Lights for Alleweder Velomobile

This is my brand new 10+ year old Alleweder in the dark, shown from the front. You can just barely make out the light from the two 3W incandescent bike lights behind the window in the nose cone.


I am thinking about putting one or two running lights mounted higher on the hood at the LH side mirror for visibility like this (Singe Q5 light, 10° optics):

View from the cockpit:


This is the image with an additional 2 x Q5 / 10° optics light - my Firefly helmet light placed on the hood at the RH side mirror. Plan to install that one on my helmet.

View from the cockpit:


Anyway, those are my plans for the moment. Now I only need to realize them

Any comments or suggestions are welcome

Re: Lights for Alleweder Velomobiel

Purely theoretical, but I'd be cautious not to illuminate the nose cone itself through spill from the helmet/mirror lights. Even a little bit of stray light in front of your nose can seem pretty bright and at least decrease your night vision if there's nothing much else around.

I'd suggest to first replace the twin incans with twin Cyos (or even Edelux's), then maybe add a couple of narrow beam XP-Es as high beam, also behind the window (and maybe replace or at least clean the window, too ;-) - if you canget some airflow over the lights for cooling.

Bye
Markus

Re: Lights for Alleweder Velomobiel

Hi Markus,

Yes, the Velomobile needs some rework. The nose cone is damaged as well as the aluminium body, so they do not fit together well Also, the windows is not completely transparent any more as you noticed, so it needs replacement.

I Did a first commute today, with the lights as shown above. A Single CREE XR-E Q5 @ 900mA with ~10° lens duck-taped to the body. The light housing is made from the front and rear end of a 9-LED flashlight .


This morning, did not notice any blinding from the glare on the hood. Return trip will be in daylight

Thank you for the advice. Nice lights, B&M Lumotec IQ Cyo would set me back €73 each. The Edelux is even nicer, but cost €130 each. This is not what I am looking for. Was thinking more about DIY lights. Also, all lights including rear light and turn indicators need to be supplied by a 6 Cell Li-Ion battery (8V4, 7200mAh) and I need about 3 hours of light per day/ recharge. So max current draw from the battery should be around 2Amps (~17 Watts)



Erwin

Re: Lights for Alleweder Velomobiel

Hi,

don't know if you're following the german forum for velomobiles? They have an electronics corner with lots of diy light projects.
For instance, this one looks interesting, though it will be huge when finished. 1x XP-G driving light, 2x XP-G high beam.
In the top section of that forum, threads of interest are highlighted, containing different diy manuals for building lights.

Re: Lights for Alleweder Velomobiel

Thanks for the link to Velomobilforum.de :twothumbs
I Am new at this velomobile-thing and looking around for information sources like this

Re: Lights for Alleweder Velomobiel

Wow, he (or she) got a very nice beam pattern from their old reflectors. That's really cool.

Re: Lights for Alleweder Velomobiel

I have an aerorider that I have been rebuilding (sounds like we may have similar experiences. Anyway, the aerorider has a dc-dc converter off the 36 volt system for the electric assist. This made it easy to work with auto and ATV lights. I bought a visionx 12 volt p7 light with an elliptical pattern. the price was about $120 You can check it out at my blog: myaerorider.blogspot.com

Chad

Re: Lights for Alleweder Velomobiel

That is a nice machine that you have. And a hand full to restore Fortunately mine is still in working order. Things are just worn or damaged (like the nose cone), not broken. So I am doing small improvements while I ride.

Yesterday, I did my second commute, 35km each way. Without electrical assist, as my Alleweder A2 is not equipped with that

I Had been thinking about a P7 light at front. I Use a P7 Magicshine MJ-808 on my regular bike. Have been riding around with the single Q5 light and the two incandescents in the nose. Surprisingly, I find that I have enough light to see So current thought is to place one or two XR-E R2 lights in the nose cone to replace the old ones and leave it at that.

Meanwhile, this is what I have got for the tail light (dimensions in cm):

It is two regular rear light/ reflectors cut up and glued together. There will be a 1 Watt red LED behind the clear round diffuser. Sort of a huge version of the tail light I use on my commuter bike. When that is ready to mount, it is time to install some new tape over the electrical wiring in the bike, as the current tape is loosing its stickiness

Re: Lights for Alleweder Velomobiel

Yesterday, I managed to get some work done on the wiring. Replaced the flimsy wiring connecting the indicator switch on the steering column by something more solid (3-wire mains cord). Also removed the Cinch connector from the battery circuit and replaced the 6V 4AH sealed lead/acid battery with an 8.4V 7AH Lithium-Ion battery pack.

After that, all lights were still functioning

Hope to get the tail light finished and mounted today

Re: Lights for Alleweder Velomobiel

This is what is inside:
The LED and driver are salvaged from a 1W RED Spotlight from Dx.
A Dealextreme SKU 1919 35mm Lens/ Diffuser.

Just finished mounting the light



Nightshot:

Meanwhile, I have replaced the temporary tape with permanent tape

Today, I Have replaced the two headlights behind the radome. These are the old Halogen lights, each consuming 3.4 Watts (@7.75V):

The new light is similar to the one on top (CREE XR-E R2 with 900mA driver).

It mounts inside the radome, on the existing aluminium lip.

This is the view from the cockpit.

The front view from up close.

And the view of oncoming traffic from approximately 50 meters.
I Find it hard to judge if this is blinding or not.

Walking in front of the velomobile, it still cast shadows at 50 meter
At least it is bright enough to get noticed

Total power consumption is 2x 3.8W + 1.4W for the taillight = 5.2 W or 1,35 Amps at 7 Volt. So the battery should last a maximum of 5 hours if I don't use the indicator lights. I Drive about 3 hours per day, so that is just one hour short for two days riding.

Love it. Nice revival of a neat unit. :twothumbs Someone spent a lot of themselves in maing it. Great to see someone else give it a new life.

You may have to video a 'drive by beam shooting' as it were with vehicles as references. I need to do something similar, so I have just started to think about how. :thinking:

BrianMc said:

Love it. Nice revival of a neat unit. :twothumbs Someone spent a lot of themselves in making it.

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Yes, when I saw the scribe marks on the aluminium inside the nose cone, it made me think aboiut he-who-built-my-bike. He did a fine job. Love riding in it, especially since sprintime seems te have arrived here in Holland. So far, 377km this year (last 3 weeks actually).

BrianMc said:

You may have to video a 'drive by beam shooting' as it were with vehicles as references. I need to do something similar, so I have just started to think about how. :thinking:

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Maybe I will park it along the road in front of my house, get in my car and drive by it a couple of times. See what it looks like from a drivers point-of-view. On the other hand, been driving around with a CREE XP-G (R4) and a Magicshine MJ-808 (P7) on my other bike for months now without much complaints of other drivers.

I Saw your light in the other threads over here and on MTBR. It certainly illuminates the road very well. Wonder if the sharp cutoff leaves enough light for you to 'be seen'...

pe2er said:

Yes, when I saw the scribe marks on the aluminium inside the nose cone, it made me think aboiut he-who-built-my-bike. He did a fine job. Love riding in it, especially since sprintime seems te have arrived here in Holland. So far, 377km this year (last 3 weeks actually).

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I understand. My bike frame was handbuilt by one skilled artisan. I think he'd be happy it is still in regular use by its original owner 30 years later.

pe2er said:

Maybe I will park it along the road in front of my house, get in my car and drive by it a couple of times. See what it looks like from a drivers point-of-view. On the other hand, been driving around with a CREE XP-G (R4) and a Magicshine MJ-808 (P7) on my other bike for months now without much complaints of other drivers.

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The MJ-808 beam shots compared to their new light appear to me to be less floody than EL34's pics in his P-7 shootout beamshots. Makes me wonder if some or all of the later ones have narrower focussing reflectors. :thinking:

Since a greater percentage of motorists there, are or were cyclists, you may have a more tolerant audience for your light's performances. You likely have them aimed as benignly as possible, too. Still, it suggests the 'looking away' is enough except for the one irate cry baby you reported.

pe2er said:

I Saw your light in the other threads over here and on MTBR. It certainly illuminates the road very well. Wonder if the sharp cutoff leaves enough light for you to 'be seen'...

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I was building the test rig when you said the results begged for beam shots. Apparently we think alike.

I rode them through dusk into dark last night testing them and the report is there. The two on flashing definitely were seen in broad late afternoon and early evening daylight. Shock and awe? Or they thought I looked the idiot. :tinfoil: I'd rather be seen as a fashion misstatement, than not seen and 'drop dead' gorgeous under someone's car.:laughing:

Late dusk and after dark, the two neighbors I met in my test loop defintiely responded at about 300 m before I moved the high down and right. However the low beam is 900-1100 lumens depending on ambient air temperature at 1 A (likely close to 1000) and it was aimed too high. Both saw 1A output until I dropped it to half. Defintitely 'seen'. Half power was quite adequate and will extend batery life/runtimes. The extra will be nice for wet pavement. I will be taming the low beam a bit with an amber snoot, hoping to pick up some side visibility and reduce glare off my fender, tire, and near road. Being the operator and observer causes issues. Some sort of photography is needed to let us see what's what after the ride. I suppose I could use the same light test rig used for the beamshots to hold the helmet and bar lights for a drive by.

I Read your report. Interesting reading

BrianMc said:

Since a greater percentage of motorists there, are or were cyclists, you may have a more tolerant audience for your light's performances. You likely have them aimed as benignly as possible, too. Still, it suggests the 'looking away' is enough except for the one irate cry baby you reported.
...
The two on flashing definitely were seen in broad late afternoon and early evening daylight.

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That one irate cry baby was with the Magicshine on strobe (in daytime). He was really laying it on - shielding his eyes with his arm. Funny detail; I encountered a police patrol car on a narrow road head-on minutes before that. The road was just barely wide enough for them to pass me. They did not even pay attention to my lights.

But just to be sure, I don't use strobe mode any more. It is just not allowed over here (lights must be on continuously). Lights on my Alleweder don't even have a strobe mode (just on or off).

All other drivers seem to be very tolerant and considerate, even with me rolling around in my velomobile.

pe2er said:

I Read your report. Interesting reading

That one irate cry baby ... I encountered a police patrol car ..did not ... pay attention to my lights.

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One in every croud, unless he was hamming it up. I get a polite nod from officers. I even blew a stop sign in front of one with no issue. I could have stopped but it would have been my ROW, so we both went our ways sooner.

pe2er said:

But just to be sure, I don't use strobe mode any more. ...(just on or off).

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That may be a perception issue here. Flashing White lights are often emergency vehicles. Someone could complain that I emulate a police or recue vehicle. There ARE laws against that. I need a runtime/battery check. SO high it is today (easier to manage with the helmet light than switching to strobe).

pe2er said:

All other drivers seem to be very tolerant and considerate, even with me rolling around in my velomobile.

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I get the over cautious, the just right, the inattentive, the stupid, and purposeful road intimidation.

The worst section is an unavoidable road near home. Posted at 50 kph (30 mph) often travelled at up to 80 kph (50 mph). Stupid as pedestrians have to use the road, and children go to the parks by bike and skateboard. It is two lanes but narrow for two trucks to meet and no shoulder. I have started a policy of riding down the middle of my lane as Indiana Bicycle Law allows, and bike safely advocates suggest. At least they see me in lots of time now. IF they are looking. With some, that might give them too much time to think.

BrianMc said:

...
The worst section is an unavoidable road near home. Posted at 50 kph (30 mph) often traveled at up to 80 kph (50 mph). ...

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This is my worst section: The naarderstraatweg. An unlit section of road, just wide enough for two cars. Speed limit is 80kph (50mph), but it runs in parallel with a motorway (A6), so they (cars) tend to match that speed (100kph = 60mph). You get a lot of glare from the traffic on the motorway. So I design my lights to be visible there.

This is an older picture of the road

They recently changed part of of the markings to the new standard for 80 kph roads:

The rest of my route is not bad, so I have no reason to complaint.

But we are running astray here. Tomorrow will be the first ride with my new lights

pe2er said:

But we are running astray here. Tomorrow will be the first ride with my new lights

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You're the OP. You can go OT as much as you want. It's me that needs to worry, but don't tell the OP. :laughing:

Looking forward to the report. Grades look to be very minor on your route so outrunning lights will be with strong tail winds not steep grades.

I may just steal your "hide the XR-E R2" flashlight trick for the errand bike (so they won't be stolen).

BrianMc said:

You're the OP. You can go OT as much as you want. It's me that needs to worry, but don't tell the OP. :laughing:

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Not to worry, I won't

BrianMc said:

Grades look to be very minor on your route so outrunning lights will be with strong tail winds not steep grades.

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No grades at all on my route. Only a couple of bridges, which is good, I hate driving up a grade.

First ride this morning. 35km to work. Lights kept working through the ride, so that is a plus Sunrise is about 06:30, I left home at about 05:45, so the ride is not in full darkness. Cruising speed around 30km/h. Maximum speed usually around 40km/h going down off a bridge. Lights were more than sufficient, but the real test will be soon when we go to daylight saving time. Maybe aim the top light a but further down the road and a little less to the RH side. No annoyed drivers, but there is not much traffic at the time I ride.

Met a fellow VM driver (he rides a WAW partly on the same route). We had been chatting about VMs and LED lights earlier this week. He has also built his own light using Dx flashlights. He immediately noticed I had replaced the Halogen Lights, so that is a good thing I suppose

I Also noticed he had built indicator lights on the front of his rear-view mirrors. A Partial arc of about 10 red 5mm LEDs. Very noticeable due to the high mounting position. Guess what want now for my own VM

BrianMc said:

I may just steal your "hide the XR-E R2" flashlight trick for the errand bike (so they won't be stolen).

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That was not a consideration at all. I Don't even lock my VM here at work

pe2er said:

... Lights were more than sufficient, but the real test will be soon when we go to daylight saving time...

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So, lights are still enough now DST is here. I Really do miss the light turning with the handlebar like in a 'normal' bicycle. Have been thinking about adding a couple of 'runway turnoff lights' in the nose, triggered by the indicator lights to illuminate the path to the left or right, depending on the position of the indicator light of course. That should not increase the power consumption significantly, since they will only be on for a short time.

Well maybe coming fall