Blindasabat
Flashlight Enthusiast
I have looked at either finding/buying an LED headlight or modding my existing Vistalite Nightstick 10 watt MR-10 bulb to run LED, but no success so far. All I have been looking for is longer run time as my 10 Watt Halogen on a helmet mount has a good enough beam to ride up to 38MPH (61KPH) in a 12 hour mountain bike race last summer. I need a similar beam, helmet mounted (makes a big difference off road - I consider handlebar mount a n inefficient waste of light and battery), about 6 degrees spread with little/dim spill.
In reading other threads and web sites of people that tried, it seems LED is not as efficient as HID, and only just about equal to halogen (but for twice the price). HID systems for sale seem to be overkill for me as they are often trying to impress you with a wall of light, when you only need a spot on the trail. Too broad a beam spends too much time lighting up the leaves hanging over the trail and wasting my battery. I could use a seven watt HID, but they all want to sell $300 twenty watt systems. So I am staying with my perfectly good Vistalite, though I just ordered a new battery (mine are a couple of years old and have been mistreated so they only have 45min run time anymore) and a 20 watt bulb just to try out (it was $2.5 with the battery). I think LED still has a way to go for true off-roadability without spending well over the $75 I spent on my lights. The Cateye Doubleshot system looks good, as does the Blackburn system, but seem to be only the same performance as mine for over $150.
I have yet to find a handlebar mount for a Mag size torch that could hold it steady over terrain at speed.
If I could find a more efficient Xenon or Krypton MR-10/11 6V bulb, that would be ideal for now.
In reading other threads and web sites of people that tried, it seems LED is not as efficient as HID, and only just about equal to halogen (but for twice the price). HID systems for sale seem to be overkill for me as they are often trying to impress you with a wall of light, when you only need a spot on the trail. Too broad a beam spends too much time lighting up the leaves hanging over the trail and wasting my battery. I could use a seven watt HID, but they all want to sell $300 twenty watt systems. So I am staying with my perfectly good Vistalite, though I just ordered a new battery (mine are a couple of years old and have been mistreated so they only have 45min run time anymore) and a 20 watt bulb just to try out (it was $2.5 with the battery). I think LED still has a way to go for true off-roadability without spending well over the $75 I spent on my lights. The Cateye Doubleshot system looks good, as does the Blackburn system, but seem to be only the same performance as mine for over $150.
I have yet to find a handlebar mount for a Mag size torch that could hold it steady over terrain at speed.
If I could find a more efficient Xenon or Krypton MR-10/11 6V bulb, that would be ideal for now.