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-   Electronics, Lighting, & Gadgets (https://www.bikeforums.net/electronics-lighting-gadgets/)
-   -   12 Volt LED Headlights (https://www.bikeforums.net/electronics-lighting-gadgets/783080-12-volt-led-headlights.html)

Burton 03-24-13 07:05 AM
Originally Posted by hotbike (Post 15422184)
Sorry I forced you to isolate, copy, and paste the link, my bad.

Budget Restrictions? I have GOOD News, I quit smoking 27 days ago, and I am saving ten dollars a day. that money will go for new wheels, and additional lights, and more bike and non-bike stuff generally.

The current setup has a 25 degree on the right, and an 8 degree on the left. Yes, I am thinking about adding more. I want to mount a light on my tripod, so the light goes wherever the camera is pointed. I have the lights on the bottom of the fairing, which minimizes glare in my eyes, but It might be better to mount some more lights *Higher*, which will light the road ahead better, and maybe be more visible to mootorists.

Yes, I quit smoking, and I'm spending money like crazy on other stuff. Yesterday, I bought a small wheelbarrow, one with two wheels, so "maybe" I can tow it behind my bike, but don't quote me on that. We are stil cleaning up after Hurricane Sandy, which struck late October, 2012. I am cleaning up a sidewalk this week, which is on a blind curve. with a ten foot high concrete retaining wall on the right.
Congrads on dropping the cigarettes! Not only will your buget be better off - your cycling will too.

Dead Roman 03-24-13 12:13 PM
you can run your 12v batteries with a 4 cell lithium polymer battery like is used in RC aircraft. I am going to be running LED strips on my bike with a LiPo. Ill post pics when they get in. 19 bux shipped for 16 feet and the controller.

Dead Roman 03-24-13 12:15 PM
i mean 12v LED's

Dead Roman 03-31-13 04:54 PM
Just got these rigged up, video as promised.

http://vidmg.photobucket.com/albums/...ps87773ea5.jpg

hotbike 03-31-13 05:07 PM
Originally Posted by Dead Roman (Post 15452444)
Just got these rigged up, video as promised.

http://vidmg.photobucket.com/albums/...ps87773ea5.jpg
THAT is really interesting. (Please Click on the picture, folks, to see the video, so you know what we're talking about) Are you using some kind of radio control, or a length or wire, to control the colors of the lights? That's the part I can't figure out.
My LED strip is plain white, though I did recently purchase a bunch of LED night-lights which each have 1 blue, 1 green and 2 red LED's, which give the room a soft white light (color television fans will know what RGB stands for).

I think you need more lights to the rear, but maybe you already have a Dinotte or a PBSF, which isn't shown in the video, and you're just supplementing it.

I have another video, which is uploading right now, which shows my headlights against the road (at least until I turn into a lighted parking lot). My headlights are 300 lumens each.

The video is now 77% complete. Please stand by.

Dead Roman 03-31-13 05:11 PM
The video does not do justice to how bright the LED strips. The light setup came with a controller and an infra-red light. With the battery I am using I should be able to run these lights for 24 hrs without re-charging. Ive got some 3 watt LED's that I am gonna use on the front as headlights. they will be on a separate switch though so I only have to run em when there are no streetlights, so i dont burn as much battery.

hotbike 03-31-13 05:26 PM
Here's the video. You can see the headlight hitting the road for the first twelve seconds, but then I pan the camera. I'm trying to get a picture of the train leaving the station, Glen Cove Station, on the Long Island Rail Road.


It is not fully dark yet, and the car headlights are pretty bright, but you can see the 300 lumens beam.

Burton 03-31-13 08:26 PM
Originally Posted by Dead Roman (Post 15452444)
Just got these rigged up, video as promised.

http://vidmg.photobucket.com/albums/...ps87773ea5.jpg
Kinda cool - alternatively you could key it into a sound sensor and a mobile boom box and run your own mobile disco! :thumb:

hotbike 04-01-13 10:13 AM
Originally Posted by Burton (Post 15453157)
Kinda cool - alternatively you could key it into a sound sensor and a mobile boom box and run your own mobile disco! :thumb:
The problem is Wattage. These LED's use only milliwatts, the whole string probably uses only four or five watts. But audio speakers are going to demand much, much more wattage, like 35 watts each, or 75 or 200 watts before you get anywhere near Loud.

PS-I removed the radio from my bike, it wasn't worth the hassle, and it was a distraction.

dougmc 04-01-13 12:29 PM
Originally Posted by Dead Roman (Post 15425529)
you can run your 12v batteries with a 4 cell lithium polymer battery like is used in RC aircraft. I am going to be running LED strips on my bike with a LiPo. Ill post pics when they get in. 19 bux shipped for 16 feet and the controller.
Be careful with those ... some of the LED strips I've seen don't last long when the voltage goes over 14 v (the alternator in a car tends to keep things right at 13.8v) ... and a 4s LiPo pack puts out 16.8v when fully charged.

I'd suggest a 3s pack instead -- starts at 12.6v, goes down to 10.8v by the time it's time to recharge.

Dead Roman 04-01-13 04:32 PM
4 cell was a typo, Im using a 3 cell battery

hotbike 04-02-13 10:07 AM
Originally Posted by dougmc (Post 15455692)
Be careful with those ... some of the LED strips I've seen don't last long when the voltage goes over 14 v (the alternator in a car tends to keep things right at 13.8v) ... and a 4s LiPo pack puts out 16.8v when fully charged.

I'd suggest a 3s pack instead -- starts at 12.6v, goes down to 10.8v by the time it's time to recharge.
I like my 12 volt , 12 amp/hour lead/acid, on account it is 13.1 volts when fully charged, and is still 12.5 after a 3 hour ride.

dougmc 04-02-13 12:01 PM
Originally Posted by hotbike (Post 15459757)
I like my 12 volt , 12 amp/hour lead/acid, on account it is 13.1 volts when fully charged, and is still 12.5 after a 3 hour ride.
You probably already know this, but as a rough rule of thumb, for these batteries, 13.0 (or 13.1, it's a rough rule of thumb) volts means fully charged, 12.0 volts means just about dead, and it's linear between the two -- so 12.5v means about half charged. But the electrical system in a car is generally about 13.8v while the engine is running and the battery is fully charged -- but it drops to about 13.0v when the engine is turned off.

The problem with a 12v 12Ah lead acid battery is that it weighs 8 or 9 lbs. The advantage is that it's cheap, at least compared to the LiPo equivalent.

Dead Roman 04-02-13 03:53 PM
lipos are less than 20$ I dont see any advantage to running a lead acid battery, except if you crash and smash the battery, it wont catch on fire like a solar flare. www.hobbycity.com has all the LIPO batteries youcould ever ask for at dirt cheap. I got the battery I am using on sale for 5 dollars.

Burton 04-02-13 05:30 PM
Most LED lights require a driver or 'light engine' to operate and that driver has an input range. The LED's I'm using myself will accept anything from 9V to 50VDC which makes a 3S1P (11.1V) ideal. The initial voltage will drive them effeciently and when the voltage drops below the minimum 9V required, everything shuts down. Which has the secondary effect of protecting the Lipo cells from over discharging.

I went to Lipos because lead acid, besides being heavy, doesn't like heavy drains or deep discharges. The rated capacity falls off rapidly and they are only good for a few hundred cycles. Some people might be happy with that - I use batteries for multiple applications, some of which draw a lot of amps, and I want to get as long a useful life as possible - hopefully hundreds of charges at close to full capacity. So far, moving into the second year - everything still looks good.

dougmc 04-02-13 07:56 PM
Originally Posted by Dead Roman (Post 15461394)
lipos are less than 20$
Small Lipos are less than $20. But if you need 12Ah worth of 3s LiPos, you're looking at two of these at $49 each, so $98 or so, which is over double what the equivalent gel cell battery would cost.

I'm not saying that it's not worth the cost, but certainly they're only cheap if you need a small one.

hotbike 01-14-14 12:04 PM
Just wanted to Update this thread, with the latest revisions. New Bulbs and a new charger:



Technical Specifications
Length 3 5/16
Width 2 5/16
Height 1 7/8
Weight 1.5
Shipping Weight (lb.) 2.0
DC Output Amps 750 mA
Absorption Voltage 14.4 V
AC Input Volts 115 V
AC Input Volts Freq. 60 Hz
Float Voltage 13.2 V
Maximum Power (+/- 3%) @ 25°C 9 W
Charge Reset: Battery Voltage Threshold12.6
Working Temperature -20 ° to 50 °C
Output Banks 1
Regulatory Approval UL/CSA/CE/
Manufacturer:Deltran

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3782/1...0f377cfb79.jpg
IMG_2512 by AviationMetalSmith, on Flickr



http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3801/1...30603e8ea7.jpg
Bicycle Lighting System by AviationMetalSmith, on Flickr
ON, above , Off, for comparison, Below
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7364/1...c6016f008d.jpg
Bicycle with Fairing by AviationMetalSmith, on Flickr

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5524/1...2b9478ca4e.jpg
IMG_2377 by AviationMetalSmith, on Flickr
TOSHIBA MR16 LED Bulbs. Only 5.2 watts, but have a focused ten degree beam, so The Cyclist can see fifty feet up the road
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7407/1...864396b984.jpg
IMG_2376 by AviationMetalSmith, on Flickr

hotbike 08-14-14 11:37 AM
Finally Bought the LED Lights I started this Thread about:


WE ARE Experiencing Technical Difficulties…

Please Stand By.

hotbike 11-01-14 07:30 PM
https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8673/...4a271df6_c.jpgElectrical Connections by AviationMetalSmith, on Flickr

hotbike 11-01-14 07:42 PM
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5600/...bd626c27f0.jpgElectrical Connections by AviationMetalSmith, on Flickr
Red and Black Alligator Clips. Red is Positive+ , Black is Negative- .

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7521/...ecfb38e1a6.jpgNew Tail Light by AviationMetalSmith, on Flickr
A Red Tail Light, 12 volt, milli-amp current drain. These are two and a half inch diameter, and came without mounting hardware. I had to cut a Coroplast™ Face Plate with an Xacto™ Knife, to hold the Tail Lights to the Rear Panniers.

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5612/...e6bf74cc33.jpgElectrical Connections by AviationMetalSmith, on Flickr
A Blue Plastic Electrical Junction Box (a.k.a. a Gem Box, a.k.a. Old Work Box) To protect the connections.

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3949/...f873d2bf19.jpgElectrical Connections by AviationMetalSmith, on Flickr
Amber LED Marker Light on the Front Fork. This required the making of some Hardware. The Board is 6mm Coroplast™, which was painstakingly cut with an Xacto™ Knife. Then the Board was Creased , Twice, along Two Lines 1.2mm apart . Using a Hammer and a Chisel. Then the assembly was bolted to the Fork with a 1" U-Bolt.

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3941/...9b834ffb51.jpgTools by AviationMetalSmith, on Flickr
Tools for mounting a 12 volt Marker Light to a MTB Fork.

hotbike 11-01-14 07:51 PM
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5607/...a774a4359f.jpgElectrical Connections by AviationMetalSmith, on Flickr
The actual Headlight. The Coroplast™ Box (a.k.a. Handlebar Basket) has a Lid made from a Polyethylene Cutting Board.

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7511/...654008eaf5.jpgCoroplast™ by AviationMetalSmith, on Flickr
Coroplast™ Discs were left-over from cutting out holes for the Tail Lights.

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7532/...d251a0cd4d.jpgElectrical Connections by AviationMetalSmith, on Flickr
These are the Batteries that I use.

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5605/...2b6dcc781c.jpgElectrical Connections by AviationMetalSmith, on Flickr
These are the Connectors that I have grown fond of using. I no longer solder, Nor do I use Crimp-On Connectors. These Twist Lock Connectors are far more reliable.Unfortunately, these are Not available in Europe.

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3944/...ba5fc2445f.jpgIMG_6677Electrical Connections by AviationMetalSmith, on Flickr
My Work Bench.

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5611/...a2fdac041c.jpgElectrical Connections by AviationMetalSmith, on Flickr
The Wire Strippers. These have American Wire Gauge on the Left, and Millimeters on the Right.

hotbike 11-01-14 08:06 PM
https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3949/...42abc4fb99.jpgElectrical Connections by AviationMetalSmith, on Flickr
The Twist-Lock Connectors for the Tail Lights. Again, I must apologize that these are Not available in Europe, and are probably considered "Contraband".

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7488/...f4735a7ec5.jpg12 Hour Project by AviationMetalSmith, on Flickr
This Photo shows the Amber Lights on the Front Fork.

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7529/...dfc875a4de.jpg12 Hour Project by AviationMetalSmith, on Flickr
The Headlight and the Blue White Light on the Bottom Leading Edge of the Front Coroplast™ Box. Also the Amber Light on the Fork.

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5612/...8fb12e77d7.jpg12 Hour Project by AviationMetalSmith, on Flickr
The Tail Lights lit up. The Photographer was forced to put an orange road cone over the Headlight, as a Diffuser, otherwise the Photo would have been "washed out".

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5597/...5dcd787d87.jpg12 Hour Project by AviationMetalSmith, on Flickr
The LED "Driving Lights".

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3950/...cb7a767eb9.jpg12 Hour Project by AviationMetalSmith, on Flickr
Prior to Installation...

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7577/...5c0c3d35d5.jpg12 Hour Project by AviationMetalSmith, on Flickr
The Packaging of the new LED Lights.

In Conclusion, I hope Everyone has there Lights ready for the End of Daylight Savings Time Tonight. I hope this reminder saves at least one Life.

hotbike 04-23-15 02:23 PM
4 Attachment(s)
http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=446913http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=446914http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=446915http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=446916
Additional Lights have been installed. Now, the bike has three headlights, of 280 Lumens each, for a Total of 840 Lumens, And the rear has LED Tape, to accent the Triangle.


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