Perfect Bicycle Light???

[javiole]

Hi guys,

I've been looking around for a nice cheap bike light. After some research, these are my conlcusions:

DIY flaslight body:

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.15687

$11.99,

modded with a C***I bin SSC p7:

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.12721

$20 ,a LEDIL boom reflector, about $6 from www.dotlight.de.

Direct driving (about 1.5 - 2.4 Amps depending on your P7) from 1 ultrafire protected 18650, $10.52 (two of them) + charger $7.79 from DX. Plus a twoblock fish holder to attach it to the bars or helmet, $6.

Total: 11.99+20+6+10.52+7.79+6= $62, Very cheap compare similar featured bike lights!! about 500-800Lumens (depending on your p7), 60mins run time + another 60mins replacing the second battery. Very light weight and small form factor. Little and easy DIY to build it up. No cables and battery packs to mess about the bicycle tubes and bars. And you can used it at night to go to your garage to look for the drill to hang up a picture that your wife just bought or to walk the dog for a night poo, so very versatile. If you break it, it is not expensive and easy to rebuild. Need more light?, get a second one, even cheaper cos you got already the charger.

What do you think? any conts I haven't thought about? any other suggestion?

cheers,

Javi:thumbsup:e

 

[dnlwthrn]

Sorry, the perfect bike light needs to last longer than 1hr per battery in my book. I'd like to see 3+hrs. Which is why I spend the extra $30 for a CC driver board like the maxflex.

I've been trying to come up with a fairly simple light based on either 1 P7 or 1 MC-E to run off small battery packs (mine is 4-18650s, 2S2P for 7.4V 4Ah)
The hardest part seems to be finding an optic that gives the right throw/flood combination for riding. I may end up with 2 emitters, one spot focused and the other flood.

 

[javiole]

I see your point. I thought about it as well. Firstly I thought to use the above set up for the helmet light with a narrow reflector. As a second light I would diy one from the barrel of a mag-d, cut down to about 120mm and using a p7 with a h22 heatsink modified and the following collimator
http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?t=183633

the p7 regulated to 2000mamps with 6 amc7135 and powered with a d-size li-on 5000mAps. That will give about 2 hours run time.

just same length as the previous design but 39mms thick instead of 26mms. Still no cables or battery packs. I think for my weekly trainings days on the road, it would do well enough. The only problem is that kaidomain run out of D-size li-ions and litemania seems to have problems to dispach his orders.So that project has been delayed.