[Closed] Bike light......XP-Gs arrived today...

BB.

Hi 🙂

AR.

Yes, you aren't the first person I've come across who has felt that the current XP-G LED and optic combo could do with a little more "throw".
Perhaps a few of us need to drop a line to Carlco asking for a 10 or even an 8 degree optic.

But, with 6 LEDs, I get what I feel is a good pattern for ST. I think it helps that I "bunch" my LEDs into 2 rows of three

and it wouldn't be impossible to shoe-horn an extra LED into the head space available.

But my "Super-7" light needs more work and I'm busy finishing the 6 LED light.

Personally I do like a good spot pattern for cycling ST and like you I have been pleased with my results using the star based XR-E.

Must be two years and more now since they came onto the homebrew scene.
And we thought that they were hot at 230 lumens per star ! 😀

In fact, Tuesday night I went on a 3 hour ride to gain a few figures for runs times with my 6 x XP-G light and I took along my Triple XR-E at 675 lumens, as back-up for when the battery ran out on the XP-G light.

While I was drifting along the dark country back roads I switched the triple on and was pleasantly surprized to find that actually, the triple provided a tighter spot at a greater distance.
But this was at the expense of much less spill.

So depending on your preferance, you may find that the current optics for the XP-G may not give the [b][u]ultra[/u][/b] spot pattern you might desire.

For all round light performance the XP-G light still has the edge, but my 675 lumen triple was a nice surprize.

I have plans to run tests on all types of stuff, but its getting the time.
I can only do so much in a day and the other XP-Gs (R5s) I've ordered still haven't arrived....
But then again, the first batch of drivers have all been bought so I'm having to wait in line for my little order to be filled 🙁

I still hope to have my light on my bars in November though 🙂

If I get time I may post a few pics of my triple XR-E, just for old-times-sake. 🙂

Thanks.

L.

Yes, you aren't the first person I've come across who has felt that the current XP-G LED and optic combo could do with a little more "throw".
Perhaps a few of us need to drop a line to Carlco asking for a 10 or even an 8 degree optic.

In fact, Tuesday night I went on a 3 hour ride to gain a few figures for runs times with my 6 x XP-G light and I took along my Triple XR-E at 675 lumens, as back-up for when the battery ran out on the XP-G light.

While I was drifting along the dark country back roads I switched the triple on and was pleasantly surprized to find that actually, the triple provided a tighter spot at a greater distance.
But this was at the expense of much less spill.

AR.

I think that if the will is there, then a narrower optic for the XP-G may be made available.

But bare in mind that the XP-G is a very bright and very useable LED which provides some good features such as small physical size and "foot-print".

When I finish my light, me and my mates will all be using the XP-G LED light.

All I can tell you is that I'm using the Carlco optics from cutter. And for personal preferrence, I'm using 6 "narrow" optics in my light.

Its a bit like the "how much light do you need to ride with" debate.

Flood Vs Spill is just another area where I dont think you will ever find a clear consensus between all riders/users.

I prefer a narrow, spot type beam pattern when on the ST. But if you read the light review article in WMTB recently, then you might have noticed they were considering spill from the lights, as a way for some riders to gain an idea of speed.

Horse for Courses mate !

🙂

L.

But bare in mind that the XP-G is a very bright and very useable LED which provides some good features such as small physical size and "foot-print".

Interesting stuff as always - could you guys give me a quick league table on who make the most efficient LEDs? I looked into this last year and I think the XR-E was the best, but those darn boffins keep outdoing themselves 8)

Luminous
Do you know if the light unit works with Lumicycle Li-ion supplied battery packs? I'm not entirely sure, but I think their batteries leads are reversed or reverse polarity or something of that nature. I might be completely confused however. They are also over volted I believe.

so how does this xp-g compare to the P7?

AR.

In the end I don't think theres any good or bad, but just what works for some. If you're getting what you need from XR-Es then thats good.
I am a fan of the XR-E.
🙂

ooOOoo.
I haven't had time to look into it on a comparison basis.
As above, the XR-E is still a good LED, IMO, and if you sort a good optic, then you really can get what seems to be every last lumen off the chip and into the trail.

B.A.nana.
I haven't encountered any Lumicycle stuff for investigation, but IIRC I think I've seen some stuff on hear about them being reverse Polarity.

I tend to defer Battery Qs to our resident Battery Guru, Smudge.
Us lot on here are lucky to have him.
Search on here and you'll find him. You couldn't ask to deal with a better chap !.
🙂

Ta.

L.

SS92.

I think Trout has done some comparison work, as I think he was experimenting with the MCE before he discovered and brought us all the XP-E.

Another homebrew good guy, so I'm sure he'll lend his opinion, when he has a minute.

Try CPF also, he has posted some of his work there and you might find some pics too. CPF is a good place for more MCE info.

😀

Cheers.

L.

Yep Lumi stuff is arse about face polarity wise .

P7 4 dies on one board = 900 lumens
xpg R5 0ne die = 351 lumens
XRE R2 one die = 300 lumens some players tell you 😉

Trout.

Thanks for that.

I'm busy and I don't have anything to build-up yet, so goodness only knows how busy you must be, especially with that handy camera work of yours 😉
I've only just noticed the bar that you mounted your 3 in a row on.
What is that stuff ?.

Cheers

L.

Cheers L no not busy now as no drivers from George yet.

the Bar is some acrylic I got last year to have a go at machining some optics from but the results were not good , but it did give me a greater understanding of how they work ,

Yeah, where are all the drivers ?.

G told me that the first 60 were already spoken-for.

Naturally, after the take up of your lights, I had assumed that you had them. But you're saying you've only had a few.

So now I'm wondering where that first 60 have gone.

Anyway, doesn't matter. Hopefully.....drivers should be avaiable for order next week. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
😀

Ta

L.

EDIT: Ooo. Thats just showin off now (just seen your front view pic) 😀

Just thought I'd give a pre-view of how the ALL-IN-ONE is coming on.

Here is a screen-shot of the CAD

[img] [/img]

Cheers

L.

is it going to be folded?

Wors.

No, CNC'd

🙂

L.

£££££££

Wors.

Not essentially. Its the bought components that cost, when making lights these days.

Do you have a manufacturing backround ?.

L.

I'll have mine SLSed in titanium please 😀

Do you have a manufacturing backround

aye.

Well, this wouldn't be the 1st light housing to be CNC'd to create a cavity for the internals, but I thought I'd give my effort a bit of shape.

🙂

Ta.

L.

not knocking it, looks good. Just saying that to machine out the shape you want would take longer than a rectangular or cylindrical housing.

Sheet metal would look good though.

Can't really get a sense of scale in that pic - how many leds and roughly how long is it?

Yeah, bending is an option, but then there is the consideration of jigs and fixtures, surface condition, additional post-bending ops, etc. And all you get is a shell.

CNC, while having its draw backs, in this case provides some useful advantages.

As you will know, theres always more than one way to make something and sometimes the "apparent" cost can be deceptive/distracting.

L.

ooOOoo.

Yes, that is a disadvantage of CAD, in some cases.

Currently designed to carry 3 LEDs and some 18650 cells.

Obviously, lights that carry batteries within the housing will have to deal with the extra physical size. But if people want an all-in-one, then these are the limitations we face.

Unless you are a large manuf and you can get some battery supplier to construct a paricular shape and size battery just for your product.

L.

Also beware that cells inside the housing are going to need to be protected against any additional heat from the LEDs, but I'm sure you've thought of that already.

Looks like a nice design, certainly a CNC'd chunk would be the best way of getting everything in there including the board supports etc without the man hours.

CK.

"[i]way of getting everything in there including the board supports etc without the man hours[/i]"
You're not wrong there, thats what I was planning on.

Heat is constantly on the radar when designing these lights. 😉

L.

Thanks L, I get it now. That could be quite a nice setup for general riding.

Not too keen on the shape at the mo, but I assume it's for the ergonomics of hitting the buttons? One button either side? Don't know how far you've got with it but perhaps would benefit from a little sexing up if your gonna go CNC?!

ooOOoo.

Well, I saw another light containing a battery on here a little while ago.

All I'll say is that my light holds all it needs and has what I consider to be a nice enough shape.

Its [i]the[/i] button that everyone here says they like the "feel" of, on one side and [i]stuff[/i] on the other 😉

As before, the shape of a light using the 18650 cell, is always going to be compromised by/sacrificed on function. Sorry.

In the case of lights by people like me, I am confined to using what I can buy "off-the-shelf" and this has an impact on the outcome. What some perhaps don't realise is that those such as Trout and I, have to search the world for components we think we may be able to use. It aint easy.

I'd love the opportunity to fund a switch or a connector or a battery to suit my bespoke design. But I can't.

🙂

L.

Oh yes wouldn't we all! Quite frustrating when you get stuck in RS or Farnell with just bulky buttons and connectors....but what can you do.

Well I'll be interested to see what the 'stuff' is anyway 😛

Just read through from the start - some very interesting stuff and I'm enjoying reading about the developing light plans. Keep us posted!

AC.

Thank you.

🙂

In the meanwhile, the 6 LED bar light:
Material is ordered and production should commence as soon as the material is delivered. Drivers are en-route now, so all is just ticking along.

Cheers.

L.

🙂

[url] http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/bike-light-lightsetc [/url]

L.