£25 or £250? Hard choice?
joshtp
Posts: 3,966
on the weekend i decided i needed some lights for some proper off road action. After discovering that proper MTB lights are stupidly priced i decided i didnt need any lights.
but the thought stuck in my mind that i could make some. So in true Top Gear style i asked "how hard can it be?" and set off. I did a whole bunch of reaserch and finaly came up with a plan.
it went like this.
Halogen bulb, switch, battery.
i got all the bits from Maplin Electronics and Wilcos.and made the housing from an old seatpost off cut. it took a while to get it right.and im not sure how water tight it is but..... it FLIPING bright! it runs with 10 AA reachargable bateries.(rechargables put out 1.2 v so 10 +12 V!
)
gona get some Photos soon so can post them up ASAP!
but the thought stuck in my mind that i could make some. So in true Top Gear style i asked "how hard can it be?" and set off. I did a whole bunch of reaserch and finaly came up with a plan.
it went like this.
Halogen bulb, switch, battery.
i got all the bits from Maplin Electronics and Wilcos.and made the housing from an old seatpost off cut. it took a while to get it right.and im not sure how water tight it is but..... it FLIPING bright! it runs with 10 AA reachargable bateries.(rechargables put out 1.2 v so 10 +12 V!
)gona get some Photos soon so can post them up ASAP!
I like bikes and stuff
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Comments
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good idea....until it rains lolRibble Gran Fondo
Focus Black Hills
Raleigh Chopper0 -
Good effort mate. Isnt carrying 10 AA batteries abit annoying though? Make sure its water tight, you dont want it going bang in your face!0
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and safe! made from a seat post you say!!! dont want to be ramming your chest into that.
and I'll vote after I see your effort!
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thought about some of the super bright cheap torches? P7, loads of power...0
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Fair points!
im working on the watertight-ness of it, i dont plan on doing any major rides untill i get that sorted. and as for the seatpost bit, well its helmet mounted, so no im not worried about that. I went out for a quick street ride tonight to give it a go. the street lights meant it didnt work to its full potesial, and its got a bit of a wide flood for fast stuff, its better for tech singletrack. but its proper bright, and a tighter angle spot should help. *WORKING*I like bikes and stuff0 -
Photos and beam shot needed! What wattage is the bulb?0
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AA have a max of about 2.5 amps, not a lot to play with, runtime wise ,Giant Trance X0 (08) Reverb, Hope Hoops 5.1D, XT brakes, RQ BC, Works Components headset 1.50
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no reason you couldn't rig up an old 12V laptop battery though, so long as you can w-proof it and charge the thing
pics please, I especially like the use of the seatpost offcut.Everything in moderation ... except beer
Beer in moderation ... is a waste of beer
If riding an XC race bike is like touching the trail,
then riding a rigid singlespeed is like licking it
... or being punched by it, depending on the day0 -
May be worth looking at Radio Controlled car/plane batteries....I used them a lot on electronics projects back in my Uni days and they can store a lot of juice!Santa Cruz Chameleon
Orange Alpine 1600 -
I built one out of pluming fittings, your average 'mini spot' fits a treat and you can get bulbs for spot or flood!............ never got a battery though so its in a box in the attic
search the net and you will find full instructions.
heres one....
http://www.dansworkshop.com/electricity ... -light.htm0 -
Eagerly awaiting photos!Commute: Langster -Singlecross - Brompton S2-LX
Road: 95 Trek 5500 -Look 695 Aerolight eTap - Boardman TTe eTap
Offroad: Pace RC200 - Dawes Kickback 2 tandem - Tricross - Boardman CXR9.8 - Ridley x-fire0 -
Photos?www.settingascene.com - MTBing in Wilts and the southwest, join up for info and ride details.0
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photos are being uploaded to Photoshop as we speakI like bikes and stuff0
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her you go!
One of the whole set up, battery on left.
A close up of the light
a close up of the battery in its tuperware housing!
a close up of the switch and poorly sealed back end(my only water proofing concern is back here, but im working on it.)
And a beam shot. its not very good becouse the closest i could get to a singletrack in the woods one morning at home was closing the curtains,turning of the lights and pointing it at the wall aproxx 3M away. i want a more focused beam, its good for tech singletrack, but its crud at speed.
another beam shot
What you think?I like bikes and stuff0 -
Looking good! So what was that wattage?!
;-)0 -
20W, but im looking for a 3w 12degree LED bulb. you can get them for about £10 i think. it should boost the run time, boost the power, and give a better spot.I like bikes and stuff0
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Yeah, the LED would be much more efficient.
Good work!0 -
Thanks! it still needs some work to get it perfect. but im pretty happy with it, for one evenings work like. itv very light too, im not sure exactly what, but its not bad.I like bikes and stuff0
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simple waterproofing would be to put a baloon over the switch end and cable tie it inplace, - not so usefull over the bulb end mind! Timmo.
After all, I am Cornish!
http://cornwallmtb.kk5.org/
Cotic Soul, The bike of Legends! Yes, I Am a bike tart!
http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtop ... 1#162974810 -
GENIUS! thanks bud!, i like it! the bulb has been done in such a way so that it pops in and wont come out unless you give it a stern tug, it is also a fairly watertight seal, i dont think i need to stop water geting on the bulb body, do i ? even if you put it in the housing the front plate will still get wet.allthegearnoidea wrote:simple waterproofing would be to put a baloon over the switch end and cable tie it inplace, - not so usefull over the bulb end mind!I like bikes and stuff0
