From: pardo@cs.washington.edu (David Keppel)
Subject: Re: Need info on lighting systems
Followup-To: rec.bicycles.marketplace
Keywords: lights commuting night
Organization: Computer Science & Engineering, U. of Washington, Seattle
Date: Sat, 10 Oct 92 19:55:38 GMT

>>[What are some reasonable lights?]
>[Varoius people have described their own.]

[This covers a bit of ground; I'm crossposting to `.marketplace' and
 `.tech'.  I've set followups to `.marketplace'.  If you follow up
 please direct your post carefully to the appropriate newsgroup.]

    ;-D on  ( A bit of phospor and a little light reading )  Pardo

This is a review of the lights I've built and bought for my own bikes
in the past few years.

For each of these systems I'm reporting opinions based on my own use
and riding styles.  For specifications, consult the manufacturers.

Here are some things I'll try to report on for each light:
 - Beam pattern/brightness/usefulness
 - Problems in installation and use
 - Tools required for installation, bulb replacement, and on-road
   service in case e.g., somethig comes loose.
 - Whether there's a spot to hold a spare bulb.
 - My experiences using the equipment
 - How easy it is to attatch and remove (``quick-relase'') the light.
 - How easy it is to move the light between bikes in case you want to
   use one light on a couple of bikes.

* Sanyo XX (XX == forgotten model)

The XX generator mounts under and behind the bottom bracket.  It looks
nice on the bike and doesn't interfere with your heel or panniers or
other things that lots of other generators interfere with.  It would
interfere with some kickstands but it is possible to mount it with some
kickstands.

Like all other generator lights I've seen, you mount it once on the
bike and leave it there.  That means it's only good for one bike,
where some battery systems can be moved between several bikes.

The generator rubs on the face of the tire rather than the side of the
tire.  That means the generator won't work with knobby tires.  It also
means that the generator runs on a part of the tire that picks up more
junk, especially during wet riding.

I no longer use this light because the drum slipped on the tire
surface when the tire was wet.  Over time the drum wore and made
things worse.  I tried attatching friction-enhancers with no luck.
Replacement parts are not available.  I replaced it with a used unit I
was given.  It, too, wore over time.

The power output is a few watts, like other generator systems.  The
generator has a built-in voltage regulator.  This is a problem if you
want to retrofit a battery to keep things live when stopped, but is
otherwise convenient.  I used to ride long fast downhills frequently
(climbing to get out of town, returning as things were getting dark).
The light output was inadequate for seeing in the dark but at dusk I
was more concerned about beeing seen; the light was adequate for that
(I judged) and despite the long fast rides I got good bulb life (new
bulbs once or twice a year).

The headlight has a clip inside to hold a spare bulb.  The reflector
is held to the base with a Phillips screw so you need to carry a
matching screwdriver.  The generator is held on with a 5mm Allen bolt 
but the other hardware uses (10mm?) wrench flats, so you need to carry
a pair of wrenches if you're going to handle roadside failures and
adjustment, or replace the bolts.  In general, if a product needs a
small number of tools that you are already carrying for other bike
parts, then you can handle roadside problems more easily.  The special
one, for me, was the small Phillips.

* Homebrew

After the demise of my second Sanyo, I built a system using a plastic
sealed-beam bulb from a garden lighting system (12v., 14W), a
quick-release from a Brite-Lite, and a lead-acid battery.

The bulb is an Inntermatic LV504 12v 14W Halogen bulb.  The bulb is
sealed inside a plastic reflector.  The beam pattern is rectangular
and bright but has sharp brightness variation some places.  I've found 
the beam good for road riding.  For off-road it's too narrow, but I
haven't found any handlebar-mounted lamp that lets me see around
corners.

The bulb has a reflector but there's a lot of backwards ``splash''
around the edges.  I wrapped the edges in electrical tape.  When I
sprint I find the light coming up to be annoying so I also put a hood
over it; the hood is a piece of cardboard inside a plastic bag wrapped
in electrical tape and taped on.  It looks funny but does the job.

The quick-releases I got at a bike store, $20 for a pair.  To mount
the lamp requires some handiwork.  The light has a pair of tabs
that accept slide-on connectors; they point to the sides.  Each can be
bent back (90 degrees) so that they are parallel and pointing back.
Each tab had a hole to accept a nylon screw and nut that I got at the
hardware store.  The spacing between the tabs doesn't match the pair of
tabs on the QR spacing, but the light can be mounted with one light tab
between the QR tabs.  I didn't use the slide-on electrical connectors,
but you easily could.

You might be able to make do with just the mounting above.  The QR has
open-ended slots, so the light could slide out.  I took a piece of
plastic (e.g., from a large pop bottle) and drilled a hole in the QR
behind the slots.  The piece of plastic has two closely-spaced holes.
One holds the bolt that goes through the light tabs and the other is
held by another nylon bolt going through the drilled hole on the QR
tabs.

If you're willing to leave the bulb on the bike, don't bend the tabs.
Get band clamps to go around the handlebars and bolt it in place.  Be
sure to insulate each tab from the frame.  I suggest using nylon clamps
and nylon nuts and bolts (hardware store).

With this system, the battery and charger cost the most.  I was able to
find bulbs for $6 each, a few years ago.  At that price, you could
reasonably install one lamp on each bike.  The bulb is pretty light (I
haven't measured it, but I estmate 50-75g), so that's not much to drag
around.

The mounts I've described holds the light only at the base.  At the
time I was worried the lamp tabs would fatigue and took more material
(pop bottle thickness) and built more mounting support.  At this
point, I wouldn't go to the hassle, or else I'd go to more hassle.  My
friend Grant, who suggested the light in the first place, has two years
on his without extra support and without failure.  I suspect his
fillament will go first.  I've done a fair bit of MTBing with mine and
the bulb tabs finally fatigued, despite my extra support.  I think the
moral is: if you're going to build supports, make them actually do a
fair bit of work.  Otherwise, forget about it and assume things will
break after a couple years.

The bulb is baout $6 from a lighting supply store.  A non-shorting
two-wire connector is $1 from Radio Shack.  You'll need two, one for
plugging the battery and light together and another for the charger.

The charger I built from parts (some I had) for about $5.  The battery
I got was a sealed lead-acid Gel Cell from Digi-Key electronics ($30?).
I killed the batter by one of
 - Undersizing (12v. 1.2Ah) and discharging it too fast
 - Charging it too fast.
Grant's been using a 2.4Ah battery and an adequately-regulated charger,
and has 2 years on it.

Beware that lead-acid cells are derated sharply with dropping
temperature.  Dan has had a fully-charged battery go flat in a few
minutes due to low temperature.  Check those manufacturer curves
and/or keep your battery insulated and bring it inside when you park
your bike.

The nylon bolts are flat-screw at one end and nuts at the other end.
The permanently-mounted variation can use allen-head bolts that take a
common wrench size you'll be carrying anyway.

A big drawback of this system is that the bulb is sealed in the
reflector.  A spare is light enough to carry but is bulky, being
about 6" diameter.

When the battery died I stopped using the homebrew.  I started using
the homebrew headlight with the Night Sun battery and had no problems
up to the time the bulb mounting tabs broke.

The Brite-Lite QR takes perhaps 5 seconds to remove and 10 to install.
There's some extra time fumbling with the wires.  The QR lets the light
slip slightly when mounted on the handlebar.  This isn't generally a
problem, but can be going over large bumps or when MTBing.  I suspect a
piece of rubber should be glued to the QR and that would solve the
problem.  As is, the QR is slick plastic.

* CatEye HL-500

This is a one-piece handlebar-mount unit.  It has a 1.2W halogen bulb.
As I recall, the manufacturer says not to use NiCads, presumably
because they have a lower running voltage and reduce the light output.
I insist on rechargable batteries, so I immediately switched to NiCAds
against manufacturer's specifications.  I note that CatEye now sells a
rechargable version of the light.

The light pattern is very small; too small in my opinion, but they're
trying to get a bright light out of a low-power lamp.  I find the
pattern too small because it doesn't let you see what's on either side
of the thing you need to go around and because you can't see around
corners even on gentle/sweeping turns.

The beam is also well-focused, with little side spatter.  That makes
it less useful for being seen.  There are two holes in the reflector
to allow light to escape to the sides.  However, the holes are pointed
directly sideways, so they're not pointing where they're likely to
protect you from side traffic, Instead, the narrow beam generally lands
on my hands or wrists, so it doesn't do any good at all.

Despite my dislike of the light, I use it a fair bit.  It's small and
light enough that I don't mind carrying it on day rides.  That frees
me to try new routes and stop at friends' houses or whatever without
worrying so much about being out after dark.  Further, it's a lot
cheaper than other systems, which is irrelevant to me but a real
concern for most people -- who wants to spend $200 on a rarely-used
light for a $300 bike?

The mounting bracket is held in place by a phillips-head screw and
it's not a size that can easily be replaced with one of the standard
bike-size Allen-head bolts.  The case is held together with a
large-slot screw.  Most coins, keys, etc. can be used to tighten and
loosen the case screw.

The clamp is sized to the handlebar using a rubber shim, which means
having multiple shims if you're going to use the light on several
bikes.  The clamp is separate from the light so you could have one
clamp per bike except that they don't seem to sell the clamp
separately.

The light has an annoying tendandcy to fly off of the mounting clamp.
At least mine does.  I have had it skitter along the pavement after
bumps on several occasions and I can easily remove it from the
mounting bracket by pushing on it; no need to press the quick-relase
tab.  Newer CatEye lights (after 1990) have a different quick-release
mechanism that solves the problem.

Attatching and removing the light itself is easy, maybe 5 seconds.
The clamp can be removed and reattatched in 1-2 minutes, save fumbling
for the right size rubber shims (I've dropped theirs and use my own
cut out of old inner tubes).

A spare bulb is small, but there's no space for it inside the lamp.

* Night Sun Team Issue

This has two reflectors, one with a 10W bulb, the other a 20W bulb.
The NiCad batteries are in a water bottle.  The standard mounting uses
a pair of strap clamps plus a third one for the light switch.  I have
the quick-release which uses similar clamps that attatch and remove
with thumb screws.  At over $200, the whole system is extremely
expensive.

Both beams are basically round.  The pattern was good for the
reflectors in their original incarnation as store lighting, but lacks
something for bicycle use.  A wider shorter beam would be better.  The
light is definitely bright and is great for both seeing and being seen,
but because of the beam pattern, a lot of light that could be going
forward is instead going up in to the trees.  For off-road use the
pattern is too narrow, and it's hard to see around corners.

The thumb-screw mounting QR is awkward.  Removal is easy, taking maybe
15-30 seconds, but reattatching the light can take anywhere from 30
seconds to several minutes, and the light, once attatched, needs to be
rocked back and forth to make sure it's on.  Some further tightening
may be needed.  I gave up on the third QR for the headlight swtich and
mounted the switch on a plastic tab attatched to the headlight body.
It's less convenient to use but far more convenient to attatch and
remove the light.

The QR clamps use rubber shims with adhesive on one side.  The system
fails when you need to use the lights on several handlebar sizes.  I
use shims cut from old inner tube, but they're pretty awkward.

The QR has the advantage that it can be tightened enough that it's hard
to rotate the lamp housing.

The switch has given me no problems, a surprise because it's not at
all protected from the elements (e.g., by a rubber boot)  I think it's
reliablity is accident and not robustness of design.

The original system has strips of Velcro(tm) to hold the wire and keep
it from flapping.  But the velcro isn't looped around the wires, so
it's easy to lose and hard to use.  I never used it and instead let
the wire flop or stick it underneath cable housing or whatever.

The battery and light plug together w/ non-shorting plugs.  The wires
failed at the disconnect, possibly because I let the wires flap in the
breeze because the Velcro(tm) is awkward to use.  I replaced the
connector with a non-shorting connector available at Radio Shack.
Local stores seemed to lack the size used by Night Sun.

The supplied mounting for both bolt-on and QR uses nuts and bolts.  I
replaced the bolts with Allen-head bolts so on-road tightening
requires only an Allen wrench and e.g., an adjustable wrench or
pliers.

Despite my complaints, I use this light most of all.


* GS 2000

This is a German generator that was brought to me from Germany.  I
don't know the retail price and I've only seen one other in the US.
I paid about $US40 for mine.

The power output is the same as any other generator light.  I drive
3.25 Watts of bulbs.  Since you provide your own head and tail lamps
(reflectors), the beam pattern depends entirely on the reflector you
provide.

The generator bolts on to the front axle, replacing one of the lock
washers.  It's possible it would bolt on to a rear axle, but I've not
checked.  A 3" pulley rotates about the axle and drives a cog belt to
a small pulley on the generator shaft.  Thus, the generator is offset
from the axle.  The design is rather like the Huret Multido belt-drive
odometers.

The large pulley is driven by a metal clip that engages the spokes.
To turn off the generator, the clip is flipped out of the spokes.
There is no drag when the generator is disengaged.  Earlier models had
a fragile clip.  I've had no problems with mine.

The entire unit is sealed.  The pulley runs on a large-diameter plain
bearing and there are no instructions for lubrication.  The cog belt
cannot be replaced.  I've heard that these generator units tend to
self-destruct after a few years.  I've not had problems in a year of
occasional use, but I mostly use my battery lights on longer rides.

The generator is about 1.5" wide and sits next to the wheel, offset
about 4" from the axle.  I've got mine set in front of the fork blade
directly above the front axle.  It is protected from accidents but
the position makes it impossible to use front panniers.  It could be
mounted e.g., forwards to avoid the panniers but the generator would
then be unprotected when the bike fell over.

The tools needed for installation are hub wrenches.  The generator
mounts by replacing a front axle washer.  The generator comes off with
the wheel, so there's a disconnect between the generator and the
wire.  I don't like the design because I fear I will lose the magic
part.  To date I haven't.

The clip-in-the-spokes drive makes a sound that is initally annoying.
I've gotten used to it.  The generator also makes annoying noises
sometimes.


* Belt Beacon

The Belt Beacon is a flashing amber light designed as a tail lamp.  It
is powered by one 9 volt ``transisitor'' battery.  It is moderately
bright yet the batteries typically last me several months.  I have not
tried a run-down to see how many hours they will last in continuous
use.  I suspect battery life is less than but similar to a Vista
Light.

The unit has a focusing lens and a flat reflector.  Light output is
directional but not as narrow as the Vista Light.  Peak output is also
not as high as the Vista Light.  The flashing rate is about once per
second.

The lamp can be disassembled using e.g., a dime or penny.  There is
room inside for a spare bulb but no storage clip and no instructions
to put a spare bulb there.  The bulbs *do* fail.  Although the results
of failing are arguably less critical than with a headlight, it still
seems like a good idea to have a spare bulb.

The unit comes with a belt clip and also screws to mount to e.g., a
bracket on a rack.  The bracket is not provided.  I've been using the
belt clip exclusively and find the lamp has bounced off a thin seat
wedge.  It has never bounced off a pannier or my belt or knapsack.

The instructions warn that flashing lamps mounted to vehicles may be
illegal in some states.  I usually mount the lamp to me or my pack
when it's on.  I sometimes carry the lamp on my seat wedge or pannier.

Flashing lamps are easy to see, but people have a hard time locating
distance exactly.  Thus, the lamp is probably no substitute for a
continuous lamp.  Also, the lamp is amber; flashing amber lamps are
usually for e.g., barricades not vehicles, red is common for vehicles.
I would like to modify the lamp to use a small number of
high-intensity continuously-on red LEDs and see how it affects battery
life.  I have not yet made such a modification.

If the mounting screws are used then a screwdriver is needed for
on-road tightening, etc.  If the belt clip is used then a large (e.g.,
#2) Phillips-head screwdriver is needed for on-road tightening, etc.

The battery runs down gradually, with the lamp almost always bright
when it is first turned on.  It is thus important to check the
brightness at the end of a ride, or to replace the battery
occasionally.


* Vista Cue Light

A half-size version of the regular Vista Light (tm).  It opens with
something just a bit narrower than a coin and is powered by two AAA
batteries.  Light comes from three LEDs, mounted to so that if the
center one points back, the other two point one to each side.

The LED beams do not overlap; they do not even come close.  The beam
pattern makes sense when it is being used by e.g., a jogger with one
spot pointing fowards, one to the side, one to the rear.  However, the
lamp body interferes with some of the light output.  Also, it makes
more sense for a cycling tail light to have the LEDs 60 degrees apart
instead of 90 degrees apart.  There is not room under the lense to
angle the LEDs.

Note, by the way, that the standard Vista Light makes the opposite
mistake: all three LEDs point straight back, with no side-to-side
scatter.

The light comes with a strap for e.g., ankle or arm.  The lamp body has
a combined clip and on/off switch.  I think the design is simple and
clever.  However the clip only goes about half way across the lamp
body, so the support is not very stable.

		  BodyB
		  odyBod
		  dyBody
		ClyBodyB
		l BodyBo
		i odyBod
		p dyBody
		C oBodyB
		l BodyB


Some clip-on lights have combined the clip and switch so that the light
is on when it is clipped on to something.  That is a gross misfeature.
The CueLight avoids that mistake, and it can be clipped to clothing
etc., switched on or switched off.

The normal Vista Light has a bolt-on mount for permanent mounting, the
Cue Light does not.

The whole package is small: 1.5cm x 3cm x 5cm.

From: darwin@hpfcso.FC.HP.COM (Darwin Devore)
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1992 16:52:12 GMT
Subject: FOR SALE: Pedastyle Bicycle Storage Rack
Organization: Hewlett-Packard, Fort Collins, CO, USA