Bike lights for non-bike use

Noticed some attractively priced LED bike headlights that look like they'd work well as general use LED flashlights.

The Cateye HL-EL300 has 5 white LEDs each with it's own focus optics. $26.99 at Performance Bike.


The Zefal HF635 Halogen has 3LEDs plus a 2.6W Halogen for $18.99 at Performance Bike.

Hmmmmmmm ... That Cateye looks like a decent replacement for my lightly-modded RoadToad.

Wonder what the runtime is like ... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif



(That's me with my RoadToad fired up.)

That RoadToad looks like an HID from that picture.
I have a Light Cannon HID on my wheelchair, but it's quite large even for that. What kind of LEDs (and how many) are in your RoadToad?

Prolly could add a tiny 1 watt dynamo and charge the batteries that provide power to the RoadToad. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

The 'Toad is using an Opalec, which for my uses is just fine. There are NiMH's living inside, and the combination gives me what I want as far as battery (in)expense and longevity on one charge.

It isn't elegant, but it is effective. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I wonder if that Zefel uses a PR base bulb? maybe a good upgrade using the EverLED?

PS its closeout cheap at Bike Nashbar

[ QUOTE ]
Tomas said:
The 'Toad is using an Opalec, which for my uses is just fine.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's an Opalec?!?
Holy cow, that thing sure looks bright, both the light coming from the unit and the light on the carpet in front of you. I'd never guess there was an Opalec in that RoadToad. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[ QUOTE ]
cave dave said:
I wonder if that Zefel uses a PR base bulb?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, it does. I got it from performancebike lastnight. And yes it does have positive for the tip (nipple?). /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

But the three leds that come with it, are useless, imho. Those three are yellow leds, their focus points, go to three different directions.

The cool part is, it has a low battery indicator.

Bb

I just bought this one, Photon Digital Dual 2 Headlight, from Nashbar. I think I paid a little less than the current price. It has, if I'm not mistaken, a PR2 base halogen bulb. Nashbar says it's a 2.25 watter.

I don't know who makes it. It's branded as a Nashbar "Photon," with a Nashbar "n" logo painted just above the LEDs on the lens. Nashbar sells other lights under the Photon name as well.

The hot spot is very tight and it suffers the effects of a ribbed lens. On the bike, you can't see around curves at all, so I was pretty disappointed when I took my first night ride with it. Also, its water resistance is laughable, so if you get caught in the rain, you should probably take it apart and let it dry when you get in.

What I do like about it is that it has 2 useful white 5 mm LEDs, with a slightly dimmer "low" setting for the halogen, and solid and blinkie settings for the LEDs. (Unfortunately, you can't use the blinkie LED setting in conjunction with the halogen for maximum "be seen" ability.) It also includes 4 easily replaceable AA Ni-MH and a mid-rate (6-8 hour) charger that plugs into the light. I like that the batteries are standard and so easy to change, because you can carry spares with you to extend the run time. I tested about 2 hours and 15 minutes on two different sets of batteries before the output drops and the low battery indicator lights the translucent power/mode button up in red. Once that happens, several more hours of useful light are available from the LEDs. I haven't done a run down test on the LEDs alone yet, but Nashbar claims 20 hours steady, 40 hours blinking for the LED modes.

This would be an OK light for non-bike use if the beam wasn't so tight.

Question: What's the brightest PR2 halogen bulb I can get for this thing? Once again, it runs on 4 AA Ni-MH cells.

I've been using the Magnum Star Xenon 3-cell bulbs on 4AA NiMH with good success so far.

John

What are the Specs on the Magnum Star Xenon bulb?

I don't believe I've seen published specs on these - but I have been using them for a few months now and they seem pretty good.

Best thing is that they can produce a very tight beam in a decent reflector if you can get the lamp centered in the holder. I've been using one in the Rayovac 4AA (smooth reflector) and it throws like you wouldn't believe for a 4AA with no other modifications.

Since I've had problems with the Carley #816's, I've settled on the 3-cell Magnum Star Xenon's for my 3.8V regulated light mod, and also a few others. Makes a *very* respectable beam in the PT Vortec.

Of course, the life will undoubtedly be shorter driving it with 4 cells instead of three - but so far it has not become discolored or blown using AA NiMH.

I looked, but never saw any real specs on any of the Mag lamps on their site. I may have missed them?

No specs printed on package or lamp base except "3-cell" as is their way.

John

I see. The magnum Stars are the upmarket MagLight bulbs. I have only bought Mag Charger bulbs in the past so the name didn't ring a bell.

You're right: Mag doesn't seem to publish any bulb specs.

WHO would buy if they did?

I used to buy ONLY Magnum-Star bulbs for my flashlights, but I never tried overdriving them, and that was also before I got put on "permanent hold" of regular light bulbs with LEDs back in the very late 1990s.

These bulbs came with spacer rings you could use in non-focusable flashlights, even though they were made for mags.