Couldn't wait for the Cateye Luxeon...

Couldn\'t wait for the Cateye Luxeon...

I couldn't wait for the Cateye Luxeon bike light, which is supposed to come out this spring, so I made my own...





Here's a link to the gallery as hot linking to the images doesn't seem to work any more...

http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4287956943

I used a white 1Watt Luxeon with NX05 optics because that's all that I could buy locally, or at least in this country. I've ordered a few things, including Fraen LP optics from Elektrolumens so when they arrive I'll try them.

I cut an old CPU heat sink to fit into the front of the light and stuck the Luxeon to that with themal epoxy. The light usually takes 4 AA cells, but I put a 2.2Ohm resistor in place of one of them, so now it runs on 3 AAs.

This is the first Luxeon I've seen, and it is much brighter than the standard LEDs so I can't wait to get some _real_ Luxeons /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

-Mark

Re: Couldn\'t wait for the Cateye Luxeon...

Wow. What a simple and neat build. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Now the next step is to cut some speed holes in the clear plastic around the light itself and mount a 5W. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif I think you should cut some holes in the plastic anyway for increased cooling of the heatsink.

Re: Couldn\'t wait for the Cateye Luxeon...

Thanks Mark. It took almost no time to build.

I took it for a quick spin on my bike last night and the heatsink didn't feel warm at all. It was about -20C outside though /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

When I get the LP optics I may use thermal epoxy to bond and seal the heatsink into the clear plastic cowl. I don't know how much this would help with heat transfer.

I thought I might make a Luxeon3 version. I may need speed holes and speed stripes for that /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Re: Couldn\'t wait for the Cateye Luxeon...

Nice mod. I don't think plastic would transfer the heat well enough. What about cutting a hole on top of the case and mount a small chipset fan in it? Or at least replace one part of the top plastic with another CPU heatsink?

Re: Couldn\'t wait for the Cateye Luxeon...

Awesome use of the old CPU heatsink. If holes were cut as people suggested, and routed in a way to create a path for the air to rush through the heatsink's "fingers" at the back as you speed through the night, I would say you could probably direct drive it on 3AAs, especially a Luxeon III which is designed to manage greater thermal generation anyway.

Nice mod!

Re: Couldn\'t wait for the Cateye Luxeon...

I don't know if the Fraen is such a good idea for a bike light. The NX05 beam is narrow enough already--do you really want it narrower?

Re: Couldn\'t wait for the Cateye Luxeon...

paul, i think for headlamp Fraen would be better than NX05. Because you want to see clear up front, not the side. As such, there is little or no need to see the side way. That is my op though /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Re: Couldn\'t wait for the Cateye Luxeon...

I haven't ever tried a Fraen lense, so I'm just waiting for the postman brings my parcel from Elekrolumens /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I've been wondering what to do about cooling. Rightnow it's winter here in northern Finland so it's quite cold and cooling isn't a problem but I would be happier if air could get to the heatsink. Drilling holes in the clear plastic would help, or I could pretty much despense with the clear plastic altogether. I'm worried about water getting into the Luxeon/lense assembly though, but I suppose I could seal it with silicone or epoxy.

I think my next mod will be something similar but with a LuxeonIII, but thay're a little hard to find at the moment.

-Mark.