KenshiBiker

So I've had a Lumina 650 for a little over a year now. Use it for commuting a couple of times per week (in the late fall and winter both directions). Keep it charged up. Never had a problem . . . until last night.

On this light, you press the power button once for low, another press switches to medium, and a third press switches it to high. Hold down the button and it shuts off. Hold it down longer and it goes into seizure mode. As I said everything worked as it should until last night. As I was getting ready to leave my bike locker, I switched it on, but no matter how many times I pressed the power button it wouldn't switch to medium or high. Fortunately I don't usually need more than low (even on the unlit MUP), especially with my helmet lamp at the ready.

When I got home I put the unit on the charger the power button remained blue (indicating charging is complete), instead of illuminating red. I unplugged it and turned it on, and IIRC I got it to cycle up to medium power for a few seconds before it automatically switched back to low power (the Lumina 650 automatically switches from high to medium, and apparently from medium to low, when battery voltage drops below a certain threshold). I plugged it back in and the power button lit up red, but soon (much too soon, since I had used it for the entire commute) turned back to blue.

My guess is that the battery is no longer capable of taking a full charge, and shutting off before it's completely charged. So my questions are 1) has this happened to anyone else, and 2) is there anything I can do about this (NR does not use user-replaceable batteries)? I'll be contacting NR tomorrow to see what they suggest, but thought I'd ask here first.

Thanks,

KB

davidad

Do you have a volt meter. A charged pack should show about 8.4 volts. You can use one of these. https://www.fasttech.com/products/142...rgeable-li-ion Or this. https://www.fasttech.com/products/1420/10004539/1347106

zacster

Yep, sounds like a dead battery. I'd be surprised if it isn't user replaceable in some way.

Ghazmh

I have the same light for about a year and a half. I have not experienced that problem. I will say that the run time is not as long as advertised. Replacement batteries are available on NiteRiders website

JB01245

Sorry KenshiBike, but it sounds like you are out of luck. Definitely sounds like the battery has failed. NiteRider makes their lights so that when they fail you have to buy another one. They have made this one so that the battery is not user replaceable. On their lights that use external packs, they use an extra wire so that when the battery dies on those models you can't just go out and buy a replacement battery from someone else, you are forced to buy a replacement battery from them. They price their replacement batteries so that they are almost as expensive as buying a brand new light. I would go ahead and give them a call but I would not expect them to much about it.

davidad - Those batteries you linked to will never work with the NiteRider Lumina 650. It has an internal battery. Also as I mentioned earlier, you can not just buy a Li-Ion pack of the interweb and use it on a NiteRider light that uses an external battery pack. They treat their lights as being "disposable" and want to force you to buy another light so they price their replacement batteries so that they cost almost as much as a new light would be.


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JB01245

I stand corrected, they have made this one so that you can replace the battery. Here is a video of the replacement - www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWj7xd1hN80. The next question is how much is the replacement battery? Ghazmh, do you have any idea on the cost of the replacement battery from NiteRider?

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JB01245

Here is a nice thread on the tear down procedure to get to the battery - https://forums.mtbr.com/lights-night-...-a-831482.html


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davidad

He could get one of these and use the connector from the old battery for a longer run time. It would require a careful soldering job.
Oops no. 3675.! I forgot the link. https://www.mtnelectronics.com/openca...&product_id=55

davidad

That's why I like my Fenix BT-20. I can use the 18650 batteries that I have on hand.

Ghazmh

$24.99 on their website.

KenshiBiker

Thanks for all the help. When I finally got a chance to get to the Niterider website late last night I discovered the same thing - batteries are replaceable and they cost $24.99. Looks like I'll be placing an order soon. Again, thanks for all the help.

KB

Athens80

Google, FAQs on the product website, and the product's online store are all our friends.

zanedog

I'm unsure why the Fenix BT20 isn't more popular. Takes user replaceable batteries, it's waterproof, throws a nice beam pattern. I think there is just so many lights out there, that many people just get caught up in the lumen numbers only. Just my thoughts.

chaadster

That would be because it uses an external battery pack, and for what it delivers at $90, 95% of that can be had at $30 from other popular brands/types.

I'm not saying it's not nice, nor am I saying it's not worth it, just that it seems to be out of sync with the 'meaty' part of the market.

zanedog

Which part of the meaty part of the market doesn't use external batteries?

This is nice as well.

https://www.lezyne.com/en/super-drive-xl

I would never buy a clone from fastech, the batteries are an accident waiting to happen.
These were in the running as well, great lights, german designed.
https://www.peterwhitecycles.com/b&m.asp

Magic shines and such, naw, I wish to have a battery that I can trust won't blow up and light on fire when I charge it.

The Fenix I bought is a chinese light, it's just a step up the rung, doesn't try to be something it isn't. It's properly rated and actually waterproof. The batteries are not dangerous if you don't cheap out on them.

I need not bring a four pack of lithium ion batteries into my house that are charged with the cheapest non balanced method known to mankind in order to have a light that is rated at twice it's real lumens.

If that is the meaty part of the market i wish to be a vegetarian. All the rest can eat meat, it is of little consequence to me.

zanedog

“I pity the man who wants a coat so cheap that the man or woman who produces the cloth or shapes it into a garment will starve in the process.” – Benjamin Harrison

“I do not prize the word "cheap." It is not a badge of honor. It is a symbol of despair. Cheap prices make for cheap goods; cheap goods make for cheap men; and cheap men make for a cheap country.”
William McKinley, 25th President of USA (1896-1901). Assasinated at the beginning of his second term (1901) and succeeded by Vice President Theodore Roosevelt

Myself, I don't value cheap batteries one little tiny bit, they will burn your house down, combined with a two dollar non smart charger? lol, have at it boys.

This is not uncommon. Your mileage may vary, thankfully this incident did not burn his house down. People don't underatand that when you tie four lithium ion batteries together and try to charge them with a non smart charger, bad things will happen. It is the meat of the market, I know, however, it will hit the news soon after a few more accidents happen due to consumers greed to get 'the best' light for the least amount of money.

https://forums.mtbr.com/lights-night-...ht-837382.html

It is hard to explain to some people. Here's a trick for all the 'buy my light and battery as cheap as i can crowd' Your oven is a safe place to charge those kinds of battery packs. Ensure your oven is turned off and cool, it will contain the fire when the pack explodes. Place your ticking time bomb non waterproof pack into your oven. Personally, I'd much rather have a smart charger and charge my batteries individually so that they are balanced. And a nice waterproof case to put them into when they are lighting my road.

chaadster

Whew, Zanedog, you kinda flew off the handle there...

The "meaty part" of the market I am referring to is the bulk of sales, or at least, the bulk of the offerings, which closely correlate to the bulk of sales since folks can't buy what isn't available. The meaty part of the market does not use external batteries.

Pop into any bike shop, from local indies to a big chain store like Performance, and you'll self-contained, USB rechargeable headlights make up probably 80% of the market. Maybe it's 70%, or maybe it's 87%, I dunno, but if it's anywhere near 80%...that's the kind of meat I'm talking about.

KenshiBiker

Just to close the loop on this thread (in case anyone else has a similar problem), I did get a replacement battery from Niterider. Followed the video on battery replacement on their website (though why they felt it necessary to create a video for something that could have been explained in a few paragraphs of written instructions I don't know). Turned it on, and . . . nothing. Same problem.

I sent them an email asking if they had any ideas of what else it could be. I got an email back a day or two later, asking me to call their tech support. I described my problem to tech support, and he asked why I replaced the battery, so I threw you all under the bus . . . nah, just kidding. He said it sounded like it was a bad switch, and that it would be a warranty repair. I told him I'd had the unit for more than a year, and I didn't know where my receipt was. He didn't seem to care. He said they have two-year warranties anyway, and just gave me an RMA number. He told me to leave the new battery in and they'd test the repaired unit with the new battery to double check that the battery is good and everything is working correctly. Sent it in and a week or two later I got the repaired unit in the mail. It's been working great ever since, and I now have a backup battery on hand, if anything else goes wrong.

I was all ready to ditch the Lumina and buy something else, but Niterider customer service came through for me, again (when I needed a couple of extra mounting brackets for my NR Solas taillights, they sent two out to me - no charge). I'm having a real hard time coming up with something about them for which to complain.

KB

chaadster

That's good to hear all 'round!

zanedog

Great customer service saves the day! Good to hear.

bikebikebike

Lipo batteries are firebombs that store electricity.
You treat them with respect.
I don't care what they say on ES /

Ask the folks at Samsung and Sony.