REVIEW: CREE MC-E Diving Light

[gcbryan]

That would mean 750ma for each branch of two dies since total current is said to be 1500mA. Some reason I don't think that is right as then I think the MC-E would be brighter than the SSC P7 as it would be over-driven and produce above 630lm. CREE places the max for each die at 700mA each in their spec sheet. Not saying you can't over-drive them. Also the voltage across the branches would have to be rather high, at 3.4V per die to produce 700mA which would mean you would need more than 6.8V across each pair of die to run both branches at 750mA as each die would have to drop over 3.4V.

Given the P7 is known to be brighter than the MC-E of the two lights and both are stated as being run at 1.5A and the P7 is only capable of running all 4 in series I'd say the MC-E isn't running 750mA in a 2S 2P configuration by my guess. I don't have one yet though so I can't look at it to figure it out...

Spec sheets are here:
P7 Seoul Semiconductor, Inc
Click on Spec near bottom

CREE MC-E:
http://www.cree.com/products/pdf/XLampMC-E.pdf

I was off on my P7 multiplier too I used 1.25 which was an estimate from the graph you can see on P6 of the spec sheet where it shows 'Forward Current vs. Normalized Relative Luminous Flux' ... the CREE spec sheet has a similar graph.


I guess it has 4 reeds to change modes probably just for a high/low sense to make other circuitry change the voltage placed across the LED. I'm sure could be done and would be fun to tinker with it, I'm planning on buying one so I'll probably play with it when I get one.

I'm sure you have a better grasp of the electronics than I do. I can tell you that my light seems to be brighter than my Light Cannon HID 10W. That is 450 lumens. This light is supposed to be 670 lumens but that is in the lab or best case bare emitter. I'm guessing it's somewhat above 500 lumens OTF.

In any case burn time is 2 hours on high. Any increase in brightness would reduce that and given how bright the light is already I'd rather keep the burn time over any further increase in brightness.

The light output by the way is very natural and much more pleasing that the Light Cannon's output. As far as signaling it's at least as tight a beam. It probably has a greater spill which I find useful for actually seeing more up close than with the LC.

 

[bevansmw]

I'm sure you have a better grasp of the electronics than I do. I can tell you that my light seems to be brighter than my Light Cannon HID 10W. That is 450 lumens. This light is supposed to be 670 lumens but that is in the lab or best case bare emitter. I'm guessing it's somewhat above 500 lumens OTF.

In any case burn time is 2 hours on high. Any increase in brightness would reduce that and given how bright the light is already I'd rather keep the burn time over any further increase in brightness.

The light output by the way is very natural and much more pleasing that the Light Cannon's output. As far as signaling it's at least as tight a beam. It probably has a greater spill which I find useful for actually seeing more up close than with the LC.

Definately worth it for the money given the amount of output of the light and the price being below $100.

I could be off on the lumens, was just trying to figure out based on the info that was given and the manf. spec sheet. The drivers could be supplying more or less than 1.5A from light to light and the LEDs themselves could output more or less lumens from LED to LED. The manfs just put a minimum lumens at a given current level for their LEDs.

 

[adm3745]

The lumens are pretty unrealistic way of evaluating the light. Especially from DX, they say the P7 is good to 900 Lumens when in reality its prob like 700. After optics and driver current is reduced it ends up alot less. I agree these lights are better than 10w HID.

How does the MC-E version focus? My P7 has a pretty wide spread.

 

[gcbryan]

The lumens are pretty unrealistic way of evaluating the light. Especially from DX, they say the P7 is good to 900 Lumens when in reality its prob like 700. After optics and driver current is reduced it ends up alot less. I agree these lights are better than 10w HID.

How does the MC-E version focus? My P7 has a pretty wide spread.

I'm not sure I know how to answer those kinds of questions because I don't know the light lingo. The central beam looks to be 8 degrees or something like that. If you want the light to stop right there then it has a wide beam and the spill is wide which I like.

If you're central beam is 15 degrees or something like that then I'd say this one has a tight focus.

How do people generally describe these things? If I signal the tight 8 degree central beam is what someone would notice. If I'm looking at marine life on a wall then the central spot is the area I'd aim but all the wide spill would also allow me to see more than with my Light Cannon.

I got the MC-E over the P7 because I heard that the beam would be tighter with the MC-E. I also knew that the 900 lumens advertised for the P7 was not realistic. I hear the output of these lights is essentially the same with the MC-E maybe a little brighter. This was from someone with both.

My motivation from the beginning was just to get something at least as good as the Light Cannon without the expensive bulb and in a smaller package. This light has exceeded those expectations. I especially appreciate the warmer, more natural looking light.

 

[gcbryan]

For what it's worth, on another board someone posted the o-ring sizes in mm.

Bezel o-ring Inside Diameter 46.22 x Cross Section 2.046 Hardness shore 57
Body 0-rings Inside Diameter 20.87 x Cross Section 2.215 Hardness shore 55

I assume that it would be better to use duro 70 for replacements.
I can't find these o-rings list anywhere however. Can someone more knowledgeable regarding o-rings find a source for these? I tried McMaster-Carr and allorings.com.

 

[foglesre]

Well, I finally got a chance to dive it today. I wasn't ready to trust it in a cave...but...

Day 1 of Apprentice/Full Cave training in Mexico. First dive, Dive Rite HID canister popped open and flooded. My fault. No choice but to try out the MagicShine...

Wow! Very impressive. My instructor was diving with a Dive Rite LED (not a match for the Dive Rite HID Sunspot). Second dive, I dove with the P7 on 50% power and I thought it was still brighter that the Dive Rite LED.

We'll see how the rest of the week goes. Granted these are nice shallow caves (50ft max today), but so far so good.

The replacement o-rings (70 durometer) for the top (23mm OD, 2mm CS) and bottom (24mm OD, 2mm CS, though the actual measurement is 25mm OD, 2mm CS) of the body worked spendidly. I now only worry about the bezel o-ring and the thickness of the lens.

Bob

 

[gcbryan]

Well, I finally got a chance to dive it today. I wasn't ready to trust it in a cave...but...

Day 1 of Apprentice/Full Cave training in Mexico. First dive, Dive Rite HID canister popped open and flooded. My fault. No choice but to try out the MagicShine...

Wow! Very impressive. My instructor was diving with a Dive Rite LED (not a match for the Dive Rite HID Sunspot). Second dive, I dove with the P7 on 50% power and I thought it was still brighter that the Dive Rite LED.

We'll see how the rest of the week goes. Granted these are nice shallow caves (50ft max today), but so far so good.

The replacement o-rings (70 durometer) for the top (23mm OD, 2mm CS) and bottom (24mm OD, 2mm CS, though the actual measurement is 25mm OD, 2mm CS) of the body worked spendidly. I now only worry about the bezel o-ring and the thickness of the lens.

Bob

Have fun and enjoy the light! No one's lens has failed yet but improving the o-ring would cause the lens to take more of the pressure forces I suppose.

 

[Chiung]

I got my replacement light back from DX yesterday and will try it out again soon. I tried by hand but can't budge the lens bezel.

 

[gcbryan]

I got my replacement light back from DX yesterday and will try it out again soon. I tried by hand but can't budge the lens bezel.

I couldn't budge mine either but it did flood on my 4th dive.

I cut one coil off the spring under the bezel which seemed to be keeping the lens from fully compressing the o-ring. I've done one dive with this light since then and it didn't flood.

If yours ever does loosen or flood this is a possible fix you might consider.

 

[RonFrank]

I took this light back to the BH for another round of tests this time using different types of batteries.

My issue is.... (drum roll) the Batteries that came with the light. The light works great with my rechargeable CR123's. Unfortunately great in this case does not mean long burn time. With the rechargeable LithIon CR123's the light burns for 35minutes or so on high, and then Boom Boom, out go the lights!

I'm going to replace the 18650 batteries with new 18650 batteries, maybe some thing a bit more expensive, and that should take care of my issue.

For others that have similar issues with the light working until you get to depth (in my case, about 20'), before going through the month long process of returning the light and getting another, try swapping the batteries out as that worked for me.