Brighter-Lights Posted June 13, 2008 Share Well, I think our lap times reflect that we knew the course pretty well ;-) It's the 3rd race of a 4 race night series... I don't use a bright light on the helmet... it blinds you when looking down... I only use a light on the helmet to be able to see around me shen I stop and to see my bar... A bright light on the helmet fills the shadows and takes away perspective... just how I prefer it... I think every section of the road through baviaans is quite easy... We train there a lot and Gert lives there and owns a big part of the kloof between Kondomo and Bruintjieskraal... The only challenging part for me is down Bergplaas if you let go of the brakes and at the bottom through Poortjie... there after it's nice wide gravel again... But... having all that light will surely make an impression! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brighter-Lights Posted June 13, 2008 Share Talking of baviaans... I think it depends very much on how fast you will do the race... we all normally reach Heroncliff/Kondomo during day still, so we only need lights for never ender to jbay... easy gravel roads.. But the slower riders finding themselves at Geelhoutbos in the dark have a whole different challenge! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WillemT Posted June 13, 2008 Share BL I came across some lithium battery's. A123 systems makes them. have you looked at them. They look quite amazing, pulse currents of up to 120A for 10 sec and 70 amps continuos discharge. I'm waiting for components to build a light but would stick with NiMH as lithium is a bit exspensive and you need special chargers. They use this new lithium batteries in cars and build a drag motorbike with it that reaches 100km/h in no time... They say the batteries are a lot more robust than previous batteries. http://www.a123systems.com/#/products/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agent Orenge Posted June 13, 2008 Share night tider, why dont you try these batteries, they look most impressive. You could also wrap them arounf the bar in a cordura bag. What sort of money are they and how do we get hold of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brighter-Lights Posted June 13, 2008 Share They are good for very heavy Amp drain, but have lower capacity per weight than the li-ion and Li-polymer I use... They do however, have a much longer cycle life... 1000 cycles... where li-ion and li-polymner is about 300 to 500 cycle life. Bike lights pull 0.5 to 1.5 amps average... Their spec is 3.3v nominal, 2.3Ah 70g , my li-ion is 3.7v, 2.4Ah, 50g But... amazing amount of current available from them! Brighter-Lights2008-06-13 09:47:59 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WillemT Posted June 13, 2008 Share take a look under the "order your development kit" on the website. I think they're about $100 for 6 cells. you can order them on the internet.I wont have the money to get them at this stage. i'm a student so i live on a low budget. I already have 8 NiMH so i'll just stick with them for now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WillemT Posted June 13, 2008 Share They are good for very heavy Amp drain' date=' but have lower specs than the li-ion and Li-polymer I use... Bike lights pull 0.5 to 2.5 amps average... There spec is 3.3v nominal, 2.3Ah 70g , my li-ion is 3.7v, 2.4Ah, 50g But... amazing amount of current available from them! [/quote'] i see. was also wondering about that. it didn't look like they had a huge storage advantage just discharge and you don't really need that in that magnitude in the bike lights. Apparently they also use this batts in power tools cause of the ultimate discharge capability. the cycle life is quite interesting!!night tider2008-06-13 09:51:56 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WillemT Posted June 13, 2008 Share BL would you sell batteries and chargers separate? just to know for when i have money in the future... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brighter-Lights Posted June 13, 2008 Share 6 cells from them would be 3.3 x 2.3 x 6 = 45.5 watts/h @ 420g @ $129.00 ( I use li=po that's 65 watts/h at 400g ) = too expensive... add time to build pack, shrink-pack, liquid sealer, housing = one very expensive battery... Worth it where big amps are to be drawn, but not for bike lights... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brighter-Lights Posted June 13, 2008 Share Unfortunately not, I have an option on the website of buying the light alone, but I can't do it like that anymore. It will be complete systems from now on. I have better control over the quality as everything gets tested and I can offer a product with confidence. Enjoy your weekend. Jo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WillemT Posted June 13, 2008 Share understand, thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZorgusPrime Posted June 13, 2008 Share Night tider, You should have a look around at the model & hobby shops, or else online at places like http://thunderpowerrc.com/ (eg. the ProLight series) That will give you an idea of both battery and charger/balancer prices.Light manufacturers will normally charge a premium on batteries that can be sourced elsewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brighter-Lights Posted June 13, 2008 Share Yes, $180 for the same battery the Revelation-3 uses and $130 for a similar charger on the thunderpower site... Then add shipping, time in transit, time to collect + fuel, customs fees, time to cycle and test battery, time to assemble battery pack into housing + fixing connectors... Then you'll understand why even R4500 is very cheap for a system like the Revelation-3. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZorgusPrime Posted June 13, 2008 Share 100% agreed ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WillemT Posted June 13, 2008 Share Yes' date=' $180 for the same battery the Revelation-3 uses and $130 for a similar charger on the thunderpower site... Then add shipping, time in transit, time to collect + fuel, customs fees, time to cycle and test battery, time to assemble battery pack into housing + fixing connectors... Then you'll understand why even R4500 is very cheap for a system like the Revelation-3. [/quote'] If I may say so, I think that's what many people don't get about your lights. they see the price and some think it's expensive but they don't look at the complete system and what's actually inside. The LEDs and lenses are not that expensive but they forget about the other 90% (drivers, housing, batteries chargers ect.) of the system that makes it a professional light... just my view. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Fastbastard Mayhem Posted June 15, 2008 Share Totally 100% correct. It's one thing I've found in looking for batteries / drivers / optics etc - they're all cheap individually, but even for a halfway-decent looking home-made light you're looking at R1k plus for it all. And then if you want a better housing for heat-wicking capabilities, or maybe just a light that doesn't need a water bottle for a battery housing, well then we're talking even more... B-L, I am definitely a future client. Just need a MTB first! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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