View Full Version : Lights ???????
Any Recommendations on tried and tested lamps.
Currently running Light & motion Solo Logics but cant get a decent spin out of them without losing power, and 14 hour charge time is a joke. Cheers
Dethshed
11-14-2007, 09:11 PM
http://www.madmtb.com/night_rides.html#reviews
and a few here:
http://www.irishxcmtb.com/gear.htm
the solos are a great light -
note- you need to fully discharge them after use and not charge them over the 14hr limit and they'll be fine
2:15 burn time hrs on my old ones....
Scrivo
11-14-2007, 09:49 PM
http://www.epicmtb.com/smf/index.php?topic=4721.msg35116#msg35116
lupines there pricey but great a good few of us where using them on tuesday night.
Ahh that must explain your extra speed.... I thought you guys were just quick !!!! Cheers. They did seem a lot brighter than the solos.
they would be a good bit brighter and have li-ion batteries so there smaller and lighter and have a better run time. If your interested in getting some send me a pm
skippy
11-15-2007, 12:18 PM
Whats the plan with this?
I have a set of cateye lights which i was going to transfer to new bike.
Problem is new bike has oversize bars and brackets wont fit.
Can you get new brackets to suit?
Thanks
if they are the cateye ABS lights, i just got a longer bolt for mine 1's and worked fine.
Byrner
11-15-2007, 12:29 PM
burn your cat eyes and your light and motions..the lupines are the way to go...
skippy
11-15-2007, 01:55 PM
I have the lupines helmet mounted and they are deadly.
But i was sorta thinking of back up system on the bars with cateye.
It never crossed my mind to extend bolts :P but i dont think they still would sit bars right.
you can get oversize brackets for the cat eyes
I have the Lupine XL's, quality light alright. I also have the Cateye bar mounted ones, used to run both but now just use the Lupines, I didnt much find more benefit running two systems. It was more of a pain in the ass mounting them, then sortin out batteries n stuff. I can see the appeal of having a back up though.
rdhma
11-15-2007, 05:15 PM
30W HID system for €211
http://trailtech.net/SCMR16_helmet_light_kits.html
That's equivalent to a 100W Halogen light.
Hids are cool but LED Technology is where its at. HIDs are just to expensive to repair/replace the bulbs and LEDs take more abuse.
rdhma
11-15-2007, 05:34 PM
Yeah, we're building our own LED lights at the moment.
http://www.skynet.ie/~mtbclub/lights/6-2-2007/small/
Beamshots compared with Light & Motion ARC.
not bad what sort of batteries are you using and what sort of run time
Basil Fawlty
11-15-2007, 06:31 PM
Did someone say something about FULLY discharging lights? NEVER do this with NiMH - the single most destructive thing you can do to NiMH batteries is over-discharge them. Apart from putting them in a fire maybe. Any charger worth its salt (pardon any chemistry pun please) will not overcharge your batteries. When the lights go dim/brown out, it's time to quit, go home and recharge. Or change your batteries and enjoy the rest of the night (see below).
One food light, bar mounted; one spot light, lid mounted. What more could you want?
Have to agree with Al about LEDs - this technology has come so far forrward in the last 18 months it's hard to believe. The DiNotte LEDs myself and the Fairy and the Frog lad are using are not much over €100, very nearly as bright as HIDs (better than most bulbs) and run on rechargeable AA batteries. Charge time 90 min or less; burn time > 2 h on full power, AND you get a spare battery holder so can always have a back up. Sounds too good to be true, and maybe is - mine have gone into wonky mode, for which the manufacturer's have emailed me a supposed fix. Will report on this when I try it.
The lights the fairy had looked pretty good, but having sold various brands of lights and electrical bicycle gadgetry over my years in the bike trade i've come to the conclusion that cheap stuff is never worth it. You nearly always end up buying the more expensive one in the end. We've stopped stocking the cheap lights that give us big margins because its not worth the hassle they just end up coming back to us. Any extra cash we made has just been eaten up through the cost of the hassle of returning them and a disgruntled customer.
Sometimes the big names get it wrong Cateyes ABS range for example was a disaster and it came from cateye cutting corners through cheap production. Generally more often than not you get what you pay for.
30W HID system for €211
http://trailtech.net/SCMR16_helmet_light_kits.html
That's equivalent to a 100W Halogen light.
These really do look extremely impressive, has anyone ever experienced these here because the figures look very good....
Basil Fawlty
11-15-2007, 08:00 PM
Point taken Al, though I had figured these DiNotte lights were not so much cheap as concentrating the costs (development costs and cost to the customer) on the light itself rather than the battery. Most companies seem intent on re-inventing the wheel when it comes to the batteries, the result being expensive and often cumbersome - for example my Blackburn X3 has an enormous and heavy battery pack, which is the most expensive part of the whole kit. To me it makes perfect sense to be using commercially available batteries and chargers - developed to work with digital cameras and as a result very well proven technology. Low cost, reliable and readily available batteries make so much sense. If the DiNotte light turns out to be a poor buy in the long run, so be it, but I don't regret trying. Interestingly my ABS-25 is in its fourth winter and still going fine!
Byrner
11-15-2007, 09:54 PM
listen up mortals..i don't give a fiddlers about amps or watts or any of that malarkey..leds are sensible..i'm getting a lupine Wilma off Al..i've got a lupine XC..i'll be passing that on to Carol..it all boils down to how much you're going to do...Als advice on lights have always been on the nose..
Alan ..go get laid..
Shane , if you're going out even once a week..buy a Lupine XC or xl..
now..how do we get rid of the poxy leaves off the club course ?
the leaves rock makes for super 2 wheeled drifty action.
Byrner
11-16-2007, 07:20 AM
you can say that again.. :D
skippy
11-16-2007, 10:22 AM
Last night my newish lupine xc has let me down for the second time.
The first time i put it down to me not pluging it in etc.
Its about 8months old very little use.
Iv dropped it back up to Al but has anyone else had any problems with the lupinez of that nature?
i had a little bit of trouble with mine and sent it back to them and it was sorted out reasonably quickly they have a very good warrenty. Although i think the problem with mine was that it wasn't charging propperly due to it being left sitting round unused over the summer. The battries like to be used fully and then charged fully to keep them working at there optimum.
now..how do we get rid of the poxy leaves off the club course ?
I have a free lawnmower that with a length of pipe and some McGyver type action can be made into a fine leaf blower...
Byrner
11-16-2007, 10:32 AM
no problems here..but they might be afraid to let me down..I always use them till they drop and then charge them completely..feckin 2 bulbs ion a year though..the same with the Light and Motions..2 bulbs in a year..the bulbs are stupid money and disastrous if they blow on a spin..
LEDs...the only way to go..
Byrner
11-16-2007, 10:38 AM
Don..strap yourself to that Mower and fire yourself down the Ticknock fireroad..if it survives I'll take it off your hands..
skippy
11-16-2007, 11:04 AM
Trying to charge them last night after i got home i noticed the little lights on charger didnt light up even.
My thinking is its dodgy charger not the battery as i was out tuesday night and all was well.
Skippy, your house needs to be hooked up to the grip for that charger to work, will you Roundwood types ever learn.... ;)
skippy
11-16-2007, 11:33 AM
House? jazaz i dont live in a house Boss, sure there for the settled people.
I mush check the jenny for daisel that might cause lupine failure.
Just heard about these today, the owner is very impressed, as are his buddies who have L&M Solo Logic
One on the Bars and one on the Helmet
http://www.ayup.com.au/
Check out the beam photos just scroll over the thumbnails for different combination
http://www.ayup.com.au/gallery-beamshots.html
I've got the Light and motion ARC HID...fuppin deadly.
there be new cateye double and tripple shot led lights that are out next month. I have some on order for the shop and there class. Will be putting my name on the first of the tripple shots as soon as it lands.
They'd wanna be allot better than the old tripple shot. I had a set and were poxy in comparison to the Lupine.
What impresses me is
3hr batteries have a minimum burn time of 3 hours . 6hr batteries have a minimum burn time of 6 hours
Depending on the conditions the batteries can still be outputting enough light to ride even after 2 hours past their rated life
Also
These batteries carry their own ‘smarts’ & unlike most other batteries are fully protected internally with short circuit, over voltage and low voltage cut off. The battery casings are waterproof to a depth of 0.5 meter. They are also designed to withstand a repeated fall of 5 meters to a concrete floor.
The warranty policy is that if any part fails through normal use within 1 year it will be replaced free of charge.
Dethshed
08-12-2008, 03:25 PM
talking lights and it's the feckin middle of August, man I'm depressed...
L&M ARC HID is a brilliant light, it evaporates puddles from 40 yards - doesn't it Gav?
HID is so 90's........LED all the way baby.....
hid is in the past live in the now.
Byrner
08-12-2008, 04:42 PM
i have the hid arc-lion googeley woogilies and the give me both the horn of eldorado and the pants of montezuma..so they do !!
Does Mr Montezuma not want his pants back or are you one of these trophie keepers?
Byrner
08-12-2008, 08:15 PM
well , old mahogony legs, i am a trophy keeper but the pants of Montezuma are not actually pants..it was a metaphorical allusion to the deadliness of the lights, you can be such an unwashed philistine when you want to be !