Help me pick a floody light?

[GuyZero]

I'd like to know if you guys can help me find a new flashlight for a specific purpose. The light I'm looking for might not exsist, and that's fine if it doesn't. I'm mainly wanting to know if there is something better than what I am using now.

I use flashlights for mountain biking at night with very good success. Right now I have a Fenix L2D mounted on my helmet for shining where I'm looking (which is wonderful!) and a Streamlight ProPolymer Luxeon with some theatrical diffuser material behind the lens on my handlebar to point where my tire is about to go (on the trail right in front of me). The Streamlight is the one I'd like to replace.

The handlebar mounted light needs to be a floody beam that will only ever shoot 5 to 10 feet or so in front of me. With out the diffuser material the SLPPL is a real thrower, and you end up just watching a little spot of light zig-zag across the trail in front of you. Shining from the handlebars, the ideal light should create a wash of light about 3-5 feet wide. The diffuser accomplishes this, but the light is kinda big and not very elegant for this purpose.

What I would like to find is a light that takes 1 or 2 AA's, has a nice, floody beam (I think about 75 degrees, but that's just a rough estimate), and be regulated. It would be great if it was at least as bright as the SLPPL, which I think puts out roughly 32 lumens. It should also run for at least 2 hours, preferably 3 or 4.

Oh, and the perfect light would be not too much more expensive than the SLPPL, so under $40.

Does this light exsist? Or should I stick with my diffuser material?

Thanks for your help!

 

[yellow]

I like it the other way round:

focused light on the bars,
wider light on head
... because when You come near brush, that bright, tight focused beam will lend to much reflection and thus You blind Yourself.
And when riding a bit more speedy - thats not possible in confined, sweepy space. So that wider reaching focused beam on the bars is just perfect

means:
I use that bright Cree light on the bars, and a Streamlight Argo HP on the head (using a Seoul with the original reflector, running on a single Li-Ion).

I dont think You will find a broad beam light for the bars.
PS: 75 deg. wont last more than a few meters, maybe try to change the reflector on that 2 AA light You choose with a 15 deg optic?

 

[cave dave]

Floody lights are virtually unheard of. You need to make your own.

I use diffuser in a Fenix L2D CE. The Q2 version had a head that you could screw off to insert the diffuser. Output of ~ 120 lumens for 2 hrs or 70 lumens for 4hrs.

If you can find a 1" diameter light the Surefire F04 beamshaper is great. Also flashlightlens.com sells diffusion lenses of various sizes.

I have also have used a diffuser on a PT EOS and a PT Apex. If you mod it you can put a heavy stippled reflector in it.

See the differences here:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showpost.php?p=2291928&postcount=207

 

[LukeA]

How about the MTE SSC 1 mode or the Saik RC-A3? Each runs on 1AA, but might mot have the runtime you want.

 

[KenAnderson]

Zebra is scheduled to come out with a single AA model of floody that fits this description pretty well. I believe they intend to price it at approx. $50, or a bit more with a larger 18650 battery holder.

 

[paulr]

Maybe you could strap a zebralight h50 to your handlebar somehow. 120 degree flood with no hot spot.

 

[Empyfree]

You could strap a Zebra H50 right down by your wheel on the front forks, it's got such a wide flood it would illumninate the path ahead easily. They even package the light with a spare silicone holder that could easily be cable-tied to the forks.

 

[GuyZero]

You could strap a Zebra H50 right down by your wheel on the front forks, it's got such a wide flood it would illumninate the path ahead easily. They even package the light with a spare silicone holder that could easily be cable-tied to the forks.

I had thought about this too as the Zebralight does have a nice, floodybeam. But the problem is that mounting a light down by the forks puts it behind the wheel and ends up casting a shadow diagonally off to one side (right where you'll want to turn half of the time).

I'm also not sure if the 120 degree flood might catch me in the face a times, since the forks are already swept forward a bit.

But I'm liking the ideas - please keep them coming!

 

[GuyZero]

How about the MTE SSC 1 mode or the Saik RC-A3? Each runs on 1AA, but might mot have the runtime you want.

Wow - for $15 I'm really intrigued on more than just a biking level...

Are these lights regulated? Are there any posts where people compare these directly to a P2D or P1D? Any beamshots?

I could just stick some of my diffuser material on one of these things!

Thanks!

 

[Alan B]

Zebralight H50 horizontally mounted in front of handlebars. Use their rubber adjustable gobo to block the light going up toward your face.

-- Alan

 

[GuyZero]

Zebralight H50 horizontally mounted in front of handlebars. Use their rubber adjustable gobo to block the light going up toward your face.

-- Alan

I actually have an H50 Q5 and I should really try this. Having that wide of a flood on the trail would probably look cool too!

 

[cave dave]

Has any body actually tried the Zebralight on a bike?

I have and it has no reach whatsoever, its good for about 2 or 3 feet of illimination in front of the wheel. Its too floody for this purpose in my opinion.

 

[tsask]

IMHO the ultimate flood beam is my 2 year old 5 watt 2 CR123 LED light from amondotech. I know it's not AA and it was $75 but when I want to light up a dark room I grab that light off my belt

 

[cv3po]

Has any body actually tried the Zebralight on a bike?

I have and it has no reach whatsoever, its good for about 2 or 3 feet of illimination in front of the wheel. Its too floody for this purpose in my opinion.

+1 A friend that I ride with has one and it's all but useless unless you ride at .5 mph. That much flood (120 degree) is a specialty light for up close. You'll want alot more output than 66 lumens as well. Why not just find a dedicated bike light on Eb@y? A tiny lamp housing on the bars with a rechargeable batt. that fits in the water bottle holder works well. Mine is incan. and the batt is heavy but its down low on the frame and I get hours of probably 150 lumens. It has a wide spot but is so bright that it lights up everything around it as well. I don't know how you ride but the thought of hitting the trail with nothing but a zebralight (no offense, it's a SWEET light) gives me the willies