Lights - 2012

^^^^^^^^^These ones, going to try them out tomorrow night. Bought two for my bars. So far the units themselves look like they are of decent quality. I've charged and turned them on in my back yard and the highest setting is extremely bright (not sure how long the charge would last on that level). The back of the light has a LED charge indicator (which is cool) and the beam the light throws is more of a wide spot (if that makes sense?) than a flood. I'll report back with some photos and opinions after tomorrow night's ride.

Ah nice. I ordered one of those SolarStorms along with one of the Gemini Duo clones:

http://www.fasttech.com/products/0/10005710/1443727-yinding-2-cree-xm-l-u2-4-mode-1800-lumen-white

Ill put it on the helmet and the SolarStorm on the bars and see how it goes….

I'd be concerned about that Solarstorm in terms of protection from the elements, particularly the back panel- looks like the guts are only shielded behind that sheet panel with two screws that I doubt have gaskets. There might be something you can do to reinforce that. For all the fancy aluminum, I somehow doubt it's actually engineered to properly dissipate heat. I'd bet the extra $19 for the Yinding is worth it. I also note the Yinding uses the standard interchangeable connectors, meaning you could probably use it with a number of other battery types, whereas the Solarstorm uses a funky one that is different, and thus less compatible (fewer options).

The Yinding (fricking love that name!) at least appears to use a casing that is, or is capable of being made to be, (relatively) sealed up. A bit of silicone around the wire ports and screw heads, make sure the lens gasket is in place, and should be fine.
I'd just be sure to stick around when that battery is charging, make sure it's not getting too hot, maybe keep it in a coffee can (as if anyone gets coffee in a can anymore).
Still amazing what you can get for 50$. I might grab a Yinding to replace my burned out mickey mouse (yup, I just said that).

[QUOTE=cerealkilla';2786231]I'd be concerned about that Solarstorm in terms of protection from the elements, particularly the back panel- looks like the guts are only shielded behind that sheet panel with two screws that I doubt have gaskets. There might be something you can do to reinforce that. For all the fancy aluminum, I somehow doubt it's actually engineered to properly dissipate heat. I'd bet the extra $19 for the Yinding is worth it. I also note the Yinding uses the standard interchangeable connectors, meaning you could probably use it with a number of other battery types, whereas the Solarstorm uses a funky one that is different, and thus less compatible (fewer options).

The Yinding (fricking love that name!) at least appears to use a casing that is, or is capable of being made to be, (relatively) sealed up. A bit of silicone around the wire ports and screw heads, make sure the lens gasket is in place, and should be fine.
I'd just be sure to stick around when that battery is charging, make sure it's not getting too hot, maybe keep it in a coffee can (as if anyone gets coffee in a can anymore).
Still amazing what you can get for 50$. I might grab a Yinding to replace my burned out mickey mouse (yup, I just said that).
Ill try and let you know what works and what doesn't. I figure id try one of each and go from there. If one turns out to be a winner and the other a loser, then I can always just order more of the winner! FYI anyone ordering from Fasttech, there is a 5% discount coupon 'CPF'. Not alot, but then again, these lights dont cost alot either….

i've got a solarstorm on the way as well. we'll see how well the silly cheap thing holds up.

amazing how far we've come from the old blt's w/ 10/20w low/hi halogens…

Just a heads up on a potential issue with the Solarstorm,

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/solarstorm-x2-warning-please-read

[QUOTE=cerealkilla';2786158]I plasti-dipped my old batteries (before the Magicshine warranty exchange). For the time I had them, it seemed to do the trick just fine.

I just had one of my Magicshine head units (the mickey-mouse style) give up the farm. The main spot no longer works, but the two little "ear" lights work fine. Surprised it actually still provides a good flood effect for the bars.

I have a mix of Magicshines and Geminis. If buying again, I would pay the up for the Geminis for sure. With the Magicshines (and their many knock-off brethren) it seems like it's really just a matter of time before they blow.

Also, even the new (warranty approved and waterproofed) magicshine batteries seem to have lost a significant amount of their charge over the past year. In contrast, my Gemini battery is holding as much juice as ever.

Totally agree with ya there. Pay the extra and get a good set if you are serious about night riding. I have a gemini that is on its 3rd season and it works great. I have one magic shine with very little use from last year and the battery is crap. I even put them through a few cycles in the summer and leave them at a storage charge.

S

Just a heads up on a potential issue with the Solarstorm,

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/solarstorm-x2-warning-please-read

The batteries and chargers have always been the 'roulette' factor with these cheap lights. No surprise there. I wont be leaving my batteries unattended during charges, that is for certain!
I only went with the cheap lights as Im not sure how much night riding I will be doing. Just dipping my toes back in after MANY years off night riding. Still have my BLT fireball in a box in the garage from the good old days :P
If I find I am riding alot, and want something more reliable, then I will step up to a real set in the future.

Just a heads up on a potential issue with the Solarstorm,

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/solarstorm-x2-warning-please-read

Standard household voltage in UK is 220V which creates a bigger potential when shorted. 120v would create less of a catastrophic short. If the chargers aren't fused then one could plug them into a surge protector for some protection before the circuit breaker at the panel.

i've got a solarstorm on the way as well. we'll see how well the silly cheap thing holds up.

amazing how far we've come from the old blt's w/ 10/20w low/hi halogens…

LOL i was talking about those today when i was at the shop one of the guys came in with a newer version of the BLT he had to make a battery for them as the old original had died long ago . i had the earlier BLTs from around 1993/94 and then later bought a single NiteRider Cyclops helmet lite and threw the BLT,s in to the can .

anyone remember the other local company doing lights back then ?? the MOONUNITS as they where called , they where pretty trick , billet cnc bodies with gold plated connectors and such .

Dang those vintage BLT's bring back memories. Had that exact same pair.

On high setting with two Solarstorms side by side. Super bright but I imagine the run time would be cut significantly.

Same lights on the lowest setting which I spent most of my ride using. Plenty of light although the iPhone picture may not show the amount of light that was being thrown off these things. Finished a 1.5 hour ride and still had two-thirds of the charge left. So far pretty happy. Weather proofing may be an issue so I'll look into that later.

looks effective. you run those with a headlamp as well?

looks effective. you run those with a headlamp as well?

Yes, I have an older (4-5 years) Topeak HID which I run on my helmet.

just got my solarstorm. a good bit brighter, and whiter light than my mj-872. still can't believe how cheap these things are. will see how they last…