Right then. Mrs ssstu's light finaly gave up last night after a few years of service.
So she's looking for a replacement.
Been looking at the DX/Magicshine lights but there seems to be loads of different lights that all seem to be the same output?
So what's everyone using?
Any recomendations for anything else for £100 or under?
If it has to be a budget light.
Then I'd say chat to Smudge.
http://www.mtbbatteries.co.uk/4.html
It may not be the ABSOLUTE cheapest, but you'll be dealing with a UK based good guy, and you'll get the back-up commensurate with buying in the UK.
Ok, another essay on this subject and all in my 'hubble' opinion of course, others may disagree:
I have one of Smudges XM-L, and it very bright, much brighter than the P7's and the throw is damned good. The 'issue' to be-aware of, is the intense hot spot negates the rest of the output. Though I'm using mine with my Trout mini to great effect, though I believe it would be a better helmet light than bar mounted one - I prefer the lower profile of the mini on my helmet.
The lad I rode with last night uses one as his only light, and keep's up fine.. but did mention about getting a 2nd light (maybe because we came across another group all using 2 lights).
Smudge sold me the head unit as I already had a battery, but obviously that depends on him having sold off a 2nd battery to some-one else..
Dealextreme do sell them cheaper (though report suggest they're a very very cheap build), but most seemingly have a smooth reflector which doesn't help the hotspot (awaiting results on another thread about replacing the front lense to defuse the beam), the one that has the similar type of reflector to Smudges is also getting very near to his prices & is ‘only’ 3 mode, a pet hate of mine (you don’t need high for road/canal work or it dazzles car drivers, and the low is too low..)
Another m8 is waiting for one of these 1600 lumen XGP LED unit to be delivered (10 working days can be a very frustrating 2 weeks!). Which I reckon will be as very similar output to my Mini, and also have lots of floody light... and this is cheaper than you find them on the dealextreme site.
PS: if you want to borrow a old magicshine P7 head unit (battery last an hour if that) in the mean time, I’ve got one doing nothing since buying the XM-L..
I have this one:
http://www.dealextreme.com/p/mj-808-ha-iii-ssc-p7-c-sxo-3-mode-900-lumen-led-bike-light-set-44459
Which I think is the 'classic' DX one that most people have (though the batteries have developped. I've had mine a year and it's very good. The only issues I've had are:
- the LED voltage display on the battery has just stopped working - doesn't affect anything else (and the lamp has different coloured indicators to show how much battery is remaining)
- The o-ring fixing method is fine on OS bars but can be a bit loose on non-os bars.
I'd certainly buy another one if I had to or would recommend them.
I've got the DX xml, it is very bright but a ver narrow beam due to the hot spot. Perfect for the lid, not so for handlebar mount
Cheers for that z1ppy.
No need to borrow one though as Manda is going to be busy studying for a couple of weeks so not in a mad rush. She's also got an original magicshine light that she's been using helmet mounted. Just looking for a bar mounted replacement.
I've been having a dig around while waiting for some replys to this thread and i keep coming back to the 1600 XGP light in your link.
How long has your mate been waiting for his?
Can get the MJ-872 z1ppy refers to from magicshineuk.co.uk in < 24 hrs. More expensive than dx/ebay of course.
My 1600 one from the magicshine eBay seller took 2.5 weeks in the end 9although they did send an email saying it would be delayed due to stock shortage), assuming they've jsut had another big delivery then might be quicker now.
I've only used it on the road so far, the beam is very floody but without an overly bright hotspot. Don't think it's a great road light though as it will dazzle oncoming traffic too much however it should be ideal for a bar-mount off-road light (hopefully trying it like that tonight...). The battery is a fair old lump with a hard plastic casing, it does look fairly well put together, the charger looks less bargain-basement than my P7 one to.
Dale said he's got an email earlier this week, confirming it would be with him next week.. though still within the stated delivery time, just not any earlier
(I assume it was that seller, but haven't confirm TBH)
This guy has lots of info on his site, beam shots & such like.
Also flogs lights/batteries on ebay, though makes no bones about that fact
z1ppy - Dealextreme do sell them cheaper (though report suggest they're a very very cheap build)
???
I run 2 DX T6's, one on my head, one on the bars with a ring of white duct tape on the lens to diffuse a rather concentrated beam. More light than I need plus as there is two, should any part of one system die, I'm not left in the dark and at £28 each I'm not breaking the bank!!
Build quality is fine and easily on par with the Light & Motions that I'd been using at 10 times the price!!
I'm all for good quality stuff and get swayed by the odd brand name* or ten but when it comes to lights I can't get excited and can't see the point in paying inflated prices over something that does what it needs to do. All IMO of course.
*Not suggesting for one minute that a brand name automatically equates to good quality!
I bought the 1600 in your link on Tuesday Zippy, paid Wednesday morning, due for delivery today.
Stu M, what can I say, there have been post about the £30 units saying there even cheaper feeling than the orignal £50 P7's.. I'm only repeating what I've read.
You welcome to refute it, and a honestly appreciate it as I've not seen one.. but then have you seen a smudge light or an more expensive XM-L to compare?
I'm only trying to put down as honest an report as I can, so as not to mislead anyone.
My DX P7 is still working, which is anoying as I want one of those 1600lumen ones but don't need it 
I wish DX's were poorer quality so i could justify it's replacement
Paul, yours has come much earlier than my m8's then... ohhh he'll be pissed.
Thisisnotsspoon... I couldn't resist the call of the XM-L, but do kinda now wish I'd got the more powerful 1600 unit... onyl cause I'm a light whore, not becuase I think Smudges unit is bad.
I ordered a dx T6 XML last night. The one from smudge looks similar and whilst I think that those are probably built better and that it's also a UK distributor it was twice what I paid from dx!
If I had more money kicking about then I probably would go for one from smudge but I'm currently pretty skint so went cheap even if it does mean a looong delivery time! Time will tell on the quality I guess, especially now that winter is incoming.
Right then.
Just pushed the button on the 1600 light in z1ppys link.
Thanks all.
I'm a light whore
Back before the P7's became ubiquitous I had 4 Q5 torches, with the bodies removed and wired upto a big pack of AA batteries in my pocket, I must have looked like a rally car coming through the trees!
z1ppy - Stu M, what can I say, there have been post about the £30 units saying there even cheaper feeling than the orignal £50 P7's.. I'm only repeating what I've read.You welcome to refute it, and a honestly appreciate it as I've not seen one.. but then have you seen a smudge light or an more expensive XM-L to compare?
I'm only trying to put down as honest an report as I can, so as not to mislead anyone.
Understood Zippy, I don't come on very often so don't see all the threads just happened to catch this one.
Only direct experience is with Light & Motion and can't see where the extra £££'s are going. The guys I ride with have various different brands but it's dark and they light up the path in front and that's all I know.
Build quality is fine and easily on par with the Light & Motions that I'd been using at 10 times the price!!
I've got one of the 30-quid DX lights, the wire in the cables is incredibly thin and mine had an intermittent break from new, I soldered in a new connector in the end. The battery has also failed after a week, not sure why, and is off to Smudge for some first aid, plus if you dismantle the head unit, easy enough, you'll notice that there's a big, unsealed hole in the bottom where the cable enters the light. I plugged it with silicone sealant.
Beam is, as everyone says, very spotty with smooth reflector. If you compare the thickness of the wiring, I mean the actual metal strands rather than the external sheath, it's pitiful. Compared to a Lumicycle cable, the Lumi wire is considerably thicker.
I may just have been 'unlucky', but certainly, I wouldn't expect the original cabling to last for much sustained use. I'll probably just recable the whole thing at some point. I'm not too bothered as I bought it as an affordable back-up for the road, but I'm not sure I'd want one as my only light in the form it arrived.
I have one of the Dealextreme ones to go on the bars along with a joystick on the helmet. It does seem to have a very bright spot in the centre of the beam so will have to try and diffuse it a bit.
Not tried them out in anger yet. Next week hopefully.
I have two of the ones clubber linked to, and one of these:
http://www.dealextreme.com/p/magicshine-mj-818-ha-iii-ssc-42180u-3w-3-mode-led-bike-tail-light-set-4-18650-included-42077
I use one for commuting everyday in winter, so its been through some fairly rubbish weather. I have two of the 'old' not waterproof batteries gaffa taped up, and one of the new waterproof batteries. They've all been fine. The lamp units are pretty rugged IME. I have a washing liquid bottle lid with the bottom cut off as a glow ring for the commuter set. The rear light is also fantastically bright.
On the MTB, I find one dx 'bastid' helmet mounted is more than enough for night riding. Plenty of light, plenty of throw, and excellent beam pattern. I've never seen the need for more light, or additional bar mounted lights. The lamp unit itself isn't as light on my head as previous halogen units, but its OK.
I bought a Magicshine MJ-808E (XML) for £75 of a uk seller on ebay, it has the 'orange' peel reflector and whilst there a spot it is not overwhelming i.e. enough side throw. It came with helemt mount, 1m extension and a spare front lens, this will be useful when the current one gets scratched from my wiping mud of it. Oh and I got mine either next day or the day after 
I was out with my mates on monday who have P7s from last year; 2 from DX (£50) and one from uk (£80), mine appeared to brighter although their's are bright enough (for us).
The build quality of mine seems alright, eg I wouldn't describe the lamp cable thin, but it aint exactly thick, I'm talking external thickness not strand thickness inside.
Bottom line for me was I wanted asap and didn't want to wait 2.5-3 weeks, also wanted to deal a uk company should there be an issue (which there was); having said that my friends DX lights have not given them any trouble at all.
Be careful getting the batteries wet. It messes up the protection circuit and you cannot charge them. (The protection circuit is there to protect Voltage from going under/ over limits which kills the lipos)
This happened to my first set. Was ok after removing the shrink sleeving, drying and re-sealing.
The XML unit is very spotty. I have bought a "flood" lense for mine and run it alongside an older P7. Together they work well
http://brightstonesports.com/shop/index.php/magicshine-wide-angle-lens.html
(had to find a thicker o ring to make it seal but its ok now)
NB Dont DX have a UK warehouse now for the more expensive lights?
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