[Closed] those DX lights, new helmet mount version - comparison - light geek input pls

I don't know if it's any better, but I find it quite amusing that the one you put on your helmet (and hence can't see) has a glow in the dark button, whereas the one on the bars doesn't.

that's why i put (LOL) at the end.. clearly it gives drivers something to aim for.

[i]so is this new version better given it's a lower draw on the battery, has a mid mode (not low) and a textured reflector? [/i]

I don't think that really proved in the advert though to be fair "Digital Regulated 2400mA Current Output" vs the 1000mA one, doesn't mean a lot to a layman like me. What is though, is that you get a helmet mount, a glow in the dark switch and generally the same light, for less money (even if it is $1), FFS I think mine at the sorting offce too...

I'm going to hazard a guess and say they're actually the same (apart from the price and the helmet mount). I just got my normal one and it has an orange peel reflector and a glow in the dark button (it's lit with a small led I think). The BIN code for the emitter (not that I know what it really means) for the helmet mount version is SSC-P7-C-SXO which i would assume the ssc stands for seoul semiconductors...

The bar mounted one does have a glowing button it. It turns red when the battery is running low too. It looks like exactly the same head unit and battery pack, just with a helmet mount included.

oh ok 🙂

thanks guys.

Besides the obvious inclusion of a head mount, the only difference I can see is in the rating of the chargers (from pics on DX site).
The helmet mount one is 1000 mA and the bar mount is 1800mA.
Not an issue in practice - just takes longer to charge.

I can't see how anyone could claim the same lumen output from the same cree emitter without putting the same current into it (for a given voltage) so I'd take the quoted information about the two different regulated currents with a pinch of salt. It will be the same lamp unit.

I've got one of the bar mounts and was thinking about how to mount another one on my lid before buying a second. Problem now solved for me I think.
I'll be ordering tonight.

All you DX magicshine buyers. You're a brave bunch.

Have you read this:

[i]So, I received one of these lights to evaluate. Anyhow, here's my summary after an hour or so of running various measurements.

Cheap construction and incredibly poor thermal path from the LED/Driver to the body of the light.

The driver outputs around 2.4A on high and around 0.84A on low. Regulation appears stable over time and temperature.

[b]The inductor just 'hangs' in space on its leads[/b] - that is NOT a good plan for long term reliability as the light bounces around. Those leads will eventually snap.

The next thing is that the thermal path from the driver is pretty poor. I mounted the brass PCB 'holder' into a support to see how hot the driver electronics would get to versus the brass ring/support. After about 10 minutes the driver was at 75C with the brass ring at 30C. I'm guessing there would be an even higher temp differential with more time. This shows a poor thermal path from the driver to the brass ring.

Now, if we factor in ambient temperature in the housing due to the LED heating, then that poor driver is going to be up in 100C range in very short order. I hate to imagine what the junction temperature of the FET and switcher IC are at.

So, given that the driver shares the same thermal path as the LED that driver WILL cook over time - if the inductor doesn't snap off first...

Anyhow, I certainly wouldn't want to use the light long term and rely on it as it stands. Even beefing up the the thermal path from the LED heatsink to the body of the light will only address keeping the LED somewhat cooler - the driver board is still going to be cooking.

So, in summary, you get what you pay for. The light package is relatively inexpensive, but there's a bunch of thermal issues that haven't been well addressed and some electronics issues (floating inductor and PCB thermal path to the brass ring).
[/i]

FYI.

Don't shoot the messenger.

CC.

that was the 1st gen versions, DX saw the reviews and improved the light.

Hence why people on the candlepower forums don't comment on them anymore as they don't want to give out free design advice to the competition.

The important assumption not to make is that lights costing 5 times as much don't have these problems 🙂

for the price it's not an issue personally. i'm not paying over 4 times that price for something similar.. if/when it dies get trouty to fix/upgrade it 🙂

IM.

Point taken, but shouldn't that really be, lights costing 5 times as much [i]shouldn't[/i] have these problems.

FB. Hhmmm. Its a strategy I suppose. But theres going to be limits to what one can do with a magicshine housing.

Last week I ran one of my lights until it went out completely. I'd never done that before. The batt warning had been on for some time. I had just completed my last run and out went the light.

In that split second the shock at having zero visibility made me realise that saving a few quid and running a cheap light which may fail, isn't a chance I would take, personally.

Don't suppose anyones bothered about the environmental impact of cheap lights from China ?, you know, one of the worlds two largest poluters.
Nor is anyone bothered about the low pay, exploitative employment practices used to provide something like the magicshine.

Well, good luck, but its not for me. Saving for a few months is easier. Just wish I'd started during the summer.

🙂

CC.

In that split second the shock at having zero visibility made me realise that saving a few quid and running a cheap light which may fail, isn't a chance I would take, personally.

Yes because obviously an expensive light would never fail. Most people have a helmet light too so it's not really the end of the world anyway.

Don't suppose anyones bothered about the environmental impact of cheap lights from China ?, you know, one of the worlds two largest poluters.
Nor is anyone bothered about the low pay, exploitative employment practices used to provide something like the magicshine.

I doubt the magicshine is any worse for this than any other brand (apart from maybe Hope made in this country?) - their profit margins are just way higher.

Captain_Crash - Member

I would love to be able to afford one of Trouties 'Close Encounters' jobs, but not everyone has £250 for a bike light.

Sometimes a light like this really is good enough, especially if it gets us all riding at night during the winter and maybe next year we can buy a Trouty special.

And I wouldn't dream of buying a named brand light now, because I now realise how much mark up there must be on the lights they make.

Captain Crash if you are so risk averse what were you doing riding with a single light that was about to die any second?

Can't decide myself between these and a set of Ay-Ups.

CC

Please can you recommend a decient reliable light for me?

I have heard Exposure are particulary poor in the reliability stakes?

Grumm.

Yeah, didn't have my helmet light with me that night, Doh 😳

M.
[i]I doubt the magicshine is any worse for this than any other brand (apart from maybe Hope made in this country?) - their profit margins are just way higher[/i]

If I'm reading that correctly, then I think you're wrong. A light from Hope is way more expensive, yes, but the cost to Hope to make their lights will be much higher than the costs the manuf of the magicshine have to contend with. As we all know, we have different living costs, employment law and taxation to China. Not saying whether thats a good or a bad thing, but that's the lay-of-the-land.

Shandy. Guilty as charged (see above),I forgot to take my 2nd light.
Hey, I do have "Crash" in my name 😀

Cheers

CC.

Shandy - Member

A mate has the Ay-Ups and he loves them. He brought them into the pub for me to drool over. The finish is lovely and with the large battery packs of the MTB set I think you get about 6 hours.

Once again though, it's a lot of money for a set of lights.

Captain_Crash - Member

From your last post Captain, does that mean you don't buy anything made in China?

I think you better have a look on some of your labels and tags, you might be unpleasantly surprised!!!!

Saladdodger.

Not sure how to take your post there.

I don't have a wide and varied experience of all the lights available.

If you're having reliability probs with an exposure, then I'm assuming you're out of warranty.
But remember that since 1999 we in the EU enjoy a minimum 2 year warranty on electrical goods. So if your exposure is less than 2 years old, I'd have hoped Exposure would help-out...

However, someone has mentioned Ay-Ups. I've seen a pair, once. They seem to be bright, but I would guess they're getting left behind a bit in the Lumen stakes.

You've got the DIYers like Trout, and that other person, Luminous.

I think you may have a good idea of whats available.

A light from Hope is way more expensive, yes, but the cost to Hope to make their lights will be much higher than the costs the manuf of the magicshine have to contend with.

Sorry I wasn't very clear. I can see that Hope lights are probably more ethically made than cheap chinese ones - but most other brands also sell cheap chinese ones, for similar prices to the Hope ones, just with a ludicrous mark-up.

Grumm.

Yeah, cool.

M.

You make a very sad but undeniable point. However, now, and perhaps somewhat belatedly, that I have seen what globalisation really means, is it wrong for me to want to change ?.

🙂

CC.

Honest question realy who does market a good reliable light ?

exposure have had alot of issues and are not cheap

I have a DX so I feel qualified to comment "I am more than happy"

btw where are 90 odd % of all frames made yep Tiawan (?) and there labour laws I bet are few and far between.

Bottom line £52 thats all mine cost and alot of people who have seen it want one

S.

Yeah, I see where you and others are coming from.

A friend of mine turned up last week with a migicshine, to a ride. Now others in his office are "[i]thinking[/i]" about one too.

Initial impressions were "staggering", but I suppose its the suspicous consumer in me that tells me that £50 shouldn't = that much light and equipment. Not saying I'm right to think that way, just sharing my initial reaction when I did eventually get to see one.

Frames, and loads of other bike stuff and more stuff in general, yes, I know, its a 8ummer, imo.

But I'm gonna try to spend my money elsewhere in future. Easier said than done.

CC.

Reliable lights - Tiger Lights (we have had 10 sets out each Thursday for the last 12 months and suffered no failures)

Tested to ensure that thermal pathways etc are not a problem - Tigers. (The manufacturer is basically a boffin perfectionist)

Mark Up - Not much as he has specified much of the kit rather than assembling stock bits and pieces (like some others) to ensure that they work properly.

It hurts to pay £250 for a light but it is worth it.

reviews on Bike Radar

CC

As the old saying goes, 'you can't put the genie back in the bottle!'

I also think globalisation has gone too far but at what point do you call a halt.

I don't know if you have kids, but I'm sure you have succumbed to the McD's and Coca Cola's of this world. I personally think the Americans have done much more damage than China.

In this messed up world, who's economy do we support?

Do you drive a BMW? Should we be supporting a company that drove the Nazi war machine? I know that is extreme, but where do we stop?

It's like politics in the UK, we know they are all a bunch of leeches who are systematically destroying the country I love. I am certain that we cannot go on with the political system that exists today, but I cannot change that on my own. So for the moment, while there is nothing for me do do but go along with a corrupt system, I will.

I will also buy from China, because I don't earn enough money not to.

Ah Tiger lights

TBH I have never heared a bad word against them

It is just I cannot afford them

M.

Don't go to McDs, don't drink CC and don't drive BMW.

But seriously, I do understand what you're saying and have to, for the most part, agree.

However, what I will differ with you on is that I am starting to want to buy British and support the U.K. economy, somehow. And I'm willing, for my part, to re-vamp that old tradition of saving for something I want in order to do so.

But as you point out, its not always so simple, most retail appears to be so inter-connected now, how can one really tell where their hard-earned is ending up ?.

I've just checked out those tiger lights. Look pretty good, but I don't recall seeing them mentioned before.
However, I'd not like to have two head units on my bars and with both you're getting around 1600 lumens, where as the now sold-out Trout light should be pumping out nearer 2000 lumens for around half the costs.