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Originally Posted by GlowBoy
I've been using a 17 degree Solux bulb myself for the last 3 weeks, and I'm finding the beam width to be just about right. I've tried the Philips bulbs in 8 degree (20W) and 24 degree (35W). I wouldn't mind something a bit wider than the 8 degree (although even that is wider in practice than my old TurboCat spot), but the 24 degree is just too wide. The issue isn't that the light is getting too dispersed to light things up, but rather that my commute takes me through hills that are often fogged in, and in dense fog the wide beam reflects back too much without lighting up the road. 10-17 degrees seems about right.
Too bad Philips doesn't make that width, although in my living room test the Solux "looked" brighter anyway. On the road it appears dimmer to me, because that's because I'm currently wearing lenses that have a slight yellow tint to them. This wasn't much of a handicap when I was riding with a yellowish light, but now I'm filtering out quite a bit of my new bluer light as far as my own vision is concerned. At least it looks bright to oncoming traffic. I went with the the 4100k Solux, by the way. I wanted something bluer than the 3500k, and their specs showed substantially higher output for the 4100k when compared to the 4700k. Their site only publishes specs for the 36 degree version of the (35W) 4100k, but they claim 1529 CP for that light, vs. 1602 CP for the 3300k bulb in the same width and only 510 CP for the 4700k version. I do take these numbers with a grain of salt. Because of how the eye perceives light and color, I'm not sure output figures are necessarily comparable from one light to the next (in the real world) if the color isn't the same. |
I am going to order a Luxeon 5 watt emitter (8 bucks) and get some
rechargeable AA batteries and go with that. Luxeon 5 watts are badass LED's |
Originally Posted by edzo
I am going to order a Luxeon 5 watt emitter (8 bucks) and get some
rechargeable AA batteries and go with that. Luxeon 5 watts are badass LED's So, what are you going to use as a heatsink? Reflector? Constant current power supply? ;) |
Originally Posted by edzo
I am going to order a Luxeon 5 watt emitter (8 bucks) and get some
rechargeable AA batteries and go with that. Luxeon 5 watts are badass LED's
Originally Posted by jeff-o
So, what are you going to use as a heatsink? Reflector? Constant current power supply?
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Originally Posted by GlowBoy
I was thinking the same thing. Do they still give you a $30 certificate for reviewing a $10 product? I never got around to posting a review of my battery (which is working great, FWIW), but maybe I'll have to buy another $3 waterproof switch and review it! :D |
Originally Posted by rat_factory
where do you buy these? i also heard they have 7w emmiters now.
i am very interested in reflector and heatsink options. As for heat sinks and reflectors... that all depends on what you intend to mount the LED into. |
Originally Posted by rat_factory
where do you buy these? i also heard they have 7w emmiters now.
i am very interested in reflector and heatsink options. peel an old heatsink off a busted PC and use the fins you can buy them from lumileds.com |
Originally Posted by jeff-o
There are no 7W emitters. Only 1W, 3W, 5W, and the new K2 emitters, which are not available yet.
As for heat sinks and reflectors... that all depends on what you intend to mount the LED into. http://www.americanbrightled.com/5w_7w.html and i think the k2's are out : http://www.lumiledsfuture.com/produc....cfm?lineId=18 i was going to strap on a cpu cooler and i am hoping to figure out a mr16 setup or similar, although the LED looks massive. |
Anyone know where I can get a headlamp where turning a know can move the bulb in and out of the focal point of the reflector. Like the old mining headlamps. Wide focus for added visibility on better lit roads and a tight beam for darker roads where you need more light at a distance. Some sealed bulbs have two filaments, one at the focus and one offset a bit.
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I have a Petzl headlamp that does that. It is the one that has both the normal light and the LEDs.
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Originally Posted by rat_factory
i found this sites that has 7w emitters:
http://www.americanbrightled.com/5w_7w.html and i think the k2's are out : http://www.lumiledsfuture.com/produc....cfm?lineId=18 i was going to strap on a cpu cooler and i am hoping to figure out a mr16 setup or similar, although the LED looks massive. As for the K2s, see how all the prices say $call? That's because they're not available yet. I confirmed this by calling them myself a few days ago. They said they already have quite a few backorders for these things. |
Hi, all.
I finally mounted a pair of Optronics driving lights with a 3-way switch. My first setting lights my 20W (35W equivalent energy-saver bulb,) the second setting lights my 35W (50W equivalent energy-saver,) the third setting lights both together (fourth setting "off.") I use both together for dark downhills, but I couldn't keep them both on too long, it would put a major drain on my battery. The rear "blinkie" is still my 100K candlepower amber xenon strobe and my battery is a 5 amp/hr sealed lead-acid. I'm thinking of upgrading again, which is the beauty of homemade lights. I might switch to NiMh, because I can get more amp/hrs with less weight. Saw a set of 10 "D" cells for about $65, but I'd need a new charger, too, so it might be a while before I make the switch. Anyway, I'm happy with what I've got now. My low beam really lights up the road, and a coworker said he could see my rear flasher from a very long way off. Good to go! |
Originally Posted by LittleBigMan
Hi, all.
I finally mounted a pair of Optronics driving lights with a 3-way switch. My first setting lights my 20W (35W equivalent energy-saver bulb,) the second setting lights my 35W (50W equivalent energy-saver,) the third setting lights both together (fourth setting "off.") I use both together for dark downhills, but I couldn't keep them both on too long, it would put a major drain on my battery. |
Originally Posted by DCCommuter
Tell us more about the switch. How is it mounted, how do you keep it weatherproof? What type?
I had one just like it before, it never malfunctioned until one of the wire leads broke. After that, it became a 2-way switch. :p Maybe some Liquid Tape around where the wire leads attach would help keep water out. Google a bit, you might find something mo-betta. :D For example, here's a waterproof cover for a toggle switch-- http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?...=2348&doy=10m6 A rotary switch works by twisting the metal cap clockwise, like on a table lamp. |
Originally Posted by robtown
Could you post a link to those specs? I'll go with the 4100k if it produces more CP.
http://www.solux.net/solux_spec_page.htm Claimed candlepower for 17 degree beams (for comparison's sake) is 4303 CP for the 3500K, 2782 CP for the 4100K (the bulb I have) and 2105 CP for the 4700K. So the 4100K loses quite a bit of efficiency versus the 3500K, but still significantly better than the 4700K. I did also buy a 10 degree 4700K bulb for comparison, and it puts out noticeably less overall light than the 3500K. Being that narrow, it is of course quite a bit brighter in the center -- as its 5796 CP rating would indicate. -- What's really interesting to me is the comparison of the 4100K bulb with the Philips MasterLine EnergyAdvantage, the supposed efficiency champ for MR16s. I have the 24 degree, 35W version of this bulb, which is rated for 4400 CP -- in other words, with a much brighter AND wider beam, this 800 lumen monster should blow the SoLux away. And yet to the naked eye it doesn't seem that way. In the proverbial darkened living room test the SoLux appeared brighter. I'd been staring at light bulbs long enought to question my own judgment, so I had my wife come and ask which one she thought was brighter. After the inevitable eye-rolling was over she said, "well, isn't it obvious?", indicating the SoLux. And out on the street, there is no question in my mind that the SoLux is more noticeable to motorists. |
Originally Posted by GlowBoy
Sorry for the delay in replying ... guess I haven't visited this thread in the last month.
What's really interesting to me is the comparison of the 4100K bulb with the Philips MasterLine EnergyAdvantage, the supposed efficiency champ for MR16s. I have the 24 degree, 35W version of this bulb, which is rated for 4400 CP -- in other words, with a much brighter AND wider beam, this 800 lumen monster should blow the SoLux away. |
First HID DIY
You have a convert. I'm looking at the 13w HID, plus a water bottle Li-ion battery and with either this mount or this one. But the problem comes with the switch, cable and battery case. Which leaves me with 4 questions:
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Originally Posted by Daily Commute
What am I missing?
DC, let us know what you find out. I'm very interested. I've shyed away from HID do-it-yourself projects in the past. |
I haven't found a dual purpose switch, but post #1115 has a link to a good switch.
As for a 12v battery meter, check out this link http://www.helihobby.com/html/measurement_tools.html The LED indicators for 12v batteries are pretty cheap and easily mounted. PART#HCAP0331 might work well for you. I don't know about waterproofness, but if you used a clear battery box, you could mount it on the inside and put the button some place protected like on the top tube under your seat or something. Lock & lock clear food storage containers made by Heritage Mercantile are pretty cool battery boxes. They are VERY tight because of a silicone ring on the inside of the lid, but very easy to use because of four locking hinged tabs. I found them at grocery stores, Target, Walmart...for $5 or less. The 1.5-5 cup containers seem to be perfect. Might have to use some flexible poly tubing to make a "snorkel" for ventilation. http://www.organize-everything.com/lolofostco-all.html Would probably work with those adjustible PVC-pipe wall hangers. Any home improvement store carries them. 18ga cable would be sufficient, but you'll get less resistance from 16ga. Quality-cased speaker wire would be just about right. Thought about a rear light? (strobe vs multi-LED) |
Originally Posted by littlebigman
Maybe a ballast?
DC, let us know what you find out. I'm very interested. I've shyed away from HID do-it-yourself projects in the past. One thing I read says that manufacturers intentionally make it hard to get switches because they want to discourage DIY. It may work with me. |
Has anyone tired one of the MR16 color-changing LED bulbs from www.SUPERBRIGHTLEDS.COM ? Sounds like fun :D .
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For my DIY HID Li-Ion, the real problem has become the switch. I wouldn't want to run an expensive light off an expensive battery without something to tell me that the voltage has dropped so low that it will damage both.
Am I wrong to insist on a switch with a low-battery indicator? If not, have any of you seen one available? Adding a voltage meter seems awkward. Alwier suggested PART#HCAP0331 from this site, but it just gows from 11V to 13V. If I used it, would I just turn the loght off when there were only 11V? When there is less than 11V? Thanks to all. |
I just hooked that HID up to my bottle battery with a regular old switch.
I used a 14.4v battery - that was a mistake. I had to put a voltage regulator in line because a 14.4v battery puts out in the neighborhood of 15.7v for a while, and it killed my first HID (trailtech fixed it for me). I set the regulator at 12.6v and it's been running all winter just fine. I think if I'd started with a 12v battery instead I'd have been fine and a little richer. |
BTW a cutoff at 11v would be fine.
Here is my test of voltage vs time. The battery was a 14.4v 4500 mAH NiMH, and the load was a 13W TrailTech HID and a small amber strobe (about 250 mA drain I think). http://www.hauntedfrog.com/HID%20light%20voltage.pdf As you can see, with a 14.4v battery, once you hit 13v, you're heading south fast. If you multiply by 10/12 (for 10 batteries instead of 12), your drop point will be around 10.8v. Really you're about to start tanking by that time and have very little life left. |
Originally Posted by robtown
I got the following frame bag for around $10 shipped. It holds my spares and will hold the 5.5 lb SLA I use for lighting on some trips.
Nasbar frame bag |
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