Electronics, Lighting, & Gadgets - Total Geekiness

Yep. Motorcycle has been mentioned. I ride mostly rural roads with no shoulders on my commute into town. So, I really need a bright enough light to afford me some good visibility to the front. I'm going to try some lower wattage lights in order to get a good mix of light vs. run time.

I've noticed a number of people on this thread "re-purposing" Malibu Landscape Lighting Spot lights, although most seem to favor fabricating an enclosure for it.

This Malibu Light (http://www.usalight.com/landscape/water/details/details.htm?cart=112652847817012288&SKU=CL115&thisDB=landscape&thetype=Underwater%20Lighting) seems like it would be a good candidate as its stock enclosure is meant to be submerged in water.

Also has anyone tried using LED replacement bulbs for Malibu spots (http://www.superbrightleds.com/malibu.htm)? Would something like this provide ample light?

I saw where that one has a plastic case, without water to keep it cool 20 watts is prolly the limit for bulb wattage. Be a shame to get the thing mounted just to see it have a melt down. :(

Could be an excelent light for a winter commuter. :)

Yeah, my parents have a pond light and it is only to be used under water. That's be cause of cooling. Of course, it's also a 60W halogen bulb in there, so I'm not surprised it needs some cooling.

I canablized an aluminum Craftsman flashlight to make my housing, it dissapates the heat rather quickly. Peace, Ritz.

WWW.TOURDEPANTS.COM :eek:

OK uncle. The Performance Flare lasted less than 2K miles (less than 6 mo')....the bracket is on it's last leg.. I ordered 2 strobes from Nordic. They supposedly run on 12 or 24V...guess I may have to step down the voltage to get 'em to run on my 18V setup.

Anybody ever adapt the battery from a 12V cordless tool to use for lighting? My Makita came with a smart charger, and I've vowed to try it if I ever come across a broken Makita with a usable battery connector.

Just wondering if anyone's rigged their own, since I'm not an EE, nor do I play one on TV.

I have done this to make some seriously bright handheld lights. I did one 12v / 75w flashlight that lasted about 25 minutes. This was with an 18v DeWalt drill battery, so the light was well overpowered - any sudden shocks and it could have blown the lamp.

The good thing about these packs is that they are relatively small, and they come with a good charger.

I plan on making a quick 10-15w light with a 12v drill pack soon; I'll post the results when I get it done...
bk

The good thing about these packs is that they are relatively small, and they come with a good charger.


My thought, precisely



I plan on making a quick 10-15w light with a 12v drill pack soon; I'll post the results when I get it done...


I definitely want the poop on this when you've done it...

I canablized an aluminum Craftsman flashlight to make my housing, it dissapates the heat rather quickly. Peace, Ritz.

WWW.TOURDEPANTS.COM :eek:

People laugh at flashlights on bikes But those Craftman lights are superior. The housing tends to be waterproof and the components do well under the road vibrations.

People laugh at flashlights on bikes But those Craftman lights are superior. The housing tends to be waterproof and the components do well under the road vibrations.

People may laugh at whatever they wish... but 'tis I with the 20 watt headlight and hour and a half burn time that laughs last! :D

WWW.TOURDEPANTS.COM :eek:

People may laugh at whatever they wish... but 'tis I with the 20 watt headlight and hour and a half burn time that laughs last! :D


:beer: Yeah! Yesterday, I tested my Firestorm drill battery's runtime (running that Craftman 18V -35W lightbulb) ...even after 6mo's of hard use, the runtime is still 2.5hrs...before it begins to dim...

Hopefully RainmanP's strobes won't drain too much. Havent figured out how to mount the front strobe so that it has good side viz...but has a low profile...

I've used this set up for quite a while. The lights are old Union 6V. They are a little big for my taste, but what the heck. They were cheap. One side is 3W, good enough for road riding. The other side is 6W.

The battery is 6V 5AHr. With the 3W (drawing 1/2amp/hr) it technically should get me 10 hours of light. Of course it won't. I can rely on 6-7 hours. Of course, the 3W isn't really very bright. It's adequate. The additional 6W helps in really dark areas.

I just bought a ViewPoint (perfomanceBike) 6V 10W helmet mount light. Of course that was before I read the entire thread. But I still want to mount a rear Xeon(?) strobe.

I have two Lithium Ion Rechargeable Batteries 14.8 Volts ~ 4460mAh Capacity from a laptop. What parts do I need to use them as a power source for the strobe?

I am handy but do not know much about electronics. I can follow directions though :)

I still want to mount a rear Xeon(?) strobe.

I have two Lithium Ion Rechargeable Batteries 14.8 Volts ~ 4460mAh Capacity from a laptop. What parts do I need to use them as a power source for the strobe?


That battery is way overkill for the strobe. The strobe draws about 140 mA so each battery would power it for about 32 hours.

I think the Velleman strobe -- the one that you can get from All Electronics for $9 that everyone uses (http://www.allelectronics.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?category=search&item=STROBE-3A&type=store) -- can run on 9 volts. I'll check the data sheet when I get home. If that's the case, you can just hook it up to a rectangular 9V battery, using one of these: http://www.allelectronics.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?category=search&item=BST-51&type=store. Red to red and black to black is all you need to know to hook it up. It should run for about 4 hours on an alkaline and about two hours on a rechargeable.

If it truly needs 12v, there isn't a quite so simple solution.

Regarding the laptop batteries... Are these the type normally used inside the laptop itself? If so, you might not be able to use them because you cannot charge them outside of the laptop.

Even if you can charge them (using the laptop as a big, expensive charger?) you'll still need a secure way of connecting the battery to your lights. And, you'll have to figure out some sort of waterproof housing for the batteries...

I think the Velleman strobe -- the one that you can get from All Electronics for $9 that everyone uses (http://www.allelectronics.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?category=search&item=STROBE-3A&type=store) -- can run on 9 volts. I'll check the data sheet when I get home.

Well, the datasheet didn't say, so I hooked it up to a 9v. There was no perceptible difference from 12v. So that's my recommendation, run it off a 9v, either alkaline or rechargeable. If you're dissatisfied with the run time, you can hook up two or three batteries in parallel -- the connectors are three for a dollar, you'll get three. It's still red to red, black to black. Then you just have to figure out how to attach this un-lovely thing to your bike.

For ten bucks you can't do better.

Be careful when you connect batteries in parallel. their terminal voltages must be within 0.3V of each other (I think) otherwise they'll try to force current into each other. This is more of a concern with non-rechargeable batteries.

Thanks for testing this out. I will report back after I set this up.

Kevin

I don't know much about this subject. Can you explain this in more detail and in a way that I can understand? Thanks.

Kevin

I don't know much about this subject. Can you explain this in more detail and in a way that I can understand? Thanks.

Kevin

You need to be more specific. Yours is post #870 on this thread. We cover a lot of ground here.

What a wealth of information on this thread. I am planning to start commuting soon, 15 miles each way in the NoCal bay area. The following is my plan so far...

HOUSING

I have decided to venture into building my own custom lighting. I have ordered the Optronics QH-7CC from here: $22.92
http://www.nationalwholesaletools.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=2564

Here is Optronics webiste for various lamps - it appears the QH-8CC and QH-7CC use MR-16
http://www.optronicsinc.com/competition.htm (I think DCCommuter ordered the QH-8CC from JC)

I selected the QH-7CC because it was available from other sources with better info and model numbers, and they actually had photos of what I am getting, so I hope I am not surprised.

BULBS:

Before I order replacement bulbs I want to see if the QH-7CC comes with attached bulb lenses or not, or if I can get them off easily. Also check if there is a secondary housing lense. Then I could pop a couple of these 10W bulbs in. 2 for $9.98 including S&H

http://www.goldmine-elec-products.com/prodinfo.asp?number=G13805&variation=&aitem=1&mitem=4

They will be flood I think, but will get me started. I can pick up a 20W MR16 narrow spot at HD, later. I have a Cateye 210, 5 LED (be seen/see a little) light already.

BATTERY

I'm still not set on SLA vs. NiMH.

Here is a 12V 4500mAh NiMH w/ smart charger for $49.99 +S&H.
http://www.batteryspace.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1494

Of course I could get the (1.89"wide) 12V 4500mAh SLA w/smart charger for around $30+S&H http://www.zbattery.com/zbattery/hc1217w.html.

I like the narrow SLA, as it will probably look less geeky, although I am probably in the wrong thread for that.

Each of the above (SLA or NiMH) would fit in a frame bag. $5.99+S&H
http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=66&subcategory=1006&brand=&sku=6799&storetype=&estoreid=

Problem is the SLA is 4# and with a 15 mile commute on a road bike, I think I will notice the extra weight. No? Only $25 more for NiMH, I will probably go with this.

Anyway, I am going to wait for the Optronics MR16 housings before I make my next move.

I'll keep everyone posted.

SharpT

SharpT, you're well on your way to achieving geekiness.

I would go with the NiMH battery, I feel the weight of my SLA battery and it's half the size of yours. You may want to also consider getting a second charger for work, batteryspace has them pretty cheap. I like to run my lights in the daytime if it's raining and I charge at work if I run lights on the way in.

The Optronics web site is confusing and inaccurate -- and the vendors that sell them are no better. The lights I got didn't come with lenses, they just had bulbs with attached lenses. The QH-8CC doesn't seem to be available anywhere; what I got from JC Whitney was the fog light version, the QH-12IT. The only difference between the driving lights and the fog lights are that they fog lights come with yellow bulbs, which I discarded anyway because they were 50 watts.

I'm curious about the weight on the QH-7CC, whether the body is chromed plastic or solid metal.

The bulb you listed is not correct for these lights. The only 10 watt MR-16 I've been able to find is this one: http://www.sailboatstuff.com/lt_G4_MR11_MR16.html

To mount the Optronics light I like this bracket: http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=72&subcategory=1023&brand=&sku=10274&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename= . It meshes nicely with the bracket the light comes with. You can put each light on it's own bracket and mount them separately. I have them mounted together; what I did was cut about a 4" piece of 3/4" aluminum angle and drill three holes it. Each light attaches to one hole and the third hole goes to the bracket. I then painted it black for appearance sake.

Once you get geeked up, you may want to consider a 12v rear light as well. I have the popular yellow strobe and a red LED truck marker light wired in.

Ok I am going to give this a go but I have a handfull of questions.

Does anyone have the Luxon MR16 3W light from superbrightleds working in the optronics light shell?
If so, What are you useing to limit current/voltage, and what are you using for heat sinking?

Those bulbs are $30 bucks a pop, is there a cheaper way to go about it?

How many batteries can you fit into a water bottle if you are making your own pack? batteryspace has a 10 pack of 5000mAh C sized NiMH w/tabs on sale for $30 right now. If i can build a pack that will fit in a water bottle that will be fantastic because I have a 2 hour each way commute and still have to figure out a taillight option. Almost exactly 2lbs for 5Ah is a fair trade for me for that price. I already have a Maha C777PLUS-II charger (which i hightly recomend to anyone who plays with batteries much) that could charge a 12v pack as a unit so if i had to cut the bottle open and reseal it to make the pack that would be fine.

Can any of you compaire just a single 3W luxeon to something else in terms of brightness? What sort of real word run times could I expect from a 5Ah NiMH setup with that and an led tail light of some sort?

$30 5ah 2lb battery pack
$15 light housing pair (only use 1)
$30 3W luxeon bulb (must be a cheaper option)
$20 LED tail light of some sort (looking for something 2-3" in dia that I can mount on a reflecer mount, suggestions?)
$10 switches and connectors
---------
$105, reasonable if I and up with a headlight at least as bright as a 10W halogen and a nice taillight that can hopefully make my 4 hour round trip on a single charge.
(+$60 for the charger but I already had that for RC toys)

Pitr, I run a 6V, 3W halogen with a 5Ahr sealed LA battery. On full charge, the battery should run the 3W (draws about 1/2amp/hr) for about 10 hours. In the real world, it probably won't last quite that long.

I left for work this morning at 5am. 1 hour, 10 minutes to work in 49deg weather. Left the light on inside (by my work station) until 2pm. Still bright. I turned it off and plugged it in because I wanted to make sure it was bright enough to get me home.

I don't know for sure how long it will last but at 3W, drawing about 1/2amp/hr, you should get plenty of run time.

Adding an LED rear tail light will draw a little, but I wouldn't think it would be very much.

Does anyone have the Luxon MR16 3W light from superbrightleds working in the optronics light shell?
If so, What are you useing to limit current/voltage, and what are you using for heat sinking?

These bulbs have built in current limiting. Heat-sinking is only required if they are totally enclosed. The optronics shell has cooling vents for a 50W halogen so I expect it would be OK.





Can any of you compaire just a single 3W luxeon to something else in terms of brightness?



Based on their website, I think you would be disappointed with the 3W for a bike light. They claim 52 lumens for a 25 degree beam. A 20W halogen with that beam would be about 1200 lumens. I'd love to hear different from someone who uses one.


$20 LED tail light of some sort (looking for something 2-3" in dia that I can mount on a reflecer mount, suggestions?)


I use two lights -- the $9 strobe from all electronics that is popular, and the model 1284R from here: http://www.led-r-us.com/smlights.shtml . They don't go on a reflector mount, but you're unlikely to find a 12V light that does.



What sort of real word run times could I expect from a 5Ah NiMH setup with that and an led tail light of some sort?... if I end up with a headlight at least as bright as a 10W halogen and a nice taillight that can hopefully make my 4 hour round trip on a single charge.


With a 5Ah battery at 12V, you have 60 Watt hours of nominal capacity. I would derate that by 50% for real world capacity, so with a four hour runtime that gives you a budget of 7.5 watts. The taillight combo I recommend eats about 1.5 watts, so you have about 6 watts for the front.

DCCommuter,

Thanks for the reply.

HOUSINGS:

Well my Optronics QH-7CC arrived today. $22.92 including S&H.

Housings are chrome plated steel. Weight is less than 1# for the 2 units, as it doesn't move my digital scale even 0.5#. I will get a more accurate weight later when I take all the parts to work for assembly.

There is no secondary lens covering, just the glass on the MR-16 bulb.

BULBS:

OK. So it looks like I'm down to choosing between harringtonlights.com 10W narrow flood MR-16 halogen ($15.84 total for 2), or the 10W sailboatstuff.com Xenon ($16.67 total for 2).

Cost is essentially the same, however, I would prefer the narrow flood and am not sure what the Xenon's are. However, Xenon should be a tad more efficient since they are cooler, and I like the statement on the website that the glass is "heavy-duty", but what is heavy-duty anyway?

No choice yet. Any comments?

SWITCH:

I found a 3-way (+ horn switch) motorcycle handlebar switch for a reasonable price available for local pickup. http://tinyurl.com/dduh5 $12.95+tax. So I can switch between 1x10W, and 2X10W. Not sure what I could use the horn switch for that's not too geeky.

BATTERY:

I've decided on the NiMH 12V 4500mAh w/charger from batteryspace.com for $49.99+S&H.

TAILLIGHT:

The Velleman amber strobe mentioned by DCCommuter on this forum looks appealing . I think I'll go with it. It will accompany my alkaline powered Cateye 5LED rear blinky.


SharpT

Regarding the 3W luxeon bulbs... I use a dual 3W luxeon setup, and I can tell you that these are very good for being seen, but will not light your path in the way you're expecting. Maybe my optics just aren't focused properly (too wide?) but the beam these two produce together can't even wash out the yellow glow of a streetlight. Without the streetlights on my commute to help with the lighting, I don't think I'd feel safe riding at full speed.

They are very good at illuminating street signs and pointing into driver's eyes, however.

I'm actually thinking of adding a high-beam to my light array for my morning commutes. I now leave my house long before the sun is up, so I need a bit more light. I'm considering a 10W halogen for this setup....

I rode the other morning with a guy who has the Luxeon 3 Watt "Vega" from Light and Motion. (@ $170)
I was impressed by it's ability to be seen and to see by. I wonder how to replicate this in a DIY light especially the flasher feature. I think I would use this flasher year round not only the winter season.

Maybe for real world darkness this type of light with a second 3 watt Luxeon or a Halogen would be a complete solution. What does a DIY guy use to regulate wattage and a timer for the flash in something like this? I am guessing some sort of board with a microprocessor. What are some resources for a budding DIY Electronics person?

Vega
LIGHT SPECIFICATIONS

Width: 1.5” Height: 1.5”Length: 3.75”
Weight: 220g including bar mount
LED: 3 watt Luxeon™ Star Power Light Source 10,000 hours

Burn Times:

Light Output (lumens)/ Burn time (hrs.)
4 Watts- 85/ 2.0 hrs
2 Watts- 55/ 4.0 hrs
1 Watts- 35/ 8.0 hrs
2 Watts- 35/ 24:00 hrs (Flash setting)

http://www.bikelights.com/Products/ProductImages/vega_bar.jpg
http://www.bikelights.com/Products/ProductImages/vega_beam_image.jpg

Maybe for real world darkness this type of light with a second 3 watt Luxeon or a Halogen would be a complete solution. What does a DIY guy use to regulate wattage and a timer for the flash in something like this? I am guessing some sort of board with a microprocessor. What are some resources for a budding DIY Electronics person?


Google "AVR Butterfly." Also look at this page: http://www.lasertagparts.com/lightbrain/free_regulator.htm

I'm having great fun programming my own light controller. I'll post pictures when I'm done. I am the geekiest light-geek ever!

I rode the other morning with a guy who has the Luxeon 3 Watt "Vega" from Light and Motion. (@ $170)
I was impressed by it's ability to be seen and to see by. I wonder how to replicate this in a DIY light especially the flasher feature. I think I would use this flasher year round not only the winter season.

Maybe for real world darkness this type of light with a second 3 watt Luxeon or a Halogen would be a complete solution. What does a DIY guy use to regulate wattage and a timer for the flash in something like this? I am guessing some sort of board with a microprocessor. What are some resources for a budding DIY Electronics person?
You can get Luxeons from Future Electronics http://www.futureelectronics.com/promos/lumileds/ and Luxdrives from LED Supply http://www.ledsupply.com/led-drivers.html. The BuckPuck 3021-D-E series have a control pin that enables you to control the output from zero to full brightness with just a 5K pot. It also has a 5V reference output so you can add a simple multivibrator or 555 oscillator circuit to provide flashing with no external power supply needed. It can also power a PIC microcontroller.

Other good sources are Quickar http://www.quickar.com/index.php and Batteryspace http://www.batteryspace.com/. HTH

Vega
LIGHT SPECIFICATIONS

Width: 1.5” Height: 1.5”Length: 3.75”
Weight: 220g including bar mount
LED: 3 watt Luxeon™ Star Power Light Source 10,000 hours

Burn Times:

Light Output (lumens)/ Burn time (hrs.)
4 Watts- 85/ 2.0 hrs
2 Watts- 55/ 4.0 hrs
1 Watts- 35/ 8.0 hrs
2 Watts- 35/ 24:00 hrs (Flash setting)

I saw the Vega at the Bentride in August and it looks well made. The specs say they use a 3 Watt Luxeon Star, but the burn chart shows 2 hours at 4 Watts. I wonder if they really are driving a 3 Watt Star at 4 Watts. Doesn't look like much of a heat sink in there. Hmmm.

If you want to build a light like this yourself, the main components are the Luxeon Star III LED at $8.75, a 5° x 20° optic with holder at $2.69, a 3021-D-E-1000 BuckPuck at $19.99, and four 2300 maH AA NiMH cells at $2.50 each, which comes to $41.43 plus shipping. You still need to buy a switch, a case and clamp, and a charger for the batteries. You will also need a 1/4 Watt resistor for each power level except maximum. If you used 6° collimating optics this would make an excellent helmet light. A simple oscillator (a couple of dollars for parts) will provide the flashing feature. I have one running on my bench right now.

Well, I finished my homemade light system based on the Optronics MR16 fog lights and everything is working fine but wanted to share some information that may be useful to others.
1) System designs, specs, and construction: I basically followed the advice give in this thread and here: http://nordicgroup.us/s78/
2) Battery pack/holder: The best packs I could find were small digital video camera packs. I found one at Walmart that was precisely the size I needed to hold my 5HA battery. The battery goes in the large compartment and the switch and fuse go in the smaller one. The pack hangs from the handlebar with three Velcro straps that you can buy at Lowes or Home Depot.
3) Clamps: I ordered the Minoura bottle holder clamps to attach the lights to the handlebar. These clamps are great as they allow you to direct the beam not only vertically but also laterally. Well worth their $3 price.
4) Bulbs: I ordered 10W (narrow flood), 20W (spot), and 35W (spot) bulbs. Of these, I ended up liking the 20W and the 35W and will use one or the other as needed. I did not see much value from turning on the 10W bulb even as a second light. I will only use the 10W if I need more run time from my battery.

anyone see a problem with running the velleman xenon strobe (12v 150mA) off of a 9v battery? when I got my strobe, I was dying to see it work and since I didnt have my 12v battery pack yet, I just wired it to a 9v battery. works great and is very bright. will I burn anything up by doign this?

anyone see a problem with running the velleman xenon strobe (12v 150mA) off of a 9v battery? when I got my strobe, I was dying to see it work and since I didnt have my 12v battery pack yet, I just wired it to a 9v battery. works great and is very bright. will I burn anything up by doign this?

It shouldn't be a problem. You might only get a few hours of runtime though.

It shouldn't be a problem. You might only get a few hours of runtime though.

cool. when I get my system wired up properly (12v 5aH battery with 30watts of MR16s) it won't be an issue. I will use it for my ride home tonight and I think I'll keep a 9v as a backup so I have my strobe in an emergency!

I am currently running the Velman strobe with a 9v. It does work well but you get about 4 hours run time.

Just finished making the brackets on 2 Vellmans. If I run 2 of those in a series on an 18V 3amp (I think). battery do I need to do anything to step down the juice?

Just finished making the brackets on 2 Vellmans. If I run 2 of those in a series on an 18V 3amp (I think). battery do I need to do anything to step down the juice?
I wouldn't do it. The strobes aren't light bulbs, they are electronic oscillators, and even if they work for a while you'll probably fry one or both of them. Run them in parallel powered by a 7812 regulator chip connected to your battery. You can get a 7812 for a buck or two at just about any electronic supplier. http://tinyurl.com/ask7t

Well, I finished my homemade light system based on the Optronics MR16 fog lights and everything is working fine but wanted to share some information that may be useful to others.


How about some pictures of the system?

I wouldn't do it. The strobes aren't light bulbs, they are electronic oscillators, and even if they work for a while you'll probably fry one or both of them. Run them in parallel powered by a 7812 regulator chip connected to your battery. You can get a 7812 for a buck or two at just about any electronic supplier. http://tinyurl.com/ask7t

Forgive my nubee-ness. But Beyond straight wiring, I don't know what to do with it. Looks like there are 3 leads that should be soldered on a small circuit board. Another source says the 7812 needs a heat sync for any draw above 50ma (these draw 150ma)

How does it all actually hook up to the battery leads?

Forgive my nubee-ness. But Beyond straight wiring, I don't know what to do with it. Looks like there are 3 leads that should be soldered on a small circuit board. Another source says the 7812 needs a heat sync for any draw above 50ma (these draw 150ma)

How does it all actually hook up to the battery leads?
You're excused VR! And you're right, there are only 3 leads that need to be hooked up. Looking at the 7812 in the Radio Shack photo, the left lead goes to the positive terminal of your battery, the centre lead goes to the negative terminal of your battery AND the negative terminals of your strobes, and the right hand lead goes to the positive terminals of your strobes. For convenience you might consider putting a switch in the wire going to your positive battery terminal.

A small piece of thin aluminum or copper, maybe 2 or 3 square inches, will do for a heat sink. Attach it to the back of the 7812 with a screw or pop rivet. Note that the metal back surface of the 7812 is internally connected to its centre lead, which is connected to your negative battery terminal. So don't let it contact anything connected to the positive battery lead.

You can mount the 7812 on a circuit board, or you can just solder wires to its leads, but make sure that there won't be any pull or strain on the wires. The whole thing will easily fit into a plastic 35mm film can if you bend the heat sink. The 7812 is a regulator so it will provide exactly 12 volts to your strobes and will protect them from surges and overvoltage.

I've been following this thread with interest. Is there anyone using both the amber strobe *and* turn signals? Seems they wouldn't be good with each other, visually speaking. Or, could you use the strobe *as* a turn signal? Hmm...

To follow up on MultiBiker's comments, voltage regulation is an excellent advanced-geek technique for all battery-powered lights. Here's an interesting article that tells more: http://www.cs.indiana.edu/~willie/lvr.html . If you don't need multiple power levels I think a simple regulator would work as well as the fancy microprocessor system in the article, at a cost of less than $2.

I'm hoping to get a regulated system geeked up before daylight savings time ends, although it appears less likely with every passing day...

I'm hoping to get a regulated system geeked up before daylight savings time ends, although it appears less likely with every passing day...

Same here....I'm beating cheeks. Hoping my home-mades will correct vibration problems seen on the Chinese-made LEDs. Those do not stay on for the duration of the ride...or worse they flash intermittently and confuse drivers.

Yesterday, I made 2 brackets from CD spindles (bottom of a box of 50). The flat part is the backing of the light. The spindle goes into a 1/2" T with the wiring running through the spindle. Excellent and solid but TOO big. When I tried to cut the flat part down the whole thing cracked...

Back to the drawing board. I Just bolted the front strobe to the bottom of the front light and mounted the back strobe to a 1/2" piece of plywood - the rear rack.

I'm not sure that the rubber liner supplied will correct the vibration problem...Any suggestions for a bigger biscuit?

I've been following this thread with interest. Is there anyone using both the amber strobe *and* turn signals? Seems they wouldn't be good with each other, visually speaking. Or, could you use the strobe *as* a turn signal? Hmm...

If your strobe is adjustable and you can slow the flashing to about 1.5 flashes/second the strobe may work. But strobes plus turn signals may be confusing to drivers.

OK the strobes are running well on the front and back. I put a switch and the heat sync on also. We walked the bike out to the corner and while my husband held the bike, I walked away.

Although it flashed brightly, at any distance, you could not tell that the vehicle was bicycle. The flash did not illuminate the red 3M diamond on the fenders or white reflectant pinstripe on the wheels.

Definately visible, but I'll bet on coming traffic will have trouble determining my speed.
Any suggestions on how to make it recognizable as a bike?

Edited: I fixed the bracket on have a Performance Flare so it will stay lit for the duration of the ride. But the back strobe washes out the Flare.

Howdy! I found a Malibu 12v outdoor light as dicussed at various times throughout this thread. It was $8 at Home Depot. I now have the light, battery, wire, some connectors, but have a few questions, concerns stopping me from proceeding with installation:

1. Could anyone post some photos of how they attached the malibu to their handlebars? I have a few ideas on how I want to proceed but they involve considerable fabrication and a heavy, bulky reflector bracket jabbing out a ways from the bar. Photos are best since I'm a visual guy. It's not that I only read magazines for the pictures, it's just easier for me to copy your ideas! Ha! there I said it. It's out in the open.

2. Regarding battery chargers... The local Radio Shack didn't have any lead acid chargers with the "charging" and "charged" lights which will switch to trickle charge mode when the battery is fully charged. One of the guys said to just buy a 12v 500mA AC adapter. Claimed that it would charge the battery safely and then work as a trickle charger afterwards with no need to time the charge and disconnect the battery from the charger. I'm skeptical.

I know people are very involved in this thread, I've been following it for some time. But please don't try and convince me to ditch my current plans and start over from scratch with a different light setup. Got the battery on sale, adapter was on sale (hope it's suitable :( ) , point of no return need light for commuting at 6am! :D Oh, if this is to be found somewhere in this, what, 36 page thread, please understand. I have an 8 month old and dial up. My computer time is stretched and my Search the Forums attempts have been fruitless.

I have been very happy with these chargers from Zbattery (http://www.zbattery.com/zbattery/12bc1000d-1.html). They are truly plug and forget chargers. I tried the simple wall-wart transformer and cooked a battery. You might try a Batteries Plus if you have one close to you.

That's what I needed to know. Figured that I would forget to unplug it and fry the battery. I'll hit up Fry's Electronics and then go mail order.

I know people are very involved in this thread, I've been following it for some time. But please don't try and convince me to ditch my current plans and start over from scratch with a different light setup. Got the battery on sale, adapter was on sale (hope it's suitable :( ) , point of no return need light for commuting at 6am! :D Oh, if this is to be found somewhere in this, what, 36 page thread, please understand. I have an 8 month old and dial up. My computer time is stretched and my Search the Forums attempts have been fruitless.

Having just finished my lights I would actually recommed you to take the Malibu back to Home Depot for a refund and order the Optronics' housings. They will look much nicer and the small price difference makes it worth it. You can still use all the other parts you bought so it is not like you are starting from scratch. I will try post a few pictures of my system later today.