Recommended Lights Thread

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  • meganTHC
    meganTHC Posts: 3
    edited August 2009
    LED torches and systems

    Small compact LED torches have become a very popular choice of bike light. Why? Well they are portable, batteries are cheap and easily available, and the torch is quite robust. Popular bike torches and LED lights are:

    MTE SSC [p7]:

    http://www.dealextrememerecedes benz.com/details.dx/sku.12623

    And for your helmet light something like this c1 [r2].

    http://www.dealextremecorvette parts.com/details.dx/sku.14443

    The torch uses what's called a p60 host/drop in module so you can replace leds by dropping in a new one as and when you desire.

    As for mounting there are various options, you can use two jubilee clips and a bit of inner tube of you have these, I use the first choice as I find it's tougher and easier to mount.

    http://www.dealextremef150 parts.com/details.dx/sku.15642
    http://www.dealextrememustang parts.com/details.dx/sku.792
    http://www.dealextrememazda parts.com/details.dx/sku.8274
    http://www.fenixtorch.cojaguar store.uk/led_torches/lockblock.html
    http://www.fenixtorch.co.toyota storeuk/led_torches/fenix_mount.html

    There are plenty of more expensive light options a good place to start is here:

    http://reviews.mtbr.com/blog/car store/category/lights-shootout/

    Also check out BikeRadar for many light reviews and reader recommendations.

    Personally I like lumicycle led system 3 and nightlighting quad iblaast as both have a good spread of light and runtimes. Plus look at Exposure for well designed, all in one systems that do not use a separate powerpacks and fan favourites such as Hope and Ay Up.

    Halogen systems

    Many people still use halogen as an alternative as they prefer the colour temperature (warmth). Led is slowly getting there but many still prefer the halogen units. They are not as efficient as LEDs as a lot of the power is wasted to heat, and the more powerful units often require large external powerpacks.

    Lumicycle amongst others still make good lights, and with a good sized pack you can see upwards of 3 hours of runtime plus they have an optional tail light.

    Here is a typical beamshot; it is brighter in use than the picture suggests.

    http://farm4.static.flickr.com/motorcycle helmets3210/3133478611_642dcba89d.jpg

    Most units are MR11 in size and use the same size 12v halogen unit, typically 13 degree for flood and 6 degree for spot.

    HID/halide/arc lights

    Many of you will have heard about these lights but aren't sure how they work; similar in a way to a halogen lamp except there is no filament. They comprise of two metal points inside a ballast [bulb] with a gas mixture (typically argon and mercury), and an electrical charge is passed between these points to create the light the light. The output is similar in temperature to an led, very white and powerful, but at a price; they take several seconds to start and draw a lot of power when switching on so in such situations where you need them off or you need to save power they aren't an ideal system. However they are still easily available but ballasts are expensive to buy.

    With a 10w hid light a 4.4ah 14.8v battery will last for around 5 hours but will be reduced if switched on/off so is usually left on and they are efficient when running.

    Here is a beamshot.

    http://img519.imageshack.us/i/air hockeyHalide40W13degree.jpg/

    Technical notes and modifications

    Many torches and DIY solutions can be upgraded or modded. The runtimes vary with each torch ie for a typical single emitter led such as a q5 or r2 xr-e you would be looking at around 3 hours off a single 18650 lithium battery, on the p7 and mc-e torches they are a 4 die emitter (4 led's in one unit) and typically run for 1 hour again on a 18650 battery.

    A p7 led runs around 3.6-3.7v and draws around 2.8a at 10w so you will find most are directly driven from the battery with no kind of driver board[regulator]. The q5/r2 however is different, the led again is 3.6-3.7v but because of it's small size most are a p60 drop in unit such as this.

    http://www.dealextreme350z parts.com/details.dx/sku.11836

    As you can see it can handle greater voltages, that is because a driver board it built inside to regulate the voltage, on some torches you can run two cr123a batteries which doubles the voltage but halves the run times, you get more light for it so it's a popular thing to do.

    You MUST make sure that if you do this your torch or host unit is capable of doing so otherwise you risk damaging it.

    With these torches most aren't put off by run times as batteries are cheap and you take as many as you need with you.

    Both above lights compliment each other very well as you get flood from the p7 and throw from the c1 on the helmet or the bars. Always use protected 1860 li-ion cells in these torches and a good charger for safeties sake: this is what I use:

    http://www.dealextreme.com/caviar/details.dx/sku.1251
    http://www.dealextreme.com/legendary swords/details.dx/sku.26247

    There are several choices of led the most common being made by cree and seoul semiconductor[ssc]

    Cree xr-e [r2] 250 lumen http://www.photofreek.com/custom parts/images/371_PC250005.jpg
    Cree mc-e [k-wc] 600/700 lumen http://media.photobucket.com/image/cree%20mc-e%20beamshot/rc airplanes/amticoman/10stem2.jpg
    Ssc p7 [c/d] 600/700 lumen http://img88.imageshack.us/i/rc boats/ufc2sscp7kravinuc6.jpg/

    Those leds are what you see in the majority of lights both bike or torches. The BIN number you see (r2 for instance) are alphabetical and refers to the quality of the led, so the higher the bin number the brighter but more power your led will consume.

    I hope this help explain the differences in types of lighting, and the popularity of the torch route.

    You sir, are awesome. I just love LED lights and I put some on my bike and can't get enough. I hope I can contribute some way back because this really helped me out.


    edit: I see you copied it, lol. That's okay, it was still really helpful no matter where it came from. Appreciate it :D
    Putting the laughter back into manslaughter.
  • Kieran_Burns
    Kieran_Burns Posts: 9,757
    ...ssshhhhh..... no one tell him I copied it from the MTB lot

    :D
    Chunky Cyclists need your love too! :-)
    2009 Specialized Tricross Sport
    2011 Trek Madone 4.5
    2012 Felt F65X
    Proud CX Pervert and quiet roadie. 12 mile commuter
  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    Haha! We are all a team ;-)
  • will3
    will3 Posts: 2,173
    Not sure if this is covered, but a word about using rechargables in cateyes:
    alkaline batteries are 1.5v, NiMH are 1.2v ie .3v per cell less. In a 4 cell battery (ie 4xAA) that's a whole 1.2v less than the alkalines have. I usually change the alkaline batteries in my cateyes when they get down to 1.2v (because by then the light is really dim), so if you're using re-chargables you're never going to get good performance.

    Note: freshly charged NiMH may have a voltage of 1.5v, however this will not last long, so when you do side by side tests and conclude that that will3 chappie doesn't know sh!t, try them after an hour or so.
  • abductee
    abductee Posts: 189
    This thread has produced some interesting ideas about the latest in bike light technology but what's good for off road use is not necessarily ideal for use as a commuter light on the road. (I do both)

    The UK road vehicle lighting regulations (RVLR) when applied to bike lights are a joke. Bike lights are manufactured for a global market and countries the size of China are more concerned with manufacturing lights for countries the size of the United States than for a little county that insists on expensive an impractical BS approvals. (we even drive on the wrong side of the road!). When was the last time you saw a light with a BS logo stamped on the lens? The few BS lights that I have seen seem geared for lighting the road and have a cut off beam pattern which prevents the light from being seen by other road users. This is OK for 2x 55watt halogen lights but how long would they run for on 2x AA batteries? The RVLR does have some good ideas but does not take the limited electrical power of bike lights and the global economy into consideration.

    The alternatives to BS approved lighting suggested here tick some of the boxes such as low cost, making yourself visible and lighting the road but ignore the finer points of the RVLR.

    Lights such as cree, tesco, P7 and even bike lights such as the electron nano 9 have a bezel which restricts side visibility. Some of these lights even have "tactical asault crowns" which are designed for hitting people over the head rather than spreading light far and wide. An ideal commuter light would have 180 degree visibility with no dark patches in the beam pattern.

    Flashing modes on many of the lights do not comply with RVLR flash rates and have SOS and strobe functions which serve no function except to reduce the lights usability. An ideal commuter light would have a single RVLR (1hz - 4hz) flashing mode that can be used to conserve battery life. (1/3 on to 2/3 off duty cycle)

    A P7 light at 2800 mA will flatten a 2500 mAH 18650 battery in less than an hour so you will only get a very short run time. Not ideal for a daily commute as you will be faffing with batteries rather than getting off to work. Cree lights will run for a couple of hours or more and those with selectable brightness modes will run for considerably longer. The ideal commuter light would have at least a weeks worth of battery life.

    The cyclists first priority whether in street lit cities or a darkened country road is to be seen by other road users. Lighting the road is a secondary consideration. If you ride on unlit roads then a Cree light would be useful to supplement a low powered visibility light but the problem with using these on roads is that you may dazzle other road users. P7 light output is on a par with the brightness of a car headlight but does not have a cut off beam pattern like the car headlights dipped beam. How narked would you be if a car drove at you with its main beam on? Apart from making a nuisance of yourself I would expect this to be considered in court if a car collided with you as the driver would have a reasonable claim that he hit you as a result of temporary blindness (and the light wasn't BS approved your honour). In contrast to a low powered light used for visibility, a light used to light the road should not dazzle oncoming drivers.

    So I hear you asking, if if I can't buy something that is both road legal and practical, what the heck can I use?

    I did have a Halfords 1 watt (Hella) bike light set which was BS approved and met most of the above criteria but the front light broke due to poor battery fit and it now appears to be discontinued. The rear light is still going strong and is bright with a good beam pattern.

    The the best light in my opinion for commuting is not stamped with a BS mark but it does run for ages on a set of batteries and makes you visible to other road users without blinding them. It's also waterproof and reliable. The Blackburn Quadrant/ Mars 3 combo. The rear light is also highly visible.

    http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/ ... pack-25045

    I have recently bought a Smart Bspoke 1/2 watt light set to replace the Halfords light but it is not BS approved (only RVLR legal in flashing mode) and although very bright it concentrates all of it's light in a small hot spot rather than spreading it around to let the world know you're on the road. It does seem to be good build quaility, 55hrs run time and is tested to resist salt water and temperatures down to -40. Wiggle are doing a cracking deal on them at the moment. The rear light is also very bright but in my opinion the beam pattern could also be improved.

    http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Smart ... 360040003/
  • russelle
    russelle Posts: 46
    I had one of these http://direct.asda.com/Light-Night-Trai ... lt,pd.html wen I started riding, actually not bad! Especially for £9 a set or £6 for the front & £6 for the rear!.

    It has a lens that gives 180 deg visibility, LED & halogen on the front.

    The mount is pretty versatile too although I snapped mine when the bike fell over at work.