Brightest possible front light

[marc.knuckle]

looks like this one is the brightest normal bike light if you don't want the bulk of the 5 Cree XML T6 torch. This one has three LEDs so should be three times as bright as the one I previously recommended. I have a torch with the same LEDs and it's as bright as a car halogen headlight on full beam.
HOT 3 x CREE XM-L T6 LED 4000LM Bicycle bike HeadLight Lamp Light Headlamp | eBay

hey d8veh, if i went for this, is it possible/worth putting a lens to direct the beam as mentioned on an earlier post? is it really 4000lm? there are similar ones on amazon saying about 1000lm

 

[Deleted member 4366]

The three LED torch has more light than you could possibly need. I'm guessing that this one is the same. The single LED one gives out enough light to see everything that you want. I used one for night-time off-roading and it lights up the track like daylight. If you put it on flashing mode, you'll get arrested.

You don't need any lens on the beam, but if you want to be kind to motorists, a shroud might be useful to keep the glare off them, particularly with the three LED one. On all of them, you can turn down the light to a lower level instead, but the switch goes through a sequence of brightnesses and flash patterns, so it's not easy to switch from one to the other. When I commute down unlit A roads, I use the single LED light on low power and I have the 3 LED torch switched off in high power mode. When the cars don't dipp, I switch the torch on, wherupon they always dip immediately. It's nice to have something to fight back with.

 

[103Alex1]

looks like this one is the brightest normal bike light if you don't want the bulk of the 5 Cree XML T6 torch. This one has three LEDs so should be three times as bright as the one I previously recommended. I have a torch with the same LEDs and it's as bright as a car halogen headlight on full beam.
HOT 3 x CREE XM-L T6 LED 4000LM Bicycle bike HeadLight Lamp Light Headlamp | eBay

Went weak at the knees at the very thought of fighting back against undipped car headlights and ordered one. Does anyone know if these are likely to have the same 39mm dia. lens as the 1000 / 1200LM-style CREE XM-L T6 LED lights ? Might enable me to use it as a back-up front light on lowest power on the road especially if it's fitted with a diffuser.

Really must develop some self-control .. but in my defence, by a twist of fate the grossly overpriced 'panic buy' from Halfords went on the blink yesterday. I had bought these after managing to unhook my front dynamo wires changing tyres for the first time and didn't know how to put them back properly, leaving me completely without lights :

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_895519_langId_-1_categoryId_165636

Went through 2 sets in a month - the rear light literally fell apart on the first set within one day and wouldn't clip back together. The replacement decided to malfunction yesterday and wouldn't turn off. Didn't exactly inspire me with confidence about longevity / build quality !! In fairness to Halfords they were very good about replacing the 1st one. Decided I didn't want a 3rd set and opted for a £20 voucher plus one of these instead to hook on my rear rack bag ... which now really does make me look like an slow-moving alien :

Topeak® Cycling Accessories

Hopefully it'll last longer than the Bikehut offering ...

 

[jackhandy]

When the cars don't dipp, I switch the torch on, wherupon they always dip immediately. It's nice to have something to fight back with.

Remids me of when I used to work shifts & biked each way along unlit country roads:



I used to carry the torch on the right, bungeed to the crossbar, for when the b*ggers didn't dip....
I reckon the one on the left should do the business even better - Where's that bungee...

 

[Caph]

Dave, I ordered it on Thurs night, it was posted Friday and it arrived today! I did opt for the tenner extra for priority delivery though.

It is brighter than the sun!!!

One click gives 1 LED which is the same as my single LED version which is way brighter than any light I've ever owned. Another click gives 2 LEDs and a noticeable increase in brightness. Three clicks gives all three LEDs which is not much brighter but fills out the light to the sides more. 4 clicks gives all 3 LEDs on strobe which is a frightening sight!

 

[tillson]

I've ordered one of these. Couldn't resist it. However, I'm far too mean to pay the extra tenner for delivery, so will have to wait until early December to get my eager paws on it.

 

[Caph]

I've just compared the single LED version with the 3 LED version and the single version has a noticeable hotspot while the 3 gives a more diffuse central brighter area no matter how many LEDs are used. I definitely prefer the 3. I was a bit worried about the rubber fastening but it has held really well over some really rough surfaces.

More importantly though I pulled up at a T junction this morning in the dark because I could hear a car coming but not see it due to wall to wall parked cars and it being a narrow side street. Normally the cars don't see me until the last minute by which time they are already cutting the junction and heading straight for me. This morning however, with my mini "sun" shining in front of me I heard the car slow to a near stop before I saw him. That is exactly what I was wanting. I feel a lot safer now.

The only downside is that I was going to use this light with my front flasher but you literally can't see the flasher when the beast is switched on. I guess the flasher will be relegated to an emergency light in case the beast drains the battery.

 

[103Alex1]

One click gives 1 LED which is the same as my single LED version which is way brighter than any light I've ever owned.

Caph, I am still waiting for mine (hopefully arriving soon). Trying to find out if the lens is the same diameter as the 1-led units or larger, which is proving to be difficult to do before receiving it and checking against my own.

If you get a chance could you compare them and see if they are exactly the same ? I'm going to get a replacement lens and would enable me to order it up sooner if I can get to the bottom of the lens size. Technically, I believe the 1-led CREE T6 units come fitted with a 39mm lens. The manufacturer seems to think the 3-LED ones come with a 42mm lens but is not sure !

 

[spiro]

I've just compared the single LED version with the 3 LED version and the single version has a noticeable hotspot while the 3 gives a more diffuse central brighter area no matter how many LEDs are used. I definitely prefer the 3. I was a bit worried about the rubber fastening but it has held really well over some really rough surfaces.

More importantly though I pulled up at a T junction this morning in the dark because I could hear a car coming but not see it due to wall to wall parked cars and it being a narrow side street. Normally the cars don't see me until the last minute by which time they are already cutting the junction and heading straight for me. This morning however, with my mini "sun" shining in front of me I heard the car slow to a near stop before I saw him. That is exactly what I was wanting. I feel a lot safer now.

The only downside is that I was going to use this light with my front flasher but you literally can't see the flasher when the beast is switched on. I guess the flasher will be relegated to an emergency light in case the beast drains the battery.

If that light is bright what would this one be like Hot 11000 Lumens 9 x CREE XML XM-L T6 LED Flashlight super Torches Light | eBay

 

[103Alex1]

HOT 3 x CREE XM-L T6 LED 4000LM Bicycle bike HeadLight Lamp Light Headlamp | eBay

Received mine yesterday and would echo what Caph says above. It really is incredibly bright.

On mounts, I have managed to fit this from supplier recommended on this thread, which was identical to the one I got for considerably more from another e-bay supplier for use with my 1,000Lm one :

Swivelmount for Magicshine / Inton / Fluxient / Starlight etc bike lights | eBay

the end result quick-release mechanism is not as neat/smooth as my 1,000Lm one from C&B Seen because the screw hole is drilled in a different place relative to the wire exiting the light, with the result that it's not such a clean fit - but it does work fine once you get your head round it and it swivels left to right more easily (could actually just swivel out the way to the left if an oncoming vehicle approached on a lane and still get enough peripheral light cast to see ahead). Very nice indeed.

Have also successfully fitted this replacement lens as an extra lens, which makes the light very useable on lit urban roads in lowest mode as well as being there for the very dark country lanes :

Wide Angle Lens for Magicshine, Lupine and Gemini Bike Lights | eBay

On this one I put the wide-angle plastic lens in front of the existing glass one (rather than as a replacement) and closed the housing tightly, re-using the green rubber sealing ring which came with the light. Been out in heavy rain with it and so far all seems fine.

My 3-pin charger from my 1,000Lm light works fine to charge the battery and the battery from that light also powers this one OK. All in all I'm very happy with the end result - well worth the cost for what you get. Was able to aim a clear searchlight on a building two blocks away on 2nd lowest mode even with a secondary lens and full street-lighting - which is quite staggering really. Will definitely only be used on lowest setting and with the extra lens in town or I'm sure there would be unwelcome attention eventually. On unlit paths it's amazing and clearly lights up the garage - so no excuse now for stopping work on anything in the event of a power cut

 

[marc.knuckle]

hey guys.

i need help with this 3x cree light from ebay.

on 2 different occasions (only 2 times i have used it) i have charged it fully till the light on the charger goes green. i have then had it on 2 bulbs, the second setting, and used it for about 30-40 minutes. both times i have then come to use it the next evening and it is completely flat. no juice at all.

i can only think it is either faulty, i am charging i wrong, or more likely it is discharging while it is off by having the battery still connected to the light.

any ideas?

 

[tillson]

hey guys.

i need help with this 3x cree light from ebay.

on 2 different occasions (only 2 times i have used it) i have charged it fully till the light on the charger goes green. i have then had it on 2 bulbs, the second setting, and used it for about 30-40 minutes. both times i have then come to use it the next evening and it is completely flat. no juice at all.

i can only think it is either faulty, i am charging i wrong, or more likely it is discharging while it is off by having the battery still connected to the light.

any ideas?

Mine arrived a couple of days ago. It's a great light, but the battery isn't very good. I get just over 1 hour of use with two LEDs switched on. I have ordered another battery pack off Ebay (£12), so at least it will get me to work and back. Eventually, I'll run it off the bike battery using a DC-DC converter. I just need to find the time to do it.

 

[marc.knuckle]

Oddly though I don't think it is running out after my journey as the brightness doesn't reduce. I I think it is after when it is not being used as when I then turn it on the next time it is COMPLETELY run out with absolutely no sign of life.

 

[Dubster]

I have a similar lamp, I've noticed that when powered off there is a faint green LED that remains on. I simply unplug the battery pack and the charge then remains for days/weeks.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

marc, you have to disconnect the battery when not in use.

 

[marc.knuckle]

cheers guys, my fault.

i will do that and see how it goes.

 

[103Alex1]

cheers guys, my fault.

i will do that and see how it goes.

If it's of any interest, I tried this light with the battery I got from C & B Seen with my 1-Led light CREE T6 1200Lm light (which I know is a decent battery as the light only needs charging every week or so and I have it on at least 3/4 of an hour a day).

Run time of the 4000LM light on lowest setting (1 LED) was about 2 1/2 hours off the same battery. The light is pretty power-hungry. Plus as said above - always disconnect the battery when not in use - I unplug mine and unclip it from the mount even if I go into a shop for 10 minutes. Aside from being highly nickable it means there's no chance I'll forget and leave it connected when not in use.

 

[103Alex1]

looks like this one is the brightest normal bike light if you don't want the bulk of the 5 Cree XML T6 torch. This one has three LEDs so should be three times as bright as the one I previously recommended. I have a torch with the same LEDs and it's as bright as a car halogen headlight on full beam.
HOT 3 x CREE XM-L T6 LED 4000LM Bicycle bike HeadLight Lamp Light Headlamp | eBay

In case anyone is interested in wiring one of these in, I hooked one up to my CREE circuit which runs off a 36V bike battery and uses one of these 9V 3A-rated HRD step-down converters :

HRD Series Converter DC 12v 24v 36v step down to 9v 3A | eBay

Closest listing now active I could find is this one :

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3x-CREE-LED-XML-XM-L-T6-LED-4000Lm-Bicycle-Light-Bike-Lamp-HeadLight-headLamp-R1-/271112420865?pt=UK_SportsLeisure_Cycling_Bike_Lights&hash=item3f1f8f3e01

These lights flatten the little 18650 8.4v pack batteries that come with them pretty quickly if run on higher settings and so for longer rides wiring in is likely to make them more useable. To help calculate approximate power consumption these are the readings I got at the battery (i.e. before the step-down converter) :

Latent draw when connected but not in use : 0.02A
Low power - 0.18A
Medium power - 0.44A
High power - 0.50A

I have one of these adaptors that I got very cheap on Dealextreme :

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Magicshine-Y-Splitter-lead-cable-to-fit-LED-bike-light-MJ-880-/221207322705?pt=UK_SportsLeisure_Cycling_Bike_Lights&hash=item3380fbe051

.. and decided to hook in a Magicshine 3W rear light (MJ-818) to see whether both could be run together. The reading adding in the rear light on constant max brightness before the battery was 0.60A.

I decided to measure current after the step-down converter with both front and rear lights connected to see how close to the 3A max current rating of the DC-DC converter this would bring you to.

These are the readings, in all cases with rear light on constant max brightness :

Front on Low power - 0.95A
Front on Medium power - 2.17A
Front on High power - 2.50A

About 0.3A of the above figures are attributable to the rear light.

So ..... running the light on max power along with a rear light also on Max brings you within 85% of the DC-DC converter capacity - but still within it - and only drawing 0.6A at the battery. The HRD converters have a very large heatsink and do look up to the job. To run additional front CREEs with this on high, you'd best have a secondary DC-DC converter for them - but you can happily run a very high powered front light and a very high powered rear one pretty economically.

Impressive.

EDIT : - oh - don't forget to put an isolator switch in to break the supply to this light when it's not in use - especially if you don't disconnect your battery and leave it on the bike. The latent current draw when it's not on is a lot higher than any of the other lights I've tested (compares to nil to not even registering for a single CREE and rear light).

 

[103Alex1]

Here's a pic of the near-distance (15-20m) throw of the above light on 'High'.... fitted with a diffuser 'wide angle' lens to spread the hotspot. It really is extremely bright. For £36 or thereabouts it's pretty amazing value for something so compact.

Only trouble is the light is really blinding so on-road use is going to be a problem with oncoming vehicles if it's busy. Imho it needs a single-mode driver and a handlebar controlled switch to turn it on / off as supplementary lighting, rather than have to angle it down and lose a load of its capabilities or keep swivelling it out of the way. Then it would rival lights many times bigger and be extremely user-friendly as a built-in high-intensity light option. I'm still looking out for suitable drivers.

 

[Old_Dave]

I'm still looking out for suitable drivers

Heres one