Originally Posted by bkrownd
The part of your original post that I objected to was the statement that LEDs were all-around
"worse" headlights, based on one factor alone: "lumens/watt". I've been countering that there are
other important factors to consider, and that "lumens/watt" is only one consideration among many.
Ugh... Except there was no such "part". I didn't say that LED were "all around worse" head lights. I just never said that.
Even in that first post I said that if one wanted a light with a long run time, LED were better-- so plainly I wasn't saying that LED were all around worse "based on one factor alone". And since I did say that LED had better runtimes, were cooler, and were lighter weight, in the first post, and since I also said that if you wanted a light with those features LED were better -- and then again, and again, and again-- you haven't been "countering" in pointing out that other factors matter. You've just been saying what I've already said.
But then, of course, if somehow this wasn't clear in the first post, I clarified and repeated these points-- again, and again, and again-- all to no apparent effect in you.
We would have no reason to argue about what I was saying if you just *read* what I was saying; and if somehow the first post didn't make it clear you'd think the next one, and the next one, and the next one might have done so.
I can say it again, so there's no misunderstanding. I agree that LED are better for some headlight uses, namely low light and long duration uses. But I've said that *so* many times already that I can't see why my saying it now, this time, should make a difference.
A couple of other things. I said that LED are not good seeing lights-- but I stand by that. At least given LED now. You seem to think I should qualify statements like that because of the possibility of superhuman vision.
In the first post, I said, too, that halogen produce more lumens per $. And that is true, particularly in light of the very low initial cost of halogen lamps.
Even in terms of lumen-hours, the LED take a long time to gain an advantage. A very cheap 2AA halogen headlamp can be had for a few bucks at Walmart, about $10, and non-rechargeable AA batteries can be had at less than $.25 a piece. Such a lamp consumes about 1w-- a 2.5 volt, .5 amp bulb is about what you could expect in a little light like that. Let's assume a two hour runtime per battery set, a realistic assumption. It would take 120 hours of operation for this light to cost $40 to operate. $40 is the low purchase price now for an El500, a 1w LED bike light.
If you didn't care that much about seeing the road, though, you could substitute a krypton bulb for the halogen and extend the run times by a factor of four or so. Then it would be years of riding before the LED saved money.
Of course, you wouldn't have to hassle with battery changes with the LED, and that would be an advantage. But, in terms of $ for a low-powered headlamp, the halogen or just incandescent lamps can be seen as a better choice.
Dunno, I've never seen it go that dim because it takes too long to run the batteries down that far.
(NiMHs are expensive so I wouldn't want to abuse them in that way anyway, except for an emergency)
However, my previous bike light (Black Diamond Moonlight) was about 1/5 the brightness of the
EL500 and I rode happily with that for a year, no problem, which is why I said half the brightness
was fine.
Right, and so you *do* know. It's the long run time that you're concerned with, since you're happy with a light half the brightness of the EL500 with fresh batteries. But, whatever-- what you want is your business, and you can figure out what you wrote in your own posts.
You can't even get simple physical units right?
Yeah, that's called a "typo". I was talking about the 20 milliamp LEDs, 20mA.
LED aren't so good now as seeing lights-- people with exceptional night vision aside. Halogen are better *as seeing lights* (I add so you don't think I'm saying "halogen are just better" because I don't repeat the qualifications in every sentence). They're better (as seeing lights) because they can produce enough light to illuminate the road usefully, and for not a lot of money. LED can't yet do that.