Cold Weather Lighting

[Alfonso]

Currently tossing about the purchase of either the Niterider TriNewt or Dinotte 600L (as well as less expensive Niterider Trail Rat, but I sense the first two are quite a bit better). But, wondering which of these has a battery system that may be better during colder spells; say, down to -25 Dec C or so. The Dinotte is a lithium ion rechargeable, still have to check the other two.

Appreciate any and all. thanks

 

[Szemhazai]

Niterider Trail Rat - NiMH (halogen & waste of money)
TriNewt - Li-Ion

According to some technical problems with Niterider and driver integration in the battery I suggest Dinotte or some other Triple Cree/SSC deppending on your location and price.

 

[Buck91]

I just picked up the Niterider Sol, same LEd/headunit as MiNewt X2 but with NiMH pack instead of li-ion; same runtime and lumen rating too!

Haven't got a chance to ride with it, probably Thursday though. It is pretty bright (about as bright as my MTE rebel100 with a fresh NiMH AA in it), plenty good for the street/commuting.

That said, I've played around with the MiNewt Dual X2, Trinewt, and a few others. Really, the led's are *that* bright compared to a good halogen, maybe its the color redition or something. By that I mean 15w or more. That trail rat is a 10 watter, which I've found to be very insufficient. Now, you could probably get away with throwing in a higher wattage bulb (batteryspace has a good selection), but with the little battery pack if comes with (4.5Ah lead-acid, or similar NiMH) runtimes would suffer. I get about 2hrs out of my 9Ah lead acid pack with my 15W homemade setup and its very nice...though I wish I woulda got a 12* or so spot instead of 24* ...

 

[mechBgon]

I just picked up the Niterider Sol, same LEd/headunit as MiNewt X2 but with NiMH pack instead of li-ion; same runtime and lumen rating too!

NiteRider's site claims 115 lumens for the Sol and 150 lumens for the MiNewt X2.


Regarding the choice between a TriNewt and a DiNotte for riding at -25C.... wow, that's cold! With either choice, you might want to carry an extension cable so you can put the battery pack up your sleeve or in an interior pocket if it begins to lose power in worst-case conditions. The DiNotte comes with an extension cable (and the battery packs are much smaller and lighter, plus you get two of them), while NiteRider offers extension cables that would work for the TriNewt.

 

[Buck91]

Oh wow, your right. Thought the X2 puts out 115 also.

Well in any case, its the same led, reflector and lens...

 

[iggs]

With cold weather the LED's will actually probably run brighter as heat reduces their efficiency.

The problem will always be the batteries as these never like the cold.

The only real solution, as already mentioned, would be to carry the batteries on an inside pocket of a jacket, even in a rucsac they will get chilly enough to reduce the runtime significantly.

This means your going to have to go for helmet mounted really as being attached to the bike via a light power cable is a recipe for damaged leads as they pull apart when you get off the bike and walk away forgetting you are attached.

So design of helmet mounts and cabeling are going to be the deciding factors for your use I think.

Hope this helps

Ian

 

[Buck91]

Took the Sol out for a litle half hour neightborhood and park ride. Very nice. Definately no trinewt, but its going to be perfect for commuting

You know, the Sol Mate is a helmet mount version... The Trinewt comes with a helmet mount, and there is even a version with a wireless handlebar switch for the helmet mount!

 

[mechBgon]

With cold weather the LED's will actually probably run brighter as heat reduces their efficiency.

The problem will always be the batteries as these never like the cold.

The only real solution, as already mentioned, would be to carry the batteries on an inside pocket of a jacket, even in a rucsac they will get chilly enough to reduce the runtime significantly.

This means your going to have to go for helmet mounted really as being attached to the bike via a light power cable is a recipe for damaged leads as they pull apart when you get off the bike and walk away forgetting you are attached.

So design of helmet mounts and cabeling are going to be the deciding factors for your use I think.

Hope this helps

Ian

If helmet mounting will be considered, keep in mind that the TriNewt light head is pretty heavy compared to the DiNotte. I can get you actual weights if desired, since there's a TriNewt at the shop and I have a DiNotte. I don't know why NR felt they had to make the TriNewt head sturdy enough to drive nails with

Another potential drawback to helmet lights is the lack of shadows cast by objects on the ground. Take your favorite flashlight, aim it down a staircase in the darkness, and hold it at waist level (ahh, the stairs cast well-defined shadows), then raise it above your head (whoa, the shadows disappear). I find visible shadows useful for detecting rocks, lumber and other road debris, and for reading terrain in off-road use.

 

[Buck91]

Trinewt is rated at 519 grams. I like the sturdy feel of it; if money wasn't an issue I would have gone that route myself.

 

[FrontRanger]

Regarding the choice between a TriNewt and a DiNotte for riding at -25C.... wow, that's cold! With either choice, you might want to carry an extension cable so you can put the battery pack up your sleeve or in an interior pocket if it begins to lose power in worst-case conditions.

I have ridden in nighttime temperatures below -30C (and windy!) using NiMH batteries. I found that runtime was lower, but not dramatically so. I've thought about putting the battery inside my clothing to keep it warm, but don't like the idea of a hard object next to my body, especially in the event of a crash. My preferred solution to simply insulate the battery pack. During discharge, the pack heats up, so insulating it will increase its equilibrium temperature. I didn't do it myself, because I wasn't too concerned with the lower runtime. I didn't measure it, but I'd estimate 10% from memory. You might be able to get actual quantitative information from the battery forum.

By the way, now I don't have this problem at all, since I use a dynamo light and LED flashlight combo. The dynamo's output is only a weak function of temperature, and the LED it drives handles the cold just fine.