# Red Amoeba



## scar (Jun 2, 2005)

2x Cree Red XP-E2's mated to Regina Ledil reflectors
Controlled by a TaskLED LFlex driver set to max output of 1000ma's
2600 mah Li-Ion battery
GoPro Seat post mounted


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## find_bruce (May 8, 2011)

2 red XP-Es at 1A, that ought to keep anyone from sucking your wheel


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## mattthemuppet (Jul 16, 2004)

damn, that'll be bright! Did you use any of the funky programmable strobe modes?

I'm not sure that your design will allow it, but some way of getting a bit of light out the sides would be my only suggestion. It makes a bit difference at road junctions. Perhaps a thick piece of lexan sitting proud of the housing, rather than recessed?


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## scar (Jun 2, 2005)

Did an urban assault over the weekend and stopped to take a couple of photos -

















Hey Matt -just getting a chance to play around with the strobe patterns. I have just been using the defaults. I was looking for the thread where someone described a flash pattern they had come up with?

You have to remember, I am a mountain biker (that is one of the reasons why I hang out on this site ) so I don't have much experience or time to ride around on the street. I have been riding off road with the tail light in place for the last week or so just to see how well it holds up. No problems. One of my riding buddies saw the light while we were taking a break on the trail the other morning and asked me to fire it up. His comment was - WOW! That thing is bright, should piss off some motorists.

Not sure, it may be too bright? But I have heard rumblings of people wanting high powered tail lights and not being able to get them. Just wanted to give them another option :thumbsup:

***


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## mrbubbles (Apr 9, 2007)

Bright light but it definitely needs side spill, and a better rear mount.

Here's mine as an example.










Moving the connector and the switch to the bottom helps with the awkward rear cable routing. All I'm missing is a lexan wrap around shield to seal the whole assembly, so I used silicone chaulking instead.


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## mattthemuppet (Jul 16, 2004)

scar said:


> Hey Matt -just getting a chance to play around with the strobe patterns. I have just been using the defaults. I was looking for the thread where someone described a flash pattern they had come up with?


Pethelman posted a neat Youtube video of a bunch of different options although I can't for the life of me remember the thread. Might be easier just to PM him 



scar said:


> You have to remember, I am a mountain biker (that is one of the reasons why I hang out on this site ) so I don't have much experience or time to ride around on the street. I have been riding off road with the tail light in place for the last week or so just to see how well it holds up. No problems. One of my riding buddies saw the light while we were taking a break on the trail the other morning and asked me to fire it up. His comment was - WOW! That thing is bright, should piss off some motorists.
> 
> Not sure, it may be too bright? But I have heard rumblings of people wanting high powered tail lights and not being able to get them. Just wanted to give them another option :thumbsup:
> 
> ***


my comments weren't meant as a criticism, just an observation from my own experience. Most of my near misses come at junctions, either multiple stops where I'm stationary or cars waiting to join the road I'm on, so side visibility is a huge plus there. As for brightness, I don't think 2 XP-E @1A is going to be too bright, especially if it's aimed down like your pictures show. I've noticed a big difference in driver's behaviour around me with my brighter tail light - they more frequently give me a wide berth. For city riding in the day, you could probably go even brighter.

hope that helps!


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## scar (Jun 2, 2005)

Hey Matt, sorry that comment was not directed at you as I know you are familiar with who I am. A lot of new people hitting up these boards lately, so I thought I would make it clear that 98% of my riding is done in the dirt :thumbsup: so I don't need or use a read tail light.

Will have to think about the side visibility a bit. Not sure it is viable with my Amoeba design. I really like your idea of the Lexan sitting "proud" of the housing a bit, that would work.


mrbubbles - thanks for the constructive criticism :thumbsup:


***


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## mattthemuppet (Jul 16, 2004)

no worries scar, I didn't take it badly, just wanted to be clear that's all 

glad you like the "proud" Lexan idea, but Pethelman deserves the credit for that as he's used it to great effect on his Designshine rear light. I can't remember the exact specs, but it's pretty thick (3-5mm I'd guess).


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## find_bruce (May 8, 2011)

One thing I have always liked about this sub-forum is that posters take active steps to avoid offending others.

I am envious of the amount of the amount of time you get to play in the dirt. Sadly I live in an urban jungle and the only way I would get to do that is riding through people's gardens 



mattthemuppet said:


> Pethelman posted a neat Youtube video of a bunch of different options although I can't for the life of me remember the thread. Might be easier just to PM him


Was this the post you were referring to ?



pethelman said:


> Hey "C"
> Currently finishing up assembly on all the "build #2" hardware. All of that hardware is sold, and I only have a handful of units left to finish up and ship out. Thanks to some delays in the machine shop, I was able to work with George on the new programmable flash modes for the Maxflex and get those incorporated into build 2. In fact, I now have a custom "DesignShine" firmware load that pre-defines the flash modes, so they can always be restored by doing a system "reset."
> 
> The other new modification to allow the user to remove the lens cover and swap out lenses seems to work well. This allows a taillight that has been configured for vertical operation to easily be switched over to horizontal operation.
> ...


If not, there are more videos on pethelman's website


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## mattthemuppet (Jul 16, 2004)

that'll be the one - nice job on the find!


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## Magnum9 (Jun 8, 2011)

With the low forward voltage of the red XP-E, is the lFlex coping with disspiating the extra wattage okay? I have just ordered all the parts to build a tail light from cutter and am debating whether to go 2 or 3 LED's on 2S with the lFlex. I can basically get an extra LED for no loss in current draw. Thinking 3 LED's at 500mA would give good run time and be bright enough for commuting. 2 LED's facing rear, one narrow optic, one elliptic optic and one LED facing down with the domed Khatod 180 degree optic.


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## Toaster79 (Apr 5, 2010)

Defo 3 LEDs.


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## bikerjay (Sep 16, 2007)

I really like the use of the gopro mount they work well for me. I am curious, where did you get the go pro mount that you are using and how is the go pro mount secured to the aluminum light body. By go pro mount I mean the part with the two little tabs that matched the go pro housing not the rest of the system. I have a plastic go pro mount I got from candlepowertech dot com. The part from candlepowertech works well but was not cheap.


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## scar (Jun 2, 2005)

I have used the CandleTorch one before also and remember it to be around $25. Just looked and they are $8.50 now.

I have been using a Drift GoPro Adapter that is about $13. I mill off the part with the slot and remove the foam padding. I then adhere it to the light housing with a thin layer of ShooGoo. The ShoeGoo has an incredible peel strength and works great. You have to be sure and let the ShoeGoo dry for 24hrs before putting any stress on it.

***

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## Ofroad'bent (Jul 10, 2010)

The Drift Pro looks like it would work for a lot of DIY applications, and would fit an Easy2LED housing well. It is a lot of money though for a little piece of plastic. Something like that without the knurled screw would be ideal. Would it be hard to 3D print a bunch? The other Candletorch one would be trickier to mount.

I notice DX and others sell good headbands and decent looking helmet mounts that are GoPro knockoffs, so that might be an easy way to set these up.


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## scar (Jun 2, 2005)

*pic from last nights ride*









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## scar (Jun 2, 2005)

Red Amoeba w/ Cree Red XP-E2's and now available with side visibility -

















































****


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## Rcksqrl (Aug 29, 2013)

That's nice!!


Sent from magic wish granting phone


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## Vancbiker (May 25, 2005)

Excellent addition to your offerings. Do you use reflectors inside still or bare emitters?

PS. It would look better with one of my Gopro adapters on it.


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## Ofroad'bent (Jul 10, 2010)

Funny, I just finished up an improved helmet-vent red flasher, using a red cree and a 1.4A MobyDrv. Good project for an ice-storm day. Naturally Scar's light will blow mine away.


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## scar (Jun 2, 2005)

Vancbiker - I am using Ledil Regina reflectors mated to the XP-E2's for some crazy throw for a tail light :eekster: If someone needs/wants to knock that throw down a bit, then I can frost the inside of the lens.

Here is a quick video I did of the updated tail light before I shipped it off to a fellow cyclist in Italy. I shot the video with a point and shoot Canon camera. While the video is pretty impressive, it really does the light no justice. You have to see it in person to believe it.






****


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## scar (Jun 2, 2005)

Vancbiker said:


> PS. It would look better with one of my Gopro adapters on it.


Was just rereading your post, sorry I missed this comment. I would have to agree with you. What would the postage be from up north?

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## Vancbiker (May 25, 2005)

Not too far north. Made in Vancouver WA. USA! I can get at least 4 ABS ones in a padded envelope for about $2.75 to US addresses. PM sent.


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## scar (Jun 2, 2005)

The thicker lens material did so well for creating side visibility on the Red Amoeba, may as well do it on the front light too 

The front of the lens is blacked out with electrical tape and on low so I could get a picture.

















*****


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## Rcksqrl (Aug 29, 2013)

Great idea! More side splash is a good thing!!


Sent from magic wish granting phone


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## Vancbiker (May 25, 2005)

If that is going to be used on the bars, you'll probably want to shield the top of the lens to prevent the upward spill from killing your night vision. For a commuter, the side and down spill should help the "see me" ability of the light.


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## scar (Jun 2, 2005)

I recently received some of Vancbiker's aluminum GoPro mounts and used one of them on my latest rear light build. Really a nice piece, thanks Vancbiker, looking to order more :thumbsup:

































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## Vancbiker (May 25, 2005)

Thanks Scar! That's looking excellent. 

I have two aluminum ones left and am out of material on hand. I'll have to get more next time I'm over in Portland.

Is the square tube you use for the housing a sandblasted or beadblasted finish? I would like to try to better match the appearance of the adapter to your housing.


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## Ofroad'bent (Jul 10, 2010)

What, no fins on the aluminum adapter? I thought that was the rule- mandatory fins on everything  

Actually, I just got 3 from Vanc, and they look excellent.


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## eliflap (Dec 13, 2007)

i received the RED some days ago.
i used it in the daylight in 4 rides in these days, with grey sky and close-to-foggy weather and in 1 night ride.

in the day as only tail light.
in the night coupled with a front Amoeba 4 leds light, using same battery and a Y connection, riding about 2 hours.

i asked to scar a red tail light, some weeks ago, unknowing this thread, because switching my habits from mtb to road rides, i feel usafe with my red cheap and no powerful tail light.

i mailed him, saw some pics and videos: completely sure , he's the MAN.

Nuova luce | eliflap

now on my roadie rides, i feel very safe.

and it's funny look at drivers and passengers of cars with heads and eyes on my tail


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## scar (Jun 2, 2005)

*Flashing videos*

Had a few minutes to mess around with the video camera on my phone so I took a couple of quick videos of my Amoeba lights flashing during the day.

Here is the view from the front






*****


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## scar (Jun 2, 2005)

*And another.....*

from the back






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## Vancbiker (May 25, 2005)

@Scar

Here is the prototype of the GoPro seat rail mount we discussed some time ago. PM if you still have interest in this.


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## eliflap (Dec 13, 2007)

Vancbiker said:


> Here is the prototype of the GoPro seat rail mount we discussed some time ago. PM if you still have interest in this.


i am interested of ...


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## savvas (Mar 21, 2011)

*flash rate query...*

Hi Jay,

I have one of your older Amoeba's and I love it. I also have a DesighShine, although that stay's on the one bike and doesn't get moved around like the Amoeba. Now you've got me interested in the flashing option!

I don't know what driver you have used, but I'm wondering if you can slow the flash rate down - maybe to 2xsec - and even make it more of a pulse from say 20-%-100%-20% etc.

ta,

Savvas.


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## scar (Jun 2, 2005)

Hey savvas, great to hear from you and that you are still digging your Amoeba. Just a heads up, I can upgrade your light to the latest and greatest LED's and reflectors, shoot me an email and I will give you the details.

I am using the TaskLED LFlex driver in these. There are 6 pre-defined flash patterns and I can also program custom patterns. :thumbsup:

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