REVIEW: CREE MC-E Diving Light

[Chiung]

FYI for anyone contemplating a return to DX. Their customer service and communication is ok, if not fast. I'm looking forward to getting the light back since I really like it for the money.

In response to the perceived lack of LED lights with similar or better burn times and brightness, check out the DR handhelds. I have a 300 and now a 700 lumen version and, with their current sale I think the 700 is a good buy. I got it at my LDS for about $280.

700 Lumen LED Light System by Dive Rite - Dive Gear Express
Reference Number: XXXXXXXXXX
Date Received: 9/26/2009 12:15:40 AM HKT (UTC+8)
Notification E-mail: (masked for privacy)
SKUOrdered26498
DescriptionsLens area leaked water and rendered light inoperable.
Solution (provided by jessie

on 10/30/2009 11:25:02 AM HKT (UTC+8) ):
dear Chiung ,

sorry for this inconvenience

we will arrange reshipment for you and you will receive a notification email and tracking number once we get it shipped. please wait patiently

if you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to contact us again

best wishes

jessie If you are not satisfied with this solution, you may create a new request. You will get a reply in 24~48 hours (Mon-Fri) -- it is as fast as responding to this ticket.

Request (Responded) from jessie

9/30/2009 10:33:43 AM HKT (UTC+8)
dear Chiung ,

Apologize for the item being defective.

If your product gets damaged within 30 days of delivery, please mail your item to our USA Defective Product Drop Box via the cheapest way with tracking number (address below). Before sending it back, please send us the total expected shipping cost so that we can record and process a return shipping reimbursement for you. Once you send the package it is important that you show us the tracking number or any shipment receipt through photos or whichever methods that are convenient. Once we confirm your shipment, a replacement unit and the return shipping reimbursement will be sent to you.

But if the product turns out to be defective after 30 days from delivery, please notice that the return shipping costs (both ways) will be the sole responsibility of you. We will still try to exchange your defective products for a brand new one where possible. (If you have any question, please refer to FAQ to get further detail).

VERY Important: please remember to include a note in your package indicating the following items:
1. Your order number,
2. sku numbers returned and quantity, and
3. a short description of the problem(s) of the defective unit.

This note will help expediting the processing time for you. Thank you.

USA Return Address:

S CHEN | DealExtreme
8345 NW 66TH ST #8247
MIAMI FL 33166-2626

After shipping , would please take a picture of the shipping receipt as proof .

If you have any questions on the return, please feel free to contact us again at anytime.

Have a nice day

Jessie

Response from Chiung (Customer) 10/1/2009 10:49:49 PM HKT (UTC+8)
Thanks, I will ship it USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate box for $10.35.
Let me know if that is ok and I will ship it out immediately and send
you photos and tracking numbers as requested.

Request (Responded) from jessie

10/9/2009 2:10:31 PM HKT (UTC+8)
dear Chiung ,

sorry for replying you so late

you can resend it back . please take a picture of the shipping receipt as proof after you send it backe

Have a nice day

Jessie

Response from Chiung (Customer) 10/11/2009 2:18:01 AM HKT (UTC+8)
Hello, the package was sent Friday, 10/9/2009 via USPS Priority Mail. The Confirmation Number is 03080660000038960630

The item SKU is 26498.

Thank you.

File 1 received

Request (Responded) from jessie

10/11/2009 1:28:28 PM HKT (UTC+8)
dear Chiung ,

sorry for this inconvenience

once we receive the derective item , we will arrange reshipment as soon as possible .please wait patiently

for the postage, would you like to keep it as store credit? please advise

Thanks for your understanding

Have a nice day


Jessie

Response from Chiung (Customer) 10/12/2009 1:24:42 PM HKT (UTC+8)
Yes, store credit will be great. Thank you.

Request (Responded) from jessie

10/16/2009 10:56:08 AM HKT (UTC+8)
dear Chiung ,

would you please provide the link where we can track the package?

best wishes

jessie

Response from Chiung (Customer) 10/16/2009 12:26:40 PM HKT (UTC+8)
USPS - Track & Confirm

Label/Receipt Number: 0308 0660 0000 3896 0630
Class: Priority Mail®
Service(s): Delivery Confirmation™
Status: Delivered

Your item was delivered at 9:15 AM on October 12, 2009 in MIAMI, FL 33166.

Detailed Results:

Delivered, October 12, 2009, 9:15 am, MIAMI, FL 33166
Arrival at Post Office, October 12, 2009, 4:24 am, MIAMI, FL 33166
Acceptance, October 09, 2009, 4:29 pm, DAYTONA BEACH, FL 32114

Request (Responded) from jessie

10/28/2009 11:37:46 AM HKT (UTC+8)
dear Chiung ,

we confirmed the package delivered to us, would you like a refund or replacement ?

best wishes

jessie

Response from Chiung (Customer) 10/28/2009 12:54:29 PM HKT (UTC+8)
Replacement please.

Thank you.

 

[adm3745]

DX also sells the W200 LED for $37 which I am considering buying. I have Intova 4.7w LEDS now and I think they are the best back up light for the money on the market.

 

[DennisKW]

The only other thing I did differently was to use the Trustfire batteries I ordered as a second set. I'm not sure what brand comes with the light. They are blue like Trustfire but aren't branded.

Anyway...I never had to mess with the magnets as the light never dimmed. I took it all the way to 100 fsw and total dive time (multi-level) was 45 minutes. It seems the problem is solved.

I'll switch back to the other batteries some time just as a test but it seems to have just been the batteries even though they test out as expected.

On an unrelated note...I have a $20 Romisen 3AAA light from DX that I experimented with trying to make it a dive light. This made it to 100 fsw as well. No leaks. It puts out about 100 lumens and is only 5" long and 1" in diameter. The $20 price includes the batteries I had to buy. Other than that I used about $3.00 worth of epoxy and silicone sealant.

Great! And congrats on your $20 light experiment as well!

Be interesting if someone with li-ion knowledge could add a theory about why cheep batteries would be affected by a bit of pressure.

Dennis.

 

[DennisKW]

In response to the perceived lack of LED lights with similar or better burn times and brightness, check out the DR handhelds. I have a 300 and now a 700 lumen version and, with their current sale I think the 700 is a good buy. I got it at my LDS for about $280.

700 Lumen LED Light System by Dive Rite - Dive Gear Express

I have seen these and they look pretty nice, but using AA's is just a compromise when better li-ion tech is available. Also, there is no way that 8AA's can run at 700 lumens for 12 hours. More like 2 hours maybe at full power.

Anyways, not a bad choice and I'm sure they work fine, but for $300 I want some current technology!

Dennis.

 

[adm3745]

I did my Cavern course with a guy who dove the DR 500 LED. It was impressive but he said that it dimmed over time which gives the runtime validity. I think the P7 version of this light is better than that by quite a bit. The Rechargable bats alone will save you $5 per dive. For cavers, I would say if you carried two of these and two smaller backups, you could even loose one and not have to turn a dive. They fit okay into a harness.

 

[gcbryan]

I'm sure they're good lights but as mentioned 8 AA is not the best battery solution. This light doesn't have a constant current driver so it's bright only when the batteries are fresh and those AA's probably don't work as well in cold water as in warm.

It's just different. Ithey may be Ok. I see that they get the output from 3 separate leds although it looks like they use optics (?) to focus all the output at the same point. The MC-E used in the Cree light uses 4 leds but they are all on the same die.

I also think the DR light is too bulky to be able to use hands free.

 

[gcbryan]

Great! And congrats on your $20 light experiment as well!

Be interesting if someone with li-ion knowledge could add a theory about why cheep batteries would be affected by a bit of pressure.

Dennis.

I have questions about that as well. The typical generic answer is that the battery chemistries are just inconsistent. On CPF everyone recommends batteries from one guy as the best and everything else is crap. I'm a bit suspicious about that logic.

Some people who recommend those batteries may actually know what they are talking about but not the vast majority. They are just repeating the local common wisdom.

I'm not even 100% sure it is the batteries. I think it is but the replacement batteries weren't all that different. Maybe that's just the inconsistency they are talking about or maybe it's nonsense. I don't know yet.

On my next dive I will stay with the batteries that worked but I will play with the rotating ring more. On my first dive I was switching to the different modes more. Last night I put it on high and left it there I think.

It could be that once you get some pressure involved and start switching to different power settings that something happens. Maybe slightly deforming the rotator ring or the housing moves a driver board...who knows. I'll have to get in a few more dives before I'm completely satisfied with the battery theory.

After a few more non eventful dives with these batteries I"ll switch back to the original batteries. If the problem comes back then it was definitely the batteries.

Whenever I do order more batteries I will try to find some Sanyo or other more well known brands. I think rather than $8 for two rechargeable li-ion it will be more like $15 for each. I haven't checked into this too much though. Battery price is not an issue if they are easy to get and work.

I think on my next dive I'll go to 120 fsw for a few minutes as well just to check out the front lens. I think if I'm going to be going particularly deep and if the light is going to be banged around at all I'll choose the Light Cannon for those dives. The Cree should be good for most dives however. I just don't want to push it too much.

 

[gcbryan]

DX also sells the W200 LED for $37 which I am considering buying. I have Intova 4.7w LEDS now and I think they are the best back up light for the money on the market.

I ordered that one as well. It's been shipped but I haven't received it yet. I got it as my primary backup light and as a possible "host" to modify if I ever have that urge.

 

[Chiung]

In general I agree about current technology, but I tend to stay away from the cutting edge, I'll let others do the bleeding

For $100, the DX is only a potential paper cut.

I have seen these and they look pretty nice, but using AA's is just a compromise when better li-ion tech is available. Also, there is no way that 8AA's can run at 700 lumens for 12 hours. More like 2 hours maybe at full power.

Anyways, not a bad choice and I'm sure they work fine, but for $300 I want some current technology!

Dennis.

 

[diveprof]

I love all the new toys too, but the failure/problem rate of this light is a bit much from my review of the posts. I'll wait until they get the bugs worked out. Sounds like it could be a great light with a bit of quality control. In the meantime, I'll bump along with my photon torpedo and my $12.95 Princeton tec 40. Of course I'm not one who needs/desires mega light. Heck I often use this tec 40 for my primary on ocean night dives. Doesn't scare off the critters before I get there