Cheap Headlight for Easy 15w+ Conversion?
 

After searching high and low throughout the Commuting forum, I finally decided that I needed to start a new thread to get my question answered.

I really like the ideas in the "Total Geekiness" thread, but I need a light that has a simple, clean, quick release mounting system (I'm a student and I'll need to take the light off of the bike a few times per day).

So I searched on and found a post by dobber in the "What's a good, really bright bike light?" that talked about converting a $20, 6v/5w Nite Hawk Nomad into a 12v/20w headlight for under $50 total. The only problem is that the conversion involved solder and I do not have a soldering iron.

Can anyone help me find and convert a cheap headlight into a more powerful light as simply as possible?

Thanks

You could go with this and a 15 W bulb from either Niterider or from http://www.batteryspace.com/index.as...S&Category=854. You could use 7.2V RC car batteries for the power and you'd only have to get crimp connectors so that you wouldn't have to solder anything.

I leave my bike parked outside all day, and I decided it was better to have no release than quick release -- my lights are bolted on permanently. I haven't had them stolen. I use the Optronics lights with the Minoura water bottle bracket, both mentioned in the total geekiness thread. Total cost is around $20 plus bulbs.

In terms of connections, what kind of battery do you have? The optronics lights come with wire and connectors, but you still have to figure out a connection to the battery. Soldering is not tough and you can get a soldering iron for less than $10. For around the same money you can get a crimp connector kit and a crimping tool.

I don't have anything yet. I'm upgrading from a VistaLite Road Toad and I'm just looking for the best (and easiest) way to get a bright, cheap light.

I guess I could try and do permanently mounted lights (nobody at my school should mess with them), it just seems easier to convert a pre-assembled light, than to build something from scratch (or there abouts).

And if you wanted to tranform it to a quick release you would only need to add a connector to the cable and a wingnut to the bolt. This what I did to be able to switch from bar mounted to healmet mounted without tools.

I'm not much into trying to make a backyard lighting system for my bike when I could buy one for the price it would take to jerryrig something and then maybe not work right.

So for $48 you could buy Cygolite Metro with dual beam 13 watts total with a battery life of 5 hrs on one beam or 2.5 on both. Only problem with this light for some people, but not for me, is that it runs off of 6D batteries which can either be the throwaway kind of the rechargeble kind. The battery pack can either fasten to your top frame or to the handlebar like a handlebar bag. It's fast and easy to connect and disconnect the light from it's mount and the battery pack fastens on with velcro. Reason I like this light is because I'm not tied to a wall. Or for another $20 Cygolite makes a couple of rechargeable water bottle type of models you can choose from

I guess it sorta depends on what you mean by cheap. I have a nightpro bullite that I put a 10w in, about $100 all told, and I get about 1 hour of run out of that. It's nice to only have one piece to carry off the bike, and the thing is bombproof.

That's a lot of money for just a 6w (or 10w if you change it) light! There are plenty of brighter lights out there for that money, OR if you want the light and battery to be all in one unit then look at the Viewpoint Gen3 LED light equal to 10 watts at Performance for only $79 and it comes with a taillight: http://www.performancebike.com/shop/...TOKEN=10054712

They claim it is equal to 10 watts halogen. It's not, that's just ad copy. If you put a light meter up against the lens you can get a high reading, but the beam is narrow and hard to ride with. A 10 watt halogen puts out a lot more light and has a much wider pattern and is much easier to ride with. There are many examples of similar claims in the "light selection guide" thread. The first post has links to beam comparison photos of many similar lights. One of the main reasons of the thread and the beam photos is to help understand silly claims like that. Don't take my word for it look at the beam photos.

I heard that before about the Gen3 and other so called super bright LED's. I've even seen the Cateye's brightest LED (before the triple shot was intro'd) on the road and it was brighter then other self contained lights but otherwise just a weak light with a small bluish spot light and no scatter light. I only mentioned the Gen3 because it's propably the brightest self contained battery unit available next to the Cateye Triple Shot that cost over $300!

I agree about LED's not being bright enough. Find a good halogen and go with it.

That's why the Bullite is so great. You don't need a second headlight, all you need is a rear blinky. So, that's only 2 little devices, completly self contained that I have to keep with me. The bullite slides off the bike real easy but is completely secure. It will never get dammaged banging around in my bag, mine has even skipped across the pavement for 20 feet without being hurt.

I keep my two lights in my bag all the time, they don't get in the way, and I am always prepared when I get stuck out in the dark. If the one hour runtime is sufficient for your needs, I think this is pretty much the ultimate system for school commuters, or anyone who has to keep all their gear with them thoughout the day.

I ended up going with the Nite Hawk Nomad from Nashbar and yesterday my grandfather gave me a spare soldering iron that he had. I'll probably gather the batteries, bulbs and other materials that I need for the conversion in the next month and do the conversion during my break between semesters.