With new Cree XR-E P4 Led:
Some of my observations when performing this mod:
- The black/blue wire that connects to the negative actually curls through the screw hole and under the star. When de-soldering this wire what I was left with was very flimsy. I had to be extra careful not to break it as there was literally no leeway as the wire was quite short and soldering a new wire to the circuit board inside would have been tough.
- The o-rings especially the main one that seals the head onto the body should probably be replaced. The o ring itself looked like it had been split.
- After performing the mod, the light would not switch on. Or it would switch on but after a delay of 30 secs or so. I found that by loosening the head a little, I could get the light to switch on immediately. Which brought me to the conclusion that the reflector must be putting pressure on the actual led and/or wires causing the light to not switch on. Anyway, I removed the head and positioned the o-ring as far up towards the head as possible. The gap is approx 3-5mm and allows the o-ring to move up and down. By positioning the o-ring as far towards the head as possible meant that when screwing the head back down, it would encounter the o-ring sooner and hence provide a secure lock before the reflector inside could put too much pressure on the led, wires or circuitry. Anyway, the head is very secure and the light switches on immediately.
BEAM SHOTS:
Order:
Elly Original, EllyCree,
Lux 3W headlamp, Lux 5W bike light.
At 1 foot:
At 6 foot:
Hallway approx 13m:
The original led although producing a pretty good beam was a bit bluish in color. The Cree XR-E P4 replacement was an amazing improvement. The hall shot above doesn't do it justice as I couldn't really get the camera to show as much of the actual visible difference between the two. But believe me, there is a big difference.
Here are pics of the Elly and the cheap bike mount also purchased from www.dealextreme.com:
The bike mount is actually too large for the Elly. I could only get it to grab around the actual head. Nevertheless it feels pretty sturdy.
A problem I had when I first got the mount was that the hinges were a bit stiff. I think it's a combination of stiffness plus a design flaw. The actual plastic hinge (broken portion shown above) is a bit too large to rotate around the hinge pin. Therefore if you are a bit enthusiastic as I was, you will have the same result. Better idea is maybe to add a bit of lubricant to the hinge before using.
For this mount I think I will try to modify to be something similar to the "Twofish" Bikeblock here below:
My solution will make use of the centre of the existing mount, including pivoting action. Therefore I will most likely need two independant straps, one for the bottom to handle bar, and another for the top to hold the flashlight. This will allow me to retain the 360 degree pivoting action.
*EDIT*: Went for a ride today in total darkness at 5:30am in the morning. The Elly performed awesomely. A lot of spill immediately in front of the bike and a nice spot approx 10-15 m on the road in front. Of course you can adjust the angle to move the spot further but I found this was a good position. Also, the cheap mount worked flawlessly. It was easy to attach and once on there the flashlight did not move. It was also a plus being able to pivot the flashlight horizontally to align with the handle bars. For the price this mount is worth it. Also, the Elly comes with a strap which I used to anchor the Elly in case any bumps caused the mount to fail, but the best thing about it is it didn't. I think I will buy more of these mounts especially since I know now to be careful with the hinge (i.e. add some lubricant and be gentle).
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