Another super bright head light

[Geebee]

$10.77 aud delivered 12 to 80 volt.

http://www.banggood.com/12V-18W-Motorcycle-LED-Headlight-Driving-Spot-Light-Fog-Lamp-p-968174.html?utm_design=12&utm_source=emarsys&utm_medium=Mail_men125_email&utm_campaign=newsletter-emarsys&utm_content=Echo&sc_src=email_1294954&sc_eh=13cc880d25c292d21&emst=aaNRFGdnFZ_184117_1294954_145

 

[danielrlee]

Just ordered one, so I'll let you know what it's like when it's here. I'm not expecting much for the money, but I thought I'd give it a go before maybe trying the LED100 that d8veh has posted about previously.

 

[SRS]

Unless you are using it off road make sure that you use a torch in front of your body also.

A lot of these head mounted versions leave the cyclist completely invisible.

 

[cwah]

this thing looks massive and at 7.5cm it's about 50% bigger than the led100. If you cycle around 20mph it would have the potential to slow you down lol.

hopefully it's cheap

 

[danielrlee]

I like the oversized look of this thing, but without much of a reflector, god only knows what the beam is going to be like. Only £4.99, so how bad can it be?

 

[danielrlee]

I wanted to give a long overdue update on this light.

I absolutely love it and for the money, I don't think you can beat it. It's effin' bright, but I bought it to use as a daytime running light, so that's not an issue, but anyone looking to use one as a main night light needs a serious rethink.

I liked it so much in fact that I bought another and mounted them side-by-side:




One added benefit that I never expected, is that nobody travelling in the opposite direction tries to play chicken with me anymore once the road narrows. I can only put it down to the fact that it must be easy to mistake the twin lights for those of a motorbike. Nobody pulls out in front of me anymore out of junctions either.

All in all, I totally recommend these to anybody looking for a cheap and bright light.

 

[cwah]

is it better than the led100?

 

[cwah]

One added benefit that I never expected, is that nobody travelling in the opposite direction tries to play chicken with me anymore once the road narrows. I can only put it down to the fact that it must be easy to mistake the twin lights for those of a motorbike. Nobody pulls out in front of me anymore out of junctions either.

What about the one on the back? They are the most dangerous in my opinion

 

[Deleted member 4366]

How did you get 12v for it?

 

[jonathan75]

How did you get 12v for it?

According to the label on top of the light, it will accept 12 to 80v although on the ad itself it only lists 12v so I can see why anyone would be misled.

 

[danielrlee]

is it better than the led100?

Sorry cwah, I've never seen the LED100, so am unable to make a direct comparison.

 

[danielrlee]

What about the one on the back? They are the most dangerous in my opinion

My rear light was recommended to me a while back on ES:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/6-Red-Oval-Oblong-SURFACE-MOUNT-LED-Stop-Turn-Tail-Light-Trailer-Truck-RV-/251461729896?hash=item3a8c497e68



It's a 12v motorcycle rear/brake light that I'm powering from a 12v buck converter. I've got it wired up with the brake light permanently on for maximum brightness for running during the daytime.

 

[danielrlee]

How did you get 12v for it?

As Jonathan said, it's got an integrated DC-DC buck converter. I did run it originally on 12S lipo, but now I'm powering it from the same 12v buck converter as the rear light above - not the most efficient setup, but it simplified my wiring somewhat. I'm also using the 12v converter to power a motorcycle horn and a further 5v converter to power USB devices.

 

[cwah]

I absolutely love it and for the money, I don't think you can beat it. It's effin' bright, but I bought it to use as a daytime running light, so that's not an issue, but anyone looking to use one as a main night light needs a serious rethink.

So what do you do during night time? You don't go out?

 

[danielrlee]

So what do you do during night time? You don't go out?

Correct. I haven't needed to commute for around 18 months, so I just use my bike for daytime errands and leisurely rides nowadays. I might need the odd local evening trip once winter is here, but they will be few and far between. The rear light will be fine in the dark without the brake light engaged, but the fronts will need a rethink.

 

[cwah]

What's wrong with these light at night? They look bright enough... are they blinding other drivers?

 

[danielrlee]

What's wrong with these light at night? They look bright enough... are they blinding other drivers?

Their beams are quite focused, which is great for throwing down a long road as far as a cyclist is concerned, but for an oncomming driver would be blinding in the dark. I haven't shown you a head-on photo, since all you'd see is lens flare. Temporarilaly aiming them downwards might solve this problem, but is a faff I don't want and excessive near-field illumination is always counter-productive.

 

[danielrlee]

Ive been thinking about the excessive brightness of this twin light setup and have managed to come up with a solution. Using a CC/CV buck converter to limit the current supplied to the lights works a treat and gives an infinite level of brightness adjustment.

As a side note, I discovered that these lights shine brightest when fed approximately 12.6v. The difference in brightness on a higher voltage is only just noticeable, but is aparent nonetheless.

 

[anotherkiwi]

My B+M Ixon IQ arrived today. I can't wait for tomorrow night so that I can go out and try it, in broad daylight it is already awe inspiring. My previous front light was safe in that drivers had no problem seeing me last week and were dipping their lights, but I couldn't see enough detail on the road to swoop back home down hill at my usual 45-50 kph...

I have a better led (B+M) on the rack now too, even though my "made in China" led was doing its job OK, it was on the seat post and I was afraid that my rain cape might hide it from view.