My Bike Lights - Info, Teardown pics, Beamshots, Current Measurements, etc. . .

I have a pair of these lights. The whole kit is out for under $20 delivered in several places. I think the metal is optimized for the larger SSC-P7 emitter since the XM-L fits a little loose. Overall, for the money it is a great light. Excellent runtime even with the cheap supplied cells. And yes, the standby current is not welcome. Also not completely waterproof but good enough for a downpour. It has a “weep hole” where the cable comes out so driven water can enter, but in general use, not enough to do damage. I’ve run one for over two years and it is hard mounted to the frame of the bike. No issues.

Readers may find my new "Diffusion Techniques Testing" thread useful in application to their bike lights.

-Garry

What about the cooling in those cheap lights?

Is the LED good thermally integrated?

Generally these lights have decent pills (for their current level) but the pills simply lay in the head (hardly worth calling press-fit, but maybe some are better than others). During the recent testing with my 3mode one the body was getting quite warm indicating decent thermal transfer which impressed me.

-Garry

UPDATE: New Flickr Photo Gallery Link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/garrybunk/albums/72157692347399235

As posted in ledoman's review thread, I bought a SecurtyIng HD-016 version of the UniqueFire HD-016 "dual beam" light from Amazon.



I haven't torn it apart yet, but I've taken current readings and got some beamshots.

Current pulled from 2-cell battery pack at 8.24v:
Off: 0.020A
Flood: 0.663A
Throw: 0.665A
Flood & Throw: 1.410A (Steady, not dropping)

(BTW - I am confident current readings I make are accurate.)

Flood is VERY wide! However the "flood" mode doesn't throw out far at all. I can't imagine "flood" alone being enough to ride with (except commuting where it is used more for "be seen" use. I think I would prefer the reflector be just a tad deeper in order to get a little more throw out of it.

Here are some beamshots. Pics taken with my same manual camera settings at roughly the same location so that my beamshots can be compared one to another. In the first set of pics, the distance to the trees I aimed between is approx. 185 feet (garage is beyond the trees at an undetermined distance - I really need to determine that). Approx. 275 feet to the house off to the left of the trees. (Note: you can barely see the trees or garage in the "throw" pic.)

Flood:


Throw:


Flood & Throw:


Now to my wooded trail spot:

Flood:


Throw:


Flood & Throw:


That wooded shot above really sells this light!

Next is a full teardown and mod to XM-L2 T5 5B1's and a resistor modded SSX2 driver to run Flood & Throw LEDs at all times in a High-Med-Low (or Low-Med-High) arrangement.

-Garry

UPDATE: New Flickr Album Link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/garrybunk/albums/72157664781725888

I took a chance on Kaidomain's Gemini Duo/YingDing clone. My driver runs on 4.2v input (as stated in KD specs). I tried 8.4v input and the battery level indicator just flashes red-green-red-green, etc. . . . light won't turn on or do anything else at all. Current draw on 4.2v battery (with thick leads, which made a big difference in output) was:

Off: 0.013A
Low: 0.51A - 28%
Med: 1.23A - 68%
High: 1.795A - 100% (so about 0.9A +/- per LED)

Someone posted this mode change behaviour previously on MTBR, but I can't remember where and which light. When you change modes the light actually dims very slightly and then "ramps" up in brightness quickly until the next mode level is reached. Off happens instant though. Modes are: Off-Low-Med-High-Off. Press-n-hold for strobe. My driver is NOT the "10 step programmable" one which has appeared in some of these.

TIR lenses from LED-DNA are interchangeable once removed from their white holder

Pics:










Beamshots:

Low:


Medium:


High:


So even though I felt it was under-driven, the beam on high doesn't look so bad. I think I will still resistor mod it for a little more output and address the lack of heatsinking. I'm intending this light to be a helmet light, so I'm keeping it more of a thrower with a floody light on the bars.

Mouseover with my standard 808E clone:

Mouse Out = KD light, Mouse Over = 808E Clone:

Mouseover with my stock HD-016:

Mouse Out = KD light, Mouse Over = HD-016 (flood & throw both on):

Some comparison photos with the HD-016:

This light is TINY!

Discussion on resistor modding this driver posted in this thread.

-Garry

Thanks Garry, it does look tiny compared to the HD. Not trying to create more work for you
but if you have wider optics for the KD, it’d be interesting how it compares w/ the HD.

I do have these Carclo 20mm wide angle lenses now I could try. I also have these 20mm "pinstripe" lenses from KD. Then I have the various 10°, 25°, 45°, and 60° lenses from LEDDNA which I tested previously individually (see my signature). One thing I meant to do and forgot was to take a beamshot while covering up one of this lights optics so I could compare it to my LEDDNA optic beamshots and try to determine which angle lens it is stock. I'm guessing it's a 10° lens?

I'll see if I can get the time to try it out. It's getting cold around here now and it's even starting to snow as I type.

-Garry

You’re setting yourself up for more grunt work :-).

Interested to hear your thoughts on the 3x XML2 light

Which one? You mean these? (Though they're usually XM-L.) Or do you mean the top secret one I have coming for review? (Shhh . . . don't tell anyone :) ).

-Garry

The one I posted about on MTBR with the purple trim ring. High>Low>Strobe, mine says 2400lm, yours is listed at 3600lm. We both know they will be about 1000lm tops.

You said you bought yours from Gearbest, I’d get mine from Amazon.

Ah, yes that one. It's on the slow boat right now (tracking isn't showing anything). I'm kicking myself now that I didn't ask to review the one Cat recommended trying in that thread. Actually, that light might not have been on Gearbest's site when I chose a light to review.

-Garry

UPDATE: New Flickr Album Link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/garrybunk/albums/72157662737583937

Just received my GearBest 3x XM-L2 bike light for review light yesterday. I hurried up and grabbed some beamshots last night while the weather is still decent and there's no snow on the ground. This thing is a seriously bright flooder! Check these out:

What really impresses me is that this light only pulls 0.92A from an 8.26v battery pack on high. It also runs on a 4.2v pack (same two cells in my 2P1S battery carrier) and pulls 2.02A from that. So that's roughly 0.67A per LED. That calculates out to roughly 5.5+ hours of runtime on high on an 8.4v 5,200mAh 2S2P pack (your average 2600mAh cells)! After reviewing in stock form I'd like to see if I can mod the driver for higher output. I haven't torn it apart to look at heatsinking or the driver yet. Stay tuned for a full review.

-Garry

Update on the KD Duo/Yinding Clone. Good news! KD responded to my inquiry about buying the driver used in sku#S023788 (the "10-step user programmable" one reviewed by ledoman). They will sell the driver for that light for $8. They also reminded me that for my 4.2v version light the LEDs would need rewired to series (I appreciated hearing this from them as it showed me they had some knowledge on what they were telling me about driver replacement). If interested, you would just have to contact them and say you wish to purchase the driver used in bike light sku#S023788.

-Garry

UPDATE: New Flickr Album Here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/garrybunk/albums/72157691589882004

So I received my NiteFighter BT40s yesterday (unexpected fast shipping) and I'm quite impressed. It's definitely a step up from the $15 (+ shipping) Ebay MJ-872 clone. Bought it on sale for $23.XX.

First off, the lights are identical in size; I thought the NiteFighter would be a tad longer, but it's not. They are pretty much identical in construction, except that the silicon button (one "button" works the up & down switches) is much better on the NiteFighter. Like Andy has mentioned previously, the nubs on the inside of the silicone button are in the opposite direction of the switches, but it works fine. The rear of the light unscrews and reveals the driver (which I have not pulled out all the way yet). There is a nice o-ring at these threads. The front bezel unscrews easily (tip - use snap ring pliers to remove these easily), however there is no o-ring here. The bezel does screw tightly up against the optic though which will keep it mostly water resistant.

The optic was a little tough to pry out, but after working around and around I finally got it to pop up. It's not secured by anything other than the pedestals resting in holes, the openings pressed over the LED domes, and the bezel screwed against it. The emitters are mounted on a single pcb which is mounted against a solid backing which is part of the light body!!! Woohoo! (Note - I checked the $15 clone and it is identical too.) There was even a good amount of thermal compound in place evenly spread out! (Note - the $15 clone had way too much of a very runny compound in place.)

My light tested at the following current draws on 2 fully charged unprotected cells in a Pannova case:
Low-0.43A (20%)
Med-0.95A (44%)
High-1.43A (67%)
Turbo-2.14A (100%)
EDIT - I believe the original "2.14A' measurement was a fluke (perhaps higher current draw due to lower input voltage?) Turbo should be 1.75A for 0.875A per emitter before losses.

These currents are higher than I tested on the $15 clone (which reached 1.48A on high. The 2.14A on high roughly translates to 1.07A per LED. An XP-G2 on aluminum star @ 1.0A puts outs roughly 350 lumens (not accounting for losses), so we're talking roughly 1,400 lumens. I do believe this light could be pumped up quite a bit more. (Note: I was experiencing quite a bit of voltage sag even when I tried 4 cells, and I wonder if that is due to the battery pack / lights cabling. It's possible that the light would pull more current with better cabling, high-drain cells, or from a power supply.)

There is driver hum in all modes except high. (The $15 clone also has hum but I could only hear it when held up to my ear.) I don't believe this hum would bother me in actual use. I'm not susceptible to PWM, so I can't comment on noticing any. There is a slight fast fade up and down from one mode to the next.

I compared the tint to a XM-L2 T6 3C and an XM-L T6 4C and I'd say the NiteFighter is between the two, but very close to the 4C, a nice creamy white, definitely not orangish.

My PhotoBucket gallery is here, but here are a few pics posted:

Driver (same Andy?):


Bezel removed revealing star mounted with thermal compound:


Solid backing! Direct thermal transfer to the body!


For comparison, my older $15 clone:


Two side by side (NiteFighter on the right):


Again, NiteFighter on the right;


NiteFighter on the LEFT this time:


Sorry, no beamshots yet. On my basement wall it defintely looks like a wide swath of light as expected (same as my $15 clone, but a bit brighter).

UPDATE 10/2015

new close-up driver pics:

other side:


-Garry

This has been bothering me for a long time.

I have trouble seeing Garry's photos.

Here is an example of what I usually see:


If I quote Garry and maybe refresh my web browser (Google Chrome), I can usually see the images.

I've noticed that deleting "~original" at the end of the "direct link" that Photobucket gives you might solve the problem for posts 13 and later in this thread.

Is anyone else having trouble seeing Garry's photos (in posts 13 and later)?

I used to use Opera (which runs on Chrome engine) and got so fed up with this very problem that I switched to Firefox. I just did a test with my old Opera installation and could see the same problem. It took a while to get all my bookmarks and add-ons running on Firefox, but today I’m a happier man. Good riddance piece of sh*t browser!

This is a great thread Garry. I have to say though that after using CW on bikes so the past 2-3 years and finally getting a NW headlamp, I simply cannot be sold on a CW bike light anymore :slight_smile: NW FTW!

Sorry, I was not aware of this issue. I use FireFox on a PC and Chrome on my Android phone (tried Firefox, but it was too buggy and frustrating).

-Garry