Fourth bike light is the charm *added pics*

[TigerhawkT3]

After three failed bike light builds, I finally made something that functioned on a basic level and was actually practical to use, as well.

First try: SOB750 powering a Cree behind a McR17XR. Reason for failure: reflector shorted the solder blobs on the Cree pads.

Second try: Four $12.50 DX Cree modules in parallel, with one flood and the rest focused. Reason for failure: couldn't figure out how to aim/mount the thing.

Third try: A DX AMC7135 board, with two extra switches to activate two of the four AMC7135 circuits. Reason for failure: tiny solder points and big wire don't mix.

The fourth one (that worked): A DX AMC7135 board (1.4A) with three of the circuits activated (around 1A) powering a DX Cree on a 13mm base, behind the reflector from the first try. I've got the Cree mounted on a small, flat aluminum cylinder, with the board behind it. All the components are packed into a little aluminum tube, with polycarb on the front and back (which I cut and shaped myself). I have two batteries, each consisting of 3C NiMHs end-to-end soldered, with quick-connect terminals on the ends. This way, I can connect them in series and charge them with my 5-10 cell pack charger.

I tried it out about an hour ago, and it works! I went kind of slow, since I hadn't ridden a bike in years and I didn't have too much confidence in the twist ties holding the battery and wires to the frame. I'm quite satisfied with it (or, I will be until I go nuts and mount an automotive HID system to my bike).

I'll have pics tomorrow.

 

[TigerhawkT3]

Re: Fourth bike light is the charm

No pics yet, but lots more experience.

I got some Scotch Bundling Wrap (basically straps with hooks on one side and loops on the other) and made the battery and wiring a lot more secure. I went faster tonight than I did the first night, and I noticed that the light was only warm instead of hot. I could easily make small aiming adjustments before and after making long curves, speeding up, or slowing down. I rode through some powerful, poorly-aimed sprinklers, and I'm glad I made the assembly watertight.

After I install a little horn tomorrow, I'll take some pics of the setup.

 

[Darell]

Re: Fourth bike light is the charm

Standing by! Way to stick with it!

 

[TigerhawkT3]

Re: Fourth bike light is the charm

Pics.

In this first one, you can see the battery in the rear and the switch in the middle.


Next is the battery. It's three C NiMHs, end-to-end soldered, with quick-connect terminals on each end. I have two of these batteries.


Next is the switch.


Now the head. You can see the aluminum tube housing, polycarb on the front and back, and JB Stik Weld holding it to the Cateye mount.

 

[Lazgoat]

oooh....careful you dont short out the switch/battery on the body of the bike....

 

[mudmojo]

You have any fuses on that circuit? Ever have an electrical fire aboard your bike? I had an onboard 9.0 Ah battery that had wire housing on fire after I hardwired without an inline fuse. I'll never do that again!

 

[TigerhawkT3]

The bike chassis is painted and entirely insulative.

The battery is removable. I can just disconnect both wires when not in use. I do have a fuse on my larger power packs (like 24 SC NiMH, and soon on the 35 AA NiMH in progress).

 

[greenlight]

Interesting contraption, though..

Might be even easier to mount with a square tube and square optic.

 

[Szemhazai]

Re: Fourth bike light is the charm

Add fev more cells and you will have your own electric bike guard .

 

[Khaytsus]

Wow, that is some scary setup... Yes, add a fuse, and FTLOG, put those batteries in a bottle and seal the lid so they're protected from the elements. Do a better momentary switch which is water resistant, and make the light water resistant.

How's the beam? Is it really tight? I imagine that a Cree would be too tight a beam, but perhaps it can be spread out a bit.

Personally, I think I'd buy a system, they're bombproof.. I build my own bike lights years ago and they never stood up to a lot of bombing offroad.

 

[TigerhawkT3]

I think perhaps some of you are misunderstanding my bicycling style. I'm going for short, leisurely night rides around the neighborhood, partly to justify building a bike light and partly to get some exercise. I'm not going cross-country across the Amazon jungle.

The beam is nice and wide, since I used a McR17XR, a small reflector that creates a smooth, useful spot with good spill.

I also just added a 12V air horn today. Just in case a driver doesn't see my headlight or taillight, they'll get a warning they can't ignore.

 

[will]

T3
I have one suggestion for the battery mounts. Put a piece of rubber or foam rubber between the batteries and the bike frame. The velcro does not stretch and after riding for a while the batteries are going to start to rattle or bounce against the frame. When you tighten the velcro it will pull against the rubber and make it tight with no rattle or slippage.

I also seem to remember seeing a battery setup in a water bottle, you could even put the fuse and the switch in the bottle.

 

[TigerhawkT3]

will:
I shall seek out some rubber pieces! That's an excellent idea.

Well, I'm planning on making a bike light for a friend now. He's going to be biking to a train station before 5 a.m. to commute to classes in San Francisco. I'm thinking of using the DX Cree assemblies from the second try, and just mounting a pair to some polycarb. Hopefully, that'll help me aim them properly. Do you think I"ll need to aim them slightly inward? Well, I'll do some testing tomorrow.