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entry level lights to see by



 
 
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  #21  
Old December 31st 12, 12:41 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Lou Holtman[_8_]
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Default entry level lights to see by

On 2012-12-30 19:45:59 +0000, sms said:

On 12/29/2012 11:43 PM, Lou Holtman wrote:
Op 30-12-2012 7:22, Phil W Lee schreef:
Sir Ridesalot considered Sat, 29 Dec 2012
17:59:55 -0800 (PST) the perfect time to write:

On Saturday, December 29, 2012 8:47:33 PM UTC-5, Andre Jute wrote:
On Saturday, December 29, 2012 8:40:32 AM UTC, Dan O wrote:

Well, getting long for initial impressions. But anyway in a world



where the next class of bike headlights seems to jump in price about



3x, these two ~cheap little lights together - at less than a hundred



bucks total - produce a lot of light - or ~adequate light for longer



runtime and a variety of modes separately or combined.



I enjoyed your test, Dan, but this last bit is misinformed. If you
had a hub dynamo, for a hundred bucks you could get a BUMM Fly or
Cyo at the front (or perhaps even a Phillips Saferide, which is a
superior lamp) and a BUMM Toplight Line Plus at the rear, and then
you would have what many consider the best lamps in the world, with
no further cost for batteries. Here's my installation of specialist
versions of the lamps I mention, complete with light-throw piccies:
http://coolmainpress.com/BICYCLINGbuildingpedelec5.html Your
installation would of course use a hub dynamo and the 6V version of
these lamps.



Andre Jute

The advantage of Dan' lights is that they are easily transferred to
different bikes.

So is the Busch and Muller Ixon IQ, which runs on 4 x AA NiMH cells,
and gives 5 hours on high (only necessary of unlit roads),


That is another marketing 'lie'. I have one and it runs max 2 hours on
high of which the last half an hour dangerously low for unlit roads.
Again I was disappointed in the battery life of a battery powered light.
Plenty of light but only for a short period of time that is the deal.
Charge before every ride, that sucks for me.

20 hours on
low power (fine in town)


Also not true.

or any combination of those.
Extra mounts are available so fitting to different bikes (or an
alternative position like the fork crown) is a doddle, and with a ride
& charge adapter cable you can even run it (and charge it) from a
dynamo if you fit one later.
It's the same emitter and optics as the Cyo.
The mounts all have lateral adjustment as well as vertical.


That part is true.


Peter White lists the run time on low as 13 hours, and high at 6 hours.
Users that have done actual tests have gotten around 5 hours of run
time, and not with the highest capacity NiMH batteries available. So if
you got only two hours then something was wrong with your batteries.

It's not a suitable light for commuting for other reasons unrelated to
the run time.


There is nothing wrong with my batteries. Did a test tonight. Fully
charged, original charger, original batteries with only a few charge
cycles. At room temperature of 21 C on high after three hours the
amount of light sank to a pitiful level, hardly enough for a to be seen
light on well lit streets. I don't believe what Peter White list or
what other people say if I have my own observations. 5-7 hours on high?
No way.


--

Lou

Ads
  #22  
Old December 31st 12, 12:45 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
datakoll
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Default entry level lights to see by

KNOW OF Powerstream ?

http://www.powerstream.com/dcdc.htm
  #23  
Old December 31st 12, 12:46 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
datakoll
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Posts: 7,793
Default entry level lights to see by

the Euro batts sat too loong on the shelf.

  #24  
Old December 31st 12, 01:23 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
AMuzi
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Default entry level lights to see by

On 12/30/2012 5:45 PM, datakoll wrote:
KNOW OF Powerstream ?

http://www.powerstream.com/dcdc.htm


Made in Wisconsin:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnHrDoIRoQQ

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971


  #25  
Old December 31st 12, 01:46 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Frank White
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Posts: 19
Default entry level lights to see by

For $15 you can get a Rayovac Indestructible that will beat both PB and PDW in both output and runtime. The rear switch is cheap and gimpy, but otherwise these lights are pretty damn tough.

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1...1#.UODeqO-_Nbk

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/...ZE-TEST-ADDED*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIEo8USPokg

For $37 dollars you can get a Fenix E25. This is a tactical level light at a crap light price and will actually outthrow and outrun tactical lights that cost twice as much.

http://www.fenixlight.com/viewproduct.asp?id=172

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=203631780&storeId=10051&l angId=-1&catalogId=10053&ci_sku=203631780&ci_kw={keyword} &kwd={keyword}&cm_mmc=shopping-_-googleads-_-pla-_-203631780&ci_gpa=pla#.UODenO-_Nbk


  #26  
Old December 31st 12, 02:22 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
James[_8_]
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Default entry level lights to see by

On 31/12/12 10:06, sms wrote:
On 12/30/2012 2:33 PM, James wrote:
On 31/12/12 09:13, SMS wrote:
On 12/30/2012 1:28 PM, James wrote:

I'd rather the electronics were potted or have a conformal coating, and
the switch a sealed unit in itself. Wet batteries is of little concern.
Sealing is then of little concern, and in fact it would be nice to be
able to disassemble and clean any crud with water and a soft brush.
Seals don't last, and don't often work well enough. I'd rather
something that didn't rely on them.

Well those O rings are replaceable but they will last a very long time,
and seal better, if you apply a dab of O ring lube (buy from a pool
store). Don't use petroleum jelly.

I do not agree. Nominal 3 Watts of electrical power from a dynamo is
plenty to produce more than adequate light output using LED lights,
including a good amount of side spill. Around 500 lm is quite doable.

If you're riding on well-lit streets a dynamo light is sufficient, and
in fact I do use one. I have five wheels with dynamo hubs. But the
dynamo output is inadequate in very dark conditions.


I have no problem riding on unlit roads with my dynamo lights.

There is enough electrical power available to produce adequate light.

Your light is obviously not appropriate.

It is a poorly aimed accusation to say the dynamo is somehow inadequate.


A 6V/3W dynamo is fine if you're not depending on your lights as the
only source of light. On dark roads, where you need to see not only in
front of you, but off to the sides, and when you're riding at moderately
fast speeds (10+ MPH) a dynamo can't provide sufficient power no matter
how good the lights are. Well there is one exception, and that's if the
dynamo is charging a battery powered light all the time, not just at
night. That's probably the best solution, banking power during the day
by having the dynamo engaged so at night you have sufficient power for
your lights.


I do not agree.

I don't use a dynamo hub. Not all dynamos are equal, just as not all
lights are equal.


That's true. The 12V/6W dynamos can supply sufficient power and those
are not hub dynamos.


My dynamo is rated 6V/3W.

See next post.

--
JS.
  #27  
Old December 31st 12, 02:33 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
James[_8_]
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Default entry level lights to see by

On 31/12/12 05:51, sms wrote:
On 12/29/2012 1:01 PM, Dan O wrote:
On Dec 29, 7:40 am, SMS wrote:
On 12/29/2012 12:40 AM, Dan O wrote:

The PDW produces pretty good light to see by - even on low. So did
the PB. The PDW actually looks brighter, but I know this can be very
much a peak battery thing, and all my NiMH's are pretty old and of
suspect capacity, so not sure yet. But... the two of them together
both on high are pretty awesome (complementary).

While more slightly more expensive than the PDW Spaceship, the $28.20
UltraFire SH-3AA Cree XM-L T6 800LM 5-Mode is what I've switched to. It
uses three AA batteries (side by side, not linearly). They claim 800
lumens, but I doubt that this is the case, 200 lumens on high is
probably more accurate. But you don't need it on high very often, the
low and mid settings are usually enough. It will run on three AA
batteries or one Li-Ion 26650. A 26650 is about 5000mAH at 3.7V while
three Sanyo Eneloop NiMH batteries will give you only 2000mAH at 3.6V.
You could also use an 18650 battery with an adapter sleeve and get about
3000mAH at 3.7V.


Sounds intriguing (though I had the impression that the PDW Spaceship
was not in the league of light output to see by that I have with the
PB Blaze 2-watt).


My mistake, I think you were talking about the PDW Cosmic Dreadnought,
not the PDW Spaceship.


You talk about switching to lights with claimed output of 800 lumens,
claim they only produce 200 lumen on high, and say this is very often
more than you need.

How then is the 3W output from a dynamo that is capable of producing at
least 500 lumens (being conservative as CREE has announced a 200
lumen/Watt LED, the MK-R XLamp) somehow worse?

http://www.cree.com/news-and-events/...8AF0C18&_z= z

The light you're talking about looks to be a torch, with no beam shaping
for bicycle use. I think you need to rethink your solution. Your logic
is misguided.

http://product.madeinchina.com/Ultra...13601074.shtml

--
JS.
  #28  
Old December 31st 12, 02:49 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Frank Krygowski[_2_]
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Default entry level lights to see by

On Dec 30, 1:04*pm, sms wrote:

Of course the other issue with a dynamo light is that you can't remove
it and use it as a light to do repairs so you still need to carry along
a battery powered light anyway.


I've got a coin-cell LED keychain light in my handlebar bag, and
another that's always in my pocket, should I need them. However, so
far I've never had to fix anything at night when I couldn't find a
street lamp nearby.

- Frank Krygowski
  #29  
Old December 31st 12, 02:50 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Sir Ridesalot
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Posts: 5,270
Default entry level lights to see by

On Sunday, December 30, 2012 8:49:26 PM UTC-5, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On Dec 30, 1:04*pm, sms wrote:



Of course the other issue with a dynamo light is that you can't remove


it and use it as a light to do repairs so you still need to carry along


a battery powered light anyway.




I've got a coin-cell LED keychain light in my handlebar bag, and

another that's always in my pocket, should I need them. However, so

far I've never had to fix anything at night when I couldn't find a

street lamp nearby.



- Frank Krygowski


No too many street lights along this area's rail trails or county roads.

Cheers
  #30  
Old December 31st 12, 02:54 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Frank Krygowski[_2_]
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Posts: 7,511
Default entry level lights to see by

On Dec 30, 5:13*pm, SMS wrote:


If you're riding on well-lit streets a dynamo light is sufficient, and
in fact I do use one. I have five wheels with dynamo hubs.


Progress! Thus ends years of Scharf claiming they were totally
inadequate!

But the dynamo output is inadequate in very dark conditions.


.... like Paris-Brest-Paris, where they are very popular? Looks like
some study time is still in order!

The other issue with most dynamo lights is that they lack a strobe mode
which is extremely desirable for daytime use.


:-) How soon till SMS praises Mandatory Daylight Strobe laws? For
safety, of course!

- Frank Krygowski
 




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