty customer service if you're not familiar with them.
Looks like they've got a replacement battery pack, various cords, glass, O-rings and a helmet mount.
DX has a reputation for low prices, quality that's all over the map (but the P7 lights are far better than average for them), slow shipping and spotty customer service if you're not familiar with them.
