Magicshine bike lights

spongebob

spongebob

Likes Dirt
I have one, & LBS's seem to be selling them now for up to $200AUD.
Adaptors cheap to get.
Deal X postage is free but can be pretty slow.
Aftersale service reasonable [ replacement] but slow.
i've bought from Deal X a few times & no problems so far. Hong kong.
Build quality is average to poor, and ~ 1 in 10 seem to cause problems, but usually this seems to be simple soldering/wiring fix.
Some reports of shipping with stuffed batteries.
Batteries aren't waterproof & water ingress stuffs them. Need to heatshink/plastidip/ etc if any wet riding.
Have either a Cree MCE or SSC P7 LED chip which are essentially identical.
Get the one where the box shows mounted on helmet, as this includes the helmet mount. The other shows handlebar mount & you have to get head mount seperate.
Light output is good for the price - good value for money [ if you don't get a dud] - but not 900 L
Run on 7.2v, so you can use Nimh 'hobby car' batteries as well - easy & cheap to get locally.
Heaps of light man's are making similar lights with same quad-die chips.
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=41025
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=42189
 
tasty.dirt74

tasty.dirt74

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Spongebob,

2 x on the way !!!!

Might have to ask you nicely if you can give them a check over and modify how you see fit. :eek:

Bring on the night rides......still not sure on the night DH though !!!!
 
B

BrindiCruiser

Likes Dirt
Magicshine - another lottery ticket puchased

Pulled the trigger and ordered a set last night. One of the other things that I have read is that you should order an extension cord as well cause the cord in the box is not long enough to use when mounting the light on the helmet and putting the battery in your back pocket.

For AUD$87 delivered, then I figure it is worth the risk on the quality.
 
T

trev0006

Banned
c3024446

c3024446

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Got mine from thesingletrackstore.com

2 magic shines
helmet mount
o-rings
2 batteries / bags
2 extension cords
2 chargers
y cable (2 lights off one battery)

$250 delivered, got 2 us->au adapters for $3 delivered off eBay. Cannot fault them, bright enough, good quality, and cheap.
 
H

Halo1

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Thanks for all the info guys, this has been very helpful. I am tempted to go for the 1400s but will probably just go for 2 of the 900s. I will post here again to advise how the lights go.
 
B

BrindiCruiser

Likes Dirt
Arrived

For people wondering how long it takes for them to arrive from dealextreme.

I ordered on 18 March. Dealextreme shipped the cord and lens in a seperate package to the lights. The first package with extra lens and cord arrived on 25 March. The lights were shipped on Sat 27 March and arrived on 30 March.
 
L

Lard

Likes Dirt
Ayup Comparison

A friend just got 1 of these today and we compared it to a set of Ayups (helmet + bars) on a dark trail. From our extremely non-scientific testing, 1 magicshine was only slightly duller than a pair of ayups. And the magicshine has a really nice smooth spread and falloff. So an $80 magicshine is almost as bright as $450 of Ayups, I think the purchase is a no-brainer. I'm off to buy 2 magicshines! :D
 
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F

frensham

Likes Dirt
Lard said:
A friend just got 1 of these today and we compared it to a set of Ayups (helmet + bars) on a dark trail. From our extremely non-scientific testing, 1 magicshine was only slightly duller than a pair of ayups. And the magicshine has a really nice smooth spread and falloff. So an $80 magicshine is almost as bright as $450 of Ayups, I think the purchase is a no-brainer. I'm off to buy 2 magicshines! :D
Click to expand...

+1 for Magicshines

We did a direct comparison on a white wall. The Ayups are very white. The Magicshines are slightly yellow in comparison. Because the Ayups give you 4 lights, two batteries, much better helmet mount etc etc it is a difficult comparison to make pricewise. However, the Magicshines win hands down on brightness for your dollar IF you purchase from OS. I think $220AUD for the Nitelights is way overpriced for a light that can be delivered to your door for less than $100 (with equivalent parts).

My Magicshines took three weeks to arrive and cost me $94AUD for the lightset, helmet mount, headstrap and extension lead.
 
J

jimnobob

Likes Bikes
Yes they have become too pricey

I was close to buying a set of magicshines to supplement my single set of AY UPs but couldn't do it in the end.

I remember the car fliers handed out by nitelights at the Scott when they were priced at just $120. Now that's a bargain. But I really don't like the way that the price has steadily increased up to now $220. When I think about the quality of the AY UPs and the warranty / guarantees you get (plus the fact that they work in the rain) then the price difference ain't that great.

I'm sure plenty of people are happy with their magicshines but I've also heard enough reports of problems to know that there is a significant risk associated with using these. But then again if you can get them for < $100 it does become a risk well worth taking. Hmm...
 
Big JD

Big JD

Wheel size expert
dont do it for me

Only Magic for a while then something happens were the battery says it is charge but lasts 10 minutes. My mate has replaced his battery once and new one is stuffed.
AyUps are an investment but invaluable (esp if commuting)
 
jaseh

jaseh

Likes Bikes and Dirt
One of my batteries has died after forgetting to dry it after the sydney 24hr. I've hit it with some electrical contact cleaner and plan to pull it apart this week. If I can't get it going I'm going to the battery shop and getting one made. I won't be buying an OE replacement.

I can live with the battery problem as it won't cost much to fix it, actually Even after replacing the battery I still wouldn't have spent the $220 that the OZ distributor wants for a set.
 
Knopey

Knopey

Likes Dirt
spongebob said:
Run on 7.2v, so you can use Nimh 'hobby car' batteries as well - easy & cheap to get locally.
Click to expand...
This is great info if your battery goes titsup, and handy to keep in mind "in case".

Two helmet-mounted sets are on the way to my place for use as commuting/backup MTB lights. Loving the exchange rate at the mo!
 
jaseh

jaseh

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Does anyone know what the circuit board in the battery is for?

I pulled my non functioning one apart today and the CB was all corroded. I've pulled it out and just soldered the wires straight to the batteries where the CB was soldered on. It seems to work alright and it still turns the light on the charger to green when it is charged.

There was a piece of cardboard at the end of the battery between it and the CB, you could see it had been wet. I'll be putting them in a balloon from now on to keep them dry.
 
savtraxx

savtraxx

Banned
not sure but you could use some plastidip to seal your electronics if thier high power lights watch they dont heat em from 0 air circulation
 
Big Chuck

Big Chuck

Likes Dirt
jaseh said:
Does anyone know what the circuit board in the battery is for?

I pulled my non functioning one apart today and the CB was all corroded. I've pulled it out and just soldered the wires straight to the batteries where the CB was soldered on. It seems to work alright and it still turns the light on the charger to green when it is charged.

There was a piece of cardboard at the end of the battery between it and the CB, you could see it had been wet. I'll be putting them in a balloon from now on to keep them dry.
Click to expand...
Maybe you should check this post.
http://www.rotorburn.com/forums/sho...do-they-rate&p=2088588&viewfull=1#post2088588

The PCB is a must as it protects the batteries from over charging/heating while charging.

You should be very careful with Lithium-Ion batteries, they tend catch fire if not looked after.
 
H

Halo1

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Lights arrived and tested

Hello again,

Here is an update. The 900 lumen Magic Shine lights were ordered from deal extreme on the 29/3. One light arrived on the 9/4 and the other and arrived 15/4 as they were out of stock. Pretty quick for both lights. The lights offer big bang for your buck.

I tested them out of the box at home and got 3 hours on full power before I turned them off. The only thing to note is the lights get hot if they are sitting still.

We have used them so far mainly on some single tracks. I had one light on the helmet and a mate had one on the bar. They are simple to install and the helmet mount was just fixed on with a cable tie. I would recommend ordering the extension cable for the helmet light.

We were both really impressed and had heaps of light on the tracks with just a single light. The lights are also easy to adjust while on the bike.

The lights can also take a hit. I managed to smack into a small branch that took the light off the helmet and disconnect it from the battery pack. The light was not damaged at all but it took me a few minutes to find it in total darkness on the track. (Note to self 2 lights are better then one.)

I am looking forward to heading out this week with both lights.
 
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