MacRetro chat and rides thread
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gmac123
MacRetro Rider
gents.. anyone up to date on lights. :?: . looking for a helmet light recommendation.. got a pile of old crees with dead batteries and knackered chargers.. was hoping for something usb chargeable, and preferably without the 1/2 kg separate battery pack, anything +700lm? appreciate any advice :!:
old_coyote_pedaller
MacRetro Rider
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gmac123":34l2a7bu said:
If the lights are OK you could just get new batteries and chargers, http://www.torchy.co.uk/product/m-tiger ... -lights-2/
The guy is in Glasgow and I've seen him recommended on other sites as supplying good stuff. In the link above the battery is a 2-cell which is way lighter than the half brick 4-cells. You can see the other batteries and charger there as well.
I've a fair few Cree led bike lights with less than good batteries, it's the usual cheapo batteries with OK lights. Another thing is how we/me most folk store their lights and batteries. They need to be kept charged around at least half capacity and not anywhere cold.
Just last week I bought new lights from here, https://www.mtbbatteries.co.uk/mountain-bike-lights/ got carried away with "Me want, me want, gimme" :facepalm: and bought the Lumenator18/Lumen800 combo when my original intention was just to replace batteries as the lights I had were OK. Ordered late Monday night, arrived Wed noon.
Still might buy some batteries off Torchy to get 2 or 3 of my old lights working OK again. His batteries/chargers are cheaper than MTBBatteries.
Not used my new lights yet but are bright enough, seem as bright as old lights. The new lights I think have newer/better LEDs, the Lumen800 has just one and runs off a 2-cell battery with a claimed run-time of nearly 3 hours on max. Certainly lighter on helmet than the old ones.
gmac123
MacRetro Rider
many thanks OCP, glad to see you're still the authority on the subject 
I had thought they were best stored 0%, and exercised a few times at the start of the season e.g. 0%-100%-0%-100%.. however I'm also reading that most come supplied at 50%, guess this'll be part of the reason why mine no longer hold a charge..
tending towards battery and charger, as agree the light's seem of reasonable quality, it was always the chargers and batteries that were p!sh..
Mucho appreciated :!:
I had thought they were best stored 0%, and exercised a few times at the start of the season e.g. 0%-100%-0%-100%.. however I'm also reading that most come supplied at 50%, guess this'll be part of the reason why mine no longer hold a charge..
tending towards battery and charger, as agree the light's seem of reasonable quality, it was always the chargers and batteries that were p!sh..
Mucho appreciated :!:
old_coyote_pedaller
MacRetro Rider
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Re:
Eh, Ah wouldnae say I'm an authority, all my info is gained by reading what others have written on 'tinternet, it's no jist for porn :mrgreen:
I had always assumed that the batteries were best stored fully charged but 50% seems to be what the real experts say. And in a cool place, not in a cupboard out the way in my front porch, the unheated porch. Batteries no likey, cool aye but feckin' freezin' naw. This is what the MTBBatteries guy says, https://www.mtbbatteries.co.uk/mountain ... formation/
Just need the weather to co-operate to get oot on bike, me no like this pishy wet cauld glaur that's everywhere.
Eh, Ah wouldnae say I'm an authority, all my info is gained by reading what others have written on 'tinternet, it's no jist for porn :mrgreen:
I had always assumed that the batteries were best stored fully charged but 50% seems to be what the real experts say. And in a cool place, not in a cupboard out the way in my front porch, the unheated porch. Batteries no likey, cool aye but feckin' freezin' naw. This is what the MTBBatteries guy says, https://www.mtbbatteries.co.uk/mountain ... formation/
Just need the weather to co-operate to get oot on bike, me no like this pishy wet cauld glaur that's everywhere.
Re:
I’m in the opposite camp.
I run an Exposure Axis (half way between a joystick and Diablo).
It was expensive, about £130 in a sale but it’s lightweight, nae cables and bright enough on the middle settings. Only a few years in but it’s been faultless. My last exposure was an original Mk1 Joystick that was still holding a good charge after 14 years. Only replaced it as I was getting totally outgunned in group rides.
My lumicycle bar light again is over 10 years old and hasn’t lost any run time.
My whole set up must have cost £350 but I’ve never been caught without a light.
As for storage, I always fully charge my lights the day after, ( so they’re not left unattended overnight) and store them like this.
Advice depends on battery type anyway. Old days of Ni Cad, it was fully charged as they suffered from memory if charged repeatedly from half charge. NiMh was store discharged and Li ion are pretty robust and done really mind. Like OCP say though, keep out of extreme cold.
Pretty sure modern batteries sent half charge to save manufacturers time fully charging entire production runs. Plus Li batteries are mini bombs when over charged, so safer shipping them at half charge. If in any doubt about how dangerous they are, my mate used to design mobile phone batteries for Nokia. They used to test charging failure at Barry Buddon bomb range. Left a 3 foot crater with a massive debris pattern.
I’m in the opposite camp.
I run an Exposure Axis (half way between a joystick and Diablo).
It was expensive, about £130 in a sale but it’s lightweight, nae cables and bright enough on the middle settings. Only a few years in but it’s been faultless. My last exposure was an original Mk1 Joystick that was still holding a good charge after 14 years. Only replaced it as I was getting totally outgunned in group rides.
My lumicycle bar light again is over 10 years old and hasn’t lost any run time.
My whole set up must have cost £350 but I’ve never been caught without a light.
As for storage, I always fully charge my lights the day after, ( so they’re not left unattended overnight) and store them like this.
Advice depends on battery type anyway. Old days of Ni Cad, it was fully charged as they suffered from memory if charged repeatedly from half charge. NiMh was store discharged and Li ion are pretty robust and done really mind. Like OCP say though, keep out of extreme cold.
Pretty sure modern batteries sent half charge to save manufacturers time fully charging entire production runs. Plus Li batteries are mini bombs when over charged, so safer shipping them at half charge. If in any doubt about how dangerous they are, my mate used to design mobile phone batteries for Nokia. They used to test charging failure at Barry Buddon bomb range. Left a 3 foot crater with a massive debris pattern.
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