Finally, my project nears completion. I have all the parts and equipment now to assemble, so no prizes for guessing what I'll be doing for some of this weekend.
Thanks. Its been a long haul and not an entirely smooth ride
🙂
Details:
6 x Cree XP-G LED.
Taskled driver.
QR attachment, bar mount, adjustable for left-right beam direction.
Pocket sized.
High-Spec componentry.
2 hour, full power, runtime on a 2.6Ah battery.
Battery level indicator.
Its a project that started out as a favour for some friends, but because a lot of the companies I went to operate minimum order quantities, I ve a few.
Hi, thanks, I'm just glad to be seeing the end result now.
BD.
Cool, you pays your money and you takes your choice. As for quality and trustworthyness ?, well you can judge if you wish.
Thanks for your posts.
Have a good Xmas.
Hi. I don't have alternative lights to do comparisons with, but here is a picture of the first prototype of this light.
The light in the beam-shot picture above uses all the same components as the light shown at the begining of this thread.
The only exceptions being that the prototype used R4 BIN LEDs which are rated as slighly less brighter than the R5s I'll be putting into the lights in the post at the beginging of this thread, and the housing of the prototype was different.
The new light is much better finished, all anodized and lasered, etc.
This beam-shot picture was taken to the unoffical beam-shot standard camera settings that others have used. I should really do a beam shot over the weekend though.
But when out on a ride, the light seems to make people really notice you and watch as you ride by.
Cars stop in junctions and wait for you to pass. Its plenty bright. I've even had other cyclists catch up with me to ask about the light.
One of my testers commuted through and out of London, a lot of stop-start stuff as well as longer rides once he got out of the city. He actually only used the low setting in London, he reckoned the hi setting was too bright for city use. Hed come from using a P7 torch and said he preferred the extra width of beam, on the particular light I lent him.
My light uses what I consider to be good spec componentry and I can fit the 10mm, square Carclo optics which give a nice flood pattern, or, I can fit a narrower optic for a more focused beam. Ledil may be releasing an XP-G specific optic too and if they do, that will fit also.
I've designed the housing to be fairly flexible with respect to which LED and optics combinations I can put into it, to try to get either a flood or a narrower beam, depending on preferrance.
Ourkidsam.
Thanks mate, I'm pleased with the results in terms of both looks and performance.
🙂
I'm using one of Smudge's 15v, 2.6Ah batteries wrapped in an old lumicycle battery bag, and on my test runs, I've managed about 2hours 15 mins on constant hi setting of 1A to the LEDs.
Dimmidan. Hi, thanks, I've been super busy getting the finishing sorted, but will mail you soon 🙂
Tails.
I'm just using the sort-of unofficially agreed camera settings, but for these LEDs I think the settings are a bit "generous", but seeing as the Troutlight beam shots are to the same settings ( I think ) I use them too. However, I'm going to try to get a light built up this weekend and get some more beam shots.
Light building and Xmas shopping, Saturday and Sunday isn't long enough.
🙂
SFB, hi, Its just a model code, but it does relate to that light specifically.
I'v e made a few lights over the years, but no where near 600.
Are you going to grace us with some snow pics on a thread on STW soon ?.
Hi, yes, the tester mentioned you, glad you postsed. The one you saw was the un-anodized, but final production version, prototype. It was still abit rough round the edges for me, but the main theme of the design was there in that particular light.
The fit and finish on the final light is better.
Yeah, I wish I could make the light for less, but about 95% of the price is costs for the parts. If I were to dial-in the costs I've incurred buying tools and equipment to make this light, it may turm out that I've only broken even, I hope…..
Question for Luminous:
I don't suppose you'd know how to wire up an early Hope Vision 2 to be either on/off or just hi/lo/off? I never did get on with 3 power levels plus flashing and now the swicth is playing up I'd like to make it a bit more user friendly (if possible) rather than send it back to Hope yet again.
Looks nice. Any piccies of part assembled shots so we can see how it fits together? To give an idea of sealing etc. And what power settings are you using via the driver – ie high/med/low with an idea of current draw to see the different run times possible. Tks.
I don't suppose you'd know how to wire up an early Hope Vision 2 to be either on/off or just hi/lo/off?
I've no experience of the Hope light, but if you're not interested in Hope refurbing it for you (assuming that they would and the price was sensible, etc), and as the light has issues possibly with the switch. Then perhaps a strip down and re-build could be the answer.
Perhaps along the lines of that thread by Chucky on here where some clever bods have converted their Lumicycle Halogens to use XP-G LEDs. Its a good idea and seems that people are enjoying the results.
Just put a new driver and switch in, perhaps even replace the LEDs ?.
DaveGr.
No part build shots I'm affraid.
There are only 3 potential water/dirt entry points on the light.
The 2 holes at the rear and the lens cap area.
At the rear the light has the switch and the power connector. Each of these has its own rubber 'O'-ring seal which is compressed onto the rear surface of the light to seal it.
The switch is IP67 rated.
The power connector is IP68 rated.
So this takes care of the rear.
The lens cap area uses 2 rubber 'O'-ring seals at the two possible points of ingress. The seals are in compression so I do not expect any ingress to occur there either.
The London based tester to whom Wally refers to above, had been caught in several down-pours in recent weeks and the light never allowed rain water, road grime or any other contaminant to get into the light, so this would demonstrate the integrity of the sealing on the light.
But over and above that, I have taken an extra measure so that even if a little moisture did get into the light, the electronics still stand a chance.
Basically I've chosen and designed for conventional sealing techniques and materials and it seems to have worked out fine.
Sorry, I forgot to answer your other points. I set each light up to have just a Hi and low settings. Hi is 1A to the LEDs, Low is 500mA to the LEDs.
On high, running a 15v, 2.6Ah battery, I've achieved around 2 hours 15 mins, continous running. Call it two hours to be cautious.
Genesis.
Yes, I agree, Fog is difficult for lights, hence our cars have lights specifically for those conditions.
Its a tricky business riding the Fog. Its in conditions like those that having a low setting on your light can be useful.
🙂
Hi. Finally got the chance to take a couple of beam shots.
There would have been a few more, but some kids came along and all they wanted to do was jump around in the light, so no chance to continue with more shots.
Previous pictures have been taken on my light, using camera settings which "big-up" the beam a bit, imo. Settings of 6sec, F4, WB-day.
However, these settings just cause a "burn-out" at the centre of the beam.
So, I've taken these pictures at the following settings as I feel these better represent the actual light and its pattern/intensity.
Camera set to 1.3 sec, F8, WB-day.
Using Flood Optics:
Using a narrow beam optic
The light can use either a narrow optic/LED combination, or can be used to produce a wider, flood pattern result using a different combination of LED and optic.
Sorry its taken a while to get a few beam shots posted.