Flashlights hackable to run on 12V

[InkTheWall]

I have normal bicycle lights on my commuter bicycle. They are compliant with the German regulations for bike lights, which means they have a nicely-shaped beam, and to be honest they just aren't very bright for the kind of roads we have to drive on here in North America...

I have a 12V subsystem on my bike already for running accessories, so I'm looking to add a supplemental headlight that can run off of 12V. It can be a flood pattern, because I'm going to point it more toward the ground and let my German light be the projector. The problem has been finding a suitable light. When I look at car headlights, those are obviously too big. Motorcycle headlights--same. You can buy the little cube floodlights that people put on their Jeeps, that have multiple emitters, like the Hella 4x4 lights, but even those are too big for what they are. What I want is something little like a good LED flashlight, which could be really small, but instead of running off a battery, I need to wire it to 12V.

Oh and it needs to be waterproof. Is there any flashlight out there that has terminals, or could be easily hacked to add a false battery inside with wires coming out? I have a lathe and I can make a custom endcap, but I also need something that runs off 12V. Is what I'm looking for just not exist?

Strapping a high-power 18650, CR123 or even a strong AA LED flashlight to the handlebars is a long and glorious tradition and that's exactly what I want here, I just want to be able to power it off my big 12V bike battery so I don't have to worry about the battery going dead. All the stuff sold for automotive use is way too bulky.

 

[bluflaam777]

Have you looked into 12v car lighter flood/spot lights? They should work for you. I'm not familiar with what is what quality wise but there has to be one that works.

 

[alpg88]

It' probably be simpler to make a voltage regulator, and use any light you want, than finding a decent light that runs on 12v. it wont be hard since most lights run on either 1 cell or 2 as far as voltage, (with few parallel or series parallel configurations), so you'd need a buck dc-dc converter,

 

[sbj]

Not cheap, but high quality and innovative.
Lupine bicycle lights for e-bikes can be operated with 12V. The lights, which are approved for use on the road under German law, do not dazzle oncoming traffic. Some are available with high beam.
https://www.lupine-shop.com/en/LED-Lightsets/E-Bike-lights/

I am not convinced of the emergency solution of using a powerful floodlight flashlight because of the glare it causes in public traffic. If a floodlight flashlight is aimed at the ground just in front of the bike so that it doesn't blind anyone, I don't have enough light to be able to see potholes or deformities on bike paths at a distance of around 50m, which is the distance a good approved bike light with a strong dipped beam can reach.


A very bright e-bike lamp with switchable high beam that is approved for road traffic is exactly what you need. I treated myself to the Lupine SL AX with external battery packs. It is also available as an e-bike version and is called SLX. The light output is exceptional for a bicycle lamp and is almost as good as a single car headlight with dipped beam.

However, it also comes at a high price..

 

[Macgravy]

You might want to try these:
https://www.harborfreight.com/3-in-led-flood-light-64322.html
There are users reports with pictures of these installed on scooters/truck/vans/snowblowers/etc. And they are 12 volt, 15 watt, which means 1.25 Amps. Just a thought and they are pretty cheap. Don't know much about mounting them on your install.