Here is an initial review. Beamshots and my crude light measurements will follow tonight (since in the CA its in the AM).
Shipping Speed:
Warren shipped on Monday AM Korea Time.
Customs held the package 1 day
US Shipping is via Express so it got from San Francisco to Sacramento in 1 day.
Total ship time from Korea to Central CA 4 days
Packing:
Box was packed well. Most everything was in its own plastic bag/wrapper to prevent chafing and rub marks. Obviously packed with care.
Light Engine:
Actual weight measured: 165 grams (5.8 oz)
6 hex screws must be an SAE bolt head because my 2.5mm was loose and 3m allen was too big. Weird, I thought only us crazy Americans used silly SAE sizes.
Exploded front lens assembly:
Pretty thick front glass front with beveled and frosted edges.... nice:thumbsup:
O-ring seal on the front was not evident in the pictures Warren provided, but its there and I for one am please that there was some thought to weather sealing.
Culminator and lens were clean/spot free/ and a nice TIGHT fit in the housing. I took a small knife and eased it out since I want the narrow beam filter.
Fit and finish on the exterior was perfect. There is a pretty good amount of epoxy on the LED, but I don't really care. You *can* however see the goop when the narrow filter is on. No big.
The rear of the engine has a small screw with a silicone sealant on it. Obviously Warren wanted to keep the water out. The switch appears to have a pretty nice boot on it.... I don't see water getting through that either.
Battery
Hanlite brand battery with included velcro strap. Actual weight measured: 225 grams (7.8 oz)
Charger
What is not shown on Warren's website is that there is a charging LED so you know when the battery has a full charge. A nice touch and much appreciated.
Connections:
The connections between the engine and the battery work, but I would not call them water-tight. The fit is loose-ish. I don't think it will fall apart on a ride, but I question its water tightness. I once had my NiteRider Minewt light come off the mount and it hung on the battery connector until I could stop. With this connection, if the light falls off, it will hit the ground before you are even aware there is a problem.
Installed Shots:
Road Bike Install:
MTB Installed pics
Beamshots:
Wide Filter- High Power
Wide Filter - Med Power
Narrow filter on High Power
Street
4 paint cans. 1st is 24' away, second is 36', 3rd 48', 5th 60', light pole is 120' away.
Camera is at the height of the rider's head. Manual Focus set @ first can. Tungsten WB/ F9 1.6 sec exp, 400 ISO, 24mm focal length. All shots taken at same exposure.
First shot is the control. No lights, just ambient street lighting.
Minewt X2 ~ 150 lumens
Kentro on Med
Kentro on High
Light comparison:
24mm focal length, 200 ISO, 1/2 sec exp, Fl WB, F4.5
Stock NiteRider Minew (80 lumens)
Upgraded Minewt w/ U-bin P4 SSC ~ 150 lumens
Kentro High wide filter
Kentro on High - Narrow filter
Impressions:
The light is bright but not blinding like I was expecting. I think my expectations of a P7 were a bit skewed from all the hype.
I don't have a light meter but I used my camera's built in light meter to try to derive output. The stock Minewt is 80 lumens. Upgraded to the SSC P4 it puts out ~150. When taking pictures, I kept the apature constant and let the camera decide on shutter speed. The stock Minewt had a shutter speed of 1/2 sec. The SSC P4 had a shutter speed of 1/4 sec. The kentro had a shutter speed of 1/13 sec (both with the narrow and the wide filter). So by taking shutter speed to be an indicator of the light the sensor is seeing, the Kentro on High is ~ 3.3x as bright as the 150 lumen Minewt. So I am guessing its right around 500 lumens.
I did not take any shots with the narrow beam but may since I think that is the lens I am going to use. The light quality is less blue and more white which can be seen in the photos. The quantity of the light actually ON the GROUND where there is a bright spot is easily 4x as big and very useful for on-road riding. Spill above the horrizon is not worse than my NiteRider but that is not saying much. Depending on my reaction from drivers I may build a small blind of the top edge of the light.
When no air movement is going over the light, the rear of the engine gets HOT. Like burn your hand hot. You have to leave it on for a while, and you have to leave your hand on the light for a few seconds, but its hot, no two ways around it. I wondered why LITEMania did not pump more Amps through the LED before I got the light, but based on the heat generated I am thinking its to save the electronics.
Mounting the light is fine, but I think I am going to look for a new mounting method. The LockBlock is flexy and for a 1/4lb head, it bounces around a bit.
I have not tried out the light on a ride but will report back when I do.
Overall I am pleased with the package, the output, and the SUPERB customer service Warren has provided. I will keep this thread updated as I use the light more.
Shipping Speed:
Warren shipped on Monday AM Korea Time.
Customs held the package 1 day
US Shipping is via Express so it got from San Francisco to Sacramento in 1 day.
Total ship time from Korea to Central CA 4 days
Packing:
Box was packed well. Most everything was in its own plastic bag/wrapper to prevent chafing and rub marks. Obviously packed with care.
Light Engine:
Actual weight measured: 165 grams (5.8 oz)
6 hex screws must be an SAE bolt head because my 2.5mm was loose and 3m allen was too big. Weird, I thought only us crazy Americans used silly SAE sizes.
Exploded front lens assembly:
Pretty thick front glass front with beveled and frosted edges.... nice:thumbsup:
O-ring seal on the front was not evident in the pictures Warren provided, but its there and I for one am please that there was some thought to weather sealing.
Culminator and lens were clean/spot free/ and a nice TIGHT fit in the housing. I took a small knife and eased it out since I want the narrow beam filter.
Fit and finish on the exterior was perfect. There is a pretty good amount of epoxy on the LED, but I don't really care. You *can* however see the goop when the narrow filter is on. No big.
The rear of the engine has a small screw with a silicone sealant on it. Obviously Warren wanted to keep the water out. The switch appears to have a pretty nice boot on it.... I don't see water getting through that either.
Battery
Hanlite brand battery with included velcro strap. Actual weight measured: 225 grams (7.8 oz)
Charger
What is not shown on Warren's website is that there is a charging LED so you know when the battery has a full charge. A nice touch and much appreciated.
Connections:
The connections between the engine and the battery work, but I would not call them water-tight. The fit is loose-ish. I don't think it will fall apart on a ride, but I question its water tightness. I once had my NiteRider Minewt light come off the mount and it hung on the battery connector until I could stop. With this connection, if the light falls off, it will hit the ground before you are even aware there is a problem.
Installed Shots:
Road Bike Install:
MTB Installed pics
Beamshots:
Wide Filter- High Power
Wide Filter - Med Power
Narrow filter on High Power
Street
4 paint cans. 1st is 24' away, second is 36', 3rd 48', 5th 60', light pole is 120' away.
Camera is at the height of the rider's head. Manual Focus set @ first can. Tungsten WB/ F9 1.6 sec exp, 400 ISO, 24mm focal length. All shots taken at same exposure.
First shot is the control. No lights, just ambient street lighting.
Minewt X2 ~ 150 lumens
Kentro on Med
Kentro on High
Light comparison:
24mm focal length, 200 ISO, 1/2 sec exp, Fl WB, F4.5
Stock NiteRider Minew (80 lumens)
Upgraded Minewt w/ U-bin P4 SSC ~ 150 lumens
Kentro High wide filter
Kentro on High - Narrow filter
Impressions:
The light is bright but not blinding like I was expecting. I think my expectations of a P7 were a bit skewed from all the hype.
I don't have a light meter but I used my camera's built in light meter to try to derive output. The stock Minewt is 80 lumens. Upgraded to the SSC P4 it puts out ~150. When taking pictures, I kept the apature constant and let the camera decide on shutter speed. The stock Minewt had a shutter speed of 1/2 sec. The SSC P4 had a shutter speed of 1/4 sec. The kentro had a shutter speed of 1/13 sec (both with the narrow and the wide filter). So by taking shutter speed to be an indicator of the light the sensor is seeing, the Kentro on High is ~ 3.3x as bright as the 150 lumen Minewt. So I am guessing its right around 500 lumens.
I did not take any shots with the narrow beam but may since I think that is the lens I am going to use. The light quality is less blue and more white which can be seen in the photos. The quantity of the light actually ON the GROUND where there is a bright spot is easily 4x as big and very useful for on-road riding. Spill above the horrizon is not worse than my NiteRider but that is not saying much. Depending on my reaction from drivers I may build a small blind of the top edge of the light.
When no air movement is going over the light, the rear of the engine gets HOT. Like burn your hand hot. You have to leave it on for a while, and you have to leave your hand on the light for a few seconds, but its hot, no two ways around it. I wondered why LITEMania did not pump more Amps through the LED before I got the light, but based on the heat generated I am thinking its to save the electronics.
Mounting the light is fine, but I think I am going to look for a new mounting method. The LockBlock is flexy and for a 1/4lb head, it bounces around a bit.
I have not tried out the light on a ride but will report back when I do.
Overall I am pleased with the package, the output, and the SUPERB customer service Warren has provided. I will keep this thread updated as I use the light more.
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