Front ebike controller powered light recommendation

[WheezyRider]

The LED inside one of my Yose power kits stopped workng properly last week. It still came on, but very dim. I swapped out the LED module from another kit and the headlamp worked fine. When the LED was pressed on its PCB, it would stop all illumination. So it looks like it was not bonded properly to its PCB and then over heated. The power module seems to supplying 40V to the LED, so I'm not sure I will find a replacement I could solder in.

I could get a replacement Yose power headlamp unit for about £10 on eBay, but in that price bracket (or less), there are lot of other options. However, I am wary of seller BS from a lot of Chinese suppliers. Does anyone have a recommendation?

 

[guerney]

If you mean one of these for £6.50:

e-Bike Headlight – 6V / 5W – connects to Bafang/Tongsheng U.K Free Shipping | eBay

Compatibility: Designed to connect directly to the Bafang and Tongsheng motors. The e-Bike Headlight – 6V / 5W – connects directly to Bafang/Tongsheng motors as well as any other motor with a 6v light output.

www.ebay.co.uk

...delivery was very fast over two years ago from Junstar on ebay, but they don't sell them on ebay anymore unfortunately, probably because as you say, there are other options now. The seller linked above could be posting those headlights from China despite what the listing says - quite often, "Royal Mail Tracked 48" on ebay, has turned out to be only true of the final leg of the item's postal journey.

 

[thelarkbox]

My limited understanding of lights switched by motor controllers is that the switching capacity whilst at motor voltage levels is not capable of handling much when it comes to amps, so many aftermarket lamps could draw more than the switching transistor can handle. So a like for like replacement is probably the best bet unless you plan on sourcing power directly from the battery and switching independently from your ebike controller.

Ive also read that lamps hat run on ebike battery voltage contain a universal step down circuit to drop the voltage to power the lights in many cases? perhaps this circuit in your lamp failed and supplied the full battery voltage thus blowing the led?? But im not expert in any way just posting late night without double checking anything..

 

[saneagle]

My limited understanding of lights switched by motor controllers is that the switching capacity whilst at motor voltage levels is not capable of handling much when it comes to amps, so many aftermarket lamps could draw more than the switching transistor can handle. So a like for like replacement is probably the best bet unless you plan on sourcing power directly from the battery and switching independently from your ebike controller.

Ive also read that lamps hat run on ebike battery voltage contain a universal step down circuit to drop the voltage to power the lights in many cases? perhaps this circuit in your lamp failed and supplied the full battery voltage thus blowing the led?? But im not expert in any way just posting late night without double checking anything..

I would go further than that to say I don't recommend anybody use the controller to power your lights. So many people get problems from it, and you can wipe out your controller as well as lose your lights.

If all you want is low power lights as minimal or emergency lights, then go for it, but if you want a front light that's powerful enough to see where you're going forget it. Instead fwire your front light directly to the battery through a switch and fuse, then you can have them as bright as you want with no problems.

The main problems you get when using lights powered by the controller are overloading the switching transistor, which happens if you use lights that are too powerful for the transistor or if you get a short on any of the very vulonerable thin wires to the lights.

 

[WheezyRider]

I've ordered one of these. It comes with bare ends so I can wire it into the battery output as that seems to be the safest option. Shame as it means another cable running along the frame instead of being able to use the connector into the controller.

 

[guerney]

The main problems you get when using lights powered by the controller are overloading the switching transistor, which happens if you use lights that are too powerful for the transistor or if you get a short on any of the very vulonerable thin wires to the lights.

Thanks for the reminder, as I've still got one of those Bafang headlights on the handlebar connected to my controller, which I haven't got around to solering to the battery - it points backwards at my hi-viz blouson from the handlebar. Theres also a red rear light which will only work at 6V (I think), connected to the controller, which I might simply remove because I've got the 1800LM red flasher. Now that new switches have arrived and I've worked out how to make them fit on my handlebar (with an option for indicator switching), I can get on with reorganising the lights.

I've ordered one of these. It comes with bare ends so I can wire it into the battery output as that seems to be the safest option. Shame as it means another cable running along the frame instead of being able to use the connector into the controller.

View attachment 55433

If your thread hadn't been asking for recommendations for a light to connect to the controller, I would have suggested this "1800LM" - I've got three soldered to the battery, plus a "2400LM". They're brilliant, but beamed, hence I've two plus the 2400LM on the front, for a good bright spread over the tarmac. I was going to make an adapter for fork mounting, but decided yet another 1800LM would be overkill, as I've got 6000LM projected forward (and downward) already. These lights are also good handwarmers.

12V-80V DC 1800LM 6 LED MTB Bicycle Motorcycle Light Bike Front Headlight UK | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 12V-80V DC 1800LM 6 LED MTB Bicycle Motorcycle Light Bike Front Headlight UK at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products.

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[WheezyRider]

Thanks for the recommendation, it looks nice although it might be overkill for what I need. Something a little brighter than the stock Yose power unit, but not blindingly bright is what I need. The other thing is the mounting. Ideally I'd like to have something to go on the mudguard anchoring point rather than on the handlebars, although I could probably fabricate something to get it to fit.

I wish controllers would have the max output current of auxiliary power connectors written on the casing.

 

[guerney]

Something a little brighter than the stock Yose power unit, but not blindingly bright is what I need.

My lights point downward at the road, and I don't think they're any more blinding than car, lorry, bus, SUV, or motorbike etc. headlights - those wreck my eyeballs. The objectives were 1. To make potholes at night visible, 2. Stop cyclist blind drivers from driving out in front of my bike, both day and night, 3. To make my bike as conspicuous as possible to drivers approaching from behind, without blinding them... 4, 5 etc... For me and my bike at least, it required the lights mentioned above and more, to achieve these and other goals for both day and night time riding. Those 1800LM lights linked above have three modes: High, dimmer, and flashing high, which can be toggled through by switching them on and off. Unfortunately, I do end up riding at night rather a lot, my bike is kinda small, and I'm not as wide as I used to be.

It was great to see a cyclist with two bright headlights last night, one constant and the other flashing. Highly conpsicious it was, or "High conspicuity HAI!" as they say on AliExpress. I have two on constant and one flashing, but only during the day because looking at bright flashing light is nauseating for me at night, and I worry it'd cause accidents. All three flashing would certainly cause serious issues for epileptics, and go well beyond the 240 flashes per minute legal limit (they don't flash in sync).

This is better than the Yose/Junstar fork light. I use it to illuminate the immediate foreground. It's too poweful for my controller, I think, so I've soldered it to my ebike's battery too.

Linkbest Headlight LED Bicycle Light StVZO Approved Cree Led 70 Lux Near Range Beam Mountainbike Ebike Lamp Running Light - AliExpress 18

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com

www.aliexpress.com

 

[WheezyRider]

My lights point downward at the road, and I don't think they're any more blinding than car, lorry, bus, SUV, or motorbike etc. headlights - those wreck my eyeballs. The objectives were 1. To make potholes at night visible, 2. Stop cyclist blind drivers from driving out in front of my bike, both day and night, 3. To make my bike as conspicuous as possible to drivers approaching from behind, without blinding them... 4, 5 etc... For me and my bike at least, it required the lights mentioned above and more, to achieve these and other goals for both day and night time riding. Those 1800LM lights linked above have three modes: High, dimmer, and flashing high, which can be toggled through by switching them on and off. Unfortunately, I do end up riding at night rather a lot, my bike is kinda small, and I'm not as wide as I used to be.

It was great to see a cyclist with two bright headlights last night, one constant and the other flashing. Highly conpsicious it was, or "High conspicuity HAI!" as they say on AliExpress. I have two on constant and one flashing, but only during the day because looking at bright flashing light is nauseating for me at night, and I worry it'd cause accidents. All three flashing would certainly cause serious issues for epileptics, and go well beyond the 240 flashes per minute legal limit (they don't flash in sync).

This is better than the Yose/Junstar fork light. I use it to illuminate the immediate foreground. It's too poweful for my controller, I think, so I've soldered it to my ebike's battery too.

Linkbest Headlight LED Bicycle Light StVZO Approved Cree Led 70 Lux Near Range Beam Mountainbike Ebike Lamp Running Light - AliExpress 18

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com

www.aliexpress.com

I'm sure your setup is carefully and tastefully done but I find even with only 200 Lm lights projected onto the ground 15 feet in front still gives a lot of stray light that others have complained is dazzling and these days I tend to do quite a bit on shared paths, staying away from roads where I can. I do sympathise, when I see a bike coming in the opposite direction with a bright light, it often takes me a while for my brain to even register it as a bike...I think I've got so conditioned to ignoring bright background light.

That said, I do need something to show the potholes clearly, so I'll have a look at your AliExpress recommendation.

 

[guerney]

That said, I do need something to show the potholes clearly, so I'll have a look at your AliExpress recommendation.

What I don't like about that AliExpress fork light, is that it's beams has vertical lines - you can just about see them in this video framegrab, in the immediate foreground. The lined beam from it's reflector could make spotting potholes a little trickier. I suppose you could angle the light further downward, so the lines radiate apart at greater angles.

Pictured before the addition of a 2400LM headight, and downhill.