From: dahls@fhydra.dnet.unit.no (Joern Yngve Dahl-Stamnes)
Subject: Re: Night Sun Problems?
Reply-To: dahls@fhydra.dnet.unit.no (Joern Yngve Dahl-Stamnes)
Organization: University of Trondheim, NORWAY
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 93 09:58:27 EST

Thus spoke the keyboard of Jon Eisele:
>
>>    Has anyone experienced problems with the low wattage Night
>>    Sun bulbs? I bought my Night Sun in November, and while I'm
>>    pleased with the overall way it works, I've had very poor
>>    luck with the low wattage bulbs.
>I've only used my Nightsun three times, but the low wattage bulb went
>out on my third ride (< 5 hours use).
>
>>   I called Night Sun after the first one blew and they were not very
>>   helpful. The guy I spoke to said they couldn't guarantee bulbs
>>   ...
>>   risk. I think this is a pretty sh***ty attitude for a company
>I got the same story and I agree he had an attitude.
>
>>The high beam bulb is the same as the low-voltage track light bulbs
>>available from most big hardware stores.  In fact, I ended up making a
>>homebrew light for the second bike out of one of these, and it works
>>very well.
>Are there any other bulbs which can be used for the low-wattage bulb?
>
>Jon

I've saved an old article about this topic. Here it is:

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From: jimh@hprnd.rose.hp.com (Jim Haagen-Smit)
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles
Subject: Re: Nightsun, Bright Light, etc. bulbs
Date: 4 Apr 91 21:56:01 GMT
Organization: HP Roseville Networks Division

In rec.bicycles, jroth@allvax.enet.dec.com (Jim Roth) writes:


>    Would someone who owns a Nightsun lighting setup be willing to take a look
>    at the bulbs they use and post the designations or part numbers on them?

Here are a few of the bulbs that I found useful, for Nightsun like bulbs 
you can by MR-11 series or MR-16 series halogen bulbs.  These bulbs are
available from lighting showrooms and places like Home Depot (places that
sell a lot of low voltage track lighting).  

MR-11 series...
I am using a MR-11 35 watt 12V narrow beam G4 base bulb #04464 made by 
ABCO, others make the same bulb, such as GE, I think the 04464 # is an 
industry #, not ABCO's #.  Also available in MR-11 is medium beam, and 
other wattages, 20 W and 50W.  The MR-11 is about 1 1/16 inch diameter, has 
built in reflector, but needs a lense to protect it.  I mounted it in a
1" PVC pipe coupling that was bored out about .05".  The MR-11 is a 
bit pricey, at $19 and a bit harder to find than the MR-16. (Home Depot 
did not carry it).  For a connector, I used the "normal" size female
ribbon cable connector, diagonal across 2 pins.

MR-16 series...
Also in my lighting system, I have a MR-16 20W 12V narrow beam bulb, #04450
also known as an ESX bulb.  This bulb is easier to find, retails for $15
and can be found discount for $11 from Home Depot.  The bulb is about 
1 5/8 dia. and I fit it into a 1 1/2 PVC pipe coupling with some 
machining required.  Electical connections were hard on this one, it has 
2 pins like the MR11, but the spacing did not fit anything that the 
computer industry used (that I could find).   There is also 35W, 50W and 
75W MR16 bulbs, also, medium and wide beams, all about $15.  These bulbs
are a bit big, but they are easy to find. 

There is also a 10W bulb without a reflector that I saw at Home Depot, I
do not know the number.  It was next to the MR16 bulbs.  I would consider
using it.  You can take a burned out MR11 or 16 and remove the bulb from the 
reflector, it is held in with ceramic potting. The problem here is that
the MR11, 16's have 3000 hour life rating, at 15 mph that is 45000 miles.
This bulb was about $6 at Home Depot.

Nightsun uses the 10W bulb above and a 35W bulb that is bigger than the
MR11 and smaller than the M16.  They have a metal reflector around the 
10W bulb.

For my time, I might go out and buy the Nightsun.  They put the 
bulbs in nice alloy holders and in general did a good job on their 
system.

One last note, a 35W bulb in a PVC housing gets real hot.

Jim Haagen-Smit
Hewlett Packard
jimh@f.rose.hp.com
916 785 4589
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* I went back to my mother,           * Joern Yngve Dahl-Stamnes             *
* I said, "I'm crazy ma, help me!"    * University of Trondheim              *
* She said, "I know how it feels son, * The Norwegian Institute of Tech.     *
* 'cause it runs in the family."      * Division of Physical Electronics     *
*       - The Who, Quadrophenia       * e-mail: dahls@fhydra.dnet.unit.no    *
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