Cat Eye EL-500 is AWESOME!
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Cat Eye EL-500 is AWESOME!
For $39.95 at Nashbar, this light is awesome! It's hard to believe all that light comes from ONE 15W LED.
Also the Blackburn Mars 3.0 is an awesome tail light too. I think I chose well.
Also the Blackburn Mars 3.0 is an awesome tail light too. I think I chose well.
#2
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I believe that's a 1-watt light, like my EL-510, which puts out less candlepower than the EL-500 (1000 vs. 800). I've largely stopped using my Cateye 10-watt halogen setup, because of the convenience of not having to recharge batteries after every commute.
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What's better than an EL500? two. Before going to HID I used to EL-500s and found them to be great.
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#4
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DOH! It is 1W, I had a mind hiccup! I was thinking of my buddy at work saying that the LED inside it cost $15
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Does the light look bright to look at or does it put a lot of light on the road? I need one that puts lots of light on the road but doesn't necessarily have to be bright to look at.
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A couple of years ago the LED would have been about $13 in small quantities. The regulators can be about the same amount. It's pretty easy to build your own.
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Originally Posted by World Tour
DOH! It is 1W, I had a mind hiccup! I was thinking of my buddy at work saying that the LED inside it cost $15
Just so you know.

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Originally Posted by JanMM
I've largely stopped using my Cateye 10-watt halogen setup, because of the convenience of not having to recharge batteries after every commute.
The amount of light they put down on the roadway is very nice and easily adjusted by aiming the lamps. I highly recommend them as an alternative to battery powered lamps as your primary lighting. I still use the EL-500 as a standlight.
#9
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redline- the EL-500 puts a lot of light on the road, plenty for me. And if you look straight into it, it is quite bright and hurts your eyes. I'm very impressed with this little 1 LED light. For 1 LED it's amazing!
#10
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I am puzzled why they haven't made a 3 Watt version yet. It would need 4 more batteries and better heat sinking, but I think it would be ideal.
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bkrownd- 8 AA batteries would be pretty heavy no? 4 as in the EL-500 is quite a few ounces.
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Carpe who?
Carpe who?
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Originally Posted by World Tour
bkrownd- 8 AA batteries would be pretty heavy no? 4 as in the EL-500 is quite a few ounces.

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I have the 1000 candlepower Cateye setup with the single LED and Opticube technology. I find this light totally inadequate for nighttime riding. Granted the thing was only $60... but really to me, its worthless. My roommate's 16W halogen setup from Nightrider is WAAAAAY better, and was only $120.
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Everybody's going to have different requirements.
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RE:Cateye EL-500
Cateye EL-500 is one of the few affordable lights that has a horizontal cutoff similar to Automotive lighting:
https://tinyurl.com/rfwam
As friendly as this is to on coming traffic I still prefer the 3W MXDL I use on the Rans Fusion. It has no cutoff and is a standard flashlight pattern thus lighting up the whole side of the road, not just the ground. I still use the EL-500 when I'm on the Giro but when I switch to the Fusion I notice traffic really takes notice. I use 4 1000 MAH AAA batteries in the three watt and it lasts a long time between charges.
3W MXDL https://tinyurl.com/mx6we
https://tinyurl.com/rfwam
As friendly as this is to on coming traffic I still prefer the 3W MXDL I use on the Rans Fusion. It has no cutoff and is a standard flashlight pattern thus lighting up the whole side of the road, not just the ground. I still use the EL-500 when I'm on the Giro but when I switch to the Fusion I notice traffic really takes notice. I use 4 1000 MAH AAA batteries in the three watt and it lasts a long time between charges.
3W MXDL https://tinyurl.com/mx6we
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Originally Posted by 5port
Cateye EL-500 is one of the few affordable lights that has a horizontal cutoff similar to Automotive lighting:
https://tinyurl.com/rfwam
As friendly as this is to on coming traffic I still prefer the 3W MXDL I use on the Rans Fusion. It has no cutoff and is a standard flashlight pattern thus lighting up the whole side of the road, not just the ground. I still use the EL-500 when I'm on the Giro but when I switch to the Fusion I notice traffic really takes notice. I use 4 1000 MAH AAA batteries in the three watt and it lasts a long time between charges.
3W MXDL https://tinyurl.com/mx6we
https://tinyurl.com/rfwam
As friendly as this is to on coming traffic I still prefer the 3W MXDL I use on the Rans Fusion. It has no cutoff and is a standard flashlight pattern thus lighting up the whole side of the road, not just the ground. I still use the EL-500 when I'm on the Giro but when I switch to the Fusion I notice traffic really takes notice. I use 4 1000 MAH AAA batteries in the three watt and it lasts a long time between charges.
3W MXDL https://tinyurl.com/mx6we
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Luxeon not real...
When I'm riding down the street at night marveling at the amount of light being projected why am I concerned weather my Luxeon is original or a "knock-off". At $8.99 I dont expect Philips Lighting.