[sroc3]

I have these 3:

Magicshine Eagle 600 - Got mine on sale for $84. Very cool battery power feature. The light is strong but I would not feel comfortable using it going downhill at speed - it's just not THAT strong to cover enough up ahead. I use this if I go on a single-track night ride and do loops for training. It's USB rechargeable as well and has a good quality feel for it. At its retail price of $149, there are MORE powerful lights out there you can buy. Action-LED-Lights ? Magicshine Eagle 600 USB rechargeable Bike Light

China EBay CREE - Got this one shipped for $35. It's strong but the 3 led lights in the housing do not light up at the same time as it gets brighter. What happens is as you go upwards from low/med/high, each led lights up to compliment the next one - what you get is uneven lighting until you reach the most powerful setting. What I also do not like is the shape of the housing....compared to the next one it's round and kinda large. This comes with an external battery, charger and helmet mount.

Securitying CREE - Got this one for $37 shipped. My favorite one by FAR The housing has the lowest profile and also a twin-light housing setup. The good thing is that BOTH LEDs light up even on the low setting and then get brighter together as you increase. It casts the best glow and lights up my path perfectly. I use the LOW setting on night climbs or in low "sunset-light" conditions, MED setting for regular trail speed and HIGH for descents. It's perfect. If I could find a light like this, BUT with an internal battery, that would be ideal....but hey, dealing with there external one , strapped to my frame ain't bad at all. I would highly recommend this light to anyone. Amazon.com: SecurityIng® 4 Modes Waterproof 2800 Lumens Cree XM-L U2 LED Bicycle Light & 6400mAh Battery Pack & Charger, Cree LED Bike Lmap Light Super Bright Lighting Lamp for Outdoor Sports Like Cmaping, Hiking, etc..: Sports & Outdoors

 

[Vancbiker]

I must be feeling kind of rude today....

What's awesome about 3 examples of cheap Chinese lights of questionable quality and reliability???

 

[sroc3]

Not rude at all it's a valid question. Well - for one, they're really cheap and just as bright as $300 lights I've seen. Time will tell, they maaaay not last as long, but the first one above and the third one were bought from reputable U.S. Based vendors. "Action-led" has warranties customers lights and been very honorable about his practices. The amazon vendor that sold me the other light also has very good reviews. Unless I'm ok with plunking down $1k for a Lupine lighting system (which is very awesome), imported from Germany...etc....I'm quite happy with my current purchases. I have a bit of apprehension spending more than $100 on a light - when I can almost get the same one, branded differently, at less than half the cost. At $37 -'it's totally worth trying it out for the "test of reliability"

 

[Vancbiker]

You sir, are a really good sport! My advice to buyers of these type lights is to open them up and remedy any quality problems before putting them into use.

Poor thermal path or lacking thermal transfer compound.
Poor soldering.
Under-rated or poorly mounted electronic components.
Poor or missing cable strain relief.

Doing these steps will greatly improve the long term reliability of the light and help performance too.

Next is the battery question. Do a couple of run time tests to get a feel for how long they really run and what happens when low power occurs. Be sure to put a small fan blowing on the light during the test or it will overheat.

I really should go easier on the Chinese lights as I have made a fair amount of beer money on selling adapters for folks to use GoPro style mounts instead of the o-ring style.

 

[sroc3]

Thanks I shall take your sage advice accordingly!

 

[mike5250]

I'm going to order a SecurityIng light off your recommendation. Agreed that the $140 light is also a cheap china light with a brand name. Most rides end with an hour of night riding so the battery life isn't a big deal if it will consistently get an hr on High.

 

[sroc3]

I'm going to order a SecurityIng light off your recommendation. Agreed that the $140 light is also a cheap china light with a brand name. Most rides end with an hour of night riding so the battery life isn't a big deal if it will consistently get an hr on High.

When you get the light, and turn that mother on.......you'll be very thankful Enjoy it!

 

[Slipslider]

I also purchased that same SecurityIng light off Amazon and so far I am very impressed with the purchase. It still remains to be seen how durable it will be over the long term but it appears to be well built and I am very happy with the quantity of light and the beam shape.

 

[ou2mame]

I'm deciding between the last two you listed.. I probably would only be using them at high because we will be doing some single track at night there is a trail by my house that's pretty fast paced. For the amount of light and quality of it which would you recommend?

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

 

[sroc3]

I'm deciding between the last two you listed.. I probably would only be using them at high because we will be doing some single track at night there is a trail by my house that's pretty fast paced. For the amount of light and quality of it which would you recommend?

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

Def. get the SecurityILG one. It's the best and I usually only bring it along for night time, single track rides and also when i know the descent will be faster.

 

[ou2mame]

Alright cool.. That's the one I was leaning towards. I was going to get one of the t6 flash lights with the mounting bracket just as a backup, because I can also use it around the house and whatnot too.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Vancbiker]

Alright cool.. That's the one I was leaning towards. I was going to get one of the t6 flash lights with the mounting bracket just as a backup,

You absolutely should have a backup light with you. In both of the Chinese lights I have repaired for friends, the failure was instant. No warning signs, just blink and no more light.

 

[ou2mame]

Do you know what failed? I was already planning on disassembling and soldering the joints better, I usually do that with cheap Chinese electronics

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

 

[sroc3]

You absolutely should have a backup light with you. In both of the Chinese lights I have repaired for friends, the failure was instant. No warning signs, just blink and no more light.

Agreed. I ALWAYS carry a backup light in my pack. You never know

 

[Vancbiker]

Do you know what failed? I was already planning on disassembling and soldering the joints better, I usually do that with cheap Chinese electronics

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

In both cases, a component on the driver board called an inductor, broke the solder connection holding it on. Vibration during use caused the soldered wires to mount the component to break. Resoldering the wires and then gluing the inductor to the driver board got them going again.