The new best headlight

[EddiePJ]

How many minutes of run time are you expecting to get from four 18650 batteries powering a 10 Cree 18000Lm torch?

I can tell you that it won't be many.

You are already up to nearly £55.00 on just the components that you have linked to, without assembling things, so why not just buy a decent light and be done with it. I can't grasp why you think that you require a 10 Cree light for just riding along a canal tow path. The Fenix BT20 is just 750lm and produces more than enough light for me to see safely ahead at an indicated 32mph in off road use, as shown in the movie clip. Normally I don't even run at that and just use the 300lm mode.


Very confusing.

 

[IR772]

Take the batteries out and charge them in a 4 battery charger, not as easy as plugging in a charger but seems a great kit to provide 8.4 and 5 volts.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NiteCore-i4-Intellicharge-Universal-Battery-Charger-CR123A-26650-18650-AA-AAA-UK-/182166071383?hash=item2a69f1a857:g:-kAAAOSwOVpXWryB

 

[soundwave]

if i can take out the cells then i can carry more spares not in a lump plus the cells will be a lot better as well and last longer, how long i guess ill find out.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/322232541505?_trksid=p2060353.m1431.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

will try get 1 of these first.

 

[IR772]

That is a very sexy charger, does anything, nearly.

Just thought you could try the original £ 16 light d8veh recommended at the start.

 

[soundwave]

i have a cree 6600lm light now i just think its shite and needs to be 20x more powerful.

2 100w led would do tho
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/20-100W-LED-Aluminium-Heat-Sink-Cooling-Fan-44mm-Lens-Reflector-Bracket-kit-/151986361457?hash=item236317d471:g:9IEAAOSwKtlWhOxn

 

[IR772]

I wonder if you are being sold a porky pie.

I have a Moon Meteor which on Max produces 200 lumens and that is really bright, I rarely use it on Max level.

Car headlamp, is 700-1200 lm.

Just not easy to strap on a bike with a battery.

 

[soundwave]

id say its not even half that at best lol and the batt is just naff it goes flat in less than half hour now on meter its 4.1v fully charged if i done it right.

if i get 4 Panasonic NCR18650B 3400mAh cells thats like 12x the batt in the light you got for 20 quid and a 10 quid charger.

it must be better power pack wise and more easy to check the cells as well.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

if you want to make your own battery pack out of single cells, you must use a BMs or some other type of low voltage cut-off because your charger won't charge them is the voltage goes below 2.5v.

 

[STEVEMANFA]

I just put my order in for the light d8veh said about.

 

[mike tatt]

Hi

I'm hoping to hardwire lights into my bike - yamaha motor
Output voltage is 6v front and back - Y-Splitter cables available for less that 20 Euros (as long as the £ holds out ! !)

Initially looking at one of these.

Busch & Muller

http://en.bumm.de/products/e-bike-lights/lumotec-avy.html
Which gives 40lux output -

1.Their kit looks to be decent quality - but I'm not sure it this would be bright enough at 40 lux - can anyone advise on this - as some lights are marked up in lumens - others in Lux - is 40 Lux okay for riding along the canal commute & country lanes with no street lighting.

2. Many of the brighter 'value' lamps available ebay/ online seem to have 8.4v battery packs. What would happen if I wired these into a 6v system - is it just a matter of duller light - or a complete failure to power.

Was thinking that I could just install one of the cheaper LED headlights - no need for battery or charger - (would need to 'craft' a bracket to keep it semi/permanently secured - but not much of a hardship) - and save a few pounds.

Any thought appreciated

Mike

 

[anotherkiwi]

Hi

I'm hoping to hardwire lights into my bike - yamaha motor
Output voltage is 6v front and back - Y-Splitter cables available for less that 20 Euros (as long as the £ holds out ! !)

Initially looking at one of these.

Busch & Muller

http://en.bumm.de/products/e-bike-lights/lumotec-avy.html
Which gives 40lux output -

1.Their kit looks to be decent quality - but I'm not sure it this would be bright enough at 40 lux - can anyone advise on this - as some lights are marked up in lumens - others in Lux - is 40 Lux okay for riding along the canal commute & country lanes with no street lighting.

2. Many of the brighter 'value' lamps available ebay/ online seem to have 8.4v battery packs. What would happen if I wired these into a 6v system - is it just a matter of duller light - or a complete failure to power.

Was thinking that I could just install one of the cheaper LED headlights - no need for battery or charger - (would need to 'craft' a bracket to keep it semi/permanently secured - but not much of a hardship) - and save a few pounds.

Any thought appreciated

Mike

I have a 30 lux battery powered b+m at the moment and it is completely OK for riding on the open road. I downhill at 50 km/h +, cars see me coming and dip their lights, no problems.

I am moving up to the 70 lux wired in light because it has daytime running LEDS and runs off the 42 V of my battery with no faffing about with converters (intern) and whatnot. If it was 40 or 50 lux I would still buy it for my needs.

Here is a clear explanation:

http://gemini-lights.com/explore/lux-and-lumens

 

[soundwave]

if you want to make your own battery pack out of single cells, you must use a BMs or some other type of low voltage cut-off because your charger won't charge them is the voltage goes below 2.5v

i won that 18650 charger of ebay but got this from insat.

However, these are unprotected cells and you must ensure the voltage does not go below 2.5V. If it does, then your charger may not charge them. In such cases, it means using a charged cell (say to 3.0V ) which you can connect +ve to +ve and -ve to -ve to charge one cell from the other in order to raise its voltage to a high enough level so that your charger will then charge it.

 

[mike tatt]

I have a 30 lux battery powered b+m at the moment and it is completely OK for riding on the open road. I downhill at 50 km/h +, cars see me coming ...............

Thanks for the feedback Kiwi - and the useful link
Cheers
Mike

 

[Deleted member 4366]

if you want to make your own battery pack out of single cells, you must use a BMs or some other type of low voltage cut-off because your charger won't charge them is the voltage goes below 2.5v

i won that 18650 charger of ebay but got this from insat.

However, these are unprotected cells and you must ensure the voltage does not go below 2.5V. If it does, then your charger may not charge them. In such cases, it means using a charged cell (say to 3.0V ) which you can connect +ve to +ve and -ve to -ve to charge one cell from the other in order to raise its voltage to a high enough level so that your charger will then charge it.

The reason that the charger won't charge if they go below 2.5v is because the cell is already damaged, with the small possibility of explosion if you try and charge them. The lower you go with the voltage, the more the damage.

 

[soundwave]

could i just use this off my other pack as i take it stops the cells from total drainage.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

2. Many of the brighter 'value' lamps available ebay/ online seem to have 8.4v battery packs. What would happen if I wired these into a 6v system - is it just a matter of duller light - or a complete failure to power.

It depends how much current your 6v system can give. A single LED light will take about 1 amp, or 3A for a 3 LED one.

I haven't tried one at 6v, but the 8.4v packs are only 8.4v when fully charged. They're 6v when run down, so 6v should work OK.

Personally, I don't think that 40 lux is enough. The light in my first post is 3000 lumens, which is 300 lux over an area 10 sq meters. 40 lux doesn't mean anything without knowing the area it's shining on, but I would have thought that 10 sq m would be about right.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

could i just use this off my other pack as i take it stops the cells from total drainage.

Yes

 

[IR772]

Yes you can.

could i just use this off my other pack as i take it stops the cells from total drainage.

Yes you can as I think it is a low voltage cut off.

But you may not want to use this sort of set up if you are charging the expensive lithium cells as it is not ideal and a bit rough if you are spending £10 a cell ish.

 

[soundwave]

i can get the cells for 5 quid each and will charge them with that nitecore charger as i won it for 10 quid.

i have asked the seller of the cell case if it has one built in but if not ill just solder that one in line so the cells cant drop below 2.5v when using a lite on it.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-X-GENUINE-PANASONIC-3400mAh-NCR18650B-Li-ion-18650-3-7v-Flattop-Battery-UK-/191948761989?hash=item2cb109ab85:g:Z1oAAOSwwIZXTEGn

 

[Deleted member 4366]

i can get the cells for 5 quid each and will charge them with that nitecore charger as i won it for 10 quid.

i have asked the seller of the cell case if it has one built in but if not ill just solder that one in line so the cells cant drop below 2.5v when using a lite on it.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-X-GENUINE-PANASONIC-3400mAh-NCR18650B-Li-ion-18650-3-7v-Flattop-Battery-UK-/191948761989?hash=item2cb109ab85:g:Z1oAAOSwwIZXTEGn

Ideally, you want that BMS thing inside the case soldered to the contacts, but if you can't get it in there, you might be able to install it outside, provided that you can get a connection for the sense wire and run it outside the case with the two power wires. The sense wire comes from the middle of the pack. you can just see it connected to the top left corner in that phot, hidden behind the red power wire.