rideabike

I don't think that there are any lights with four luxeon stars in them, are there?

Edit - I don't see any lights this bright that are led based. In fact, as I look at this, it will be brighter than the cateye triple shot. I don't know what the cost wll be, but the comparable light on this page, without the mount, is a lot less than the triple shot.

2manybikes

You can just get a rough idea, not the exact thing. Here's how I think about it, 4x3watt led is 12watts
The USE exposure "race" is two 5watt led's That's 10 watts.
So if you look at the picture of the 10 watt led light, you approximate that 12 watts is higher. When you are on that page you can look at the 10 watt halogens, for instance, they should be a little brighter than either LED but it's just an approximation. It puts in the ballpark if you had no idea. Here's a 10 watt total LED light compared to a 10 watt halogen light. Explore the last link on the page and look at all the lights if you're interested. I don't mean that the light he is building is not a nice light, it's great, but not very bright for the price. You could buy something brighter for probably around $80 to $100. There is a lot of nice workmanship in that 4x3 LED he can proud of the finished product, it will last forever.

Look around the forum carefully, I saw a triple shot compared to another light in photos just last night somewhere.

rideabike

Thanks for the tips.

I was interested in his project though because I thought that the price was good. He charges about $140 for the flashlight with the four 3 watt luxs. The Cateye triple shot, which is about 9 watts of leds is around $240 isn't it?

2manybikes

I thought I might learn something from trying to take a photo of my 16 watt HID beam in an open area instead of a narrow bike path. I took it to a nearby harbor to try it. There was a little dampness in the air and it reflected a little light in the air. If you look close in one photo I am lighting up the water pretty close to the opposite shore. It does show that it is a narrower beam than a car headlight, is brighter than one beam on low, and has more reach.

rideabike

That is one serious light.

vrkelley

New blinkie comparison video: Cateye LD1000 v. Cateye LD500 v. Niterider blinkie
https://www.bikeforums.net/advocacy-safety/154011-new-blinkie-comparison-video-cateye-ld1000-v-cateye-ld500-v-niterider-blinkie.html

vrkelley

New blinkie comparison video: Cateye LD1000 v. Cateye LD500 v. Niterider blinkie

Whole thread: https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=154011

Actual video footage (courtesty of mechBgon)
Video 1: https://www.omnicast.net/~tmcfadden/TL4.wmv (2.1MB video clip in Windows Media Player format)

Video 2: https://www.omnicast.net/~tmcfadden/..._walkaround.wmv (3MB Windows Media Player video file)

slvoid

Hehe I already added it to the front page.

vrkelley

Ha ha! More is better!

tomg

-Do any of the lites listed above have direction indicators (turn signals)?

i have a planet-bike front lite that i mount under handlebar bag. it's about 6watt +/-, battery powered. i also have planet-bike rear lite/ blinker along with 3 or 4 blinkies you attach to clothing etc.

even though the front lite is not that bright, my current concern about winter - nite commuting is:

- How does everyone Signal to drivers when/where you are turning, left or right and stopping? (hand/arm signals don't work, it's too dark!) -

thx!

2manybikes

If you have the reflective ankle straps that have flasing red lights in them on your wrist they work pretty well from behind.

https://www.rei.com/online/store/Prod...1&source=19454

mechBgon

I just picked up one similar to that (Nathan brand), here's a video clip of it running:

https://www.omnicast.net/~tmcfadden/Nathan_armband.wmv (1MB Windows Media Player video)

I have the same feelings about signalling. I wear a neon-yellow jacket most of the time, but it hardly shows in the dark without very close-range illumination.

1) do the motorists even have a clue what I'm holding my arm like this for in the first place? LOL, I've had people wave back to me when I do the "right-turn" signal (left arm held in an "L" shape)

2) can they see it from behind with my super-blinkies sledgehammering them in the retinas

3) can they see it from the front with the HID aimed at them

But I'm doubtful that a turn signal light would be a better solution than arm signals. They rely on the motorist being able to reference whether they're on the left or right of the vehicle's centerline. What might work would be to have a powerful steady taillight (LD1000 on steady mode, perhaps) to establish centerline, and then a powerful amber light on each end of the handlebar that flashes at the speed that people expect of a vehicle turn signal, like some of the ones from https://www.led-r-us.com. That would give enough separation from centerline that it might, uhhhh, give the right signals to the other road users. So far there's no commercial product like that, you'd have to make it yourself.

slvoid

I just look behind me in that direction, point my arm, then start to turn...

mechBgon

I was surfing about, and found another interesting variant, check out the illuminated belt here for about the same price: https://www.hivis.biz/products/trafficvests.asp?pg=1#_95 Looks interesting, I think I'll pick one up to try it out.

edit: in Closeouts, they also have a couple self-illuminating vests.

joesmohello

Just to add my newbie experience - I went out tonight dressed up with my brand new Blackburn Mars 3, Cateye, LD1000, and Cateye EL500. Granted, for the past few weeks I've been using nothing, not even one reflector (and riding VERY defensively and mostly on sidewalks). Tonight I didn't feel once that a car didn't know I was there. It was great. This was in city and suburban surroundings with moderate to low street lighting.

markw

I'm running a Schmidt SON-20 laced to a 650c wheel with a Lumotec 3W front light. This thing illiminates as well if not better than my 10W night rider. Highly recommended, best part is no dead batteries. What little drag there is, you can't feel, I'm running the same 25mph+ on the flats that I do without it. Made a nice addition to the Bacchetta for fair weather winter commuting.

mrditzler

I spent a lot of time trying to find an economical replacement battery for my lighting system. Here is what I did:

I purchased the 6v, 4500m Ah NiMH battery to replace the Lead Acid battery that came with a Sigma Sport lighting system from the website Batteryspace.com. The new battery provided a much longer burn time at a much lower weight. For less than $30 I received a far superior battery than what came with my lighting system. Batteryspace.com also provided an assortment of connector sizes and I was able to match the one for my light. I did have to use the switch from my Sigma system because the switches for the light were located on the wire itself. This required some cutting and splicing of wires but something that anyone with a small degree of electrical skills can easily do. I had to splice the wire from my old system to the NiMH battery. The wire from the battery was the type that had the insulated hotwire surrounded by the wire from the negative terminal. This gave me a moment’s pause, but was not a problem. Just twist up the negative wire and splice it like any other wire. The only other modification I had to make was to the charger provided. It came with the male connector terminal (for the provided tips) attached. Because I need to plug the battery into the switch on my lighting system, I needed the female adapter plug attached to the charging unit so I could insert the correct connector tip. The only way I could do this was to splice the female end to the charger so I could use one of the tips Batteryspace.com provided. You could probably get an adapter for this, but it was more convenient just to splice it in (because I didn’t have the adapter). My only recommendation to Batteryspace.com would be to provide a couple of these adapters with their adapter tips. If you own a light that the switch is on the light itself you will not have any of the previously mentioned difficulties.
I liked the fact that this battery can easily fit into a seat pack. I have a full-suspension bike that does not have any water bottle mounts, so attaching my old battery always required creative use of zip ties and the battery still did not stay in place very well. It’s much easier to put the light in the seat pack. There was plenty of wire provided for my needs. This battery would work great for use with a helmet-mounted system as well because the battery is very compact.
I was ready to throw away my old Sigma lights altogether and get a new system until I decided to look for batteries for bike lights on-line. That is how I found Batteryspace.com. For less than $30 I was able to make my system better than it was when it was new. Batteryspace.com also sells bulbs and connectors and anything else you might need repair or customize your lighting system.
Batteryspace.com’s web site was very user friendly and included a search feature. They sell a tremendous amount of products for bike lighting, whether you want NiMH or Li-Ion battery. They also sell almost anything else to meet your battery needs for any application. I certainly recommend their site and will be a return shopper!

Brad Ditzler--Pennsylvania

ken cummings

Light power vs Speed. I once had a PAR36 100 watt 6 volt bulb I got from an aircraft supply store. Lance Armstrong coldn't outrun it on a steep downhill. I had to keep moving on warm nights or the rubber tractor headlight mount that held it would start to melt. I powered it with 3 Gates(Hawker now) BC cells, heavy.
Now I use a 30 watt bulb that is still stronger than I need for my speed mated with a 12 volt battery from
Toys-R-Us. Low wattage bulbs might equal whatever speed you want if they have a tight focus. Downsides are they may not show hazards outside the narrow central focus. I go for higher power for safety reasons. I want other vehicle operators (cars, buses, trucks, drunks) to think by relex that I am something big enough that they had better avoid me. Upside I can warm my hands by them on cold nights (grin).


Ken

DCCommuter

I really like the PAR36 tractor lights. At Home Depot you can get halogen plastic bulbs for them that weigh a lot less than the glass ones -- they come in 14 and 25 watts, which are pretty good for bikes. They're pretty cheap too, about ten bucks for the enclosure and another ten for the bulb.

ken cummings

I found your comment about NightSun as I was reading thru the entire thread. Yes, my old NightSun, one of the old American hand-built team issue types still works, I just keep replacing lamps. As the housing is metal and not (cheesy) plastic I am going to rebuild it with a pair of MR16 50 watt halogen spots when the budget allows. I already have enough battery to power them for my 2 1/2 hour commute.

michaelnel

Reading through this thread, there are many posts where the text makes it obvious that pictures were once attached to the message... but for some reason I don't see any pictures. Post #54 in this thread is an example of this.

I do see them in other threads, and I do have the option enabled to display pictures inline. Is anyone else seeing this?

michaelnel

Never mind. This thread explains what happened to the pictures.

It's a real shame to have lost all those pictures.

NextLevelMentor

Don't forget Lumicycle out of the UK. Way cheaper and brighter than all the above listed options! Oh and did I mention built like a tank yet the battery is lighter than any you can find! Long burn times too.

rp54X16

back to the top of this post where lighting things are ...

A while back a saw a "deal" on dealmac a site that posts all types of sale items. The item was for batteries at this site: BatterySpace.com. Well I checked it out and this is what I found and a couple of great deals I have got from them.
Just want to share the great luck I am having with the batteries I am getting from them. First off I bought a replacement battery for my bike light. This thing works great! It's a 13.2 volt 4500 mAh MIMN battery pack installed in a water bottle. Because of the added power I upgraded my lights to a much higher watt system (I had a old Vistalite stick system that worked but the two 5 watt bulbs just were not enough.) At first I thought I was going to have trouble matching up the ends of the cables (my old system ends with new battery) but this was not a problem. The battery comes with a set of tips that will fit just about any cable. There is a wall charger that can recharge the battery over night. This is a standard charger and if you wish they sell smart charger on there site to insure quick and proper charging of the battery. (The one that comes with the battery works fine, you just need to watch that you don't over charge with it. A small wall timer can prevent this.) Over all this battery has performed well beyond what I was looking for. For under $70 (battery and bulbs) I have a new light system that puts out more light than my friends $300 system! Ha!
I needed some AA’s for my rear tail light and bang could not pass up this deal on a their "Value Camera Kit” for $24.95. Comes with 8 AA NiMH cells and box holders to keep them from being lost. These are some of the highest-powered batteries around. 2300 mAh that will out last any other's out there. Has "Dual Smart Charger" can charge AAA or AA and it will protect the batteries from over charging. Comes with a great camera bag, which is great because my new camera did not come with one. Also, a cable to connect the charger up in your car or truck, this will be great for the long weekend road trips!
The thing I found to be surprising is the "pocket" tripod. At first glance it looks kind of like "OK I'm not going to use this" but wouldn't you know it I used it the second day I had it and it works great. Legs bend every which way so you can mount it just about anywhere. So far using the AA batteries in my tail light setup is working just fine.

I am now a recharge battery convert and a quick check on the cost of disposables and you will be also. I don’t why I did not use rechargeable batteries before now. I will ask batteryspace to advertise on this forum. I believe they are doing a great service to the bike community. Go to there site forum for all sorts of information on batteries and DIY lighting projects. Next project is two 35w MR16s with a 13.2v 10 amp battery… lookout SUV’s!

sngltrackdufus

I have been using a Cygolite Nightrover xtra. it works just fine for me i just use the 6 watt bulb for around the city & i can see just fine at 18 to 25mph flats. i use it in the trails too i have not run into any kind of visibility problems with the 10 watt bulb & i have decsended very familiar trails at approximately 40 mph with both bulbs on ,though the 6w doesn't make much more of a difference..........
i never measured out how far the beam extends but in actual use it is far enough out to give time for a reaction to anything on the line of fire.personally i like kind of a dullish light,it's all about the night in nightriding......