Hello everyone, welcome to the new episode of Bicycle Builder.
Going out early and coming back late during the long night? Don’t you want to look at your big belly and thick legs next spring and shed tears of regret? Then don't let the cold block your sincere and hot beating heart. Whether it is in the morning when the sun has not yet risen, or in the evening when the stars and moon are shining, it will bring you a bright light and increase your safety even during the day. Like a cat in the dark, its eyes light up. So, you need a light, a light for training, a light for going to work, and a light for going off-road at night to open up a new world for you.
Side warning/visibility further improves safety.
So I started to learn more about car lights. At first, my understanding of cat eye lamps basically stayed at the level that I heard they were good but very expensive. I feel that the price premium is quite high, especially for the original volt series. The data indicators for less than 300 for others are the same as those for 500 or 600 for others. I still feel that it is not easy to accept. So I haven’t paid much attention to the lights in his house. But by chance, I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to review the Maoyan AMPP series headlights. I started to rethink, was there something wrong with my original idea? Although the brand does have a premium, you get what you pay for. It’s expensive! Good sales again! There must be a reason. I will take a look below to see if it is worth buying.
Actual measurement renderings of AMPP800
There are four types of lights received this time: AMPP400, AMPP500, AMPP800 and AMPP1100. The following numbers represent lumens like the classic volt series. The packaging follows the previous design style, marking the main technical features of the car lights, etc., so I won’t go into details here.
AMPP appearance
Let’s talk about the appearance. The four headlights have the same appearance style. If there are some detailed changes in the styling of the volt series. The Ampp series has completely the same style and is very recognizable.
Except for AMPP1100, which uses dual lamp heads, the other three models all have single lamp heads. It has an octagonal shape with two waistlines on the sides.
The side light strip of the lamp head extends back along the waistline to provide side visibility. The frosted surface and two waist lines also make the grip more secure and increase the heat dissipation area. The size is also smaller, and the length is shorter and more refined than the previous volt.
Although it is made of plastic, the texture of the shell is very similar to aluminum alloy, and it does not feel so cold to the touch. The actual heat dissipation effect is not bad, mainly because the heat of 400-500 lumens is not too much, and when used outdoors, there is no need to consider heat dissipation issues.
It can still be seen from the injection molding port at the tail that it is made of plastic.
In terms of materials, the shells of AMPP400 and AMPP500 should be made from the same mold, both made of plastic, but they are very cleverly made. If you don’t see the injection molding port on the tail, it’s hard to tell that they are made of plastic.
Compared with the other three models, AMPP1100 is wider and has the same thickness.
The 800 has an all-aluminum alloy shell with a cat-eye English logo on the tail, which is fixed by four exposed screws. It matches very harmoniously with the angular appearance of the car lights and has a strong sense of industrial design. Because AMPP1100 has dual lamp heads, the body width is 1/3 wider than the previous three models.
To be honest, the split design makes AMPP1100 not as refined as the other three models.
The lamp head is made of aluminum alloy, and the rear part is made of plastic. The purpose of AMPP800 is the same, mainly considering that the aluminum alloy material can dissipate heat faster. The two light heads on the front also increase the visible range of the light.
Positioning of AMPP
The picture above is a real photo of AMPP400 and AMPP500 under high brightness, AMPP400 (top), AMPP500 (bottom)
It is not difficult to see from the above description that the positioning of the four lamps is still very clear. AMPP400 and 500 are positioned as commuter lighting/warning and daytime running lights. For most urban commuting, 350-500 lumens is a suitable brightness. As long as the data is accurate, it is most suitable for use in cities. If too bright lights are used, pedestrians on the opposite side will feel uncomfortable and dizzy.
The picture above is a real photo of AMPP800 and AMPP1100 under high brightness, AMPP800 (top), AMPP1100 (bottom)
Of course, if you want to refresh your former cross-country route at night and open the door to a new world, the brightness of these two lamps is not enough. However, according to the introduction of the night brush master, a lamp of about 500 lumens can be used as a helmet lamp. High-power lights on the handlebars work better. Therefore, AMPP800 and AMPP1100 are of this type, positioned as all-rounders. Because it contains a variety of brightness, it can not only be used for daily commuting, but also for night riding, night cross-country and cross-country riding. And it will last longer under medium and low brightness. It can basically meet all the lighting needs for night riding.
AMPP design highlights
After talking about the appearance and positioning, let's talk about the functions, and the two I like the most are the logic of the cat's eye light switch, and the other is the constant light and flashing (also called stable pulse).
Let’s talk about the switch first. It is the most reasonable design among the lamps I have used. The switch is moderately soft and hard, the stroke is not too short or too hard, and there is clear feedback even when wearing gloves.
Switch single-click mode cycle, double-click to highlight directly, click again to return to the mode before switching, and can quickly switch between highlighting and any mode.
Comparing the switch logic with the lamps of a certain brand I am currently using, I will find that it is really convenient. For the cat-eye lamp, press and hold to light it up, then click to cycle, double-click to reach the maximum brightness, click again to return to the previous mode, continue to click to continue the cycle, and finally press and hold to shut down. And when it is turned on next time, it will also remember the lighting mode when it was last turned off, which is very worry-free for users who often use a certain mode. Don't think that such small details are not worth mentioning.
A certain brand's switch logic demonstration shows that from low light to high light, there is always a shutdown because it is a large cycle of logic.
Take the lamp of a certain brand I used before as an example. Click to light up, then click in sequence to enter a large cycle. When all modes are completed, it will cycle again and finally shut down, and cycle in sequence. In actual use, this design is really annoying. Because night riding does not require the highest brightness at all times, and in order to save power, medium/low brightness is usually used when the street lighting is good, and high brightness is needed when the lighting is poor. However, the switching logic of the large cycle is very awkward. Every time you want to switch from low brightness to high brightness, you need to go through a cycle. You always have to go through a flash and a shutdown. This not only increases the operating steps during fast riding, but also causes lights out. situation, security is also poor. The cat's eye can be directly double-clicked to reach the highest brightness. When low brightness is required, just click again to return to the brightness before switching (if it was low brightness before, it will return to low brightness; if it was flashing before, it will return to low brightness. to flash), it is really safe and a lot more convenient.
The constant flashing can also serve as a warning while taking into account lighting (note: due to the frame drop in gif, there will not actually be a freeze, but a uniform flashing)
The second one is constant-on flashing (stable pulse). This is a very good function. It can keep flashing while always on. It can also serve as a warning while lighting, and greatly extends the lighting time.
The brightness is definitely beyond expectations among similar products.
AMPP 1100 lumens (top) compared to a certain brand's 1200 lumens (bottom). It can be clearly seen that the nominal brightness of the cat's eye of 1100 lumens is higher than the nominal brightness of a certain brand of 1200 lumens. Note: The camera settings are the same, based on the fact that AMPP400 lumens does not explode.
The picture above is a comparison picture of AMPP's 800 lumens (top) and a brand's claim of 900 lumens (bottom). It can be clearly seen that the light in the above picture is brighter than the light in the picture below. Note: The camera settings are the same, based on the fact that AMPP400 lumens does not explode.
Therefore, when you buy car lights to check the brightness, it is actually relatively unreliable to observe the brightness through photos, because it is greatly affected by the camera settings. Without the reference settings of the camera, it is difficult to judge how bright the car lights are. However, what needs to be praised is that the actual measured pictures on Maoyan’s official website are still very real. Below is a measured picture of AMPP1100 lumens given by Maoyan’s official website.
Finally, there is the actual measurement effect of lighting, and this part can also be found on the official website of Maoyan. The photos are of high definition, and various models can be selected for comparison and observation. The main thing I want to talk about here is the issue of virtual marking. In the absence of professional instrument testing and comparison with other lamps, it is difficult to identify the lamps with false marks. Even virtual bidding has become a bit of a trend, just like some power banks, which can easily have a bidding price of 50,000 or 100,000. The impression given by Cat Eye is quite reliable. Under common understanding, the lumen indicated is usually higher than what you expect. This is indeed the case in actual comparisons, and even some lamps that claim to have high lumens are not as bright as Cat Eye's low-lumen lamps. The other thing is the virtual mark of battery or duration. In the actual test, the maximum brightness duration of the four lamps can reach the official nominal duration, or even exceed the nominal duration. Since the test was conducted indoors, it may also be related to the higher temperature. It should be slightly lower in cold environments. There is shortening. The video will be released later and will last approximately 2.5 hours.
Recommended combination
Compared with the lamps of the same brightness from Maoyan's own volt series, the prices of the four lamps are much cheaper. For example, ampp400 is only 256 yuan, while the original volt400 is priced at 428 yuan. For another example, ampp800 is priced at 498 yuan, while volt800 is priced at 780 yuan. For the current price, coupled with the excellent lighting effect and quality, it is well worth buying.
However, this series also has shortcomings, that is, the lighting time is generally short, and the battery is not replaceable like volt. So my suggestion is to start with ampp800, which has more advantages in brightness and lighting time. Moreover, only ampp800 and ampp1100 have built-in fast charging circuits, and charging will be faster.
If you are commuting, or your daily riding route is relatively bright and simple, then ampp400 and ampp500 are definitely enough for you. In addition, although the difference between these two models is only 100 lumens, there is still a difference in actual brightness. This is also the comparison above. The reason for the difference in brightness of other brands can be clearly seen, because we can tell a difference of 100 lumens. If you are going to do high-intensity night riding (such as cross-country, crossing), then my suggestion is to buy a 500 lumen helmet light, and then use an 1100 lumen (priced at 756) fixed on the handlebar for better results. .
Summarize
The mounting base can be installed and disassembled without tools, and the adaptable range of calibers is also wide, from the smallest 22.2 to the largest 35mm. The actual test range can be larger.
The mounting base can be installed and disassembled without tools, and the adaptable range of calibers is also wide, from the smallest 22.2 to the largest 35mm. (The actual test range can be larger.)
The charging port is located on the back, which is more effective in waterproofing and dustproofing. The waterproof level is daily waterproof, so you need to pay attention if you are going to ride for a long time in rainy weather.
Maoyan AMPP series car lights provide a complete choice from entry-level to advanced. They have a simple appearance, a strong sense of modernity, reasonable functional design, conform to usage habits, and the brightness is not false. The matching fixed base also inherits the consistent design, is easy to disassemble and assemble, and has a wide range of applications. The disadvantage is that the battery life is not long enough. If you want to ensure the battery life, you need to buy a brighter light to make up for it. However, considering that the price is too cheap and the flaws do not hide the flaws, I still highly recommend buying it.
Okay, that’s it for today. The bicycle mechanic brings you more novel, fun, interesting and practical bicycle knowledge every day.
