REVIEW: CREE MC-E Diving Light

[Matt S.]

Having to go the DIY route and disassembling a brand new $100 bit of gear and cutting a spring does put me off the idea somewhat. Is the spring surgery easy, and does it seem to yield a highly reliable fix?

I was wondering the same thing. I don't have a lot of time to mess around currently, and good warranty support from the local seller is not going to help me out if the light floods on vacation.

 

[cram]

Having to go the DIY route and disassembling a brand new $100 bit of gear and cutting a spring does put me off the idea somewhat. Is the spring surgery easy, and does it seem to yield a highly reliable fix?

A group of us have ordered a total of sixteen of these lights with mixed success. Several of the lights have flooded but it seems that those that do generally flood within the first few dives while those that make it through the first few seem to be okay. I believe the problem is the very front bezel that holds the lens on. I have the feeling that there might be an issue with an inconsistent assembly process. AFAIK, nobody in our group has done the spring surgery. As others have mentioned, TacticalHID has been very good about replacing flooded lights. My replacement arrived within a week and before I had even sent back the damaged one.

 

[broadreach]

I have the feeling that there might be an issue with an inconsistent assembly process.

I just got mine from DX this past weekend. Haven't had a chance to take it diving yet.

I was planning on doing the spring surgery. Upon receipt however, I found the front bezel attached really tight (probably with loctite or something). So I am not sure if I should force it off or not.

Having had experience with inconsistent Chinese manufacturing quality controls I'm wondering if cram above has pinpointed the issue.

Another question is whether or not the factory learned of the problem and started improving it. This issue has been around for over a year now. Has anyone experienced this problem recently with newly purchased lights?

Some people reported noticing the bezel loosening up underwater and being able to tighten it right there and then. I might take it diving as is and try that approach.

 

[broadreach]

Finally - about the recharger. The DX photos show a small brick-like recharger (pretty standard size) with a standard, US flat-style plug. According to the THID website, they inlcude "Battery Charger (EURO plug)". Hmmm.

Just noticed this question. My DX light and charger was shipped to my home in Thailand and came with two flat prongs as commonly used in the United States and Thailand. The charger itself is universal and can handle voltage ratings from 100V to 240

 

[Hatul]

This light would be interesting were it not for all the reports of flooding. Also is the question whether to choose the M or the P version.

Adam

 

[paulb1]

Same thoughts here. Just read some posts about these lights (P7 and MC-E). If it's been going on for more than a year now, something simple like a shorter spring would be easy to replace by the manufacturer I would say...

 

[sablefish]

This light would be interesting were it not for all the reports of flooding. Also is the question whether to choose the M or the P version.

I've used the MC-E for ~ 50 dives, and the P7 for about 5. My copies do not leak. the P7 is not noticeably brighter, but my copy has a yellower light than my MC-E. I have 4 sets of batteries that i rotate. i find brightness and burn time are best when the cells are topped off the day of the dive. the light does not dim, it goes out when the batteries drop beneath their voltage threshold.

I've never tightened the bezels underwater, i've never heated the light up until the loctite melts, and i've never clipped the springs. I have lubed the o rings religiously on the MC-E, and completely have neglected them in the P7, and neither of them leaks. I have a feeling that if the light leaks, people are more inclined to post, giving a skewed representation of the reliability of these lights.

In terms of brightness, these are brighter than a Princeton Tec Shockwave and the UK C8 eLED. I'd put them on par with the UK Light Cannon.

For a goodman handle i use the one Piranha Dive mfg sells. i add a piece of inner tube around the light and it fits snug in the handle's holder.

 

[nwflyboy]

I'm still tempted by these - and Sablefish makes some good points.

Can anyone report on how responsive the vendors (either THID or DX) were in the event of a flooding?

 

[Jake25]

I'm still tempted by these - and Sablefish makes some good points.

Can anyone report on how responsive the vendors (either THID or DX) were in the event of a flooding?

I've dealt with DX on quite a few occasions. To sum it up you can just forget about any customer service. I've had a few, ~5, cheap lights that broke down and I only got a replacement for 1 of those lights. Even then it took 2.5 months to be replaced.

 

[broadreach]

I have a feeling that if the light leaks, people are more inclined to post, giving a skewed representation of the reliability of these lights.

I hope you are right. I still haven't had an opportunity to take mine for a dive. I ran the batteries all the way and the light got so hot that I couldn't handle it with bare hands. Nonetheless, the bezel was still very tight and I couldn't tighten it further or release it.

I guess that while diving, the water will conduct away the heat, so it shouldn't be a real issue.