DIY lights - LED project

[mountain_lion]

 

Willhond' date=' a 50mm plumber pipe works just fine as a downlight housing.[/quote']

 

 

 

Also look at the irrigation dept. 50mm Nylon nipple with threaded end works perfectly and keep it in place with threaded end cap drilled to correct size 

 

Above ideas work fine for a down lighter type light; I have used it too.

 

Problem with the high power LEDs is heat.

No point mounting the LEDs on a heat sink and then enclosing it.

A metal enclosure which is thermally bonded to the LED will be best.

Then the enclosure can form part of the heat sink extracting the heat to the outside.

 

I am still thinking about how achieve this in a practical way that is easy to build at home.

 

 

[Thug]

Mark, only saw your post now.

 

Will take a photo tonight & include the handlebar mounting bracket.

 

 

 

 

 

[markStockton]

 

Will take a photo tonight & include the handlebar mounting bracket.

 

Thanks T.

 

I think I've decided to make my own epoxy carbon / glass tube to mount the light in. It will be sealed at the front with the lens and have a CPU heat sink at the back.

 

I found a Top Peak bike mount at the LBS yesterday that looks like it will work.

 

[Thug]

What I did is mount a piece of aluminium plate to the back of the heatsink with a self-tapping screw and covered that with a piece of duct-tape.

 

I then purchased a handlebar mounting bracket from my LBS (it comes in a packet for 31.8 & 25.4mm handlebars - made by toppeak I think) and then bolted that onto the aluminium plate.

 

Not pretty, but effective.

 

 

 

 

[mountain_lion]

For my previous home made sets, I used a LED flasher mount on the stem.

Works well, with the lights out of the way under the handlebar.

 

See

https://www.bikehub.co.za/forum_posts.asp?TID=11234&KW=lights&PID=189021#189021

 

[Thug]

I rode with a guy this morning who has the new Sigma Karma, very nice indeed. 

[Jules]

Who was that, Thug?

[markStockton]

 

I rode with a guy this morning who has the new Sigma Karma' date=' very nice indeed. 

[/quote']

 

At the price I'd expect day light in front of my bike.

 

[Jules]

I'm interested to know the motivation for making your own light.

 

 

 

Is it because:

 

 

 

1) It's cheaper

 

2) Light manufacturers don't make the light you want

 

3) Sense of accomplishment

 

4) Other

 

 

[Jules]

 

I rode with a guy this morning who has the new Sigma Karma' date=' very nice indeed.?

 

[/quote']At the price I'd expect day light in front of my bike. smileys/smiley4.gif" align="absmiddle" alt="Big%20smile" />

 

 

 

 

 

You can get that for free if you ride during the day

[markStockton]

 

I'm interested to know the motivation for making your own light.

 

 

 

Is it because:

 

 

 

1) It's cheaper

 

2) Light manufacturers don't make the light you want

 

3) Sense of accomplishment

 

4) Other

 

 

both cost (I have a family with 5 bikers in it) and sense of accomplishment.

 

[Thug]

 

Who was that' date=' Thug? [/quote']

 

It was the dude with the Raleigh, don't know his name.

 

[Thug]

I think Jules that it's a combination of points 1 - 3 and you also get bragging rights

 

 

[Thug]

 

Here's a picture of the bracket attachment, apologies for the quality.

 

 

 

[Willehond]

Thanks for the pics of the mount Thug.  I have managed to find the same bike mount at Willie Engelbrecht, but I am still struggling with the housing.

 

MarkStockton, what are you doing with the buckpuck?  I am struggling to figure out where to hide it because the heat sink sits behind the light and I obviously don't want to mount the buckpuck on the heatsink.  Please help!

 

Jules, price is a big factor as these lights are quite bright for the price.  You would have to seriously multiply the cost to get the same brightness.  Plus it is very satisfying to build it.  I also want a light I can use for night events like the Trans Baviaans where long battery life and lots of light is important and that comes at a heavy price, so building it yourself makes sens.

Willehond2008-03-06 23:44:27

[markStockton]

 

MarkStockton' date=' what are you doing with the buckpuck?  I am struggling to figure out where to hide it because the heat sink sits behind the light and I obviously don't want to mount the buckpuck on the heatsink.  Please help![/quote']

 

I really hadn't finalised where the Buckpuck is to sit, however I know it won't fit into the same housing that the lens, LED's and Heatsink is in. The idea that I favor the most at the moment is to solder the connections to the Buckpuck (currently crimped plugs), insulate with heat shrink tubing and silicone sealant and mount it on the side of the light assembly. Crude, ugly, but effective.

 

With luck this weekend I'll fashion a crude plug to make a mold for the casing. However riding at Babba's comes first.