"To be brutally honest, I honestly can't see why anyone bothers spending any more"
to get a wee bit of QC and a light that doesnt need treating like a princess perhaps !
Bike Forum
[closed]
Magicshine/DX lights - Feedback from users
-
Posted 1 year ago #
-
Smudge YGM.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Hi Stan, ygm too now.
Thanks for emails, I'm gradually getting through them all.
Paul. Thanks for payment, all being posted tomorrow to you
Posted 1 year ago # -
@smudge
As a compete idiot, which battery and charger, and at what cost, would I need off you for a magic shine 900 lumen replacement?
Posted 1 year ago # -
Jamie ygm
Posted 1 year ago # -
I've had my Magicshine/Bastid almost a year and would endorse most of what's already been said - add some sealing to the battery and you'll have a very capable unit at an excellent price. The beam may not be quite as good as the very best on the market, but it's certainly held its own when I've ridden with friends who have various Hopes, Exposures etc.
I took some beamshots when I got mine - click the pic below for more. The wood pile is about 25 metres from the camera.
Posted 1 year ago # -
You may want to get yourself comfy with a mug of tea for this post…
I got my Magicshine MJ-816 “Mickey Mouse” special yesterday. Here’s a little history for you and my first impressions….
Since my first foray into night riding (2004???) I’ve spent £££’s on lights. Here is what I’ve owned in the last few years:-
* Trailtech 30W HID – still unbeaten for sheer output, even today, but expensive & not exactly reliable
* DIY setup – 3 x Cree LED jobbie in an after-market torch – worked (just), looked shite and reminded me to stick to my day job.
* USE Exposure Joystick – Neat and excellent lid-mounted choice. The guys at USE know their stuff and I love buying homegrown.
* Dinotte 600L – still my favourite lid-mounted light, albeit a bit heavy.
* Fenix P3D Premium – everyone should have one. Use as a spare backup light. Easily gaffas to a lid in an emergency
* Magicshine MJ808 – first time I spent less than £100 on a light, & I was impressed. Few minor grumbles regarding mounting but for the money no real complaints.
* Magicshine MJ816 – bought yesterday, read on…I bought the MJ816 from Magicshine UK. The website is sweet, informative, I opted for premium delivery (an extra £10) and got it 9am yesterday morning – all-in-all excellent service. Got home and fitted it last night after charging and playing with it all day at work.
POSITIVE POINTS:-
The item is really nicely presented and comes with a UK specific charger, unlike the one I got from Geomangear last year.The build quality has improved compared to the MJ808. The soldering is way better (yes I’ve already had it apart – if it aint broken, it soon will be… ;-), much cleaner round the contacts, and the overall finish and fitting improved.
The battery is now contained in a nicely finished and well-sealed aluminium canister protected with a good-fitting protective neoprene drawstring sleeve. This sleeve has an elasticated Velcro strap for securing the battery the frame – I’ve got mine hanging off the top tube just behind the head tube. In motion the battery keeps still, doesn’t swing around and so far is very secure. Overall a massive improvement on the battery & cover supplied with my MJ808.
The remote switch is a really welcome new feature. Nicely made aluminium body with rubber-illuminated button that stays on permanently but draws very little power off the battery. The colour of the button indicates the charge left in the battery. The MJ808 had a similar, if more basic feature, and I never ran-out of juice.
The stepless dimming feature is truly awesome, and very handy for oncoming cars etc.
The head unit itself is much smaller and neater than I first thought. Nicely made with the SSC P7 lens being made of glass, and the outer Cree’s with plastic diffusers. The light throw from the P7 is excellent, and I would also say the colour slightly whiter than my MJ808. The outer Cree LED’s provide excellent peripheral vision.
The main & side LED’s can be dimmed separately allowing true customisation – if you can be bothered.
The O-rings supplied (3) are much better quality this year, stronger with useful tabs to help pulling them over the anchors.
NEGATIVE POINTS:-
When secured to the handlebars, the main head unit oscillates/wobbles, even when secured with the smaller O-rings, especially off road. This causes a strobe effect and can be a real pain in the arse. One thing that could be improved to eradicate this is to widen the base of the handlebar mount – it’s simply too narrow for a relatively wide unit (not helped by the Mickey Mouse “ears”). But you’re stuck with this until they change it in production. What I did do to remedy this problem is to remove the serrated rubber strip on the underside of the handlebar mount and replace with a piece of 3mm thick plain rubber in its place. THIS IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED and has eliminated 95% of the judder caused by the movement allowed by the serrated rubber fins. You’ll see what I mean when you buy one. No more wobble now using the medium O-ring on a 31.8 riser bar. Joy!!!1400 Lumens – I don’t think so. My MJ808 (which was rated optimistically by the manufacturer as 900 lumens) was really around 600 – 650 lumens. With all 3 LED’s on full-tilt I reckon you’re close to around 1000, maybe a tad more. But believe me, this is all the light I need for night riding, even with a turn of speed.
Erm…. There are no other negative points.
OVERALL:- For the money – they can’t be beat. Nicely made, great service from UK based supplier, strong light output with excellent spread and colour.
Right, I’ve gone on long enough, best get on with some work…
Posted 1 year ago # -
I've a couple of DX SKU12060 torches, they have have been dropped, bashed, & rattled around in the boot now for nearly two years. Still amaze me how much light they gove out. One on the bars, one on helmet is plenty of light. Bonus is a superb torch for when not biking. If you've a few hundred £'s spare though a purpose designed bike light is better, but for the £80 I spent I'm very happy. Looking forward to the dark nights already!!!
Posted 1 year ago # -
to get a wee bit of QC and a light that doesnt need treating like a princess perhaps !
What? Some tape and a strap round the battery? Some people love to over exagerate a pont don't they?
It's well made, sits tight on the bars and works. I'm quite happy to spend £50 on a light and under £5 on mods and a plug adaptor for it.
Nothing out there even comes close for the money. It's as good as £300+ lights and I'd imagine uses a few of the same components to boot.
By all means chuck yer money away on expensive lights, I'm not going to argue with that, but I think you're chucking good money after bad personally.
Posted 1 year ago # -
I’ve never done any night riding but these sound like great endorsements and a cheap way to try it out.
There are two on DX, the obvious difference being the inclusion of the headband (which I don’t really need) but also the emitters are different, one cree, the other SCC. Does this make a difference, which should I go for?
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.25149
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.29489If I was to back it up with a head torch, any suggestions?
CheersPosted 1 year ago #
Topic Closed
This topic has been closed to new replies.
