Please help.. Trying to decide which light is made better for my wife for Anniversary

I have posted my question in the bike section, but I see there are only 19 viewers in that section and 150+ in the LED section. So I was hoping I could direct some of you to help me with my question there.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...the-LuminTrek-TrailBlazer-TB-1000-and-TB-1600

I have had great advice from candlepowerforums when posting in the LED section, but it seems there are less users focused on bikes. So I'm hoping I can reach more people advice since I haven't got a single response yet.

Thanks!

I don't know enough about bike lights, but running Quarks full out shouldn't be a problem.
Zebralight Sc600 bucks down from 750 lumens to 500 lumens for heat management. So does the Eagletac P20c2 XML. Both will be floody but neither UI is really ideal for bike mount. Though the Zebralight would do good as far as I know.

The QuarkX AA2 neutral should work if she likes Quarks.

Another option would be mounting a Sunwayman V20 with the control Ring she could twist for up to 400 lumens or lower it to 60 lumens easily

Output wise and beam wise, the Quark X 123^2 on Turbo is great. I have used it and my other Warm White Quark XP-G in the woods and they both get pretty warm if used on Turbo for 10-15minutes. I don't think the Quark has any thermal protection and I know the warm white one doesn't.

The Eagletac T20C2 MKII XML has a nice beam too, although I think it is a little too focused with not enough spill to light up right in front of the bike a few feet. I don't know if the Eagletac T20C2 MKII or the P20C2 MKII has thermal shutdown protection ???

I was assuming the larger head lights on the bike lights would sink more heat when traveling at slow speeds with outdoor temperatures between 80-90 F.

And I do like that the bike lights have large +4400 mAH battery packs to last several hours.

I would certainly put a Quark on there or Eagletac on there, but I would have to run it at MAX to get the output needed and then I would worry about burning it up and there would be times were the battery would not last long enough.


Thank you for your input.

I haven't tried the P20C2 XML but have debating on it for 'my' use. Is its beam size as large as the Quark XML 123^2 ?

I haven't put my neutral Quark X on my bike yet, but it's a 123 so I know runtime on high would be minimal. I think the beam would be quite useful for the application.
The one I LOVE in that application is my Lumintop TD15x.
I aim it so the spillbeam begins right in front of my tire. The spot is right about where I'm looking on a flat roadway, and low enough not to blind drivers (I think.)
On 3x CR123's it'll run for about ever at 60 Lumens - which is great for paved trails with minimal traffic or ambient light; or for several hours at 200L - where it just lights up everything in, near, or coming into my path. It's got an XM-L, and really nice spill - but a large reflector, so it throws well too.
When I bump it to High, it outputs ~ 500 lumens, and just lights up the world. It should run for a couple hours that way, but not all at once - I've never run it more than 10 minutes on Hi, but it should be good for 15-20 minutes at a time.
After a 2 1/2 hr ride on Medium (200L), it isn't even warm, and is just as bright as when I started. So far, I've done 3 over-an-hour to multi-hour rides one set of surefire primaries, running it mostly on medium.

It is a tail-switch on/off, head-twist mode-change, UI. I think it works great for a bike application - I always know what mode it'll be in, and fumbling the switch with gloves won't cause a mode change - but it's a UI some may need to get used to (you have to reach to the front of it to switch to Hi, for example.)

Good luck!

The P20c2 XML is as floody as a stock quark but has more output even after it steps down for thermal safety.

My Quarks I've run on 40+ minutes and although they get toasty I've never had it fail. The Eagletac has a bit more surface area to stay cool but your be running on two cr123 to get max run time ( or a 17650 )

CarpentryHero said:

The P20c2 XML is as floody as a stock quark but has more output even after it steps down for thermal safety.

Click to expand...

That is very intriguing to hear that the P20C2 XML has higher output than the Quark series even after step down..


But searching both the T20C2 MKII XML and the P20C2 XML on the website, I can't find it stated for either one that the step down is for thermal safety :thinking: All I can find is that it mentions it steps down to prolong run times, and I guess I can see why since it only runs for 1.2hrs with the XML version.

Here is what I found from Eagletac:

http://eagletac.com/html/t20c2/features/control.html
Turbo boost technology is activated everytime you turn on at turbo output setting for maximum brightness. It lasts for three minutes and then it reduces its regulated output by 20% to prolong runtime. It's normal for the light to get warm at such level. Do not leave the light running unintended.

So by them stating do not let it run unattended, that makes me think it does not limit the current automatically for thermal regulation.

I know the pills for these lights are only $<30, but I want to get something for my wife that isn't going to go after 6 months of solid use and excessive heat is one issue I am concerned with.

I'm not sure my wife would still be speaking to me if I gave her a flashlight for our anniversary - just saying...

Your right, I looked and Eagletac is a timed drop down. They engineered the light that to run for extended periods it needs to step down, it goes fro 500 lumens, down to 350 lumens.. There XPG model was 300 lumens with no step down. I've owned two and run them for an hour at a time walking and never had any problems.
As for something bright enough that it needs a thermal sensor? Well that's not something I would buy, as that's one more thing that could go wrong.
The warning not to leave the light unattended is more than likely incase your using rechargeables you don't want it over draining the batteries.
If your riding at night and airs moving over it, I have no doubts that the Eagltac would be fine. You may want to go with a larger light than the P20c2 for better heat dispersion.

Maybe a Surefire Fury would suit you better, 500 lumens, then you don't need to worry about build quality, it's a Surefire

Racer said:

I'm not sure my wife would still be speaking to me if I gave her a flashlight for our anniversary - just saying...

Click to expand...

Well she really likes bike riding at night and she told me several times before that she wants a light like my Eagletac T20C2 MKII XP-G R5. So I figure an XM-L light will easily exceed that.

Now I don't want to get her something she has to fuss with turning down all the time to keep it from getting hot, and turning the head to change modes would not be an option while riding for her. The only time she will probably change light settings at all is when completely stopped.

It looks like the only lights I can find with true thermal protection are the larger high powered XML lights that would be too big for a 1" flashlight mount.

That is why I have been considering these lights from Lumintrek and Magicshine:
http://www.lightjunction.com/Lumintrek-TrailBlazer-TB1000-bicycle-light.html

http://www.lightjunction.com/Lumintrek-TrailBlazer-TB1600-bicycle-light.html

http://brightstonesports.com/shop/i...shine-mj-856b-1600-lumens-bike-light-set.html

I am guessing the Lumintrek lights are a higher construction quality (LED mounted for better thermal transfer) but I am just really guessing since I am not sure where the Lumintrek lights are made??? :thinking:

I could be completely wrong about these assumptions :shrug: and for all I know the Lumintrek lights and the Magicshine lights could be made in the same chinese factory...

I am wondering if any of you have any experience with either of these 3 lights and can you give me your opinions on them.

Thanks