I've finished my bike lights!! Now with Beam Shots

Swallow · #1 06-04-2007, 08:55 AM

Ive just managed to get registered on CPF although I have been reading all LED threads for some time, in the background.... This led me to have a crack at making a set of lights for my MTB - Big thanks to all those who have unwittingly helped me and to those who have been of more direct assistance (ktronik, Wayne, Gene...) Also to Sasha for getting me through my cpf registration quandries at an obviously very busy time!!
Went for first night ride last night around the hills of Bath and was very impressed! 6 x Seoul P4 (3 in each head) 2x buckpuck 1000ma cc driving each head from a pair of 14.8v li ions (4Ah) heatsinks from sandwich shoppe. Mounts homemade adaption of a handlebar raiser made by Trans-X mated with spare set of wheel quick releases. Thanks also to my mate Oli and his skills on the lathe

Beam Shots taken last night, having no experience of trying to photograph like this, they appear much less bright than in reality - there is a much greater spread of useable light. Anyone with any tips on how to use a digital camera to more realistically photograph light, please advise!

Spot quiz - can you tell me what this bright blue thingy below is? (will tell later!)

datiLED · #2 06-04-2007, 09:05 AM

Welcome to CPF!

WOW! That looks like a great job on the lights. I would like to build something similar for my night rides. I really like your mounting solution...very clever.

WadeF · #3 06-04-2007, 09:15 AM

Awesome job! How do they compare to car headlights? If you have a chance, it would be cool to see a beam shot at night.

Swallow · #4 06-04-2007, 09:26 AM

Comparison to car headlights - brighter than the headlights on my Fiat Barchetta (although these are terrible!) and also have the useful effect of keeping oncoming cars at bay

, will post some beamshots soon.
Thanks for the compliment!

monkeyboy · #5 06-04-2007, 09:35 AM

Hello and welcome to CPF

Impressive first post. I've never seen m@glites modded like that before. What reflectors did you use? They look bigger than 20mm but I wouldn't have thought 3 x 27mm would fit in a m@g head.

BTW, try to arrange the pictures in your post so they fit without horizontal scrolling. (800 pixels width since this tends to be the minimum screen size)

Swallow · #6 06-04-2007, 09:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by monkeyboy

Hello and welcome to CPF

Impressive first post. I've never seen m@glites modded like that before. What reflectors did you use? They look bigger than 20mm but I wouldn't have thought 3 x 27mm would fit in a m@g head.

BTW, try to arrange the pictures in your post so they fit without horizontal scrolling. (800 pixels width since this tends to be the minimum screen size)

Apologies for poor photo layout - my first post on a forum ever!!
Reflectors were 20s (I had to file the bases dow by a little bit) they probably look a bit bigger as I cut down the original maglite reflector to leave just a ring around the smaller reflectors (to aid with compressing the glass against the cap as well as looking nice) which fills the space more. Thinking of putting some low output leds in this ring for use on the roads as I think this level of light may be actually more of a danger than a help - blinding motorists!

Manzerick · #7 06-04-2007, 10:00 AM

I'm waiting for the beamshots!!!

Learjet · #8 06-04-2007, 10:18 AM

Absolutely awesome! And they look great too!

Swallow · #9 06-04-2007, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by datiLED

Welcome to CPF!

WOW! That looks like a great job on the lights. I would like to build something similar for my night rides. I really like your mounting solution...very clever.

Thanks for welcome (although I have been studiously reading all posts in the led section for a few weeks) and thanks for compliment - mounting solution was borne of frustration - spent ages scourin ebay for things that could be butchered!

macforsale · #10 06-04-2007, 10:53 AM

*

Swallow · #11 06-04-2007, 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by macforsale

Swallow,

Nice mods!

As the author of the original post you can edit and move the pictures out of the text. Single vertical line in left margin works well.

mike

Hi Mike, wher do I find the bit for doing this? Never posted before and not hugely computer literate! Help appreciated

Swallow · #12 06-04-2007, 11:39 AM

Can anyone with the knowledge lpease tell me what sort of lumen output I could rate these at - just so I can wind-up those who have just spent hundreds on tailor made systems? Ta

koala · #13 06-04-2007, 11:53 AM

Awesome

I bet more drivers hate you now. PS- aim your beam down.

Swallow · #14 06-04-2007, 03:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by koala

Awesome

I bet more drivers hate you now. PS- aim your beam down.

As if car drivers needed more reason to hate us cyclists!! Nice to return the favours of years of blinding full beam headlights!

tulanebme · #15 06-04-2007, 04:58 PM

Of all the homemade bike setups I've seen, that has to be by far the cleanest rig I've ever seen. I'm very impressed and very jealous! Nice job.

Optik49 · #16 06-04-2007, 05:29 PM

GREAT JOB!

RGB_LED · #17 06-04-2007, 05:41 PM

That's a great setup!

How do you find the Cree's out on the trails? I used my PT Apex last year and found that, while the main LED on high had good throw, the light from the LED tended to be very 'flat' on the trail so it was difficult to see a lot of detail in terms of ruts and rocks. Does it help to have 6 Cree's putting out that amount of light? Dang, you must scare people out on the trails!

Btw, that's a great bike! I own a RM as well and they are solidly built bikes.

greenlight · #18 06-04-2007, 07:16 PM

sweet project welcome to the forum. Thanks for sharing your design.

Swallow · #19 06-05-2007, 05:25 AM

what rmb do you have??

aljsk8 · #20 06-05-2007, 06:56 AM

is that much light even needed?

must be putting out over 1200 lumens

my fave bit is the cables - there have been some
really good homemade bike lights on cpf but that cabling is top notch!

look out for my bike light in the next few days on cpf
its another nightrider clone but with an interesting twist

only problem is - now its summer (in the uk) you have to wait ill 11pm before its pitch black!

good work

Alex

Swallow · #21 06-05-2007, 07:07 AM

thanks Alex - yep have to wait till late to use these now, however it means that after I finish work on Saturday I can get to Afan, pitch a tent then head out into the sunset up Whites Level!! Look forward to seeing ur lights.

Swallow · #22 06-05-2007, 07:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RGB_LED

That's a great setup!

How do you find the Cree's out on the trails? I used my PT Apex last year and found that, while the main LED on high had good throw, the light from the LED tended to be very 'flat' on the trail so it was difficult to see a lot of detail in terms of ruts and rocks. Does it help to have 6 Cree's putting out that amount of light? Dang, you must scare people out on the trails!

Btw, that's a great bike! I own a RM as well and they are solidly built bikes.

Thanks RGB - only been out once with these lights so far, with both on the bars - really should have one on bars and one on head, but these worked out to be a bit heavier than I anticipated. Leaves the door open for me to make another smaller unit for head, maybe Mag C with 3seouls again and same driver/battery setup - would that mean over 2000 lumens total??!!

Ganp · #23 06-05-2007, 07:44 AM

Hi Swallow - welcome to CPF.

Great post and a very nice mod of those Mag' heads

Now I know what was lighting up the night sky when I looked over Bath way the other night

Colin.

Mike V · #24 06-05-2007, 09:41 AM

Wow.

Really nice job.

Krit · #25 06-05-2007, 10:10 AM

Wow, very nice light. I think your light is very bright on the road. How about thermal from long time operate.

Swallow · #26 06-05-2007, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Krit

Wow, very nice light. I think your light is very bright on the road. How about thermal from long time operate.

Hi Krit, here in the UK unfortunately we do not have the same balmy climate as Thailand (we will in 10 years time though!). The times when I will use these lights (after dark) the temperature will never be above 18C even in the height of summer, add to this the cooling effect of the air as I am cycling (very fast naturally!) and I think I am safe. I did an indoor test on the lights using the infrared temperature gun I have at my shop and after 30 mins it was at about 50C, however on my first outdoor use of the lights, after an hour they were only just warm to the touch. In winter I hope to warm my frozen hands on them!!!

RGB_LED · #27 06-05-2007, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swallow

what rmb do you have??

A little off-topic but I own an almost mint, 2001 RM Oxygen Race with several upgrades to stem, seatpost, derailleurs, shifters. I'm looking upgrading to RM Element 70, hopefully this year.

AndyTiedye · #28 06-05-2007, 11:20 AM

Added to Bike Light Thread Links

Swallow · #29 06-05-2007, 11:26 AM

admittedly off topic, but relevant really as without the bike I would have no lights - element really recommended, I am a xc rider really (no hucking) and this can take a lot of punishment!

RGB_LED · #30 06-05-2007, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swallow

Thanks RGB - only been out once with these lights so far, with both on the bars - really should have one on bars and one on head, but these worked out to be a bit heavier than I anticipated. Leaves the door open for me to make another smaller unit for head, maybe Mag C with 3seouls again and same driver/battery setup - would that mean over 2000 lumens total??!!

2000 lumens! WOW!

I think it would be great for you to make another helmet-mounted lite - maybe with a smaller head? Mag AA with one cree?

I'd be interested in seeing how you like them for trail riding... and as another poster indicated... beam shots please!