Originally Posted by
Jtgyk
I've used both my DIY halogen and the Magicshine.
The qualities of light are differrent. Both are very bright and I've had several people say they thought I was actually a motorcycle coming down the street.
Looking toward the light, the Magicshine is obnoxiously bright....the Halogen is a little more "focused" (I use a halogen spot...MR16 12V 12� bulb).
From the rider viewpoint I actually like the halogen better as It seems to have better "throw".
I used
Cyccomutes Retinnal Burner plans but used some rechargable drill batteries bought cheaply at Harbor Freight. Run time was about 1.5 hours. But I had to charge them for 4hrs right before riding. (Not great for spur of the moment trips at night)
I can run the Magicshine several days in a row without charging.
The Magicshine is very bright but LED's seem to want to not focus dirctionally as well as halogen bulbs and have a different color signature. (Just different qualities of sources)
Anyway Halogen = warmer color....LED = cooler.
My eye seems to like Halogen better, but I'll stick with the Magicshine for runtime, brightness, and convienience.
Yes, the MS lights do have a lot more spill than some lights I've purchased. That will be OK with me, since it'll give much more light towards motorists crossing intersections from my left, and in turn will be better in garnering their attention. I've noticed considerably more motorists not willing to cross in front of me at a further distance as I had when I used more focused/projected lighting.