*A bike light for UNDER R1000!!

[Speedi]

well if you look at the pic of the light setup you will see the battery pack is an easy solution. three rechargeable dont weigh that much and the battery pack fits very comfortably in a water bottle. so why change it??

[Conti]

true,just easier to attach a smaller battery pack as you need the brightness for about 2-3 hours whilst training.

good idea with the torch!

[Domestiquehated]

whats a lumen?

 

Skeem izza place where the larnies take a dump man.

[Speedi]

thanks conti...

[ZorgusPrime]

Speedi15' date='

 

There are 8 different brightness XR-E Cree's at the moment... (ranging from 60 to 120 lumens) so you have to know the bin. If the manufacturer didn't specify it, it's probably a low bin group...

 

If you're serious about selling your light at some time, I suggest you learn the formulas so long... it's very basic grade 10 science... gives you peace of mind to know how bright your light really is and how much electrical power it uses. And it's interesting!

 

P (watts - unit of electrical power) = V(volts) x I (current)  

 

It's very simple... you take a multimeter and connect it in series with the led and measure the current. Then you take the current to the datasheet and see how many lumens that bin LED gives at that current.

 

You could also measure the current drawn from the battery and devide the battery's capacity by it to roughly get an indication of burn time - remember that the battery's capacity changes drastically when higher current is drawn with Alkaline cells.

 

Good luck! 

 

For others still comparing their lights to the Revelation-1,

 

Input: 12.55v - 290mA (battery level monitor + 10mA) 

Output: 3.61v - 780mA

 

At end of battery's cycle..

 

Input: 10.0v - 330mA

Output: 3.61v - 780mA

 

This setup with the battery monitor incl. gives exactly 11hr30 mins on a 11.1v 4000mAh lipo before the low battery warning comes on. 

 

So I can't see how a same weight lipo gives the same runtime with 30% more output... 

[/quote']

 

Think that's me :-)

 

1. I can't measure the output, but I calculate them to be 260 (18% more)

2. You don't have to run the system at 11.1 volts.
    The LED's run at 3 or 4 volts depending on the current, so a 2 cell Li-Po may also do the trick. P=IV, with lower I and lower V

[ZorgusPrime]

double postZorgusPrime2008-06-10 04:33:44

[Brighter-Lights]

 

remember that alkalines are 1.5V and Nihm is 1.2V.  The curcuit of the torch will draw and convert to rfun the LED at a stabilised voltage' date=' so alkalines (which are cheaper if you can get them will last longer)

 

[/Quote']

 

Not necessarily...

 

Alkaline has an average capacity rating of 12Ah to 17aH, but that's only effective when drawing very little current from it... when current is higher, the capacity can be up to 4 times less!

 

NiMH handles higher current better so could and most probably will outperform Alkaline, just like with cameras. 

 

Alkaline's typically ar 1.5v full and 1v empty.

NiMH has a nominal voltage of 1.2v, but are always 1.4v or even 1.5 volt with some chargers when fully charged and 1v when empty.

 

The bad with NiMH is the high self discharge rate - it loses about 10% of its charge per week, even when not used.

 

Charging 3 cells is always a hassle, because most chargers can only take 2 or 4... so to charge 3, a 4th ghost battery will always need to be there... then while discharging your 3 in the light, you will also need to discharge the 4th spare to have 4 empty batteries when beginning the next charge cycle.

 

Brighter-Lights sells a tactical flashlight for R1100-00. (Flashlight, handlebar mount, gun barrel mount, carry pouch, 2x li-ion cells, li-ion charger)

 

It uses a Brighter-Lights modified aluminium reflector, Cree XR-E Q5 led, Brighter-Lights driver circuit with 8-modes. (5 power levels + fast strobe, SOS, fade in and fade out)

 

With the LED at 800mA and 220 lumens, it burns 6 hours on high beam and at 110 lumens and 350mA, it burns 18 hours. It comes with handlebar mount and gun barrel mount + pouch.

 

The best is... it's only 230g! And completely waterproof, not splash proof... you can drown this thing!

 

I posted this long ago in the DIY section... this is the same as the Revelation-1, just shorter runtime . And you can use it for load shedding and camping or to blind a stupid driver behind you! hmm

 

 

[Brighter-Lights]

If you can't measure the output current, how can you do any calculation? You need the output current for every calculation in this case.

 

Measuring the volts on the LED won't help you with anything because every LED has a different forward voltage... some are 3.6v at 1000mA and others of the same manufacturer are 4.1v at 1000mA.

 

I just published my figures because if anyone really want to compete they'll post their measurements... because I know the figures I posted can't be improved.. unless you use a heavier battery... remember... that system was quoted to be even lighter than mine...

 

You'll see that running 1 led from a high voltage, the circuit is more efficient and that the low current on the battery makes the battery more efficient.

 

Running 2 LED's in series off 7.4 volt, you'll have linear dimming before the battery pack's empty voltage (even at 350ma)

 

Running 2 LED's in parrallel off 7.4v, you will have higher current drawn and less efficient battery. 

 

I run 790mA on the LED, so devide that by 2 =  395mA each for 2 led's.

 

Cree Q5's latest batches are all about 3.45v at 395mA and 125 lumens.

 

So 2 will be 250 Lumens at 395mA with a needed voltage of 3.45v+3.45v =   6.9v nominal for the LED's + at least 0.5v for the drop over the driver circuit = 7.4v

 

So 2 led's at even a low current of 395mA will only be in regulation until the battery pack reach 7.4v - then linear dimming wil start.

 

7.4v lipo is 8.4v full and 6.6v empty.

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brighter-Lights2008-06-10 04:50:46

[Speedi]

hey BL... im glad to see you have calmed down! about that flashlight, how big is it? pls post a pic!

[sampie]

Some people never learn, you dont argue with the experts. Thank You BL, so far you have answered many of my questions without even asking you. sampie2008-06-10 04:51:49

[Marius]

B-L, do you know how many Lumens my Niterider FireStorm light has??? I just like to know were it sits in the greater scale of things.

http://www.mtbr.com/cat/accessories/lights/niterider/firestorm-h-i-d-helmet-/PRD_358007_130crx.aspx

[Brighter-Lights]

I would never have chirped in here if it wasn't for this statement:

 

 

'Im sorry but BL is selling new LED lights that work on one LED. he's selling them for R1800 a shot. they give you 220lms mine costs R500 build and gives 180lms!'

[/Quote]

Before this statement I actually thought Speedi15 was a nice fellow.

 

Not that I was worried in the least but to uninformed readers, the statement above could make it appear as if I'm ripping people off, when in fact my light is a totally different system with 4 mode battery level indicator, lithium-polymer battery, balance charger etc etc.

[Brighter-Lights]

Hi Marius,

 

I don't know. But I'll give you an idea soon.

 

I've been very conservative with lumen quotes etc etc but since last week I know I'm onto something but the weather didn't allow me to go out yet.

 

I've seen some Light and Motion HID last Thurasday and I was surprised at how blue and 'flou' it was... When I switched on the Revelation-4 the Light and Motion HID disappeared.

 

So a very nice friend of mine agreed to lend me her top of the range Light-and-Motion HID tonight!

 

So although not Niterider, light and motion will be a good comparison... off to the jungle tonight! With 5 lights in my bag!! )

 

Revelation-4 

Revelation-3 spot

Revelation-3 medium + wide

Revelation-3 with Seoul P4 LED's

Light and Motion Li-ion Ultra HID

 

To answer your question... Light and motion quote 680 lumens, I quote 735, But my 980 lumen Revelation-4 just made the light and motion disappear completely... so tonight will show!

[Speedi]

im sorry BL for upsetting you! i shouldn't have said that, like you say "don't believe what the box says, cause the manufactures often lie!" so im sorry for that comment!

 

 

 

i judge lights when i see them with my own eyes! my dad and i both agreed after seeing your lights, you are making TOP CLASS lights! if i had the money i would have no doubt bought your rev 4! it was amazing to see your lights... When we got home that evening we had a look at a torch that my dad had.   my dad suggested we build a light from that! i said no ways! im getting a BL light!

 

 

 

the next day i thought about all these lights! how much they cost!? and then i spoke to my dad about building our own light, and it sounded promising! and for what i need it sounded fine... so we set about planning a light. it was also gonna cost a lot less!

 

 

 

and remember something! IM ONLY 15!!! i dont have lots of money, and my dad didnt offer to pay for it! so it honestly didnt make sense to buy an expensive light! do you think i need a better light?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

       

[Brighter-Lights]

I just checked the MTBR Review but they only state about the same as a 40w halogen....

 

This pic is of the Revelation-3 wide beam, against a 35w halogen wide beam.

 

 

 

 

This pic, is of the Revelation-4 vs 55w Halogen H3 car spotlight.

 

 

This is for Speedi15

[Speedi]

its easy to see which lights are leading