Noob question: those "XM-L T6" zoomies that are a dime a dozen...

HunterJackson · 2024-09-04T07:19:24.964Z

They are one of the most common flashlights purchased by people with no experience. There isnt really anything wrong with them except a very dim flashlight with very poor quality and overexaggerated specs. XML t6 means absolutely nothing right now. It was an alright led sometime in the early 2000s made by cree, but all these are almost guranateed to be cheap clones. Remember, you get what you pay for and if you want something for occasional casual household use it mighg be fine. But otherwise you get a cheap dim flashlight with electronic components designed to be as cheap as possible.

finch · 2024-09-04T23:12:45.544Z

timtak:

I also may get a more powerful light because cars keep main-beaming me but I am not sure if escalation is the answer.

For road riding you need a light with a shaped beam, not unlike those found on other road vehicles, which don’t cast light above the horizon. Failing to do that you will be blinding/annoying oncoming traffic and this can be dangerous in various ways (it also increases hate against cyclists which is not something we are in dire need of)

With a flashlight, on the road, the only alternative is to angle it so sharply that the light hits the front wheel and its immediate whereabouts, which is beyond useless (it messes up your night vision besides not putting light where you need it)

I bring bad news unfortunately: good road-going lights cost quite a bit of money, and there isn’t a huge amount of choice.

On the plus side, there are less powerful lights that will allow for low-speed commuting at more reasonable prices, and there are even some cheap lights with shaped beam that can be found for like, 15 Euros, in places like Lidl or Aldi.

There is a Swedish firm I can’t remember the name of right now, that’s bought off the Philips bike light business, which sells affordable LiIon powered LED Bike Lights analogs with USB charging, but the more powerful models were only rated at 60 Lux, whereas the original LBL was rated for 100 IIRC. The price for the 60 Lux was about 60 Euros, again IIRC.

If you don’t mind riding slowly the Lidl/Aldi sets I mentioned above are excellent value, though, and are much better made/will last much longer than the XM-L T6 zoomie.

Look for a StVZO (German homologation) symbol, but beware of Chinese no-names because the StVZO marking is totally fake on those, i.e. the beam is not shaped at all.

timtak · 2024-09-05T00:38:22.063Z

Dear Finch and Hunter Jackson

I have been using these Cheap XM-L T6 lights sice sometime in the 2000s I think pointed at a place maybe 10m in front of my bike in fairly tight beam, two from my bars and two on my helmet but I generally use at most two at once. They seem to work okay for me, though though I go quite fast.

I find that they do not last all that long but at 2USD or less (recently I purchased 5 at that price) I don’t mind. I am into budget lights. Since I first joined this forum it seems that there has been a move towards greater quality. I can understand, but my preference is still for budget stuff. I find that even high IP rating brand stuff (e.g. a Garmin that came with one of my bikes) can fail at speed in rain so I would rather purchase cheaply an be prepared for breakage.

I do have a problem with cars refusing to dip their headlights, however. I think that this is because here in Japan bicycles are generally seen as pedestrians (there a re fewer road bikers, cyclists remain on the sidewalk/pavement) and cars are encourage to turn their main beam on pedestrians, and not because they are annoyed by my dipped beam.

I deleted my last post in error.

Tim

HunterJackson · 2024-09-05T07:07:24.099Z

Maybe consider getting a bright headtorch or helmet mountable light as you can always see where youre going and you can angle it down to prevent drivers being blinded

Sirstinky · 2024-09-05T18:05:34.425Z

I did a review of two of the most popular flashlights on Amazon, both were zoomies of course (1Lumen, if you’re interested). The Gearlight S1000 and S2000. Like $20 for a 2 pack of each. The S1000 was a 3AAA (but could also use an 18650) the S2000 used 4 AAs. They were as expected performance-wise and lacking a lot of the features we take for granted on even budget lights.

I modded the S1000. I added some aluminum stock and aluminum soldered it into the pill, added a 6 amp linear driver, and a 5050 led with round die. It’s pretty awesome now and I’ll eventually get a high output buck driver for it. The S2000 can be modded too, but it takes series batteries, maybe 2, 26650s and a oddball size driver. Its sitting on my shelf in pieces.

timtak · 2024-09-05T22:51:18.360Z

Hunter, Sirstinky

Yes, I have two of these cheap XML T6 on my helmet and use them in the way that you suggest. I am mean so I think I will stick with the 2USD lights, especially because I cycle in all weathers.

The cheapest lights on Amazon (.com I presume, I am in Japan) are still more than five times the price of the lights I have just bought, I’d have to purchase two of them, which means they are the equivalent of 10 XML T6, which would last me 5 years. Since I cycle in the rain I would be scared to break these lights, even though “the cheapest.” Modding may be a bit difficult for me.

Tim

RichH · 2024-09-07T20:17:27.194Z

These things are so cheap that I once ended up with them used as battery containers when I made a 18650 battery purchase. It gets around the difficulty shipping loose lithium batteries because they’re ‘installed’ in the device.

timtak · 2024-09-08T11:58:30.506Z

RichH

Very true.

But I never purchase batteries because folks at my workplace are always trashing laptop PCs, with batteries, of which half or more work.

Tim

RichH · 2024-09-08T14:54:10.982Z

LOL!

Old laptop batteries and one of these dodgy lights and there’s a good chance of ‘vent with flame’ I’d have thought.

Lightbringer · 2024-09-08T18:23:38.873Z

If anything, that’s the light to do it with.

They’re “leaky” so can let the cell vent through the sliding joint, vs a regular airtight light that’d turn into a pipeboemb unless/until the front blows out and/or the switches pop.

timtak · 2024-09-08T20:46:46.444Z

I have been using old laptop batteries with “dodgy” lights for a long time (more than ten, nearer 20 years), every day in winter, often for two hours a day, without issue.

Early on I was scared. But these days less so.

I watched a few videos of people getting Lithium batteries to explode. It is possible, but it appears to be difficult.

Tim

Lightbringer · 2024-09-08T21:31:09.332Z

Any time I get a crapped-out laptop pack, I always scrounge the cells. They go as far back as ancient panny-As that still work fine.

I don’t use them in high-strung lights or anything, but a light that doesn’t draw more than an amp or two is fine, especially if used well below “turbo” most of the time.

timtak · 2024-09-08T22:21:59.653Z

Me too. Thanks. I tend to find that even in really old laptop packs some of the batteries are okay.

As well as being “leaky,” (and on the front of my bike or helmet where there is a lot of wind) I don’t think that the lights I am using draw all that much current. I have never noticed them to get hot.

Back when I used a bike light this light which used two or three batteries next to each other did get warm however.

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Lightbringer · 2024-09-08T23:41:14.341Z

I meant air leaks because it’s a zommie. Not very watertight, let alone airtight.

A venting cell in one of those should let some pressure out before it blows.

ebastler · 2024-09-09T08:58:08.975Z

timtak:

because cars keep main-beaming me

Happens to me on my motorbike all the time. A quick half second switch to my main beam (4000lm and set rather high) usually convinces them to switch back to low beam very quickly

In my experience many car drivers don’t even think that they are blinding motorbikes/cyclists, and a quick flash makes them realize that they are indeed blinding us and switch back.

RichH · 2024-09-09T22:00:54.114Z

Cuts both ways that. A lot of cyclists here in the UK don’t realise their several thousand lumen bike lights are blinding and angle them up for distance.

timtak · 2024-09-09T22:45:56.038Z

@Lightbringer
Thank you. I understood you. The quotes around “leaky” were just citation, not doubt.

ebastler:

In my experience many car drivers don’t even think that they are blinding motorbikes/cyclists, and a quick flash makes them realize that they are indeed blinding us and switch back.

I do that with my XLM T6s on my helmet but they are not very powerful so sometimes cars just ignore me.

@RichH
I think I have my light down far enough not to annoy cars. My new XML T6s arrived.

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While I don’t seem to have thing about lights, I do have a thing about low handlebars.

stephenk · 2024-09-10T01:57:04.060Z

This is my review of a genetic cheap zoomie from 2018.

Light Painting Blog – 3 Jan 18

Flashlight Review: Generic Cheap Zoom Light - Light Painting Blog

Introduction Whether we like to admit it or not, many light painters have purchased cheap zoom lights at some point, before we knew any better. There is no question that it is possible to light paint with very cheap flashlights, but how do these...

Est. reading time: 9 minutes

HunterJackson · 2024-09-19T05:12:01.442Z

RichH:

These things are so cheap that I once ended up with them used as battery containers when I made a 18650 battery purchase.

Same here! I have recently purchased a good 18650 battery off simon mao convoy flashlight website. When I opened the package I was surprised when I saw the small black flashlight host. I either thought he gave me the wrong order or he gave me a free gift. After opening the S2 sized flashlight labelled Smarter cree q5 my battery was in there with plastic insulators. Then i figured its illegal or dangerous to ship loose batteries cells outside of a device. No wonder the batteries are cheaper when bought alongside a flashlight.

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Yes, it has a counterfeit LED and that crappy 5 mode driver with blinkies and no memory. And its probably not durable at all. But hey, it lights up and puts out a couple hundred lumens which to me fulfils the job of a flashlight. So i guess its no harm to keep it in the glovebox in my car, or my nightstand drawer for unexpected events. Some flashlight is better then no flashlight.

Lightbringer · 2024-09-19T10:17:05.475Z

Nah, you just give it to someone you hate.