znomit

You should have a nosey around there, lots of cool stuff!

charly17201

Okay, I've finally got some night pics on my 'geek' light. The last night pic shows my view from the seat of my bent. I do have the light aimed a bit low...... but I don't want the cops hassling me for blinding cagers. These were taken at about 11 p.m. after a 1 hour ride - the battery is still pourin' out the power. So, you can see I used a regular low-voltage outside light (Malibu) fixture. I removed the spike and drilled out the hole just large enough for the bolt to go through. The mount is a clamp-on that is used to attach a grounding wire to piping.

genel

Just gor my new LED bulbs and batteries. Replaced a pair of 20 watt halogens with a 5 watt 10 degree beam and a 3x1watt 24degree beam from 1000bulbs.com. Replaced the SLA with a 4 ah nimh 13.2 volt battery pack from batteries plus.

The bulbs are longer then the halogen so I ended up cutting off the mr16 bases and soldereing the wires.

After charging the battery and hooking everything up to the light brain controller took them for a quick test. They seem pretty bright, about as bright as the 20 watt halogens but after an hour when the halogens would have dimmed quite a bit there wasn't any noticable dimming. The 5 watt spot doesn't seem as bright as the 3x1 bolb but is quite narrow and illuminates out to 150 feet pretty well.

The spec is serious about the not dimmable feature on the 3X1 watt bulb. It must have some type of voltage regulator in it as the light brain controller has no effect. THe 5 watt bulb is dimmed nicely.

After an hour the bulbs were warm, but nothing at all like the halogens furnace effect.

Finally the whole thing is so much lighter and takes so little room in the old SLA battery box I'm tempted to mount a light on the box.

xxguitarist

Hi guys, looking for a quick reality check here.
Tentative plans of setting up my own light.
Planned parts include cree xr-e https://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.2394
Driver board https://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.15880
3x rechargable batteries, series @ 1.2v= 3.6v Not sure if I'd use AA size or C size or what, but something readily available either way.

I need a suggestion on the reflector etc, and some idea of how much cooling/heatsinking is required. I have access to a machine shop, so making the housing out of aluminum is not a problem, and adding heatsink fins to the housing wouldn't be a big deal either.

Anyone see problems or have a better suggestion?

Zen Bicycle

Check Digikey for reflectors for the R2 or Ledil sells some good optics. I think future electronics are their US distributors. I beleive the general concensus is 1 sq inch per watt if standing still. You can get away with about 1/2 if moving.

xxguitarist

Would someone be able to suggest a specific optic?

Also, what is the method of attachment for heatsinking?


[edit]
Just came across this: https://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.14413

looks great to me, ready-to-go.
Make a case with some heatsinking, and tag on a battery pack. Attaching the leads might be a little messy, but there has to be correct solder tabs inside somewhere.

[another edit]
Although that's rather power hungry..

This seems to be the xr-e equivelent https://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.14442

Zen Bicycle

6 degree spot, but don't know what beam you want so hard to suggest specific optics

https://search.digikey.com/scripts/Dk...me=711-1047-ND

xxguitarist

Would you recommend that over the two all-in-one options that I also posted?

Zen Bicycle

I prefer seperate LED's and optics as you can get the exact beam you want. The drop-ins can be made to work, just be careful that you have good thermal pathways to get the heat away from the LED's. Sometimes that can be hard in a custom setup.

If you haven't read this yet, get too it. It is a fantastic starting point.

https://www.bikeled.org/

Zen Bicycle

I thought I posted my personal lights oh well lets try this again

Fork Light

Quad XPE with LED remote switch
High


My helmet light


Cree MCE X2
Low

High


Those two result in this



And when I feel like matching

charly17201

Well, today was the first 'malfunction' of my headlight. And it was not the light its self, but the mount that I had it on failed. Constant shaking on something that just wasn't strong enough for the amount of force put on it by the weight of the light.

However, it gave way to a better mount out of the basic unit. I tilted the mount down a little and drilled out a couple of holes and it is better and stronger. Pics to come.

DallasSoxFan

Anyone used this charger from Harbor Freight? Would it be appropriate for a 12V 5ah SLA or too much?

https://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=93781

corkscrew

So I've trolled this thread front to back about 3 times now. It's a wealth of info for sure.

It allowed me to set up my system. I'm using 2 of the chrome optronics lights with 20watt flood MR16's. Coupled with a 7 LED Blazer trailer light for the rear. Its powered off a 7ah SLA battery thats housed in a radio shack project box (padded it with several layers of that non-slide drawer liner). My smart charger said it was at 40% after my 45 minute commute this morning.

Thoughts after installing it all is switches would be nice - currently the system is turned on/off by connecting the computer molex connector off the battery to the rest of the bike. Thinking I'll cut it down to one light with a 35watt energy saver bulb, and move the second light to another bike with the same bulb. Really need spots also, the floods don't put light far enough out and way to much to the sides.

yellojello

Been browsing tons of information all over the web, candlepower, mtbr, here, etc...

I have aluminum housings ready to go, but haven't ordered any of the electronics yet. Am looking for 3 LED and 2 LED setups.

XP-E (Q2,Q5,P4) , MC-E, SSC P4, and the new XP-G

What combinations of those LED's are best now for the following scenarios?

3 LED:
2 Spot + 1 Flood
2 Flood + 1 Spot

2 LED:
1 Spot + 1 Flood
2 Spot
2 Flood

Thanks.

Zen Bicycle

3 LED:
2 Spot + 1 Flood XPG (wouldn't suggest this
2 Flood + 1 Spot XPG (2 diffuse 1 elliptical)

2 LED:
1 Spot + 1 Flood (xpg 1 spot one diffuse)
2 Spot
2 Flood

My 2 cents any way

dekindy

https://classifieds.mtbr.com/showprod...t=40258&cat=27

These are some NOS Marwi halogen light bodies for $10. I was wondering if I could put together an inexpensive 6V battery pack using a standard holder or use a 6-battery holder and overvolt to 7.2 volts. I would prefer C or D batteries since I have a charger or could do AA's if there is enough capacity. There are 6V pre-made 5-battery packs with Trail Tech connectors and wrapped in shrink wrap that would require me to purchase a charger and the package would cost around $50 for 4000Mah capacity and charger. I would also need guidance on a battery pouch to hold the batteries to the bike. I know where I can purchase a Trail Tech 4-ft coiled lead wire that I could attach to a plastic battery holder but I prefer something that is plug and play since I am not very good at soldering.

In addition to the light head I need is Marwi light body ($10) bar mount ($8.75) + shipping, batteries with Trail Tech compatability and recharging capability, battery holder, battery pack, and velco strap.

Am I missing anything? Is this worth doing?

Psy Guy

No longer have this bike, though I have the jury rigged light set up stuff. I got one of those light gens and felt like experimenting.
It's a Union light generator that I mounted inline with the front wheel. Why, because I figured it'd be mechanically more efficient than running against the sidewall, possibly achieve slightly higher voltages by spinning faster on the wider diameter, which means brighter lights - an additional rear light increases power demand. It also weighs a little less than the original design but could use a little refinement. I attached it to the brakes with a hose clamp and the spare mounting braket thing you see. Needed to file off the three rivets from the original mounting hardware. I like that the light would turn with the wheel. If I could do it over again I'd find a way to mount it not using the brakes.

Plastic bottle rear light, with reflective film taped around the inside. Bulb was later painted red. Looked awesomely devilish in the dark. Obviously had to run an extra hot wire from the gen and grounded the neutral to the frame. Uber cheap. See the zip ties.

Pretty bright at night but sorry no pics of that. Maybe if I put it on my new bike. Last pic also shows the rolling briefcase rear rack I made. Ripped it off a backpack I still use.

FunkyStickman

JOY! I just ran across a computer UPS unit that was going to de disposed of (not because it was dead, but no longer needed) and lo and behold, what battery does it have in it, but a 12V 5AH SLA!!!

So now that I have the major piece of my possible lighting scenario sourced, I'm thinking of getting the Optronics MR16 housings, and some 20W or 35W narrow flood bulbs (or a spot and a narrow flood, for better coverage). My commute will only be about 45 minutes at the most, so I'm pretty stoked about this!

Any advice besides using quality wire and switches, and a good fuse/breaker? Any type of bulb I need besides a covered one?

FunkyStickman

Well, I bit the bullet... picked up the Optronics lights at the local mega-Mart, and a 35W and 20W bulb from the home improvement store next door. The battery is charged, and I've got the insulated female spade connectors to fit it. Need to crimp them up and hook everything together for a test fit.

I'll post up some pics later tonight or tomorrow once I get it all put together!

Psy Guy

You dont mean Wal-Mart? Shame, shame. Your bike isn't from there I hope. Just kidding. Actually those big box stores have the occassionally decent bike for the price.

12 volts seems like lot. Must put out a lot of lumens. Will it flicker/blink at all? Get them pics posted, I'd like to see since I'm in need of lights for the new bike and need some ideas.

FunkyStickman

Actually, yeah... I'm not a huge fan of Wal-Mart, but every now and then you run across something that's too cheap to pass up. This was one of those times. And I'm a cheap so-and-so.

The lights were $18, and the bulbs they came with are 12V 50W floods (36 degree spread). The battery is a 12V 5AH fiber glass mat (sometimes mistaken for gel cells, but very similar) from a computer UPS device. It does hold a charge, though I don't know how much life it has left. You can buy these batteries new for about $20-$25. I'd recommend a smart charger for them, it will make them last much longer.

I ran the light last night, charged it up today, and will see how long it lasts when I get home again tonight. I tried the light with a 20W bulb, and it looked okay. The 35W bulb I bought was DOA, will have to pick up another one.



Pic on the bike: (I wrapped the wiring yesterday, it looks much better now)


Battery strapped to the rack: weighs about 4 pounds


Very visible, a regular car headlight halogen low beam is 55W... this thing at 50W will light you up! It gets very very hot, though.


Next step is getting a 12V LED marker light for a tail light, and taping up the wires to make them a bit more water resistant. I'll try another 35W bulb, and maybe pick up a smart charger too (they run about $35). I can upgrade to NiMH batteries later if I want, but for now, this works.

Psy Guy

Approaching cars might think you're a motorcycle till they get right up on ya! If you could get away with a smaller, lighter weight, battery that'd be awesome. Maybe wire on a little solar panel to the battery to charge it during the day. There are companies that make small cheap flexible panels of varying voltage outputs.

On my old bike running a negative/neutral wire from the rear light back to the generator wasn't necessary because I could ground the light to the frame and it'd still work. Not sure if that will work if your setup but it could reduce the number of wires. It might reguire that you ground the neutral side of the battery to the bike frame. I think thats how cars are wired, and why all the neutral wires don't go back to the alternator or battery.

FunkyStickman

You can get a NiMH pack for about $40, plus the special charger. The sealed battery (it's a glass mat cell) is about $20, and can use almost any charger. It is a bit heavy, but not really that much, considering.

Nope, it's an aluminum frame. Plus I have the rear light switched with the headlight, so I have 3 wires going to the back.

Here's a better shot of the setup in action. I added a $7 rear market light/reflector combo.


I think I will go down to a 35W narrow flood... this thing is killer!!

Psy Guy

Holy moley, watch out for the deer. The wiring looks a lot better. Do you have many unlighted streets you travel on?

FunkyStickman

Most of the streets I ride don't have lights, I'm kind of out in the country a bit. There are some, but not many until you get into town.

Yes, the 50W is almost too bright. I will try another bulb and post results. Still, I ran it for over 30 minutes last night, and light output didn't drop noticeably. I think with a smaller bulb it will serve me just fine.