Show off your DIY lights
 

I am currently using a DIY set up and would like to see others.

Look here

No, look HERE: http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=42629

My lights started with Optronic housings from Wal-Mart $15.00. The 12v 7ah battery came from a computer power back up, free. The wire is from work, surplus = free. The charger is Black & Decker Battery Maintainer, it carries 2 amps and is a smart charger. Tail light, small box and switches came from www.allelectronics.com $10.00. Lamps are from HD $7.00.
One of the lights is a 20 watt and the other is a 50 watt, all three lights are on thier switch.
Here are the pics.
http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/j...t/DSCF0003.jpg
http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/j...t/DSCF0004.jpg
http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/j...t/DSCF0014.jpg
http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/j...t/DSCF0007.jpg
http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/j...t/DSCF0017.jpg

Too much to look through;)

To the both of you,
I did allot of research and you guys had a large part in the end result of my setup.

Thanks

Some one needs to compile a list, with links, of completed lights, and projects, there is a list like that at candle power forums. The total geekiness thread is more discussion than showing your lights.

Luxeon 1-watt LED with matching Fraen 10X20 lens and holder mounted in a 1" PVC pipe coupler.
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r...u/Hpim0312.jpg
I run it and an LED taillight from four Ni-MH batteries for a system voltage of 4.8-volts DC. With the dynamo engaged the system voltage is 5.2-volts at 8 MPH or faster so I may recharge my batteries as I ride. I never worry about dead batteries. I may also power and recharge USB devices like a PALM TIX, Cell Phone or GPS unit.
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r...lightUSB-1.jpg

My new tail light is complete. It's a bit shorter than the old one, since I kept smacking it on stuff. I'll have video when I get my video camera for Christmas (woohoo!) Also, I got boards and parts to make 15 more of them, so I'll be busy with my soldering iron in the next few weeks!

This thread needs beam shots.

My fav thread is pics of you all lit up. Or something like that, i thought it was going to be a sticky but it died somehow.

I need to get some fresh pictures of mine. It's changed so much since I did my thread I don't even want to bother posting old pics of it. I'll work on it tomorrow.

Just a few have done this?

I have a 35W HID Bulb rigged up with a Harbor Freight foglight and a 50w Catz XSL Halogen Foglight. The HID is powered by a 12V 12AH battery and the Catz Foglight is powered by a 12V 7AH battery. I only use the CATZ foglight for heavy traffic area. Most of the time I just leave it off.
All these gadgets are stuffed into my trusty 05 Trek 7.2FX Hybrid. Notice real hybrid sports road bike front end parts(caliper, fork & tire) and back end remains MTB parts.....:roflmao:

Ask and you shall receive...

Time for some current pics...

First a reference flash pic of the garage door:

http://www.ovrrdrive.made2own.com/up...ikelight_1.jpg

This is the light setup I run every morning. Note the backup lights I have on the bar that suck but are bright enough to get me home in the event of a main battery failure, and the 3 watt LED Maglight on the top tube that can add useful light but is mainly a dog beater.

http://www.ovrrdrive.made2own.com/up...ight_setup.jpg

And here's just the flood light (35 degree, 20 watt at 14.4V):

http://www.ovrrdrive.made2own.com/up...flood_only.jpg

And the spotlight only (10 degree, 20 watt, at 14.4V):

http://www.ovrrdrive.made2own.com/up.../spot_only.jpg

And my new addition, a rayovac headlight modded with a self regulating Cree Xre LED pack in it:

http://www.ovrrdrive.made2own.com/up...s/2/cree_2.jpg
http://www.ovrrdrive.made2own.com/up...light_only.jpg

And lastly, this is how I ride (or roll if you live in the ghetto) in the mornings with the floodlight and headlight:

http://www.ovrrdrive.made2own.com/up...t_and_spot.jpg


Plenty of light, lot's of redundancy, options, and backup.

Overdrive, what did you make your halogen light housings from? Before I bought the Optronic driving lights I made two housings from outdoor light fixtures. They would have worked but would not looked as clean.
Your lights look good.

Here is a pic of the housings that did not make it.

http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/j...t/DSCF0018.jpg

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...bbles_mr/C.jpg

It has 15 degree, 5 degree, and a 15 degree lens for the handlebar setup. I'm currently building a second single led lamp for the helmet.

Mine are 1.5" PVC inline couplers that I ground out the leading edge of just enough to let the light sit flush in. I sealed one with epoxy and the other with JB Weld. I've looked at tons of track lights and light fixtures but just haven't seen exactly what I'm looking for. Some of the track lights come close but the ones with the MR16 plug in them also seem to always come with a ac/dc converter attached to them. I'll probably end up going the optronics route. I just don't want to pay an arm and a leg for them and it seems lately everyone on fleabay wants to pay retail. :(

The units that I did not use are aluminum; I liked them better for this. I ground a groove inside to hold a snap ring. I also had to open the inside diameter to allow the mr-16 bulbs to set recessed inside the housing. They would have worked great at removing the heat but had casted printing on the outside, not good.
I found the Optronics at Wal-Mart for $15.00, this seemed reasonable enough. I took those to work and sandblasted off the chrome and painted them black. They get hot, after a 2 hour ride the 20 watt is not hot enough to bubble the paint but it is close. I do not run the 50 watt for long; it is used as a high beam for high speeds. My longest runs have been 2.5 hours and the battery is holding up well.

See my current setup here: http://www.bikeforums.net/showpost.p...postcount=1739

Interesting Map tester, have you tested your leds against the mr-16 halogens. I have not found much information on newer led technology.

I started with a 20w MR16 halogen, and my son's bike still has one. It is quite bright, probably brighter than the LEDs. I should take both of them out on the street and do a side-by-side test. The only reason I went with LEDs is to get a longer runtime without using a bigger battery. A side effect is the color of the LEDs (cool white) is very different than halogens (both car and bike), so it tends to be more noticeable.

Has anyone put the Cree LED's against the halogens?

I used to have a 20W halogen mounted on the handlebar overvolted to about 15 volts, so it was pulling about 30 watts. I've recently removed it and installed a CREE mounted on the left fork, pulling about 4 watts. I've ordered another CREE for the right fork. With the 2nd CREE, I think the light will be close enough to the halogen to satisfy me. The one CREE is fine for my morning rides, but two will be a little better and give me some extra power during fast decents on unlit roads.

The color of the CREE is much whiter (bluish white) than the halogen (more reddish, yellowish white), and is more of a spot than a flood with the bulb choice I made. But the CREE still gives enough diffuse light around the spots to give some good visibility up closer to the bike while the spot is aimed about 30 to 40 feet down the road.

I was getting about 2.25 hours runtime on my halogen, so I think the same battery should drive two CREEs for about 8.5 hours or one CREE for 17 hours. That will allow me to ride all night on the longer brevets!

This headlight is made from a 3 LED module made for a 2 AA cell Maglite flashlight. It is mounted with a piece of steel wire to a battery holder from Radio Shack. I bend the wire to aim the light. The switch is a piece of plastic from a milk jug and is slipped in between a battery tip and holder terminal to shut the light "off." It is bright enough for me to see what I need to see.