So I bought this single 18650 bike light to see what it was like. When I opened it up I saw this:
WTH??? You slide the 18650 right down alongside those seemingly 30AWG wires which will cause the wires to rub against what is likely a sharp aluminum corner (where they turn into the head)!
Well I might as well proceed with a bit of a review. (If photos are not visible, here is a link to the photo gallery.)
So then I proceed to check out the head:
Loose fitting pill, but it's kind of tight to pull it out and so I give it a yank with pliers:
Whoops! Broke those thin wires as there was no slack! Oh well.
Hollow pill, no thermal paste, and very simplistic driver.
The switch is momentary and just hangs there off the board. It had actually bent downward. I can see that breaking off its solder joints after little use.
Protected KeepPower Panny 3100 is really long in this tube, but it does function. I was thrown for a loop though, because I had contact problems on the positive end of the light where the contact board is press-fit to pick up the negative signal.
Prior to breaking I measured the amp draws as follows:
Hi-1.63A 100%
Med-0.90A 55%
Low-0.29A 18%
Modes seem quite closely spaced, but at least low is now too low for cycling use. Cycle is Off->Hi-Med-Low-Strobe-SOS->Off. Must cycle all modes. On the positive side the lens is actually glass and it uses o-rings everywhere needed (should prove fairly waterproof). I think the reflector is plastic, but it's tough for me to tell. Handlebar clamp is all aluminum and should hold well.
Conclusion - do not buy this light unless you have plans to mod it! It has potential if you put the needed work into it though.
-Garry