Built-in bike lighting - everything you could really want / need for £100

[103Alex1]

Came across this and I think I'm going to buy 'em. Would love to get my head round how to put this together myself and be able to access the parts too, but I'm not making much progress on that front at the moment and would like to see a clear plan to just go for.

Looking at the package it's everything you could want in a set of lights - except maybe 3000Lm but 1600 is enough for me. Really clever packaging. At this stage as time marching on I think these guys are going to score ! What's more to want ?

12V 1600LM CREE LED Light x2 + Wireless Dimmer + Switch Jeep Rally 4x4 Dirt ATV | eBay

Can anyone just confirm that this setup including the switch can be operated by connecting in to a 12v circuit running off my 36v 20Ah battery via one of these :

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/250823464468?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

 

[Old_Dave]

it's everything I could want in a set of lights. Really clever packaging. What's more to want ?

A plot ?


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[103Alex1]

A plot ?


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Could be a lost plot or a hatched one

Seriously, Old_Dave is this going to work as a package with the switch rigged up to allow me to run on full power by turning on and on a preset low power (dipped) by flicking it off (using that step-down converter and a BMS 36V battery as main source)

 

[Alan Quay]

Just be aware that these voltage converters are normally very inefficient. Often they will waste off as much in heat as they convert, perhaps more. At low current, not a problem, but at 1.5A you could find the lights consuming 3-4Ah/h.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

I don't know if I've understood it right because it's not very clear, but it says "4LEDs of total 20 Watts". You can assume about 4 watts for the dimmer, so that means at least 2 amps for one light, so it's marginal with one light. It says up to 3amps with the additional heatsink, so it would be safer with the heatsink. You can't use both lights. The T6 X-ML LEDs are much brighter.

 

[Old_Dave]

It was plot lost

Just get 2 of the £6 ones ... Switch for both on or just one,

Or better still a relay circuit that if the lamps were at either end of the bars could flash them as indicators


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[103Alex1]

Gaah - I don't understand how you work those numbers out .. I thought from this that lights didn't use much battery :

http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/electric-bicycles/13628-new-light-runs-direct-battery.html

I bought one of those but they're not suitable for external mounting - not waterproof at all.

Very confused to be honest. Can I not just cut the connector off a Cree T6 and wire it straight to my battery via a step-down converter to 8.4V ? Really really don't understand lol. Any chance I can have the dummy explanation of this mysterious world ?

 

[103Alex1]

It was plot lost

Just get 2 of the £6 ones ... Switch for both on or just one,

Or better still a relay circuit that if the lamps were at either end of the bars could flash them as indicators


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I ordered them Old_Dave but they're about 1/10 of the brightness I want so are not going to be good enough without buying yet more lights. Really fed up of charging light batteries and strapping them on handlebars lol.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

Gaah - I don't understand how you work those numbers out .. I thought from this that lights didn't use much battery :

http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/electric-bicycles/13628-new-light-runs-direct-battery.html

I bought one of those but they're not suitable for external mounting - not waterproof at all.

Very confused to be honest. Can I not just cut the connector off a Cree T6 and wire it straight to my battery via a step-down converter to 8.4V ? Really really don't understand lol. Any chance I can have the dummy explanation of this mysterious world ?

How's it not waterproof? Can't you seal any holes with silicone?
You can run a 3LED T6 with that step down converter,but It' a bit marginal. You can definitely run a single T6 from it.

 

[103Alex1]

How's it not waterproof? Can't you seal any holes with silicone?.

I guess you could try with caulk but doubt it would work very well or last very long. The Aluminium plate over the LEDs is precise-cut and there is no lens so nowhere to slot an o-ring. The aluminium plate interface with the lamps is not sealed and the wiring is directly beneath the lamps. Basically, it's an indoor light.

How come this light gives 5W and uses next to no power off your bike battery whereas the 1600Lm pair I linked in OP flattens your bike battery in 5 hours ? To the novice on lighting it's baffling !

You can run a 3LED T6 with that step down converter,but It' a bit marginal. You can definitely run a single T6 from it.

OK .. making progress ! I have 2 converters on order so can have different voltage circuits coming off main battery if necessary. If I wired say 2 of these single LED CREE lights via the converter to my bike battery, what sort of Ah/hr would they take from my battery range ? Would also need to be able to turn on/off and up/down if needed.

If they are power hungry then another option is to build in a battery charging socket, locate the cree battery in my box and use one of these timer adaptors to recharge them or them plus the bike together, which would be less of a pain as I could leave all the batteries on the bike all the time and wouldn't keep forgetting to recharge and winding up with no lights rolleyes :

PRO ELEC 3 WAY ADAPTOR WITH TIMER SOCKET 2338T

I'd presumably need to insert an isolator switch between lights and battery else battery would be gradually run down (switch no. 3 incoming ? )

 

[Old_Dave]

There's an old saying.... Keep it simple

I heard it on the grapevine that your local astronomy is going to close due the anticipated light pollution


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[103Alex1]

There's an old saying.... Keep it simple

I heard it on the grapevine that your local astronomy is going to close due the anticipated light pollution


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Lol. Old_Dave, I only use my powerful lights on dark lanes when there are many speeding drink drivers who only respond to seeing lights ahead of time round the bend and dip in anticipation. It is a death wish riding at night on those single track lanes without them. I use my dynamo lights a lot of the time in town on Kalkhoff so never get caught out with no lights on that. Without them, I'd have been house-bound or stuffed many times with no battery left on CREE front lights. Mr forgetful here trying to protect himself from himself.

 

[Scimitar]

2 in 1 3800lm 3x CREE T6 LED Bike Bicycle Light Headlamp Head Torch+Battery Pack | eBay
The 3 T6s on this are drawing what, 3x1.5? Could be 4.5A total. Ignore the claimed 3800 lumens, that's a load of bullocks. More like 2000, iwt, but still plenty.
Otoh, plenty of light from that will draw a fair old bit from your traction battery, so perhaps best to see what it's like on low and mid settings. Just an option, really.
The drawback with these lamps is the damned clicky tailcap switch and the stupid design of that - if there was a simple on/off, that would be better for this use.

 

[Alan Quay]

Edited as not very helpful.

 

[Geebee]

Just be aware that these voltage converters are normally very inefficient. Often they will waste off as much in heat as they convert, perhaps more. At low current, not a problem, but at 1.5A you could find the lights consuming 3-4Ah/h.

Current generation converter modules work in the high 90% range throughout their range, we set one up and ran it through its whole range (current and voltage), the efficiency is amazing and this was on a $2 one.

 

[Alan Quay]

Interesting Geebee, thanks for the correction. When I saw the heat sink on it I was thinking of the older type dc-dc converters.