# Homemade Lighting Systems



## Low_Rider (Jan 15, 2004)

O.K, I thought it might be worthwhile to setup this thread for all of us "light heads" out there, so that we have a place to post questions, pics, specs, etc. 

I'm currently running a 10 and 15 watt Halogen combo with a homemade PWM controller, which uses a PIC 16F84A microproccessor, giving me about 100%, 85% and 65% of the Halogens rated light output. At the moment I'm running it from a SLA battery. Although it's not a bad system it is a tad heavy, so at the moment I'm experimenting with Luxeon LED'S, and I'm about to start using a 5Watt Luxeon Star with a modified CPU heatsink and a lighter NiCad battery pack to see how it goes. Looks promising. 

Cheers, Dave


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## palmermtb (Jan 2, 2004)

*Keep us posted!*

Sounds really cool. I have limited electronics experience with DC lighting systems. Can you give us a quick theory of operation? What do the processors do for the system? I always thought of a DC lighting system to be as simple as a switch, a battery, some wire and a bulb.


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## Low_Rider (Jan 15, 2004)

Yeah most lights are simpler systems like you've described!!  

Why I use a PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) Controller is because if I'm using say, a 20 watt Globe, I don't always want the full light output. Now why don't you just bung a resistor in there you're asking? Well by limiting the voltage you're limiting the light output, but you're also creating a dull yellow light. So by turning the power to the globe on and off a crazy amount of times a second, I'm able to limit the light output while still having the full 6 volts or whatever the bulb is rated at, so the light (in theory) should remain a crisp white. All the PIC microcontroller does is turn a FET (pretty much a big, high-speed transistor) on and off at a certain PWM rate. I'm then able to program the PIC with my computer, setting different PWM rates, which can be "scrolled through" and turned on or off with a simple push-button switch.

This works really well with halogens, but I've yet to try it with the Luxeon LED's - I've got a feeling they won't like this sort of regulation so I'll probably have to limit the current instead. But we'll see how it goes.  

Cheers, Dave.


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## palmermtb (Jan 2, 2004)

*I work with PWM control at work*

I am little embarassed to tell you this, but I work for a company that produces a small furnace that is used for annealing material on a semi-conductor wafer. This furnace uses 38 1.5kW halogen lamps running on 290 VDC. These lamps are switched on and off by a PWM module that provides 15VDC to bias an IGBT (high power fast switching transistor). This PWM module is quite large and uses a 486 CPU. I had no idea you could get this same setup in such a small package.If possible post some pics of your setup. Anyway, I'm definitely interested in your work and would like to hear more about your testing and results. Thanks and good luck.


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## itsdoable (Jan 6, 2004)

Low_Rider said:


> ...at the moment I'm experimenting with Luxeon LED'S, and I'm about to start using a 5Watt Luxeon Star with a modified CPU heatsink and a lighter NiCad battery pack to see how it goes. Looks promising.


I've been running Luxeon LEDs for about a year, and my latest ones use 2 - 5W LEDs and 3 - 3W LEDs, with Fraen optics and current control drivers from LED-Supply or "george_tlc". Sorry, don't have pics yet, but they work great on the trail.

Here is a pic of a previous version (4 - 1W LEDs), which I might "upgrade" to 4 - 3W LEDs, as the housing has enough heat capacity to handle that load.









Also, the people at NightLighting (NewZealand) are making this one:








They will sell you the parts, but I'm not convinced yet that the housing has enough heat capacity to handle 3 - 3W LEDs (something I'm currently testing...)

Cheers,

Tom


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## Low_Rider (Jan 15, 2004)

Tom, you probably have no idea, but your pics you posted a year or so back got me hooked on the whole DIY lighting gear!! - especially Luxeons - Thanks Mate!! 

Palmermtb - "38 1.5kW halogen lamps running on 290 VDC" Imagine that on a bike - talk about burning bark off the trees - literally!!  

That system sounds like a massive setup!! O.K, for bike lights (we'll stick to Halogens for now, which are probably the only globe really suited to this) a PWM controller is very, very simple. The PIC Microcontroller, like any digital chip, runs of resonator "clock", in this case an external 4.0 mhz (off the top off my head). The PIC 16F84A has around 16 I/O (input/output) ports, one which I have a momentary switch connected, the other a lead from a high speed switching FET. When programmed up, I hold the switch in until the light turns on (adjustable, I've got it around 2 secs) and then I cycle through 3 light levels, as mentioned before. All the PIC does is adjust the pulse to the FET, which creates the PWM for the halogen. The FET I'm running can handle around 14 amps at 25 volts DC (again off the top of my head) which is obviously plenty for a bike light.

As for size, I've used SMD resistors and a couple of capacitors, and my complete controller board is exactly 45mm long, by 25mm wide!! As it was only an experimental board, I could probably get it even smaller, but there really isn't any need!

A quick confession though, although I could just about do it myself now, at the time I didn't have enough programming experience to write the program myself, although I did compile it and program the actual chips myself. Because I was limited to using other peoples programs, I ended up using the program for Jim Robertson's DIY Freeware controller, which meant using a similar chip to the extinct PIC16F84, so I used the newer PIC16F84A, which is identical in capabilities. Because of this, I had to use the same ports as his design, which meant that when I designed my controller, obviously to get it as simple as possible, it ended up close to the same as Jims, although a bit rougher in electrical design, and actually BIGGER for the amount of components I used to his!! The program I used, and his controller is here: 
http://www.geocities.com/sunsetstrip/concert/2301/dimmer.html

His Homepage:
http://www.lightbrain.8m.com/

And Willie Hunts Controller, which is slightly different in design and purpose:
http://www.cs.indiana.edu/~willie/lvr.html

And His Homepage:
http://www.cs.indiana.edu/~willie/

As you can tell in his "latest adventures", Willie is all things light!! Check out his2400watt flashtube with his massive 16" reflector!!   (big pics, umm photos...!!)
http://www.cs.indiana.edu/~willie/willie_adv03.html

Now that I've started to find my feet with programming these things, I'm beginning to implement a function that Willie uses with his regulator, where when the battery starts to die, the controller bumps up the light output until the battery goes dead flat. It just gives you a bit of extra time to get home...... 

One last URL, this Topica E-mail list "bikecurrent" is worth subscribing too (it's free) or you can read it here: http://www.topica.com/lists/bikecurrent/read

Hopefully I can get some photos of some of my gear up for you guys soon, I've also finished modifying my heatsink for my 5 watt Luxeon, lapped it, drilled and threaded all of the mounts and other bits and pieces, so I just have to mount it and I'm away!!

Cheers, Dave.


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## peligrosoROCK (Jan 13, 2004)

.

Hi, everyone!

It's interesting all this stuff about headlights and microcontrollers.

I build up this simple headlight system. (see photos)
I would appreciate any reply with new ideas and suggestions.

---------------------------
Thanks, Low_Rider for your suggestion about the female 'spade'.
I will put them on.
---------------------------

I have never build up a dimmer as LightBrain.8m.com
because I have no idea how to make the board.

Would this regulator or dimmer (LightBrain.8m.com) 
function with a 40-50Watt Xenon light?





































peligrosoROCK's MTB Headlight:
Easy and cheap

* 40 - 50 Watt XENON Light with glass cover. (Super white)
* Any indoor spotlight attatched with one Stem's bolt on STEM (see picture)
* 12V, 5amp RECHARGABLE BATTERY (SLA - SuperSonic)
* Charger
* Strong Big Zip Ties to lock the battery to the frame (zip really tight so no movement will occur during riding)
* Cable (+) (-)
* Switch (on/off)

* Run time:
3 hrs approx.

------------------------------
peligrosoROCK
Monterrey, MEXICO


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## Low_Rider (Jan 15, 2004)

Thanks for the photos man!! With that sort of wattage I reckon you could cover a fair bit of ground!!

From what I can work out, PWM should work with your Xenon globe. (but don't quote me!!) The different rates of PWM might need to be played around with to get the best light output. I think Jim Robertson sells complete kits, and also pre-programs the PIC ready for use. He would know if Xenons are any good with PWM or not. Another option might be to use an adjustable current limiter, although components would have to be choosen wisely due to your 40 - 50 watt lamp drawing a fair bit of current!!! - actually that would apply to Jim's controller too, as his Hexfets are only designed for aroun 20 watts or so max?? I'm sure he could make you a custom board if you wanted though.  

*******************
Just an extra note too, although it's hard to tell from the photos, just make sure that the wires that you are using are big enough for the 4-5 amps that your globe is pulling. A fuse in there somewhere would be a wise idea too!!  

Cheers, Dave.


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## Low_Rider (Jan 15, 2004)

Some photos for you all! Unfortuantely my webhost doesn't like the images being linked externally, so I've quickly mocked this up:

http://www.progressionracing.netfirms.com/lights.html

Cheers, Dave.


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## peligrosoROCK (Jan 13, 2004)

.

Which is better?
Luxeon or Xenon?


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## Low_Rider (Jan 15, 2004)

It all depends what you want to use your lights for I guess. Unfortunately at this stage an Xenon or HID will put out more light then a Luxeon of equivilent wattage. BUT, most people seem to be saying that a 5watt Luxeon puts out the equivilent light of a 7-10watt Halogen, and the light produced is a quality, bright white light. I will confirm this when I get my system together! The beauty of Luxeons, is that they seem to compare well to Halogens of nearly double the wattage, while drawing very little current. This is great for night races like 12 and 24 hours, where battery life is very important. However it's not advisable just to connect a Luxeon to a battery and go! They're a bit fussy in that they need some form of current limiting, and need to be mounted on a sufficient heatsink in order to hold lumen output over time. Information on phyical and electrical design can be found on the lumiled website at: http://www.lumileds.com/

Cheers, Dave.


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## JimC. (Dec 30, 2003)

*Here's the DIY FAQ from the old "General" page*

http://forums13.consumerreview.com/[email protected]@.efd74a8

I don't know if it got moved over yet. Jim


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## prerogative (Jan 15, 2004)

For those of you interested in the techy part of homemade lighting: http://www.topica.com/lists/bikecurrent/read

Here's another one I haven't hit in months: http://www.jeremyb.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=Sections&file=index&req=viewarticle&artid=2

I have been dabbling with the battery side of this more so than the lights. My lbs had extra Nightrider lights that I've been playing with - overvolting light using extra NiMH cell, disabling digital functions etc.

Also: If someone would replace the big pictures with smaller ones, I'd be more interested in this thread. It's kinda hard to read the lines of text when they're 11" long. This is one thing I figured they'd fix on the new forum . . . guess not.

Regards,


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## Low_Rider (Jan 15, 2004)

prerogative - thanks for the link, I forgot to post it with the others, I've been a silent member for quite some time, always great stuff!!

Jim - thanks for the link, Meteroid did a great job covering it all!! I've PM'd Francios about putting a newer version up that I'm currently typing, just covering things in a bit more detail, along with some new bit's and pieces that are becoming applicable to DIY lighting.

Cheers, Dave.

***********************
I think that if possible, it'd be great if in the future we could link our images - if you need a host e-mail them to me at [email protected] - alternatively make them a bit smaller!!


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## Chingy (Jan 4, 2004)

I am running a big old spotlight(not waterproof and i have to hold it) with a big heavy 12V moto battery. its good for eeling, they like light. i also wear a kathmandu headlight LED/halogen. NightLighting NZ have 13V lights at very reasonable prices.


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## Beartrap Blade (Sep 4, 2003)

OK, this thread is encouraging!
I bought a BLT headlight system this fall, and I can't complain. Its only 10 watts, on a SLA battery, but being a "handyman"...there could always be MORE LIGHT! har har har!

I was thinking about a handlebar homemade jobby....what about using a 12v halogen potlight as the bulb....any thoughts on this?


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## Low_Rider (Jan 15, 2004)

LOL - I just spent the last ten minutes searching through google for 'potlights' thinking it might have been a term used that I haven't heard in Australia....... I'm guessing you mean spotlight!!  

Just be careful with the beam widths, usually you want to be lighting as much of the trail as possible, not the bush 15 meters to your left.... and being a spotlight, it could go the other way, not lighting enough of the trial because the beam is too focussed. I'm guessing you want to stick to a bar mounted set-up, so you'll want a reasonably wide beam. Usually if your going to use a helmet mounted light, you use a flood on the handlebars, and a narrow beam on your helmet, that way you can see everything on the trail with your bar-light, and pinpoint detail (and see around those tight switch-backs) with your helmet mounted light.  

O.K, back on topic...... I can't see any problem with a 12v halogen set-up, there are many, many websites about detailing such systems - a quick search in google will most likely do the trick!!

***********************************
Tom, I'm just wondering if you used stars or emitters with your set-up?? Also what did you do for optics/reflectors?? I'm interested in using some of the stuff that Fraen Corporation are producing; it looks like Night Lighting are using these optics too. I'm very, very interested in using their 'tri lens' set-up, like in the Night Lighting photo you posted - although designed for 1 and 3 watt luxeons due to heatsinking problems, I'm sure with a bit of tinkering I could easily come up with a heatsink that will happily cool these suckers down!! BTW, are you from Australia / New Zealand?? I'm living here in Tassie, Australia!  

***********************************

Even more off track, I've just stumbled across a chip that regulates it's current output depending on what rate PWM is applied to it, so I can easily modify my halogen controller to regulate the current supply to the Luxeons, while still using the 'low-power' off function to stop possible battery damage by excessive depletion of the cells. Sweet!!  

More to come when I finally get myself sorted out......

Cheers, Dave.


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## itsdoable (Jan 6, 2004)

Low_Rider said:


> LOL - I just spent the last ten minutes searching through google for 'potlights' thinking it might have been a term used that I haven't heard in Australia....... I'm guessing you mean spotlight!!


In these parts, potlight is a term used in housing construction for recessed lights in ceiling applications, although there is a small sub-culture that has another definition for them...



Low_Rider said:


> Tom, I'm just wondering if you used stars or emitters with your set-up?? Also what did you do for optics/reflectors?? I'm interested in using some of the stuff that Fraen Corporation are producing; it looks like Night Lighting are using these optics too. I'm very, very interested in using their 'tri lens' set-up, like in the Night Lighting photo you posted - although designed for 1 and 3 watt luxeons due to heatsinking problems, I'm sure with a bit of tinkering I could easily come up with a heatsink that will happily cool these suckers down!! BTW, are you from Australia / New Zealand?? I'm living here in Tassie, Australia!


I've been using stars, 1W, 3W and 5W versions, with Fraen optics. I had a few other lenses, but I'm not sure where they came from. I'm still waiting for a tri-lens. NightLighting didnot use the tri-lens on thier website, but 3 separate compact lenses, which fits very well. My next version will be 3x3W with the tri-lens and a digital variable output controller. Intelligent heatsink design is critical for lumens maintenance. I'm currently living in Ontario, Canada, eh!

It's prime night riding time in these parts, dark before you go to work, and dark when you head home (although the days are definitely getting longer!).

Cheers,

Tom


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## Low_Rider (Jan 15, 2004)

During winter (your summer) the night riding here is great, it's getting dark by around 6:30pm and the summer isn't too bad either, it gets dark around 10 - 10:30pm. Great stuff!!  

I've just got a temperature sensor hooked up to my palm pilot, so I've now got datatlogging capabilities - which will come in handy down the track....

Cheers, Dave.


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## Beartrap Blade (Sep 4, 2003)

*Luxeons LED's*

Well, I've been reading up a bit on these puppies.

I've seen a 1.5Watt bulb, but what about higher wattage like 5-15 watts?

Also, I take it do to the low amps needed, we can get long usage out of a 6 volt batt..right?

I've read that these LED's don't really give off much heat either...is that true?

How readily available are these things in Canada?


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## Low_Rider (Jan 15, 2004)

Itsdoable is probably the best guy to talk to about where to get them over your way.

Common wattage Luxeons are 1watt, 3watt, and 5watt's, and a 5 watt roughly puts out the same amounts of light as a 10-15 watt Halogen?? I'm still in the experimental stage, and have no real experience with them yet, itsdoable might be able to give you a better idea. 

Yeah, Luxeons cunsume very little current (unless you let them!!) so with a nice big high-capacity 6 volt battery you can epect some pretty awesome runtimes. For a long lifetime, Luxeons need to be run with a current limiter, otherwise their life is drastically reduced.

Zetex has just come out with a chip that takes all of he hassels away with their LED driver series. http://www.zetex.com/ The ZXSC400 is designed for 5 watt Luxeons, check out dn71.pdf for a circuit diagram.

As for emitting heat, yes and no. They don't tend to emit heat in the actual light, so putting your hand in front of one won't warm you up like a halogen, but due to the nature of the Luxeon itself, it does produce quite a bit of heat, and needs to be run on a satisfactory heatsink. On the Lumileds site they have a whole heap of pdf's covering everything you need to know, including thermal management and lumen maintenance.

The only other thing you need to take ito consideration is an optic or reflector. The Luxeon by itself won't produce a quality beam for riding. Fraen optics seem to be a popular choice.

Check out www.lumileds.com and download as many of those pdf's as possible! Alternatively I might be able to E-mail you my collection of Luxeon related pic's and info.

Cheers, Dave.


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## Beartrap Blade (Sep 4, 2003)

thanks BUd, I'll wait for the e-mail!


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## Low_Rider (Jan 15, 2004)

damn it, unfortunately both of my E-mail providers don't like files sizes above 1Mb, and it appears netfirms don't like PDF's or zips...... Go figure.......

http://www.lumileds.com/products/documentation_index.html has everything you need to know, and there are plenty of links towards the top of the page.

Another site I've been going to is http://www.mtb-news.de/ go to: bike-forum // tech talk (halfway down the page) // Elektronik rund ums Bike // it's a german based site, but you can still work out what they're up to, and they're producing some awesome gear. I found a lot of translating services prohibit the images from loading, and often confuse what they're posting even thurther.

Cheers, Dave.


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## itsdoable (Jan 6, 2004)

Beartrap Blade said:


> I've seen a 1.5Watt bulb, but what about higher wattage like 5-15 watts?


5W is the max right now, but they have very short lifetimes. The 3W versions (Luxeon-III) are probably the best units right now.



Beartrap Blade said:


> Also, I take it do to the low amps needed, we can get long usage out of a 6 volt batt..right?


5W is 5W, the battery will last as long as a similar wattage bulb. The main difference with Luxeons is the colour temperature - cool white - which requires less lumens for the same perception as a more yellow halogen bulb, and the fact that the colour does not change when you dim the light source. Thus in theory, you 'can' get by with less wattage, therefore longer run times (or smaller batteries)



Beartrap Blade said:


> I've read that these LED's don't really give off much heat either...is that true?


Regular LEDs do not generate much heat, but these high powered GaAs LED chips are being pushed pretty hard and do generate a fair bit if heat. However, we are talking "hot to the touch", and not "burn when you touch them". Ga-As chips loose thier structure at about 120C, and a 3W or 5W luxeon can easily exceed that without a heat sink.



Beartrap Blade said:


> How readily available are these things in Canada?


Future Electronics stocks then, you can order on line (future.ca) however, they are back ordered on several items.

Keep in mind:

LEDs are DIODEs, they are "current limited" devices, so you cannot just connect them up to a battery and expect them to work. They MUST be driven with a current contolled device (the simplest is a voltage regulated source + resistor - but this is very inefficient for the high powered LEDs).

There are several sources for pre-made plug & play current regulators for the Luxeons, http://www.geocities.com/george_tlc/led.html and http://www.ledsupply.com/led-drivers.html both make modules that will drive various Luxeons from a battery source.

With the higher powered Luxeons, a proper heat sink is absolutely essential.

Cheers,

Tom


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

*xenon bulbs*

Sorry to mix things up a bit, but y'all seem to be more knowledgeable than I am about DIY lights and parts. A couple of years ago, I put together a DIY light using an old Rayovac headlamp assembly, a 7.2v bulb (basically a 6 cell maglite bulb, but from radio shack, and a little cheaper), and a radio shack 7.2v RC car NiCad battery. My runtimes are pretty satisfactory (2 1/2 hours or so at 15 deg F, 3 1/2 hours at summer temps), but as my housing has changed, I've noticed my actual usable light has gone down the pisser. My original housing had an INCREDIBLE reflector, which helped my simple DIY light achieve brightness levels similar to the basic NiteRider setups. In a crash, I destroyed that whole housing and lost the reflector, and now I'm trying to come up with something as good, but more durable. I'm making do with a reflector scavenged from a $10 headlamp from wal-mart and a housing made from PVC pipe fittings, but I was hoping to find something much better. Not to mention my optics are pretty sub-par and I'm sure they cause a lot of my light to bounce all over the place.

First, I was wondering if you guys had any good sources for high-quality reflectors (I'd hate to have to cannibalize a perfectly good Mag Lite) and optics. I was also wondering if ANYONE makes a 7.2v xenon bulb. I'm impressed with the lower voltage bulbs, but I bet a 7.2v bulb would rock. The highest voltage xenon bulb I've found has been 6V that I've found in Petzl, Black Diamond, and Princeton Tec lights. I'd overvolt it, but with such low voltage to begin with, I know I'd be cutting the bulb life DRASTICALLY.

Nate


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## Low_Rider (Jan 15, 2004)

Nate, unfortunately I've got zero experience with exenon bulbs, and I've only just started looking into reflectors and optics myself. So far I've found some great stuff for Luxeons, but I haven't really looked into other stuff yet. I'll keep you posted. Hopefully someone will have some ideas??  

Cheers, Dave.


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## Low_Rider (Jan 15, 2004)

*Update Time!!*

O.K, I thought it might be time for an update!!

I'm not sure if I mentioned earlier, but when I built my digital controller, I built one as a tester/experimenter, and one "good" one, which got sent away with my PIC programer to the Tasmanian Secondary Assesment Board to be assessed (I used it as an assesment peice for my advanced electronics course in Year 12 before I went to Uni). I've been on and on at them for it's quick and safe return, but no joy until the other day when I was told I'd have it back ealry May! Woot!!!  (yet I got my results last november.... go figure  ).



> This (PWM) works really well with halogens, but I've yet to try it with the Luxeon LED's - I've got a feeling they won't like this sort of regulation so I'll probably have to limit the current instead. But we'll see how it goes.


So, during the last few months I've learnt a great deal about Luxeons and lighting in general - a lot of time spent in forums.... and I've realised some of the stuff I was saying earlier may well of been incorect.... correct at the time (in my mind) but incorrect all the same!! 

I was dead wrong talking about the regulation here. Yes, current limitting is needed anyway, but it's NOT a good method to control light output. And yep, you guessed it, Lumileds recomends PWM is the best way to vary the light output of Luxeons!!  If anyone is going to fiddle with Luxeons, please, it's a really good idea to have a solid, solid read of the datasheets!!  

You might recall earlier I decided to have a bit of a fiddle with a modified heatsink with the intention to use it with some luxeons as a "tester" front light. Well, I actually decided against that, and I rigged a temperature probe up to the heatsink, bunged a white 3 watt Luxeon on it (with some thermal paste) got out the multimeter, power supply, palm pilot, homemdae current regulator, and my semi-functional remaining controller and started tinkering - all in the name of experimentation. In the end I had the heatsink and luxeon in the family freezer, a non-responding tmperature sensor (just tooo cold and out of range) and a poor little freezing luxeon with about 1.6 amps going through it for a few milliseconds at a time.....

Why?? well I'm not real sure... but boy was it bright!!  

I've since decided a 3 Watt Luxeon could be quite good as a helmet light, and so I've been busy drawing up plans for a sweet body/heatsink and optic/cap assembly. Now that I've got all of my ideas written down, I'm just about to poke all of my plans in a CAD program and go hunting for some quotes from people with CNC machining capabilities. 

Thats got the head covered, but what about the bars?? Well after Tom mentioned the New Zealand company NightLighting, I've got very, very interested in the Endurenz, and I will be purchasing one with one of their controllers very soon. I invisage that I'll end up using one of my own controllers with it, (I've got a few newer variations on the go) and it may be possible that I'll be able to bung a temperature sensor in it so it will cut back power if it gets too hot. However, it's pretty cool outside here in winter of a night, so I'm not that worried, I'll probablly be overdrving it a bit too, and you can never be to carefull.....

(just a quick note so that I don't confuse anyone - NightLighting are very confident in their product, and with their controller there aren't any heat troubles) it's just out of my own experimentation and overdrving that I'll be monitoring temps.

I'll let you know how I go. 
Cheers, Dave.


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## itsdoable (Jan 6, 2004)

Low_Rider said:


> O.K, I thought it might be time for an update!!....


OK, so I'll update as well, althought with DST and the days getting longer, lights are not going to be as much an issue soon.

I've been running a ~10 LED light made from 3 Luxeon-IIIs, a housing from NightLighting (Eric in NewZealand makes some pretty niffty stuff!) and a modified boost current controller designed for a Luxeon flashlight (from Yamaguchi Consulting). Here is what it looks like without the optics or front bezel on it:









Inbetween the 3 LEDs is a switch, the boost controller circuit board, and a filter capacitor. The optics fit over top, and once the bezel is on, it looks very much like the Endurenz light at Eric's website (nightlighting.co.nz). The boost circuit is not exactly design for this, I have it running past spec (I had to replace the output capacitor), and with a 6.6V battery system, it consumes ~9W, delivering a little over 7W to the LEDs. That's driving the LEDs between 700~800mA.

I'd eventually like to be able to drive the LEDs at 1A, with variable power, although I'd disagree with "low-rider" about PWM directly on the LEDs. Maybe he's mixing up using a PWM circuit to regulate the current, which is the efficient way of doing it. I'd like to try Eric's current controller as well, but my preference is to have everything inside one housing.

Cheers,

Tom


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## Low_Rider (Jan 15, 2004)

Thanks for the update Tom - and the Pic!! 



> I'd eventually like to be able to drive the LEDs at 1A, with variable power, although I'd disagree with "low-rider" about PWM directly on the LEDs. Maybe he's mixing up using a PWM circuit to regulate the current, which is the efficient way of doing it. I'd like to try Eric's current controller as well, but my preference is to have everything inside one housing.


Oh dear..... it seems every forum or thread I look at one person swears by one method, and the next someone says something totally diferent!!   Yeah, there are some chips out there that vary their current depending on the rate of PWM applied to them - I think zetex produce some if I remember. So far (and I haven't really looked into or measured this acurately) using current regulation is great to vary the light output if they're being overdriven (say from normal current - up to 1 amp or whatever) but from what I can work out, if you want less light, limiting the current UNDER their 'recomended' specs results in poor light. However if the recomended current is kept and pulsed with PWM, it seems that the light output is more stable.

I actually got quite embarressed on another forum because I was raving on about my new 'current limiter' I had built, and how well it seemed to work. I quickly got told to read the datasheet more carefully - and was pointed to this (which I have since noticed in just about every Luxeon data sheet):



> Note: Driving these high power devices at currents less than the test conditions may produce unpredictable results and may be subject to variation in performance. Pulse width modulation (PWM) is recommended for dimming effects..


To be quite honest I still haven't played around enough yet. I'll have to sit down and do a concise experiment. I'll keep everyone posted! But hey, it it works who cares!?  

***************

Tom, I know it can be a struggle to get hold of digi cameras, but do you have any more pics of your gear?? Also, how do you find the beam of the Endurenz, as in light output / shape / throw etc?? As I mentioned, I'm very, very keen, but it's a big step to buy something when I've only ever seen a few pics and a couple of comments - although those few comments have most definiately talked me into it so far!!



> althought with DST and the days getting longer, lights are not going to be as much an issue soon.


It's the oppisite this side of the world!! Daylight savings finished a couple of weeks back - and I've just started venturing out on the bike in the dark again - I'd just about forgotten how much fun it is!!! 

Cheers, Dave.


----------



## itsdoable (Jan 6, 2004)

One of these days I'll design and program one of my own circuite boards, but in the mean time, it's a lot easier to look around for stuff that can be adapted. However, 


> Note: Driving these high power devices at currents less than the test conditions may produce unpredictable results and may be subject to variation in performance. Pulse width modulation (PWM) is recommended for dimming effects..


Yes I read that, and pwm or multiplexing is a standard way of dimming LEDs especially for displays as it uses less power (optical physiology) and works well when you drive the LED with a resistor circuit, which generally requires a relatively big resister. However, when you are driving 1A, that resistor gets hot (and wastes power, at a few ohms, you are wasting a few watts, and without some sort of regulation, you need a few ohms to control current). If you use a PWM current regulation circuit, you can use a tiny sense resistor, say 0.1ohms, which at 1A would waste 0.1W. For bike applications, this is preferable.

OK, so you can PWM after the current controller (and double the amount of electronics). However, most PWM current control circuits DO NOT like an open circuit (ie: when the LED is off) as the feedback circuit drives the voltage up in an attempt to maintain current, and often blows up the circuit. So, you have to PWM prior to the current controller, which at say a PWM frequensy of 500Hz, means you are turning the currnet controller on and off 500 times a second, again not the best thing. On the other hand, you can switch the sense resistor from a large to a small resistor, which in turns causes the current controller to switch between high and low currnet, but then you are forcing the circuit to re-stabalize at a different level 500 times a second again. Either way, you are stressing the circuit, and adding complexity. Since you already have a PWM current controller, it's alot easier to simlpy program that to have several current levels.

For line applications, its alot easier to PWM the Luxeons directly as you are not as concerned with efficiency. I think the main problem with the Luxeons is inconsistancy, many have a colour shift with current, so running them at different currents results in different colour hues. Again, for bike applications, that's not a big deal. For professional display cases, room lighting, etc... that would be an issue.

There is also a physiological reason for PWM the LEDs directly as the eyes observe an apparent brighter image than a constant dimmer light of the same average power. This is more relevent to displays (direct light) than projection (reflected light).

However, personally I don't think PWM the LEDs directly is practical on a bike light. I could be wrong, it wouldn't be the first time!

Re: Endurenz & Nightlighting stuff...

I only bought the housing from Eric, I didnot get his optics, LEDs or circuit. So I can only describe what I have, and the optics are a very important part of the light. The current optics I have (low profile Fraen & NX05's) provide a very colimated beam, with less spillage in the perifery than equivalent halogen beams. They are infact so well colimated that I find there is not enough light in the perifery for bar mounted single track use. I have some Fraen tri-lenses with a better beam pattern, but I need to modify the housing a little to make these optics fit. I have been using the high profile versions of these optics on a earlier model (2x5W version) and the beam pattern is as good if not better than halogens. (IMHO). The other option is to stick a coulbe of 5mm LEDs in there, but space is already tight.

As far as light output, the unit I have now easily puts out as much light as a comparable halogen and with better colour (and has the potential to be dimmable). At ~9W, it is brighter than my cheaper BLT & Night Hawk 10W MR-11 bulbs, and is comparable to a Niterider 10W MR11. It is still not as good as a HID.

I've been talking to Eric at Nightlighting, so he is aware of my experiments in optics & circuits, and I'm sure anything I find that improves things, he will test and incorporate into his product. He has mentioned that increasing the currnet on the Luxeon-IIIs from 0.75A to 1A didnot make a big difference in apparent light output, so running the LEDs below max current may be more optimal. Also, as different batches of Luxeons make it out, there will be differences in performance.

My opinion is that the 3-Luxeon setup I have is aproaching the performance of a 'good' halogen, and with some more optimization of the optics, it will have a comparable light performance & better flexibiliy. I am planning to make 2 of these units this summer (DST here in the northern hemisphere) and switch my wife over to one.

Hey low_rider, you are alot closer to Eric than I, you could easily take a holiday in NewZealand and check out his lights! NZ is on my list of places to visit...

Pics:















Power cable plugs into the back of the light, the switch is on/off only, no dimmer. Yet.

Cheers,

Tom


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## Low_Rider (Jan 15, 2004)

Tom, 

Thanks for the info and the pics - great stuff  I think I'll be shooting Eric another e-mail very, very soon! I reckon I'll even get one of his controllers while I'm at it, I might as well - it'll give me yet another toy to play with!!  I went for a ride with just a poor quality 10 watt halogen on my bars last night, and I reckon with my helmet light (overdriven 3 watt - the body being turned as I speak!!) and the Luxeon 9 watt Endurenz - (possibly played with later) would be more then enough light for me for general trail riding and definiately heaps for 12 and 24 hour racing. 

Hopefully during the week break after mid-year exams I'll be able to finish of a new controller and get a few boards made up - for now though, I'm into the books, but I get sidetracked extremely easily   Thanks again for the pics!

Cheers, Dave.


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## Low_Rider (Jan 15, 2004)

Another short update! I'm getting my hands on a selection of optics from Carclo Optics to play around with. I will let you know how I go. I've got a couple of bodies for my helmet light made up, I'm just waiting on the optics so I can do a mock-up before I get the screw-on lens cap made. Still having fun practising heating and bending pastic for my helmet mount, and I'm getting stuck into drawing up my new batch of controllers - just trying to get the buggers as small as possible at the moment!! 

Housing my controllers has always been a bit tricky, my helmet light controller will be O.K, because I can just chuck it in my hrydro-pack, but the controller for my handlebar lights has been a bit more problematic. For a while I've been mounting it between my water bottle mount bolts, but I don't really want to 'pot' the controller, becuase if it dies I have to throw it out. For a few rides it's fine how it is, but winter is approaching, so I need to waterproof it. I'm now considering housing my controllers in some clear plastic tube I picked up the other day when I got the plastic for my helmet mounts, I just have to do a bit of measuring up to see if it will work out. It should look good with my 'indicator' LED glowing a nice blue ('as long as it doesn't start flashing red I'll be happy!!). We'll see I guess.

A mate has just got a digi camera, so you should finally expect some pics of my gear soon. - yes I know, how many times have said that now?? 

A bit of info for those optics:

http://www.carclo-optics.com/Electro-Optics/Luxeon-Optics/Luxeon-Optics.htm

http://www.carclo-optics.com/Electro-Optics/dowload files/classic range.pdf

Some beamshots:

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/ub...umber=535167&page=&view=&sb=5&o=&fpart=1&vc=1

Cheers, Dave.


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## Low_Rider (Jan 15, 2004)

*Interesting E-mail*

Wow, looks like I'm in trouble, the foreign trade department are onto me!!  It's a shame I'm not a buisness, and I've never sold anything, and have never been paid for my services.... I've had a brief look around their site, but I can't seem to find much - a slight language barrier... I wonder if they give out free samples....  

I'm working out a cunning reply right now.....

Buck regulators - thats where I'm looking now, I haven't had too much time to play, but for my helmet light atleast, I think thats where I'm heading. Maybe intergrate it with my PWM controller later, but I've got some experimenting to do before then. I'm currently setting up a proper 'test bench' so I can work out exactly what impact pwm and current have on Luxeons, and which way is the way to go.

Cheers, Dave.



> Dear Sirs or Madam
> 
> we learn from FOREIGN TRADE DEPARTMENT OF CHINA that you are a LED products importer we can provide the best products , low price ,delivery on time and excellent aftersales service We have the pleasure of introducing ourselves to you with the hope that we have a good chance of cooperating with you in your business extension. We are a professional maker engaged in researching and developing,manufacturing and distributing LED photoelectric products with highly integration. Our products have hign-grade ultraviolet lamp, blue lamp, green lamp, white lamp, flash lamp and 7-color lamp, light emitting diode, backlight source, digital tube and CHIP-ON-BOARD(COB) bonding series. If you find business possible, please contract us for offers.
> 
> ...


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## noonievut (Feb 17, 2004)

*wow*

I looked at this thread with the hope that there would be simple instructions for a non-light guy to build his/her own light for the bike (but I can tell that this isn't, due to the foreign language...maybe someone can still help?).

I've priced out bike lights (kind you mount on the stem/handlebar) at bike shops and anything with decent power (to me this means being able to see very well 20 feet ahead an hour after dusk) is $100+. I was hoping to get an alternative with equal or more power for less, by putting one together myself.

So, if you think a non-light guy can do this by purchasing from the local Home Depot, I would appreciate some information here.

Thanks.


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## Low_Rider (Jan 15, 2004)

Yeah, we'll help you out!! 

Basically the easy part is the electronics. Stick to a 12 volt battery, and a 10-30 watt halogen globe, go down to you local electronics shop and get some wire the right gauge (they can work it out if you're not sure), maybe a switch, and a fuse would be a good idea (again your local shop can help you out). You may want a DC plug and socket, along with some 'spade' style plugs for the battery terminals too. (Whatever you do don't use RCA plugs and sockets - they cannot cope with the current that a halogen draws.)

Run a wire from the negative battery terminal to one side of the halogen, and from the other side of the halogen run a wire back through a switch, then the fuse, and onto the positive side of the battery. Obviously a twin core wire would look neater then two separate wires...
If you want to disconnect your light from your battery, insert a DC plug and socket between the fuse and halogen (so the fuse stays with the battery)

As for the battery, personally for your first set of lights, I reckon a 12-volt SLA (sealed lead acid) is the best option. They might be a bit heavier then nicads and other lightweight cells, but they are easier to charge, and easier to wire up for your first set of lights. Most people put them in some sort of fabric bag and chuck then in their drink bottle holder. The higher the amp/hour rating, the longer your lights will burn for. 

The hard part is mounting the halogen. A lot of people use PVC pipe, some use tow-ball covers... it's up to your imagination, and it tends to "make or break" homebrew lights as far as looks go!!  (Some of the links have great and not-so-great examples)

As usual google (and us) are your best friends.... 

Cheers, Dave.

Here are a few links for you to have a look at - in varying quality:

Metroid's great FAQ.
http://forums13.consumerreview.com/[email protected]@.efd74a8

http://www.thefathippy.com 
- if that doesn't work it is also hosted here: http://members.iinet.net.au/~fathers/lightstoc.htm

http://www.nas.com/~petes/bikelite.htm

http://members.ozemail.com.au/~drgagnon/

http://www.hut.fi/~mputkone/bike/bike.html

http://www.joinomba.org/wittenberg/tips/barmountheadlight.html

http://www.sirocco-software.fsnet.co.uk/bristolmtb/mtb_diy_lights_james.htm

http://ulrichprinz.com/bike/equipment.html

http://www.timpaton.net/bikes/light/tim.htm

http://www.timpaton.net/bikes/light/tr.htm


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## noonievut (Feb 17, 2004)

*getting better*

It's still a little foreign to me, but getting better.

If I pursue this I will print this post or jot some notes down and visit a good hardware store. Thanks and I may be posting again in the near future for some more tips.

P.S. You didn't mention price, what would you estimate this costs in total? Also what would a comparible set-up go for in a LBS?


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## BundokBiker (May 15, 2004)

*DIY trail lights*

Here are my simple homebrew halogen lights I made with leftover items from other projects (most of which can be purchased from Home Depot). the bulb is held in place using a piece of carbon fiber or aluminum hockey stick, you'll have to get creative on your housing. Another option is to buy a carbon fiber shell I found for my latest light, but it will cost you $33. http://trailheadlights.com/details.html#diy

I didn't think about using a fuse as Low_Rider suggested, it's probably necessary if you have electronics but I don't have his technical knowledge for the bells and whistles. I've used them for over 4 years without a problem, but would not recommend them during heavy rain. very simple loop with a on/off switch. added the remote switch in later models, nice to have because my hand stays on the handlebar and I can turn it off/on with my thumb, but it's not necessary. if you decide to install a remote switch, make it long enough to clip to the camelbak strap on your chest and you won't have to reach up to your helmet to find it. the bulbs are exposed, but that has not caused a problem and easily replaced if you crash. they seem to run fairly cool when exposed... I mean air-cooled. As you can see I run them under the handlebar for crash protection, you get longer shadows because of the angle and the 4" drops look like 2 foot drops. be familiar with your night ride trails or ride with a helmet handlebar combo.

battery: 12V SLA. $15-$25 I have various sizes depending on how much weight I want to carry
bulb, $5 - $7: MR16 20 or 35 watt spot or flood (I use GE halogens since the shape of the base is rectangular and easily fits into a standard hockey stick which has been filed/dremeled for fit)
wire, 10 to 20 cents per foot: 14 or 16 guage speaker wire. Insert the wire inside heat shrink tubing (20-50 cents per foot), wind it tightly around a broomstick, heat with hot-air gun (hair dryer won't get hot enough) and let it cool down... instant coiled wire which is very cool!!
switch, $3: from radio shack (lot's of heat shrink around the switch connection, but don't overheat the switch I've melted several)
back of light: piece of hockey stick fabricated for fit and drilled for wire holes. wires have rubber grommets to protect them. held in place with heat shrink tubing.
connectors are all crimped since I don't have a soldering iron.
helmet strap: made it myself with leftover staps and sticky-backed velcro which have to be sewn into place (find someone with a sewing machine)
handlebar strap, $6: made by twofish unlimited to hold a small flashlight. found at bike nashbar or check their website... http://www.twofishunlimited.com/bike.html

email me if you want additional photos or detail. making your own lights is a very fun project and there a ton of very different, but cool ideas to build them. it's definitely a very creative/inventive process. good luck. my next project will be LED lights.



noonievut said:


> I looked at this thread with the hope that there would be simple instructions for a non-light guy to build his/her own light for the bike (but I can tell that this isn't, due to the foreign language...maybe someone can still help?).
> 
> I've priced out bike lights (kind you mount on the stem/handlebar) at bike shops and anything with decent power (to me this means being able to see very well 20 feet ahead an hour after dusk) is $100+. I was hoping to get an alternative with equal or more power for less, by putting one together myself.
> 
> ...


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## Low_Rider (Jan 15, 2004)

BundokBiker - Thanks for posting your system!!

noonievut - unfortunately because of my location (tassie, Australia) I decided not to mention prices because of the diference (I think our dollar is worth about 68 US cents??) but by building your own system you are saving a lot. Usually you get away with half price or less as far as homebrew vs. commercial systems of the same wattage. Feel free to ask any questions you have!

I just about guarantee that in 6 months time you will be talking the same techno-babble as the rest of us!!


My only reasoning for a fuse (even though not technically necessary) was that if something shorts out (lamp falls in 4ft of water, or wiring shorts) a charged 4 amp or so 12v SLA will soon turn a smaller gauged wire into a nice hot and sticky heating element, just what you want running down the back of your neck from your helmet light........ The reality of it happening is slim, but if your building a system from scratch, you might as well put in while your at it.

On another note, most people spec their wires a bit bigger gauge then required, just to be on the safe side.

Cheers, Dave.


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## BundokBiker (May 15, 2004)

noonievut said:


> It's still a little foreign to me, but getting better.
> 
> If I pursue this I will print this post or jot some notes down and visit a good hardware store. Thanks and I may be posting again in the near future for some more tips.
> 
> P.S. You didn't mention price, what would you estimate this costs in total? Also what would a comparible set-up go for in a LBS?


noonievut - here's a link that has lot's of good lighting info...http://nordicgroup.us/s78/ . there seems to be many more sites/forums discussing DIY lights since my start a few years ago. i haven't researched it yet, but does anyone have a source of inexpensive NiMH batteries? my SLA batteries are dying on me and it's time to upgrade. Thanks.


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## Low_Rider (Jan 15, 2004)

BundokBiker - being from Aus I can't really help you out, but there was a massive post in the general forum a while back - http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=8670 I reckon a few prices were probably mentioned??

Cheers, Dave.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

Low_Rider said:


> Nate, unfortunately I've got zero experience with exenon bulbs, and I've only just started looking into reflectors and optics myself. So far I've found some great stuff for Luxeons, but I haven't really looked into other stuff yet. I'll keep you posted. Hopefully someone will have some ideas??
> 
> Cheers, Dave.


Update:

I didn't find a 7.2v xenon bulb, but I did find a 9.6v xenon bulb. I found a Black Diamond SpaceShot headlamp on sale at Galyans, and did some investigation. It can use 3 different bulbs: long life, bright, and superbright. It also runs off either 8 AA batteries, or a 9.6v NiMH pack.

I bought the light, and ordered the superbright bulb and the NiMH pack from Black Diamond and I'm pretty impressed so far. I haven't taken it on a night ride yet, but it definitely throws a bright beam. It's a pretty narrow spot, so it compliments my bar light pretty well. BD claims a 140m distance on the superbright bulb, which I think is pretty close to actual.

When the stock battery runs out, I'm going to replace it with one with some more juice. The BD NiMH is only about 1800mAH. It does get about 4.5 hours of run time on it, though.


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## Low_Rider (Jan 15, 2004)

Wow, sounds like a good setup!! It looks like you've caught the bug!! I'm just about to build a couple of packs up - 4.8v 3.4amp/hr should do me fine for a while. 

I really recomend that you guys have a bit of a squiz here:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php

And this thread details the building of packs from non-tabbed cells.(good read!)
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/ub...8261&page=1&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=365&fpart=1

And if you haven't already, this monstor of a thread has some great stuff.
http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=8670

Cheers, Dave.


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## Low_Rider (Jan 15, 2004)

Tom,

Unfortunately I wasn't able to PM you or get an E-mail to you, so I'll just post it here.

Cheers, Dave.



> Just thought I'd send you a quick message to say hi! I've been in E-mail contact with Eric a bit, and straight after my Uni exams (next week) he's going to put together a bit of a kit for me and send it over (the endurenz housing, luxeons, optics + a few other bit's and pieces I need).
> 
> Can't wait!!  He can't send and thermal pastes or epoxy to me through the post, so I've been busy looking around trying to work out the best option. I've ended up buying some Arctic Alumina themal adhesive, I'll have to experiment with ratios with thermal paste to get a good bond, but still removeable.
> 
> ...


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## itsdoable (Jan 6, 2004)

Low_Rider said:


> Tom, Unfortunately I wasn't able to PM you or get an E-mail to you, so I'll just post it here. Cheers, Dave.


Dave, I'll echo my reply here since there seems to be some interest in these LED lights.
_________________

Cool! Another DIY Luxeon using Eric's housings (https://www.nightlightning.co.nz/index.htm).

Let me see if I can answer some of your questions, I just recently got a second version of Erick's housing, modified for the Fraen Tri-lens optics, and have only had a few rides, which as it is our summer and we are approaching the longest day of the year, the light only gets 30~45min of dusk~night use right now, which really isn't a very good test.

I've only bought the aluminium housing, I get all the other stuff locally (optics, controllers, LEDs, etc...)

Epoxy: I've been using standard epoxy to bond the Luxeons to the housing/heatsink. I did some early prototypes with thermal grease and bolts onto an aluminium plate, but it was nicer to bond them inside Erick's housing. People have reported that a thin layer of regular epoxy between 2 smooth surfaces, is just as good as thermal grease, the thinness of the layer plays a bigger role. Of course it is now difficult to remove the luxeons, they pry off with the powder coat... it's kind of a permanent solution.

Wiring: Are you using Eric's (NightLighting) controller? If not, what are you planning to use?. Some sort of current controller is essential with LEDs, especially Luxeons if you want peak light output without burning them out. LEDs are on/off devices, so when they go on, you have to control/limit the current through them, most batteries will happily dump more current through them than they can handle. I've played with 3 different controllers, made by people in the US. 2 are for automobile/home use, and one is for flashlight use, all specifically for Luxeons. The flashlight version is very small and fits inside the housing, but I'm overloading the output capacitor so I'm not sure how long that driver will live.

Let me know if you want information on any of them, you can order them though the internet for ~$25. I've also made my own controller, but we won't go there, sufficient to say that these are much nicer.

LEDs can be wired either way as long as you supply the correct current, BUT if you are trying to drive them at the maximum current, it is safer to put them in series, that way you are assured that each LED is getting no more than the controlled current. In parallel, the current is split between several LEDs. If the LEDs are identical, then the current gets split equally. However, LEDs are never exactly identical, so one LED will always get a little more than the others, the differences depend on the LEDs themselves. Thus if you are driving them at the max. current, then one is probably being over driven. The other issue is when one of the LEDs burns out. In series, the current stops and the light goes out. In parallel, the current is now split between the remaining LEDs, so each gets more current, and they all burn out.

The current controller I'm currently using in Eric's housing is a "boost" controller - you supply a voltage lower than what is necessary, and the controller 'boosts' the voltage to a level that will supply the correct current. In this way, I can run 3 Luxeons in series from a 6V battery. I do this because 1) if the controller blows up and shorts, the battery has too low a voltage to burn out the LEDs, and 2) all my early DIY lights used cheap 6V Gel Cel batteries, of which I had plenty. The controllers in the picture above are "Buck" controllers, with these you supply a higher voltage and the controller reduces the voltage until the desired current is obtained. I used these on my early LEDs with 12V batteries. Generally Buck controller are a little more efficient than Boost controllers, and you get better run times with higher voltage batteries.

Eric's bezel is a friction fit to the front of the barrel (snap on) - it's a good fit, won't come off without a lot of effort.

Here is a shot of my most current NightLighting DIY experiment:








The housing is a bit deeper so it can take a modified Fraen Tri-Lens (slightly better optic, but now there are other ones out there that don't need the deeper housing). Switch is NOT waterproof, boost controller stuffed inside the housing, mount is from an old TurboCat light that a friend has "permanently" borrowed as a helmet mount. However, the light pattern and output is good, an I think this design (or something similar) will end up on my wife's bike (her 10W halogen light now looks inferior to this one).

Cheers,

Tom


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## Low_Rider (Jan 15, 2004)

Thanks for the reply Tom,

As far as epoxy I've read all of the stuff you mentioned in the past, there are a lot of comparisons on the net, I'm guessing you've read the stuff here seeing you've got a downboy: 

http://home.comcast.net/~theledguy/home.htm

http://home.comcast.net/~theledguy/cpf_store/thermalepoxystudy/index.htm

I'm going to attempt to lap both the base of the luxeons and the inside of the endurenz housing, so that I won't have to worry about pulling off the powdercoat if I ever have to take them back off again.

As far as a controller, Eric hasn't quite put the finishing touches on his switchmode regulator (I think he's now got it running, but is still writting software) so I'm going to build my own, and possibly buy his off him later. The actual controller itself isn't an issue, I was just trying to decide which way to go about things, because running Luxeons in series/parrallel both have different requirements. I have a number of various samples from Dallas / Maxim Semiconductor, both buck and boost controllers, it's just a matter of deciding which way to go. 

I've got a buck regulator running here on my bench now that I've made up, I'll probablly do a run of a few more and use them on my helmet lights.(see below)

(If worst comes to worst I'll just do a nasty resistor bodge job or LM317 regulator until I get things sorted, but I can't see it coming down to that, I've got close to a month holiday after exams next week!!   )

I knew from the start that series was the best way to go for the actual Luxeons themselves, it would of just made things easier if they were in parrallel as far as controllers and battery packs went.

I still haven't got hold of those sample optics from Carclo I was talking about, I'll have to get in touch with them again and see how things are going.

TASAB are still being a P.I.T.A.in handing back my good PWM controller - every time I phone them up I get told "I think you get it back this week" or "I think it's already been sent" or "oh, we're packing it up now". And this has happened at least twice a month for the last three months...... I'm really kicking myself for sending my PIC programer down with it. I'm really considering going for a 400km drive down to see them, and I won't come home until I've got my stuff!!

I haven't done a thing as far as my helmet light project is concerned. A few mates have shown interst, so as soon as I get some more bit and pieces made up I'll build them up and get rid of them, I've already got an new idea for a better setup which 'll use as my own light.

Thanks for the info.

Cheers, Dave.


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## b12yan88 (Jun 28, 2004)

*Price per Bright Ratio*

This light thing looks very interesting. Can you point me in the right direction for descent lighting for riding in the light while conserving money. I want to keep it under 50 if that's possible. I am a poor kid and am not loaded. You are very smart and I need your help. I have lots of tools at my house, blowtorch, drills, sanders, normal stuff. Can you help me make a cheap light for my bike ?


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## Low_Rider (Jan 15, 2004)

Yep, we can help you!! 

I'm not sure where your from so I don't know how far $50 will get you if you purchased a light from your LBS (I'm an Aussie so your $50 would possibly be around $90, which may get you a decent light), but I can tell you right now it WILL allow you to make a great homemade light. 

I'd go down to your LBS and ask around and see what you can get, and have a look at the links on this page for a few ideas for a homemade light. Tell us which way you'd like to go and we can help you more.

Cheers, Dave.


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## b12yan88 (Jun 28, 2004)

*USA Norcal*

I am from Norcal USa. I am not sure which way i should be headed in terms of types of lighting. I want to be able to build a light that doesn't dissipate too much energy, and drain a batteries life, and at the same time have it bright enough to ride at night, and keeping the cost down. Halogen or Luminex, which one is cheaper. I bought this blue and green LED a while back. It has 7 different lighting modes toggled by holding the button. They were quite expensive, though i don't know how much they would cost now. I'm thinking halogen would be cheaper.

Thanks for your help,
Bryan


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## jm03 (Feb 9, 2004)

*18 volt battery*

I was considering running out and buying a switch, cabling, and a mr 16 light, could i test this on a 18 volt drill battery to see if i liked it and test with this battery until i could order a 12 volt rechargeable?


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## fiveohhh (May 3, 2004)

18v would blow the light out I'm guessing...


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## Low_Rider (Jan 15, 2004)

b12yan88 - I'd stick to a halogen setup for now. Aim for somewhere between 10 to 30 watt, no lower then ten for sure. Check your bike shop for lights around this rating and see what the prices are like. For $50 you should be able to find something. If not, a decent size battery and a halogen globe shouldn't be too expensive (way under $50 for sure) mounting it all is the only hurdle. Check the many links in this thread for some ideas.  

jm03 - 18 volts is a fair overvolt, I'd wait out until you got yourself a 12v battery.

Cheers, Dave.


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## jm03 (Feb 9, 2004)

Low rider what would you recommend for a battery, my goal would be to get to lights a 10W and a 20W and run them through a 4 way switch. I'd like to get between 1.5 to 2.0 hours of light depending on if i were running both bulbs together. I know if has to be a 12 volt battery and i was looking at the sealed lead batteries but when you start to push teh M/ah up, you really increase weight? So could you shed some light on how much i'll need, or if i should just spend the money and buy a metal hydride battery. Also i noticed the led lights, are those better? For example if i bought a halogen MR16, what if I were to replace the bulb with a led setup, what differences would i notice?
thanks


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## jm03 (Feb 9, 2004)

Oh, one other question, i know with computers and many other devices that lithium ion batteries have become a standard now, especially with laptops, why aren't they being used with bicycle lighting systems?


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## jm03 (Feb 9, 2004)

okay last question, i have the opportunity to get a nite rider classic cheap. Although nite rider said they would continue to support the batteries that use the old style connector, i was wondering how much it would cost to buy the guts of the waterbottle battery and replace them myself, and where would i get the battery?
thanks again


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## itsdoable (Jan 6, 2004)

jm03 & b12yan88

By far the cheapest/easiest way to make a DIY light is Sealed Lead Acid (Gel) batteries and halogens (MR-11 or MR-16). You need to look for a good bulb, the colour & output of many halogens can vary quite a bit, many hardware store home bulds are quite yellow and dim. You will also need a decent battery charger, although if you are careful you can get by with a cheap properly rated transformer. 12V bulbs are easier to get, 6V batteries fit better in the water bottle holder (if you like bar mounts).

NiMH and Lithium batteries up the cost, and require smart chargers (which ups the cost again). Thier main advantage is weight. Some high end lights (ie:Lupine) have Lithium batteries, but they are very $. Also the # of useful recharge cycles decreases with these batteries.

LEDs work great, but they are expensive, and require specialized control cuircitry and optics to run. Also, the variability of the high power Luxeon LEDs is great, and getting ahold of the "X" bin (highest Lux batches) LEDs are difficult - I've only been able to get the "T" & "U" bin LEDs, which are less than half the Lux of the best ones. Still, these are as bright as the best halogens for similar wattage, so if I can only get a hold of some "X" bin Luxeons, I'd probably have something comparable to HIDs.... NightLighting is the only company I know of making these lights.

The Niterider Classic is a good halogen light. If the price is right, you can't beat it.

Cheers,

Tom


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## b12yan88 (Jun 28, 2004)

*actually*

I am pretty sure that Lithium ion batteries are better for a few reasons. They use them in laptops cell phones and other electronics because you can charge them at anytime. You can charge them even when you only used a little bit of the energy where as the others you can't. This was good for cell phones because you really dont want to wait till your cell dies before you charge again. At least this is what i recall from my chem ap class.


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## jm03 (Feb 9, 2004)

Well i can get a lightly used niterider classic, it's in great working order, i just wondered about the battery. And how easy and how much it would cost to replace the guts of the waterbottle battery. The body has some scuffs on it, but overall both bulbs work and the clamping mechanism is good, and the charger and battery work. I can get it for 100 dollars, buy or not?


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## Low_Rider (Jan 15, 2004)

jm03 - the niterider sounds like a good setup, for more battery info have a look at this link:

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=8670

I'd be looking at a 4amp/hr battery minimum at least, although as Tom mentioned they do tend to get a bit heavy as their capacity increases. I'm back on a 6v halogen system at the moment, and with my SLA, I can just squeeze the battery bag into my drinkbottle holder. A custom mount, or a "battery bag" would soon get you going though.

b12yan88 - I disagree. Forgetting cell chemistry for a minute, the Lithium ion cells are the same as anything else. Even a NiCad or something similar can be charged independant of the current charge left in the cell. Will it last as long? Nup. Laptop manufacturers could care less if you have to buy a new battery off them every 2 years. The whole "memory" thing is a bit extreme anyway. As long as you use your head, you can't go too wrong.

Having said that though, for longer cell life, a true "smart charger" will really give you an advantage. Real smart chargers are hard to find though, as many are just dumb chargers with just a timer built in. True smart chargers, monitor the cells voltage, temperature, and current draw, and even discharge the battey properly before charging.

Back to laptops, as I mentioned earlier, many have no controllers at all, and really don't look after your battery. Pretty soon your relying on having your laptop plugged in to the wall to use for any real length of time.

Good manufacturers (and there are heaps about) are using "Smart Batteries" which is a standard battery pack with a small chip wired into the pack. This chip communicates with your laptops SMBus (system management bus) supplying your laptop with data such as pack voltage, current draw, temperature, time, cell type, humidity, peak current draw, remaining capacity etc, and can be logged/modified/re-programmed very easily. This allows your computer to act as a true smart charger, and with a bit of creative programming, software can be written to really harness the power of these batteries.

So where am I going with this?? Well many PC motherboards have a SMBus header on-board, and I've already got a couple of these "one wire device" chips that I can hook up very easily, all I need to do is write some software to communicate with them, and I have a state of the art battery management system for my lights!! 

Cheers, Dave.


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## bcboy (Aug 9, 2004)

itsdoable said:


> jm03 & b12yan88
> 
> LEDs work great, but they are expensive, and require specialized control cuircitry and optics to run. Also, the variability of the high power Luxeon LEDs is great, and getting ahold of the "X" bin (highest Lux batches) LEDs are difficult - I've only been able to get the "T" & "U" bin LEDs, which are less than half the Lux of the best ones. Still, these are as bright as the best halogens for similar wattage, so if I can only get a hold of some "X" bin Luxeons, I'd probably have something comparable to HIDs.... NightLighting is the only company I know of making these lights.


 I picked up some Vista light heads from MEC a few years ago. The nice MR-11 ones with a mount and switch, they are still used in their better lights. My batteries may have bit the dust and as I have no working charger I am unable to do any tests on them.

So with that where is a good place to go in Toronto to find chargers, batteries etc.

I am very interested in increasing my run time in my system. I have 4.5 amp/hr 6 v system with 10 and 15 w bulbs. I usually use my 10 w as it is more then enough. I have very good night vision and can ride at close to day time speeds with my lights. And I ride at a good clip. My last night ride only one guy could keep up and he was a racer on familiar trails.

I have two battery packs. If they work then I am going to stick with them. But if they don't I have two options. One is to pick up new batteries for my lights. 9.5 Amp/hr cells looks kind of nice. Or switch to LED. BLT has a system they say is very bright and lasts all night (not cheap so not going to happen). I wouldn't mind doing a couple of solo 24 next year so that is the interest in long run times.

If as Tom says a 9 w LED system is at least as good as a 10-12 w halogen then what extra costs are involved. For optics I have to have a flood pattern or else it really screws up my night vision. I prefer as even a light as possible. Dim and even is better then bright and spotty.

I guess that is a start. Where can I find a charger and might it be worth converting to LED?

Thanks


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## itsdoable (Jan 6, 2004)

bcboy said:


> I picked up some Vista light heads from MEC.... So with that where is a good place to go in Toronto to find chargers, batteries etc.


MEC has inexpensive gel cells (usually) and often has chargers. Active Electronics (Queen St) is a great place to find NOS batteries - they are a surplus store, so you may have to check back several times before they have anything good. I picked up a bunch of 3.5AH 3/4A NiMH cells in packs of 8 for 5$/pack - only 3 out of 32 cells I picked up were bad. Radio Shack makes a good all purpose charger (Gel, NiCad, NiMH) which is also available as a Maha charger in US mailorder for less. Smart chargers are available from any of the main brands separately, just make sure it's the correct voltage/type of battery. The Vistalite lamps were good, the mounts suck, we've broken many of the plastic bar mounts. But we're rough on equipment.



bcboy said:


> ... 9.5 Amp/hr cells looks kind of nice. Or switch to LED. BLT has a system they say is very bright and lasts all night (not cheap so not going to happen). I wouldn't mind doing a couple of solo 24 next year so that is the interest in long run times.


I'd just get 2 x 5AH batteries, carry both for long run times, carry one at a time for the 24hr event laps - you don't want to be carrying all that weight when your laps are only ~1hr. Many of our riders use Gel Cells from the local surplus store (~$16 for a 4.5AH 6V Gel) and carry 2 batteries on the long winter nights. NiMH are much lighter (and more $) if that is an issue.



bcboy said:


> If as Tom says a 9 w LED system is at least as good as a 10-12 w halogen then what extra costs are involved. For optics I have to have a flood pattern or else it really screws up my night vision. I prefer as even a light as possible. Dim and even is better then bright and spotty.


The LED's cost alot of $$$, you need the LEDs (~$30 each/Future Electronics), the optics (~$20 each) and a current control circuit (~$30) and a housing with a proper heat sink (made one from scrap Al, or ~$85 from NightLighting). Some of these components are not easy to get, subjet to supply. Optics are still limited, although there are some good wider angle optics available now - I just have not been able to get them yet. Then you still need batteries & charger. After all this, you get something that is equivalent to your VistaLite with a good new bulb in it. If you like fiddling with electronics, it's great (as light colour and dimmer functions are superior), if not, I'd just buy the complete LED light from NightLighting as you'll probably spend that much.

Cheers,

Tom


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## bcboy (Aug 9, 2004)

itsdoable said:


> Radio Shack makes a good all purpose charger (Gel, NiCad, NiMH) which is also available as a Maha charger in US mailorder for less. Smart chargers are available from any of the main brands separately, just make sure it's the correct voltage/type of battery. The Vistalite lamps were good, the mounts suck, we've broken many of the plastic bar mounts. But we're rough on equipment.


I will have to check out the place on Queen St. it isn't too far from where I live. As for Radioshack I haven't seen anything worth buying. Could you be a little more specific. I have 6 v NiCad batteries.



itsdoable said:


> The LED's cost alot of $$$, you need the LEDs (~$30 each/Future Electronics), the optics (~$20 each) and a current control circuit (~$30) and a housing with a proper heat sink (made one from scrap Al, or ~$85 from NightLighting). Some of these components are not easy to get, subjet to supply. Optics are still limited, although there are some good wider angle optics available now - I just have not been able to get them yet. Then you still need batteries & charger. After all this, you get something that is equivalent to your VistaLite with a good new bulb in it. If you like fiddling with electronics, it's great (as light colour and dimmer functions are superior), if not, I'd just buy the complete LED light from NightLighting as you'll probably spend that much.


Yikes, I guess buying a new charger and possible batteries is way cheaper. The cost of getting a system for 6 hours run time is just not worth it for me. As for the mounts if it breaks I should be able to mount it to something else easily enough. I have used the mounts for 4 years with zero problems.

As night riding is upon us again. Tom if you are an area resident I would be very interested in seeing your lights in action, at least for comparison purposes. Again thanks for the information.


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## kustomz (Jan 6, 2004)

*Burn time estimate*

Any guess on the burn time of MR16 wired straight to a 13.2v 3.8ah battery? How does one calculate something like this?


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## itsdoable (Jan 6, 2004)

bcboy said:


> IAs for Radioshack I haven't seen anything worth buying. Could you be a little more specific. I have 6 v NiCad batteries.


The Maha/Radio Shack charger looks like this:








or http://thomas-distributing.com/maha-mh-c777.htm, or as an option http://www.servocity.com/html/super_brain_charger.html . These are all purpose chargers, which autosense the voltage and battery type, and charge accordingly. If you are only interested in a 6V Nicad charger, you can probably spend less.

Some good info at http://www.employees.org/~jkarnes/bikelights.htm



bcboy said:


> ...As for the mounts if it breaks I should be able to mount it to something else easily enough. I have used the mounts for 4 years with zero problems.


Ya, my first one lasted years, and is still going. But several in our group bought them later (mostly because of mine) and they have all broken.

Cheers,

Tom


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## itsdoable (Jan 6, 2004)

kustomz said:


> Any guess on the burn time of MR16 wired straight to a 13.2v 3.8ah battery? How does one calculate something like this?


Link above is a good reference (http://www.employees.org/~jkarnes/bikelights.htm), as is the faq

Basically, 13.2v * 3.8ah = 50Wh

If you have a 20W bulb, max run time is 50Wh / 20W = 2.5h
(MR-16 bulb come in various wattages)

Derate by 0.8 for gel cells to prevent brown outs : ~2h
Also - depending on battery type and current drawn, there is a de-rating factor. Cold temps also have a de-rating factor that is battery type dependant. Battery age also derates it. Basically, if every thing is new & conditions are perfect, expect ~2h, otherwise less.

Cheers,

Tom


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## kustomz (Jan 6, 2004)

I plan to use a NiMh NP-1 style battery similar to;
http://www.tristatecamera.com/LookAtAll-s59jglm5-ASPNP45-2-00470108-0-store.php3.html
Here is a picture of my lamp, wire holder, and switch;


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## bcboy (Aug 9, 2004)

itsdoable said:


> http://www.servocity.com/html/super_brain_charger.html


That charger looks good as it can to 1-8 cells at a time. Something that I might need to with the problems I am having.

I was able to borrow a Radioshack maha-777 charger not the digital version in your picture but MH-C777 model. I tried it and both sets of batteries simply do not take a charge. I tested the cells in both and one had almost zero resistance and voltage. This would be a good reason why this battery doesn't work anymore. Luckily I can recover or should I say hopefully recover it for use as my dive light.

My other battery doesn't present such a smoking gun as to why it isn't working. I tested each cell and they all seem to have identical voltage and resistance readings. How can I test a cell? Also I had to yank the battery apart and the tabs are now gone. What steps can I use to put them back on. Any place in TO that does this. When I redo my dive battery I need to remove the bad cell and replace it with a "good" one.

I will be heading down to Active Surplus today or tomorrow to check out their batteries but I have now heard they are mostly used cells.

Any hints or thoughts on this is greatly appreciated.

BCBOY


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## bcboy (Aug 9, 2004)

I made to it Active today and they had no cells like the ones Tom mentioned. They didn't even know where I might be able to get tabbing done. This really sucks. Back in Vancouver it seemed easy to get this done.

I might just have to order batteries from http://www.batteryspace.com/. Speaking of which are they a reputable company?

Thanks

BCBOY


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## itsdoable (Jan 6, 2004)

bcboy said:


> .... When I redo my dive battery I need to remove the bad cell and replace it with a "good" one.


I would not recomend replacing one cell in a battery pack, replace the whole thing. Cells need to be 'matched' in a pack, the new cell will have more capacity than the old cells, and eventually you will reverse bias one of the old cells causing another failure, or cause incomplete charging of the new cell or over charging of the old cells due to the capacity differences.



bcboy said:


> I will be heading down to Active Surplus today or tomorrow to check out their batteries but I have now heard they are mostly used cells.


Active is a surplus store, they get NOS and used items. With batteries, it's mostly gel cells that have been replaced in schedualed UPS system maintenance, some which have never been deep cycled. NiMH are less common, and are usually NOS - which often contains bad cells due to shelf life issues - which is why they get cleared out. You don't get cheap for nothing.



bcboy said:


> made to it Active today and they had no cells like the ones Tom mentioned. They didn't even know where I might be able to get tabbing done. This really sucks. Back in Vancouver it seemed easy to get this done.


Yea, surplus store are like that, you have to be a geek and go back every now and then to see what they have. Like I said, NiMH cells are harder to find, and get picked up quickly. Gel Cells are much more common there. When I'm in the vicinity, I'll often pop in to see what they have, that's how I chanced on the cells.



bcboy said:


> I might just have to order batteries from http://www.batteryspace.com/. Speaking of which are they a reputable company?


One of the ride buddies who lives in Oakville says there is a place called "Battery Station" (or something like that), he gets gel cells there for his lights, 6V 7.5AH flat unit for ~$16. Don't know about NiMH. I've hear batteryspace is good. Also, you might check with 'homebrew' who posts here, I heard he has some extra 3.5AH NiMH cells at a reasonable price.

Cheers,

Tom


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## bcboy (Aug 9, 2004)

itsdoable said:


> I would not recomend replacing one cell in a battery pack, replace the whole thing. Cells need to be 'matched' in a pack, the new cell will have more capacity than the old cells, and eventually you will reverse bias one of the old cells causing another failure, or cause incomplete charging of the new cell or over charging of the old cells due to the capacity differences.


 What happened was I purchased the dive light and at the same time purchased an extra cell. The extra cell was used 99% of the time with the other cells as my bike battery. It will have been cycled almost the same number of times. But my problem is if I can't get batteries re-tabbed then I am screwed. I will try and get a picture so you can see exactly what I mean.

As for new batteries I found that I can get two 6 V, 4 amp/hour NiMH batteries for about $50 CAD. The above batteries are over 7 years old so there capacity has dropped.

Thanks Tom for the help. I may come back latter in the year and try my hand at LED lights but not for some time.

BCBOY


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## Low_Rider (Jan 15, 2004)

Time for another update.

I finally got everything back from Tassab a while back, which means I can start programming Pics again and playing about.

Still haven't ordered my Endurenz stuff, although I'm about to shoot Eric an e-mail today to see what he's up to. Should have a housing here within the month. I have decided not to use my own controllers for this light for the time being. I have found a great controller that a bloke I have been in e-mail contact with is now selling. I'm not going to say who/what it is until later. (It's a secret!!) 

Should be great with a nice big NiMh 13.2V 4Ah battery - I'm hoping for around 6 hours or so runtime on the brightest setting.  Another great thing about this controller is that I will be able to adjust pretty easily the current drive level from a few presets (6 or so I think - between 100ma and 1amp). On top of that during normal operation there are 8 dimmer levels. I'm planning on running them at the full 1 amp during winter, we will see how things go as things warm up though, I'll probably have to knock it back down to 700ma or so.

Finally got around to taking some photos of a few bits and pieces. As I may have mentioned earlier, I was lucky enough to get some samples from Carclo Optics. Luckily I have got three of each type, so I will be able to experiment with the Endurenz. 










The magical box arrives....










Some optics and holders



















The full collection










My Halogen PWM controller. One of two I have left. Excuse the poor photo, it's definitely not a macro camera....










And my Palm Pilot communicating with an Atmel microcontroller. Just did this to prove a point to myself. Serial communication is pretty easy with the palm pilot. Will be using it later to download data from my datalogger project. (After I get my light sorted out).

Oh-well, back to the books I guess. I have still got 6 weeks or so of Uni left, but after that's all done I have a 3-month break to get some riding, work and electronics happening. Should be good 

Cheers, Dave.


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## Guest (Sep 14, 2004)

*Sold on Luxeon*

I'm now thoroughly interested in building an LED system using Luxeon 3/5 watt systems. I am, however, a newbie at lighting in general. I see on the future electronics site that you can order a Luxeon "starter kit". it's around $200 US and I am wondering if it might be worth it to get, just to get started playing around with them. Thanks for your thoughts,

brw


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## Low_Rider (Jan 15, 2004)

You're probablly better off to wait for someone else to answer your post, I'm from Australia, so prices are a little different. $200 Sounds very. very steep. Have you got a link or list of kit contents? I think you'd be better of to keep reading up, and buy the bits you need seperately. It will end up a lot cheaper.

Cheers, Dave.


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## Guest (Sep 15, 2004)

http://www.futureelectronics.com/promos/Lumileds/docs/VWhite.pdf



Low_Rider said:


> You're probablly better off to wait for someone else to answer your post, I'm from Australia, so prices are a little different. $200 Sounds very. very steep. Have you got a link or list of kit contents? I think you'd be better of to keep reading up, and buy the bits you need seperately. It will end up a lot cheaper.
> 
> Cheers, Dave.


I'm guessing, with the content of the kit, that you *might* change your mind. Low_, do you have any proper links or suggestions in how to get started with lighting and LED's in general (besides google and "how stuff works")? I am a software developer, so the idea of working with tangible things is a little foreign...

brw


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## itsdoable (Jan 6, 2004)

IMHO you should have a reasonable knowledge of doide porperties and electronics before playing with the Luxeons, because you can easily fry them, which can be costly. The candlepower forum has alot of discussions on Luxeons & high-power LEDs, but basically you need some sort of current controlling circuit, and proper thermal protection on each LED.

5W luxeons have a short life time, the 3W version are much better. The kit has no electronics for battery operation.

Not sure what BLT is using, but these are the first commercial high intenity LED bike lights I've seen advertised (besides NightLighting's adventure lights) http://www.blt-lights.com/enduroray_nh1250.htm they are using the side emitting package with reflector technology, driving 12W electrical power - could be 3 over-driven 3W luxeons - or some equivalent.

Hey Low_Rider, can I bum a Carclo 10003/25 or 10003/15 optic off you? I've been trying to get in touch with the North American distributor, but they don't reply.

Cheers

Tom


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## Low_Rider (Jan 15, 2004)

Tom - I'll shoot you an e-mail in a minute. I didn't really like BLT's early offerings, but that looks half alright (although I have seen something very similar somewhere..... I guess there's only so may ways you can do things.... )

Motobri - Listen to Tom - he's done it, I'm only taking about it so far.... shouldn't be long now though!!

Keep searching through these pages for links, google it up, and check out the lumileds site for datasheets (I can e-mail most of them to you if you have a big account). Also check this link out:

"High output LED systems"
http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=43588

It has some information about brands making decent quality LED systems.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Earlier there was a discussion with Bcboy about chargers that I missed. Although there is a bit of playing about involved, chargers for RC (remote control - planes, cars etc) stuff are everywhere. They're pretty much all true "smart" chargers, and they're getting pretty cheap, although not as cheap as some that were mentioned. I'm still learning what your dollar is actually worth in comparison to here.

The downside is that they're mostly designed as "field chargers" which means they need a high current 12 volt power source like a 12 volt car battery to work. That means also buying a power supply if you want to use it at home.... I knew there was a downside... Many RC guys have gotten around this by modding old PC power supplies (I'm halfway through doing mine).

Cheers, Dave.


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## Low_Rider (Jan 15, 2004)

Here is the link to the LED_PRO program I was talking about to Jonowee in the "High Output LED Systems" thread.

http://www.jtice.com/led_pro/led_pro.htm

Cheers, Dave.


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## normski (Feb 3, 2004)

*luxeon headlight...... help please*

Brand new poster from the UK!
I am looking to build an LED headlight to supplement a bar mounted halogen.
looking at doing this with the luxeon star, either 1x5w or 2x3w.
I am no electical genius can I run this from a 7.2v nimh pack with some resistors or do I really need a driver(no idea what that is but saw it while searching!!)
Any ideas on lense choice looked at the fraen as they also do a spacer mount, but which beam pattern will be most likely suitable, looking to supplement the front flood to give me a bit of a heads up on corners.
Feel free to add anything else you can think of...

sorry for lots of questions at once, but you chaps seem to know it all!
please keep your answers idiot proof 
thanks...mark


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## normski (Feb 3, 2004)

*luxeon headlight...help please*

Brand new poster from the UK!
I am looking to build an LED headlight to supplement a bar mounted halogen.
looking at doing this with the luxeon star, either 1x5w or 2x3w.
I am no electical genius can I run this from a 7.2v nimh pack with some resistors or do I really need a driver(no idea what that is but saw it while searching!!)
Any ideas on lense choice looked at the fraen as they also do a spacer mount, but which beam pattern will be most likely suitable, looking to supplement the front flood to give me a bit of a heads up on corners.
Feel free to add anything else you can think of...

sorry for lots of questions at once, but you chaps seem to know it all!
please keep your answers idiot proof 
thanks...mark

think I might have posted this in the wrong place first time


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## munthu (Sep 19, 2004)

*cheap battery solution*

for the lazy <not electronically gifted> of us,
i found this
http://www.cesium.com/Prius/coleman/index.html
for $16 on sale at radioshack in the US. it has a 11 sub-c ni-cd batteries in it - 13.2 volts at 1.3mah.
i picked up a 12v accessory plug for ~$3 and hooked it up to my homebrew light(previously using sealed lead acid)
the charger is built in, just throw it in the car during if you commute to work. it fits inside a waterbottle cage with room to spare. 
it wont run for ever but burns for more that an hour with my 12w bulb- and for the price, weight and convienence it works for me.
does anyone know if swapping nihm cells into this would work?


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## Low_Rider (Jan 15, 2004)

munthu - 1.3 amp hours isn't all that great, but as you said it would be allright for an hour or so with a low wattage globe.



normski - This is the right place. As I have mentioned earlier, take the time to read all of this thread, the lumiled website (including datasheets - links above) and the Candlepower forums (link above). 

Download the program in the link above your post, and have a play about. For a simple soloution, I think a resistor would work quite well with your battery pack and the luxeon combination that you have mentioned. I like the idea of the 2 - 3 watt setup. 

As for optics, check out the CPF forums I mentioned, and do a quick search for Carclo and Fraen. Do you want a spot to compliment the flood that you already have, or want to boost your flood even more?? There are plent of beamshots on CPF to give you and idea as to what will work for you. Sounds like it would be a great setup.  

Cheers, Dave.


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## Low_Rider (Jan 15, 2004)

For those who are interested, normski has posted here:

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/ub...0763&page=1&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=365&fpart=1

Just to clarify things, a Boost regulator increases voltage, where as a Buck regulator decreases voltage. The advantage with a buck regulator is that with a higher voltage battery pack you can expect a longer burn time before the light goes dull. With a direct drive setup where you are using a resitor to limit the current the light output tends to dim as soon as the voltage starts dropping below the leds "Vf" which is the LED's rated voltage. Obviously this will still happen with a buck regulator, but you have a bit more "headroom" to play with.

Cheers, Dave


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## Wombat (Jan 25, 2004)

*MR16 LEDs*

Has anyone tried any of the MR16 LEDs that seem to be about ; there are several around, but I suspect that despite their claims that the are the quivalent of 20 watts they are not that bright: http://www.quality-items-flashlights.com/product_info.php?products_id=103

Thanks

Wombat


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## tedsti (Oct 22, 2004)

*DIY Voltage regulator*

Has anyone built one of these? http://lightbrain.8m.com/free_regulator.html

Low Rider, is this the plan that you used?

Ted


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## Low_Rider (Jan 15, 2004)

Hi Ted, 

Yeah, if you want to read some of my posts on the first page, you'll find out a bit more about it. It's not that exact controller, but it was based one of his designs. I only used his code and the same PIC microcontroller, and the rest is my own design, although really it is pretty much the same as his. 

I used SMT (sufrace mount) components on the reverse side to try and make it smaller, but my board layout wasn't as good, so it ended up the same size. In hindsight I would of got rid of the reverse protection diode, and used a smaller PIC and FET. 

The units that did work have worked really well.

Cheers, Dave.


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## Low_Rider (Jan 15, 2004)

Hey all, 

I just thought I'd add that I'm currently writting a post that I'll put in both the Passion and New Products forums documenting my new light build. Should be interesting I hope. Part One should be up soon!

Keep a look out, Dave.


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## tedsti (Oct 22, 2004)

Low_Rider said:


> Hi Ted,
> 
> Yeah, if you want to read some of my posts on the first page, you'll find out a bit more about it. It's not that exact controller, but it was based one of his designs. I only used his code and the same PIC microcontroller, and the rest is my own design, although really it is pretty much the same as his.
> .


I saw your original post and it looked pretty similar. I was looking through the code and found one thing that I would like different if I build one. His power levels are based on a percentage of the input voltage. I would like one that would hold a constant set of output voltages, regardless of input (as long as Vi>Vo). I currently run 6V bulbs so maybe 6.5V high, 5V med and 3 V low. This would also allow me to run common 6 cell packs instead of 5 cell without blowing the bulb in 2 minutes. This means that the controller would have to have a way to measure voltage. I don't know how much complexity this would add.

Ted


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## itsdoable (Jan 6, 2004)

*long...*

It's been a while since I posted anything, to busy riding! 

Long... sorry:

LEDs:
I'll re-iterate that if you want a DIY Luxeon light, I recommend learning some electronics. Driving an LED (ie: a Diode) is not as simple, and errors or incorrect methods will greatly degrade a very expensive LED (lifetime & colour). That being said, there are many ways to do this correctly.

I advise using a Pulse Width Modulated (PWM) current controller circuit instead of a simple resistor. Any gains in output and efficiency are lost with a resistor, if you hook up a 3W luxeon with a 6V battery + resistor, the resistor will consume 40% of the energy from the battery! A PWM circuit consumes <15%.

PWM current controllers are available from several internet sources, completely built and ready to use. However, you must select the correct type, current, load for your light. I have use both "boost" and "buck" versions, the decision depends on your choice ot battery & Luxeons.
http://home.comcast.net/~theledguy/home.htm
http://www.taskled.com/
http://www.ledsupply.com/

For instance, on the 3x3W luxeon unit (pictured in a previous post) I'm using a Boost controller (6V to ~10.5) at 0.9A. The 3 luxeons are wired in series, so the forward bias voltage is ~10.65V across the set. The boost controller is a Yamaguchi device that has been designed to deliver the desired current & voltage boost with virtually no headroom - which means that when the battery start to drop in voltage (<~5.5V) the boost limit is reached and the current starts to drop. This makes the whole system self protective. I also have a dual 5W luxeon unit where both LEDs are driven independently by a Buck controller at 0.7A & ~6.5V), from a 12V battery. In this case, if the controller fails, the 12V will probably blow up the Luxeons, which is an expensive proposition as the 5W luxeons are $$$! In this case, the controllers have a lot of headroom and are designed with more robustness (TaskLED controllers).

We have Niterider HID users in our ride group, and my current ~10W luxeon units are clearly not as bright, but they are not over-powered by the HIDs anymore, and hold their own. Keep in mind that the current Luxeon LEDs are capable of 2x as much light as mine if you can get the right batch numbers.

The correct optics will make/break the light, many LED optics are very well colimated with little spill outside the main beam. This makes handle bar mounting problematic, and gives you tunnel vision when helmet mounted. My favorite optics are from Fraen & Carclo, they have good wider beam optics for bar mount lights.

MR16 LEDs - I've inquired about them but have not received anything. They all use a 3W or 5W luxeon. No matter what the promotional materials tell you, no 3W luxeon produces the same amount of light as a 10W halogen. All claims (including HID's) are for virtual appearance, (pseudo-LUX?). When measured, a 3W luxeon produces about the same as a 'good' 3W halogen, (which is equal to a poor 6W halogen). I have a Nighthawk Emitter light (3W luxeon) which they claim is equivalent to a 10W halogen, and if you put it beside a good Niterider 10W MR-11 bulb, there is no comparison, the 10W bulb is at lease 4X brighter. However, the Luxeon light is very 'white' and you can get by with less light, and infact if you compare it to a cheap Home Hardware 10W MR11 bulb, you can probably see just about as well. The difference is the Home Hardware bulb is design for 3000hr lifetime, and gives off a dim yellow light, where as the Niterider bulb is designed for 200hr life and gives a very bright white light.

If you are experimenting with Luxeons, I would recomend the 3W versions. The 3W luxeons have ~15000hr lifetimes, while the 5W Luxeons have 200hr lifetimes and cost much more, the math is pretty easy.

Commercial units are comming on line, USE's "Exposure" lights use 2 5W luxeons, and BLT's "Enduro Ray" uses 3 3~4W leds - both very expensive. By far the best value is NightLighting's "Enduranz" unit that uses 3 3W Luxeons (thier housing is the basis for my lights), and infact, a complete light from them will cost you little more than all the parts separately!

LightBrains: I have 2 of thier controllers for halogen bulbs, and they work fine. However, I have pretty much converted completely to LEDs now, so I don't use those lights (they get relegated to loaner units). But if you want DIY system that is cheaper and less prone to expensive mistakes, this is a good way to go.

Dave:, if you have a spare ~10 ~12deg Carclo optic, that would be much appreiciated - I only managed to get 2 wider beam optics from them.

Cheers,

Tom


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## jvossman (Jan 12, 2004)

*question for DIY newbie*

Hi, 3 nite rider digitial evolution batteries are all pretty dead after 3 years of use.

Before I drop $300 on new batteries (they are for 3 different systems for my entire team to use) where can I go for SIMPLE do-it yourself instructions. To start off with, how do you take apart the little torx? screws so you can get to the guts (water bottle style not an option Also, am I better off trying to upgrade to lith ion as opposed to the nickel metal?

Thank you.

-john voss
miami fl


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## Homebrew (Jan 2, 2004)

jvossman said:


> Hi, 3 nite rider digitial evolution batteries are all pretty dead after 3 years of use.
> 
> Before I drop $300 on new batteries (they are for 3 different systems for my entire team to use) where can I go for SIMPLE do-it yourself instructions. To start off with, how do you take apart the little torx? screws so you can get to the guts (water bottle style not an option Also, am I better off trying to upgrade to lith ion as opposed to the nickel metal?
> 
> ...


Don't spend the $300 on new batteries. You can do much better. I posted basic instructions for building batteries here...

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=52685

I'm not sure about the security hex screws. There was a guy looking into in this thread...

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=50442

You could PM prerogative to see if he was able to find the right tool. If not, a handy dandy Dremel tool will get you in there.

As to the Li-Ion, I wouldn't use them without voltage regulation. First, Li-Ion cells are 3.7V each nominal and much higher fully charged which does not work nicely with 6V halogens. Also, you really need the low dropout even with the battery protection circuitry. The circuitry just keeps it from exploding and not intended to maintain battery life. Stick with NiMH.


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## prerogative (Jan 15, 2004)

Homebrew said:


> Don't spend the $300 on new batteries. You can do much better. I posted basic instructions for building batteries here...
> 
> http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=52685
> 
> ...


Thanks for the reminder Homebrew ! I have to get that pack apart to see what makes it tick and determine what batteries to order. I'd like to keep the two Digital nightrider lights stock, since I have a bunch of others now.

My LBS gave me a ~2002 NightRider display case. It included a power supply and one of each light they had at the time (2 duals, 2 singles, and the red light for back). No batteries or 3-pin connectors, but this is perfect, since I'm so fond of the overvolted single light I use . . . more on that:

NightRider Digital Evolution (older 2pin), with OEM 15w spot and six 4/3FAUX batteries. I added a micro toggle switch to bypass the digital stuff. The digital function freaks out when voltage is too high and goes into emergency mode when battery is topped off, but works when voltage hits ~<7.5 volts. The switch is so easy to hit with gloves on, and I like it much more than the button (newer ones suck because you have to hold them down so long). I get over 2 hours out of it, vs. less than 2 hours from stock (3+ hour ride, including low light use and switching between the two when needed).

If you calculate it out for overvolting the way I do, you get about 200 hours out of a bulb instead of 2000 (~11% of rated, with ~43% efficiency increase). I used it as primary on helmet all last season on same bulb, and usually complement it with a stock one with flood light on bars.

I can elaborate on this more if there's any interest . . . Regards


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## Stuart B (Mar 21, 2005)

I have a set of these Smart lights bl201










I have tested out an everled and its brighter than the 2.4W by a long way and nearly as bright as the 10. I guess its equivelent to 8W halogen. But one draws half the current draw of the 2,4W halogen. I have ordered another and intend to run both on. the light should be more than the 12.4 total of the stocker but last as long as the 2.4 on its own.

The everleds are a maglight type bulb fitting and have a lense that makes use of the refelector. The base of the bulb holds the elastictrickery and allows it to be used in 1 to 6 cell mag lights (1.5 to 9v). This means they should stay the same brightess untill the battery dies. The bl201s come with a 6V sla battery.

I left it on my desk at work switched on face down, it didn't even get warm to the touch after several hours. the 10 would have been quite warm shining straight at the desk.

Its not HID bright, but good enough for the amount of night trail riding I do at the moment. I would love a set if HIDs, but can't justify it at the moment.

I hope to use them in a team 24 hour me and my mates have applied for in June.

Stu


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