Since much of my knowledge related to Luxeon lighting has come from the CPF, I felt that I should share my creation with the CPF Members. I have created this light due to the fact that nothing like it currently exists on the market. I was tired of the old yellow Halogen and the overly Blue HID Bike lights which dominate the market. This light has many more side benefits than color and durability – listed below.
Introducing the nanoBurner 5.0 - Luxeon based mountain bike light – featuring the uFlex regulator.
I built this almost entirely by hand. The rough machining for the head was done on a friend's mill, but otherwise, the fit and finish was accomplished with a lot of patience, a Dremmel tool, a 4/40 tap, and a buffing wheel.
Before I give the specs and complete pictures, I would like to give a bit of background on the design criteria and specific application for this light – for those of you who are not familiar with the fine points of night mountain biking. This light is intended for use on extended rides at night on rough mountain single-track trails. My typical trip entails a 10-15 mile ride, which requires 2-3 hours of light. 2 distinct speeds are attained during this trip Slow (1-5 MPH – Uphill) and (3-25 MPH downhill). Due to the fact that this activity requires a lot of physical exertion, a mountain biker is always on a quest to reduce the weight of his bike and accompanying gear. This is also an inherently dangerous activity, which requires a certain level of illumination - the minimum accepted level is the market standard 10 Watt halogen light. The main point related to the nanoBurner is that it is drawing approximately ½ of the power and illuminates the trail better that the Halogen – by way of the White color providing greater obstacle definition and the fact that the 5 Watt luxeon does have the same lumen output as your typical 10 Watt halogen (~120). Through the miracle of Georges's uflex regulator, lower power levels can be selected when climbing (Less light required, Slower Speeds/ less airflow/ more heat at any given power setting/ maximizes light efficiency). Management of the battery with the uflex can extend run time on a typical ride by at least 3X (6 hours on a 2200mah battery).
SPECS ----
Head Unit:
- Milled Aluminum Head unit with hinged aluminum clamp (heat Transfer though handlebar).
- V Binned 5W Luxeon Star.
- NX05 Optics (soon to be switched to Fraen LP)
- Gasket Sealed for weather resistance.
Power Source:
- 8.4 Volt NiMH battery pack (2200 mAH)
- Connectors – Deans RC
- 7 - 2200 mAH batteries assembled with Solder wick.
- Mounts to Bike Stem.
Charging:
- MRP Micropeak Super Brain 959 – Delta V Charger. – Battery pack can be recharged in about 30 minutes.
Regulator:
- 5W Uflex regulator driving LED at close to 1000mA.
- In Line (can be detached to recharge battery).
- Remote – momentary on switch for selecting brightness levels on the fly.
A Few Pictures:
Introducing the nanoBurner 5.0 - Luxeon based mountain bike light – featuring the uFlex regulator.
I built this almost entirely by hand. The rough machining for the head was done on a friend's mill, but otherwise, the fit and finish was accomplished with a lot of patience, a Dremmel tool, a 4/40 tap, and a buffing wheel.
Before I give the specs and complete pictures, I would like to give a bit of background on the design criteria and specific application for this light – for those of you who are not familiar with the fine points of night mountain biking. This light is intended for use on extended rides at night on rough mountain single-track trails. My typical trip entails a 10-15 mile ride, which requires 2-3 hours of light. 2 distinct speeds are attained during this trip Slow (1-5 MPH – Uphill) and (3-25 MPH downhill). Due to the fact that this activity requires a lot of physical exertion, a mountain biker is always on a quest to reduce the weight of his bike and accompanying gear. This is also an inherently dangerous activity, which requires a certain level of illumination - the minimum accepted level is the market standard 10 Watt halogen light. The main point related to the nanoBurner is that it is drawing approximately ½ of the power and illuminates the trail better that the Halogen – by way of the White color providing greater obstacle definition and the fact that the 5 Watt luxeon does have the same lumen output as your typical 10 Watt halogen (~120). Through the miracle of Georges's uflex regulator, lower power levels can be selected when climbing (Less light required, Slower Speeds/ less airflow/ more heat at any given power setting/ maximizes light efficiency). Management of the battery with the uflex can extend run time on a typical ride by at least 3X (6 hours on a 2200mah battery).
SPECS ----
Head Unit:
- Milled Aluminum Head unit with hinged aluminum clamp (heat Transfer though handlebar).
- V Binned 5W Luxeon Star.
- NX05 Optics (soon to be switched to Fraen LP)
- Gasket Sealed for weather resistance.
Power Source:
- 8.4 Volt NiMH battery pack (2200 mAH)
- Connectors – Deans RC
- 7 - 2200 mAH batteries assembled with Solder wick.
- Mounts to Bike Stem.
Charging:
- MRP Micropeak Super Brain 959 – Delta V Charger. – Battery pack can be recharged in about 30 minutes.
Regulator:
- 5W Uflex regulator driving LED at close to 1000mA.
- In Line (can be detached to recharge battery).
- Remote – momentary on switch for selecting brightness levels on the fly.
A Few Pictures:
. I used it for 5 years!! with regular maintainance no excessive play until I swap it with FSA! for looks /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif sorry bit OT.
