Show us your bike light set-up

[pick]

meh...still waiting for my "play money".... darn lawyers are taking their sweet time..

Looking forward to your progression in the lighting, can't wait to join the fun!!!

 

[cehowardGS]

Here ya go!!!

My apologies, but my daughter loves it, and more importantly... I amuse easily!!!

That is truly awesome.. :thumbsup:

 

[z-machine]

My commuter with 2 x Cygolite Expilion 350s and 2 x Rosewill 220 lumen with Cree XPE-Q5 LEDs I got off Newegg for 25 bucks apiece. The Rosewill's (powered by 3 x AAAs) are really bright but without any reflectors aside from the magnifying glass type lens. As a result they cast a wide beam but have poor throw. I mainly use them in flashing mode both at night and during the day. What I like about the Rosewill are the mounts... they are very secure and can be used to hold other types of flashlights such as the Maglite xl200 which I am thinking of getting next because of the adjustable beam and strobe modes.

EDIT: Updated spelling; Rosewill instead of Roswill. Also I just found out that the focus of the Rosewills can be adjusted by rotating the crown... great. I will do a video review of my lights and post them later.

 

[cehowardGS]

Not nothing fancy, but it works. Planet Bike 2W Blaze up front, Planet Bike Superflash Turbo in the rear, Planet Bike Beamer on Helmet..My commute is only 8 miles in the morning, and at night when I come home. I will upgrade as needed..

 

[BrianMc]

Not nothing fancy, but it works.

Hmmm. WRT sign in photo. That Centurion doesn't look like 'Surplus Equipment' to me!

WRT to 'dirty' link: I assume you are OK as driver and motor? We don't generally lean in turns as much either.

Someone called 8 miles one way about a perfect commuting distance. Oh ,and you might enjoy the MTBR Commuting forum where that was suggested.

BrianMc

 

[cehowardGS]

Hmmm. WRT sign in photo. That Centurion doesn't look like 'Surplus Equipment' to me!

WRT to 'dirty' link: I assume you are OK as driver and motor? We don't generally lean in turns as much either.

Someone called 8 miles one way about a perfect commuting distance. Oh ,and you might enjoy the MTBR Commuting forum where that was suggested.

BrianMc

Well, I am used to fast turning, but no motor on the bicycle, don't have to worry about weight shift!!

Got to find this MTBR forum..

 

[pick]

On our latest trip to Costco, I found a 3 pack of Techlite Lumen Master 200's (AAA's)...$19.99 for the 3 of them, hard to resist. I discovered that the mini reflectors from Lowe's that I had fit perfectly onto the lens. I put ambers on the front and red reflectors on the rear. Run time, well, I went on a ride with a group last weekend, ran them all on the SOS mode and after 5 hours they were still "see able"....I did put new batteries in after that ride though.

Here is my set up...if the mounts (conduit hangers in the rear) stay still, I may be a permanent flashlight convert and upgrade to the proverbial "more power"...LOL!!

 

[Traum]

Let's try again...

Shematics are still missing, but system is "ugly linear" 7812 based with 10x NiMh cells, headlight have DX led driver 3x 1w led and taillight is made from PC-motherboard found LD1117 chip with some SMD reds. Near charge plug is power off switch and chargeplug turns off ground connections so fidlling with charge wont blew anything off. All parts except leds are recycled from trash and still waitting new shiny samples so I get some boost. (bike parts are sadly bought from several shops...)

Shiny enough for city and touring.

Yep, it lost power and even my "lunch_box" wont help several hours out under minus ten... butt is still visible, ;-).

Uh, I hate redo wiring's, next bike frame I will start from wires and use better connectors.

Yep, it's all you need to feed your lights... LunchBox but it still too cold inside (far left is nice)

It keeps power leds happy.

Charge-plug with extended cable. Under charge plug is "load side" off switch but charge-plug disconnect batteries from led anyway cause system is not polarity protected.

Still need to make better box for batteries and build switching regulator (National and Ti are so nice to send samples) if it can hold fast transitiens change and batteries holds "spikes" then I have ideal system for all year touring. Oh, automatic on/off switch is still missing and ... daydreaming. :tired:

 

[jdp298]

Sorry I can't post directly from Flickr, but here's a link:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jdp298/sets/72157626884852454/

I'm very happy with this. The B&M rack mounted rear light was annoying me by not staying on long enough, so this final iteration replaces it with the 4th home-build. There are 7 Farads of capacitance on the bike now, and it really doesn't take too long to get full brightness, about 5 seconds or so, about the time it takes to reach a sensible speed.

Battery-free forever!!

 

[a1penguin]

Here is my set up...if the mounts (conduit hangers in the rear) stay still, I may be a permanent flashlight convert and upgrade to the proverbial "more power"...LOL!!

What kind of trike is that, Pick? Looks pretty cool!

 

[pick]

What kind of trike is that, Pick? Looks pretty cool!

Why Thank You!!

It's a Performer Trike X 08'/'09 model year; re-branded as an ActionBent T1X ...it was hardly ridden at all by the 1st owner when I got it last August. Rear suspension, 26" in the rear, nice triple and rear cog gearing - I love it! A lot of 'trikers' with the higher end models consider this line of trike the bottom of the barrel...well, I love it and so do most all of the other Trike X/T1X owners out there as well as a lot of the Performer trike owners and Performer 2 wheel 'bent owners...good product from the Far East.

 

[cubebike]

HEAD: JetBeam ST ( Very Very bright),
HEAD: Bored 6P Malkoff M61 HCRI ( Very very warm )
Tail: Exposure Flare or Flash!
Runtime for the front using AW18650 2200 about 2.5 hours !
Runtime for the tail using AW RCR123 about 4 hours

I am using some cheapy mount for the front and works very well. Tried on the Jetbeam mount, it was a joke. It could not hold the flashlight properly.

 

[cehowardGS]

I ditched the Planet Bike Blaze for two Keygos Ke-1s and two Keygos Ke-5s. Still got the Superflash Turbo on the rear, and el cheapo $2.50 light on the rear of my helmet that rivals my Superflash Turbo. I am finding out that more light I have, the more respect you get from cars in the sense that they don't take my right-of-way anymore..Plus, I can see what I am riding over too. Still looking to get better...

This is the two Keygos-Ke-5s, Superflash Turbo on rear, cheap rear light on helmet.

 

[brad72]

I use a custom triple XML with cute optics on the bar run from a 14.8v Li-ion battery. The max output current is 2800mA so I have a mode selector button that I can use with my thumb, ensuring my hands never have to let go of the bar. The selector enables me to dim the light when cars approach otherwise I would blind them. The other bar light I use is a custom 7 up xpg/epe led with Kathod medium optics. Like the other light it also has a thumb selector button to dim the light quickly. Both lights are great when things get fast as you never have enough light flying down bush trails or when out riding on wet bitumen.

On my helmet I either run a triple xpe spot or a single XML with aspheric lens on the front. For the rear of the bike I run a flasher on the back of my helmet and a flasher below my saddle. You cannot be seen enough in my opinion.

Blue mode selector button

7 Up xpg/xpe mix Light

 

[Changchung]

Nice setup Brad, where you get this switch?


SFMI4UT

 

[brad72]

Nice setup Brad, where you get this switch?


SFMI4UT

It is a momentary tactile switch (RS part # 367148) sealed inside some heatshrink tube, with 3M dual lock velcro on the back of it to make is stay put on the bars.

This is picture of my XML aspheric helmet light that I have nearly finished made to match the bar light in the post above. If all goes well the helmet light will be wirelessly operated by another switch on the bars.

 

[Changchung]

Very nice, congrats... I am going to try something like that, I will like to ask you how much can you charge for the same setup for me but I am broke right now... Keep posting...


SFMI4UT

 

[Changchung]

It is Radioshack rigth? I cant find it...


SFMI4UT

 

[brad72]

It is Radioshack rigth? I cant find it...


SFMI4UT

The switch is from RS Components, part # 3367148

Cost of the lights I would have to work out. It would probably be a couple of hundred $$

 

[Dr Tszap]

Don't laugh, but here's my quick-n-dirty scrap-heap special:

Wally-world close-out tail, brake, & turn LED's on a bit of angle-tin from a scrap microwave

Clearanced MR16's from a big-box hardware (look a little dim in the sunlight but at night I usually only need one turned - the dept-store cheapie lights are more usefull now as a support for the flasher/battery monitor than the ever were as lights *g*)

Thrift store 12v 4.5Ah camcorder NiCd pack (with flasher unit sitting on top) - battery rides in the bottom of front bag

Quicky 555 based flasher, indicator LED's and battery gauge

Micro-switch brake switch (one in front and one in the rear so either brake activates the brake light - switch anchored to frame with lever tied to brake cable)Hey, it may be ugly but it passed the 'smoke-test' *g* Next project: proper lamp housings and 'instrument panel' to 'make it pretty' now that it has passed the proof-of-concept stage - and maybe write up an i'ble for instructibles.com