From: you@taligent.com (Lawrence You)
Subject: Vistalite Review (VL400, VL430) (Was: New Vistalite Headlight (VL/400, 410))
Followup-To: rec.bicycles.marketplace
Organization: Taligent, Inc.
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1992 00:58:26 GMT

Here's a short review of the VL400 and VL430:

Vistalite VL430

$87.99 from Colorado Cyclist
 6V sealed lead-acid battery
10W bulb in a quick-release headlight unit
 6W bulb in another quick-release headlight unit
1.5 hours advertised run time at 16W

I recently purchased the VL430, which I'm using for commuting.  Before I
talk about that unit, let me describe my experience with the VL400 first
(the low-end light).

VL400:

I purchased a VL400, a 2W 4xAA light a couple months ago to see if I wanted
to move off my homebrew light system onto the Vistalite system.  I
originally intended to buy the light unit and rig that up as the "front
end" of my homebrew system, but when the unit arrived, I found out a couple
things.

1.  My power source, a water bottle with 10 NiCd cells in series,
generating 12V, was not really compatible with the VL400.

2.  When I talked to a representative at Vistalite, she said that this unit
was not set up for higher wattages, and that their upgrade kits from the
VL400 to the 420 or 430 (both sealed battery systems with 6W and 6W+10W
lights, respectively) included parts to convert the units to handle the
hotter bulbs including a different reflector.

I used this unit off and on for a period of a month, perhaps two or three
times a week.  It pales in comparison to my 20W homebrew light, but I liked
it for several reasons:

The clamp is secure and even off road, I never had any problem with it
coming off.  Furthermore, it really is a quick release that completely
removes the unit, unlike other lights like the Cateye HL-500.

The light is an adjustable round spot, from a very narrow spot to a wide
(perhaps 20 degree) circle--which I find more useful than the flat
rectangle thrown by the Cateye.  A wide circle seems to illuminate the
edges more so than the area in the middle.  

The unit is water resistant.  While I did find the gasket a little flimsy,
it was not difficult to get it aligned correctly when putting it back
together.  It does not seem to have any problem dealing with water from
rain or from tire splash.

There were other small things I thought indicated that someone thought
about this product including: wiring the AA batteries in series AND
parallel to allow for some redundancy in case you only had two AA
batteries; a place inside the case for a spare bulb; a big tactile switch I
can operate with gloves; a covered connector for an external battery and/or
charger; high-impact (ABS?) plastic.

VL430:

The 430 is different from the 400 in the following ways:
* 6V sealed lead-acid battery (3 Gates 2V cells in series) in a cordura bag
* Two headlamp units, which are almost identical to the 400.
* Recharging unit, 12 hour recharge time.

The padded cordura bag is pretty nice, but it is not 100% waterproof.  The
top flap  (which goes over the top tube) fastens with a patch of
hook-and-loop , and a fastex buckle clips the bag around the down tube.  I
think this unit weighs about 2 lbs.  It is pretty easy to get the bagon and
off.  To recharge the battery, just unclip one of the connectors from a
headlamp, and plug it in.  Because it is not NiCd, I can just leave my
light plugged in for those times when I'm not riding it every day.

Having two independently adjustable headlamps is convenient since it allows
me to position the lights a little bit better than one or even two fixed
bulbs.

So far, I've found it works really well.  The rain stays out, the road
stays lit, and it's pretty convenient.  I've used the Cateye HL-500, the
TurboCat, my own homebrew system, and for one reason or another favors
comparably to all of these.  I think I saw the 400->430 upgrade kit for $90
somewhere, so it might not really be a better deal than just buying the
model you want/need.

-Lawrence

you@taligent.com