[Closed] Magicshine/DX lights - Feedback from users

my DX battery pack got a royal soaking last year and conked out (think Noah-esque levels of wet though) - replaced with a Smudge battery and it's been spot on since. Great little lamp.

I've had mine for a year, they do the job pretty well, esp for the price.

Love mine, it's one of the older style ones not the 'mickey mouse' new ones with three lamps.

If I had one criticism, it would be that the battery does not look very well sealed.

The battery pack is easy enough to seal with some self-amalgamating tape
Mines been though all sorts of weather & even totally submerged without so much as a hiccough

You can't beat them for the money IMO

Mine's been great, though it look like the battery has now given up the ghost (1 year old exactly), for £50 it's been spot on though.

ran mine for a year also with no problems, i would take the advice about sealing the battery and then you'll be fine. Bargain.

Retro: If I had one criticism, it would be that the battery does not look very well sealed.

Indeed... Suggesting I ride through that river certainly knackered mine...

 

mine's been fine after last winter. Helmet mount with a wee extension cable from Maplin means the battery can be easily tucked in a waterproof bag inside a jersey or jacket pocket.
Not as convenient as my Exposure Enduro Maxx, though it does light the path better at a fraction of the cost.

[b]Retro:If I had one criticism, it would be that the battery does not look very well sealed.[/b]

Indeed... Suggesting I ride through that river certainly knackered mine...

😳 sorry mate, I'd forgotten that! 😆 It was pretty funny watching your handle bars gradually disappear below the surface though. And, in fairness it didn't look [i]that[/i] deep.

mine has been top banana, and coped with loads of abuse and silly weather conditions.I think I'll get another lamp and a Y splitter and run 2 lamps of a slightly bigger battery for some serious lighthouse emulation 😀

Smudge batteries; how much? Where from? I've had mine sat doing nothing for 10 months as the battery lasted two rides.

we bought earlier in the year

2 have been brilliant one had to be returned as it was faulty

but at those prices its worth taking the hit!

Smudge batteries; how much? Where from?

http://www.mtbbatteries.co.uk/

You can also get replacements from DX if you want

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.32756

Great light. Buy one or two.. 8)

I like mine, used it loads, was thinking about putting it on my helmet and ordering the Mickey Mouse version

Has anyone tried the mickey mouse version?

Any feedback on performance?

Anyone used one as a head-lamp? How did you fix it and was it ok? I see they have 'head-lamp' specific ones, but i'm not sure how i'd use that strap in conjunction with my helmet!

I've had mine sat doing nothing for 10 months as the battery lasted two rides.

Im going to try mine tonight , but could really do with an extension cable . Anyone know the cheapest place to buy one.?

Bought mine as a back up for Mayhem & Sleepless this year & have ended up using it more than my main light!
Give out a decent enough amount of light, although I'd say less than the claimed 900lumen.
Crap fitting onto bars though, get a lot of vibration, so will be making my own bracket for it & no way of attaching the battery back, so use inlusation tape.
For what they cost though don't think you can really go wrong

Mickey Mouse version? Does anyone have a linky???

My two have been excellent. I did tape up the batteries as a precaution to seal them and I also recommend getting some lumicycle battery bags which are way better than the deal extreme ones. I also use one as a helmet light sometimes with one of [url= http://www.magicshineuk.co.uk/bike-light-accessories/magicshine-helmet-mount-for-mj-808-mj-816-bike-lights.php?item=6&category=2&p=1&so=0 ]these[/url] and a cable extension to mount the battery in my camelback. Just don't forget to duck under low branches. They last a good 2.5 hours on full all the time. If you want a more sturdy mounting than the elastic band you can fit a lumicycle mount instead.
Can't get much better for the price.

used mine for a year now... love it... but put the battery in a balloon 😀

Stanfree ive got a few extension leads still for sale.

These are the waterproof DX ones too

£4.15 inc p&p

Or Compatible leads still waterproof but not the 'click' fit as the DX

£3.75 inc p&p

Please email me for more info (address in profile)

Smudge

They seem to have a UK site now - [url= http://www.magicshineuk.co.uk/index.php ]http://www.magicshineuk.co.uk/index.php[/url]. Prices look a bit steep compared to last year when I bought mine - I paid £50, they have it reduced from £119 to £79 😯

to be fair to the guys @ magicshine, that doesn't sound too bad. uk support/warranty/plugs etc. your turn-around on a fault will probably be measured in days rather than weeks.
there's nowt wrong with the service from DX direct in my experience though. i had a few torches to return, and once i'd sent them the pics of the PO receipt of post, they shipped out replacements ASAP.

Why didn't I return it? I'm a man, so I tried to fix it myself. And ****ed it up.

Smudge, do you have a price including delivery for a replacement battery? Do you do any longer-life batteries for them at all? The battery lasted a couple of hours on full beam, could do with bit longer really, cheers!

Thinking it will make a good head-torch when I buy a proper light, so yeah, probably need an extension lead too.

[b]Why didn't I return it? I'm a man, so I tried to fix it myself. And **** it up.[/b]

Daft question: Does anybody know what sort of regulation they have built-in? Specifically, does the battery pack have to be ~8.4V, or can you use a higher voltage one?

I find myself wondering if they'd be any good as auxiliary lights on the motorbike... 8)

They seem to have a UK site now

If they threw in a decent bracket and dropped the price a tenner I would use them. Think I would rather save the £30 tho and source a decent bracket from somewhere.

Anyone know what aftermarket handlebar mount brackets fit the bastids?

I've had 8 sets (bought in bulk 5 in one go and 3 in another) 1 set was doa but I got a refund straight away and still have them the other 7 are excellent.

I've had 8 sets

Do you use them all at once? 😯

I bought one about this time last year and used it though the winter. I did tape the battery up before I used it and I have a big velcro strap (It's an L&M one) to secure the battery. I use the smaller O ring to mount it on my oversize bars as it's tighter.

Sometimes the switch acts a bit random but otherwise it's been absolutely fine.

I did an overnight ride and borrowed a spare battery for it, but using it maily on low beam, and turning off when stopped, it lasted all night on one charge. I reckon I got a good 7 hours out of the battery, so 2hrs more than it should last. I was trying to time it to see how long it would last but gave up becasue I got bored. It might have been 8hrs + I dunno really!

To be brutally honest, I honestly can't see why anyone bothers spending any more. I sold my £300 Lumi HID for £125, and bought the DX. I reckon it's about the same power as the Lumi, with a slightly better (wider) beam pattern. Not bright enough? Get 2!

If it packs up, I'll just get another, but I see no reason it won't do another winter. £25 a year? Get in! 🙂

Do you use them all at once?

Sorry I meant to say I bought in one gor for all my mates. I'm called toys for a reason, people rely on me to make there choices for them when it comes to toy purchase. Honest.

"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 !

Smudge YGM.

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

@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?

Jamie ygm

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.

[url= http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2748/4017893068_988a1099ce_o.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2748/4017893068_988a1099ce_o.jp g"/> [/img][/url]

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…

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!!!

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.

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.29489

If I was to back it up with a head torch, any suggestions?
Cheers