Electronics, Lighting, & Gadgets - $150 Halogen Bike Light System

Any suggestions on a Halogen Light system for biking at night for $150?

A halogen incandescent lighting system can be built for less then $150. MR16, MR11, or PAR 38 your choice. Now building an H.I.D. system for $150 would be interesting. The total geekiness area in this forum is the place to start. Slvoid and others can help. I use a Nightsun Team Issue housing with two 50 watt halogen bulbs clamped to my handlebars, polarized trailor hitch connectors on wires leading to an adequate battery in a pannier and an intelligent charger. Or just buy a much neater setup from NightSun for ~$175 or so.

For some real fun You could build a 100 watt headlight for just under that $150.00 based on a Cessna landing light.

http://www.bicyclelights.com/

Planet Bike Alias. Way less than $150...

cygo nitro (http://www.cygolite.com/2-Products/5-Nitro200.htm), but yeah if I were doing it again, I would consider DIY w/ LiOH battery for longer life.

(I am doing it again, actually, but I'm thinking LED now)

cygo nitro (http://www.cygolite.com/2-Products/5-Nitro200.htm), but yeah if I were doing it again, I would consider DIY w/ LiOH battery for longer life.

(I am doing it again, actually, but I'm thinking LED now)

so is it better to go nitro 200 or nitro 300?
they look the same except for that the 200 charges in 5 hours and the 300 charges in 3.5 hours but is about $50 more

so is it better to go nitro 200 or nitro 300?
they look the same except for that the 200 charges in 5 hours and the 300 charges in 3.5 hours but is about $50 more
Is there any reason why you want halogen over LED? LED lights are now just as bright as halogens at about the same cost.

so is it better to go nitro 200 or nitro 300?
they look the same except for that the 200 charges in 5 hours and the 300 charges in 3.5 hours but is about $50 more

Mine is the nitro 100, no longer made, it seems to charge in <5 hrs (smart charger). Of course, its battery life is down to about an hour from the original 2+, after 2 yrs. It only needs an hour or two to top up from 2 legs' commute (home at night, to work in am, charged before lunch) (of course, right now it's daylight from 5am to 9pm so I am not carrying my headlight at all)

Ziemas, do you have an off-the-shelf LED w/ comparable output to 15W halo for comparable price? The off-the-shelf systems, lumen-for-lumen, do not seem similarly priced yet in the US. I do think you could DIY an LED that would match 15W, lumen-for-lumen, for similar price (w/ resulting longer battery life and essentially infinite 'bulb' life).

Mine is the nitro 100, no longer made, it seems to charge in <5 hrs (smart charger). Of course, its battery life is down to about an hour from the original 2+, after 2 yrs. It only needs an hour or two to top up from 2 legs' commute (home at night, to work in am, charged before lunch) (of course, right now it's daylight from 5am to 9pm so I am not carrying my headlight at all)

Ziemas, do you have an off-the-shelf LED w/ comparable output to 15W halo for comparable price? The off-the-shelf systems, lumen-for-lumen, do not seem similarly priced yet in the US. I do think you could DIY an LED that would match 15W, lumen-for-lumen, for similar price (w/ resulting longer battery life and essentially infinite 'bulb' life).

Hardy,

One way to replace the battery is to use 7.2V NiMH RC car packs. They are relatively cheap (http://www.all-battery.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=182) ($20 to $30 depending on capacity), rugged and pretty small. I've been using them for years and years without problem. I can run a 15W bulb for about an hour off a 3500 mAh but they are easy to gang together to get more ride time. I put mine in Rocket cages.

Is there any reason why you want halogen over LED? LED lights are now just as bright as halogens at about the same cost.
not really the brightness for sake
If you want, there is the Cree Edition LED, which I have already in a Fenix. It is bright, but could be brighter, but the issue is not that rather the amount of side spill.

that is what the driver's will see to save my life.

it would be better in that sense, but also to mount dual cree's on my helmet as well :D

A halogen incandescent lighting system can be built for less then $150. MR16, MR11, or PAR 38 your choice. Now building an H.I.D. system for $150 would be interesting. The total geekiness area in this forum is the place to start. Slvoid and others can help. I use a Nightsun Team Issue housing with two 50 watt halogen bulbs clamped to my handlebars, polarized trailor hitch connectors on wires leading to an adequate battery in a pannier and an intelligent charger. Or just buy a much neater setup from NightSun for ~$175 or so.

For some real fun You could build a 100 watt headlight for just under that $150.00 based on a Cessna landing light.

Ken,

Hey you have a photo of your setup or able to get a photo of your setup? I'd love to see it. Man I'd love to ride BEHIND that setup. >:)

not really the brightness for sake
If you want, there is the Cree Edition LED, which I have already in a Fenix. It is bright, but could be brighter, but the issue is not that rather the amount of side spill.

that is what the driver's will see to save my life.

it would be better in that sense, but also to mount dual cree's on my helmet as well :D
My Cateye double shot is brighter than my 10w halogen, with 3x the runtime. I'm speaking from experience.

My Cateye double shot is brighter than my 10w halogen, with 3x the runtime. I'm speaking from experience.

That is cool. Looking at this chart (http://www.cateye.com/sites/cateye/upload/product_charts/LightPOPfront.pdf?height=700&width=400&keepThis=true&TB_iframe=true), the double-shot is brighter straight ahead than the triple-shot, and no big proportion of dropoff from the 'pro' to the 'regular' model. Not a lot of peripheral light though. Obviously the triple is putting out more light but in a broader field.

'In general' it 'seems' to take 3 LEDs to equal a 15W halo, but how the light as focused has to have a large role in how they look relative to each other. But something close to halo w/ LED lamp life and reduced energy use, that is the future for sure ('quotes' due to general lack of comparable units across mfr's webpages for apples-to-apples comparisons).

That is cool. Looking at this chart (http://www.cateye.com/sites/cateye/upload/product_charts/LightPOPfront.pdf?height=700&width=400&keepThis=true&TB_iframe=true), the double-shot is brighter straight ahead than the triple-shot, and no big proportion of dropoff from the 'pro' to the 'regular' model. Not a lot of peripheral light though. Obviously the triple is putting out more light but in a broader field.
True. I have both the Double and the Triple. When I only use one I use the Double as a helmet light.

I wonder how the cygo dual cross and cateye double shot compare. I was killing some time googling DIY sites, and it is looking like the off-the-rack systems are getting down toward the price of DIY jobs (adding in battery, smart-charger, yadda yadda...).

My Cateye double shot is brighter than my 10w halogen, with 3x the runtime. I'm speaking from experience.

the halogen over LED is for this reason: much more sidespill
and a 10W halogen can be had for much cheaper

and i am considering a 35W halogen system with two halogens a 15W and 20W

http://www.bikeforums.net/showpost.php?p=4669390&postcount=34

I wonder how the cygo dual cross and cateye double shot compare. I was killing some time googling DIY sites, and it is looking like the off-the-rack systems are getting down toward the price of DIY jobs (adding in battery, smart-charger, yadda yadda...).
yeah, so the dual cross is comparable

but the dualcross is cheaper and i am going for that one