OpticalSerenity
Newly Enlightened
Ok, this thread is really pushing me closer to making a luxeon setup for my bike! I mostly use a mountain bike, and do some trails, not many. I like the two light setup wayned posted.
Bicycle Lights?
- Thread starter ReconTech
- Start date
Help Support Candle Power Flashlight Forum
pmath
Newly Enlightened
I have made and tested a series of 3W TV1J lights with Fraen optics. I rode a 200 km Audax event here in Victoria, Australia the weekend before last. They are great. I have just ordered a set of bodies from a machinist and will make them available for sales soon.
The lights have an will be aniodised, have an external battery pack, nice cable, quick release mount, and a FluPIC board which provides excellent current control user settable brightness and a strobe option. I expect price will be arround A$80. Images on my website are:
http://www.alphalink.com.au/~pmathews/images/1stflu200.jpg& http://www.alphalink.com.au/~pmathews/images/pprofiles.jpg
Cheers
Peter
The lights have an will be aniodised, have an external battery pack, nice cable, quick release mount, and a FluPIC board which provides excellent current control user settable brightness and a strobe option. I expect price will be arround A$80. Images on my website are:
http://www.alphalink.com.au/~pmathews/images/1stflu200.jpg& http://www.alphalink.com.au/~pmathews/images/pprofiles.jpg
Cheers
Peter
Last edited:
Overload
Newly Enlightened
The only problem I see is batteries. If I have an hour ride home, most Luxeon or surefire will be just about out of light. Rechargeable seem the way to go.
Tomorrow I'm going to a store that carries both Jet and Light&Motion. I bought a Blackburn x3 as that was the best my local shop had, but returned it a day later after the battery kept hitting the front wheel (I have a strange frame shape, no horizontal bar). I like the small batteries of L&M ARC Li-Ion, and may handlebar mount them. Plus they're plenty bright at 550 lumen(no one in the bike light industry can measure brightness either, hard to compare).
I've been reading reviews over at MTB review:
http://www.mtbr.com/reviews/Lights/
and it's HUGE.
Tomorrow I'm going to a store that carries both Jet and Light&Motion. I bought a Blackburn x3 as that was the best my local shop had, but returned it a day later after the battery kept hitting the front wheel (I have a strange frame shape, no horizontal bar). I like the small batteries of L&M ARC Li-Ion, and may handlebar mount them. Plus they're plenty bright at 550 lumen(no one in the bike light industry can measure brightness either, hard to compare).
I've been reading reviews over at MTB review:
http://www.mtbr.com/reviews/Lights/
and it's HUGE.
Overload
Newly Enlightened
The store visit was a bust, but I stopped by a different store and they pitched me a Niterider Flight. Nice light, but the L&M Arc Liion is less expensive and better, from reviews I've googled. So, I called the place and orded the Arc Liion. I'll get it on FRI. Updates soon thereafter.
I think I found a cheap home made bicycle light idea:
www.batteryspace.com has cheap 6v and 12v halogen globes and also ceramic connectors----all we need to supply is a strong power supply, a housing that can take the heat, and then mount and wire the bits up.
I want to use an existing 6v sealed lead acid battery I have to power a 10W MR-11/C globe. If that works well, I may buy a 12V battery and charger and build up a dual MR-16s 10, 15, 20, or even 35W light with one side a tight spot and the other beam a bit wider. I'm inspired.
www.batteryspace.com has cheap 6v and 12v halogen globes and also ceramic connectors----all we need to supply is a strong power supply, a housing that can take the heat, and then mount and wire the bits up.
I want to use an existing 6v sealed lead acid battery I have to power a 10W MR-11/C globe. If that works well, I may buy a 12V battery and charger and build up a dual MR-16s 10, 15, 20, or even 35W light with one side a tight spot and the other beam a bit wider. I'm inspired.
dca2
Enlightened
I ran across these links awhile ago and had bookmarked them:
This one is really cool --> http://www.bikeclub.org/lightspa.htm I like the unpainted bottom of the bulb.
I have also seen a bulb holder that uses several PVC pipe fittigs that are threaded (makes the mount reuseable, unlike the above link) http://www.dansworkshop.com/Monster Quartz Halogen Bike Light.shtml and http://www.rf.org/farmers/aa4hs/bikelight/
This one is a different approach, but I don't think very useful
http://members.optushome.com.au/clanmclaren/headlight.htm
This one is really cool --> http://www.bikeclub.org/lightspa.htm I like the unpainted bottom of the bulb.
I have also seen a bulb holder that uses several PVC pipe fittigs that are threaded (makes the mount reuseable, unlike the above link) http://www.dansworkshop.com/Monster Quartz Halogen Bike Light.shtml and http://www.rf.org/farmers/aa4hs/bikelight/
This one is a different approach, but I don't think very useful
http://members.optushome.com.au/clanmclaren/headlight.htm
gessner17
Enlightened
- Joined
- Dec 29, 2003
- Messages
- 499
I have a light and motion Vega, Cateye Stadium 3, and a Cateye Triple shot+ used a double shot. The Vega is fine for commuting in the city, Triple shot puts out a lot light and is ok for single track riding, Stadium 3 is amazing, puts out so much light but they dont' like to bet bumped around as much and will flicker and it can drive you nuts! My fav is the triple shot and double shot on the helmet , both have excellent batt. life and they are fairly lightweight. Also not terribly pricey, less the $200 on ebay. Double shot is as bit less than that. Buying a double and triple is ideal for single track riding and cost basically the same amount as most HIDs.
dca2 said:
Back at cha:
http://www.instructables.com/ex/i/9129E65EFFBE102880EC001143E7E506/?ALLSTEPS
I just have a vista bike light in the back - 5 flashing red LEDs . I used to ride in the evening in NY ( Long Island ) - after more that few close calls from drivers that came way too close - I stopped riding at night. I have been spending some time im Florida and there is a bike, in-line skate, jogging trail that goes just under 5 miles around and does not cross any streets, I may take up night riding again. This post has been very helpful to read. and my inclination would be to use a standard flashlight
rufusdufus
Newly Enlightened
PMATH.
I couldnt get on to your site.
Give us another option.
I couldnt get on to your site.
Give us another option.
Overload
Newly Enlightened
Bought the Light And Motion Arc Li-ion. Charged it up with the smart charger. Wonderful. Great flood, great hotspot, long runtime (from specs). I'm happy with this light.
pmath
Newly Enlightened
I had trouble with the coding, sorry, please try http://www.alphalink.com.au/~pmathews/images/1stflu200.jpg
or http://www.alphalink.com.au/~pmathews/images for a list of pictures.
With 3 AA NiMH cells running these you get 4 hours bright light and several more reasonable light.
In strobe mode they are well visible for more than 27 hrs (I gave up timing then!)
Peter
or http://www.alphalink.com.au/~pmathews/images for a list of pictures.
With 3 AA NiMH cells running these you get 4 hours bright light and several more reasonable light.
In strobe mode they are well visible for more than 27 hrs (I gave up timing then!)
Peter
Overload
Newly Enlightened
The Light and Motion ARC Li-Ion is the most powerful light I own. It can run for around 3 hours, and the light output is incredible. The regular Surefire 6P puts out 65 lumens. The Li-Ion puts out 675 lumens. It's HID so it takes about 30 seconds to warm up, during which it seems to pop red and blue flashes as it gets brighter. At this level it will run 3-3.5hrs, or go to the lower level, 550 lumens, and get 3.5-4hrs. I can see the difference is brightness, but both are still very bright. I can't see normally using the 550 mode as the extra 30 minutes just won't make any difference to my short ride. The system allows for mount on the handlebars or on your bike helmet. Both the lamp and the battery are very light.
It'd be cool if I could rig up a hand-grip and use this as a regular flashlight. Maybe a forward vertical hand-grip from a M4, with the light on top and the battery in my pocket or somehow attached to the bottom.
I can't say it's the best ever or anything, as it's the only light in this class I've used. I CAN say that there's nothing about this light I don't like or would improve upon.
I'm still working on the bicycle, getting street tyres instead of the knobbies.
It'd be cool if I could rig up a hand-grip and use this as a regular flashlight. Maybe a forward vertical hand-grip from a M4, with the light on top and the battery in my pocket or somehow attached to the bottom.
I can't say it's the best ever or anything, as it's the only light in this class I've used. I CAN say that there's nothing about this light I don't like or would improve upon.
I'm still working on the bicycle, getting street tyres instead of the knobbies.
Yet another beamshot comparison page: Eddy's Bike Shop. The Light & Motion Arc HID takes the prize! The LED lights look a bit anemic and tightly focused.
This grip light mount might interest you: Minoura swing grip light mount.Overload said:
jimmybrown2
Newly Enlightened
- Joined
- Oct 24, 2005
- Messages
- 73
nisshin said:
Nice page, thanks. It'd be nice to have a Light & Motion Arc HID, but man, what a price. My bike only cost $450. I suppose it's still better than a $2,000 stereo in a $200 car though.
greenLED
Flashaholic
It hit me the other day that I haven't mentioned the Inova 24/7 as bike light. I never used it for forward illumination, but the strobe setting on it is a *killer*. It cycles brightly and rapidly between white, yellow, and red - there's no way to ignore that kind of madness! I used to bike with a 24/7 clipped to my shoulder bag, or I'd just clip the light to my back pocket.
Planterz
Flashlight Enthusiast
Cool page. You can obviously see why I like my L&M Vega so much, and hated the Cateye EL-500.
Overload
Newly Enlightened
nisshin said:
That's close to what I'm looking for, but a little overkill. I think what I'd want would be a grip with a tube above it for the light, and another sideways below for the battery. The top and bottom tubes would be squares or loops or the like so the the light or battery would be centered. In the case of the Light and Motion Li-Ion, the light slides onto a mount, like a camera hot shoe, so you wouldn't need the top tube. And the battery could just strap onto the grip tube. This setup would be simple and cheap.
