Help Me Choose A Headlight

I'm wondering whether to get the Light & Motion ARC Li-Ion Ultra HID
or the NiteRider Moab HID/LED. They're both the same price but the
NiteRider burns over 50% longer at the same highest level of
brightness (if I'm reading the specs right -- in which case I'm
surprised Light & Motion haven't lowered their price at all; also, I'm
not sure what it means for the NiteRider to be "HID/LED" [according to
performancebike.com, anyway])....


TIA, folks!

Prisoner at War wrote:
I'm wondering whether to get the Light & Motion ARC Li-Ion Ultra HID
or the NiteRider Moab HID/LED. They're both the same price but the
NiteRider burns over 50% longer at the same highest level of
brightness (if I'm reading the specs right -- in which case I'm
surprised Light & Motion haven't lowered their price at all; also, I'm
not sure what it means for the NiteRider to be "HID/LED" [according to
performancebike.com, anyway])....

I hope that means either HID or LED because those are two different worlds.
HID is a High Intensity Discharge lamp that is bright.
LED is a Light Emitting Diode that is pretty good too.
The HID should be more expensive due to the high voltage drive
electronics but either is more reliable than a hot filament going over
the road.
Bill Baka


TIA, folks!

On May 2, 2:42 am, Bill wrote:


I hope that means either HID or LED because those are two different worlds.
HID is a High Intensity Discharge lamp that is bright.
LED is a Light Emitting Diode that is pretty good too.
The HID should be more expensive due to the high voltage drive
electronics but either is more reliable than a hot filament going over
the road.
Bill Baka


Nah, performancebike.com really has it listed as "HID/LED"...I'm
chalking it up to a typo.

Not sure what "a hot filament going over the road" means with respect
to reliability, though....

Prisoner at War wrote:
On May 2, 2:42 am, Bill wrote:

I hope that means either HID or LED because those are two different worlds.
HID is a High Intensity Discharge lamp that is bright.
LED is a Light Emitting Diode that is pretty good too.
The HID should be more expensive due to the high voltage drive
electronics but either is more reliable than a hot filament going over
the road.
Bill Baka


Nah, performancebike.com really has it listed as "HID/LED"...I'm
chalking it up to a typo.

Not sure what "a hot filament going over the road" means with respect
to reliability, though....

The Tungsten is more prone to breaking from the vibration in a bike than
in a car, and that is more than in a house light. Filaments burn out in
a supernova, LEDs may dim over years, and HIDs may dim just a bit after
a bunch of years.
Three different types of light.
Bill Baka

Bill wrote:

The Tungsten is more prone to breaking from the vibration in a bike than
in a car, and that is more than in a house light. Filaments burn out in
a supernova, LEDs may dim over years, and HIDs may dim just a bit after
a bunch of years.
Three different types of light.

Personally, I'd rather over-voltage a quartz-halogen lamp to achieve the
illumination level of HID, and carry a spare bulb for when it burns out
in that supernova.

For example, the TrailTech MR11 size HID is rated at 500 lumens and
draws 13 watts, and costs $115. I can buy a set of two MR16 housings, 10
watt lamps (spot and flood), and can over voltage by 10% and be at over
500 lumens, for a lot less money. If I use only one at a time, the power
consumption is actually a bit less than the HID.

All this assumes that I actually need that much illumination. Personally
I think that a lot of people are going way overboard on lighting. While
it's true that a 2.4-3 watt dynamo powered lamp isn't going to provide
sufficient illumination in most situations, there are fine
quartz-halogen or xenon rechargaeable systems available for well under
$100 that provide more than adequate illumination.

"SMS" wrote in message
...

While it's true that a 2.4-3 watt dynamo powered lamp isn't going to
provide sufficient illumination in most situations

Oh, you were doing so well until you said that...

If you'd only put suitable caveats around your statements, such as SMS
thinks the 2.4-3W lamps are insufficient, but there are an awful lot of
people out there who find them perfectly adequate. I'm just about to go for
a ride using mine on unlit rural roads. I'll probably get to about 40mph...

cheers,
clive

SMS wrote:

For example, the TrailTech MR11 size HID is rated at 500 lumens and
draws 13 watts, and costs $115. I can buy a set of two MR16 housings, 10
watt lamps (spot and flood), and can over voltage by 10% and be at over
500 lumens, for a lot less money. If I use only one at a time, the power
consumption is actually a bit less than the HID.

Following up on my own post, I notice that TrailTech sells a complete
single lamp 13W/500 lumens HID system, including bar clamp that will fit
7/8" through 1.25" bars, a helmet mount, 13.2V/3.7AH NiMH battery
(49WH), and charger, for $200. This battery should run the light for
more than three hours.

See page 47 of "http://trailtech.net/media/catalog/TT-CAT-07_lowres.pdf"

SMS wrote:
Bill wrote:

The Tungsten is more prone to breaking from the vibration in a bike
than in a car, and that is more than in a house light. Filaments burn
out in a supernova, LEDs may dim over years, and HIDs may dim just a
bit after a bunch of years.
Three different types of light.

Personally, I'd rather over-voltage a quartz-halogen lamp to achieve the
illumination level of HID, and carry a spare bulb for when it burns out
in that supernova.

That works only if you have a sanitary, well clean, cloth to change the
bulb. The Quartz will shatter from the skin oils if you touch it.

For example, the TrailTech MR11 size HID is rated at 500 lumens and
draws 13 watts, and costs $115. I can buy a set of two MR16 housings, 10
watt lamps (spot and flood), and can over voltage by 10% and be at over
500 lumens, for a lot less money. If I use only one at a time, the power
consumption is actually a bit less than the HID.

All this assumes that I actually need that much illumination. Personally
I think that a lot of people are going way overboard on lighting. While
it's true that a 2.4-3 watt dynamo powered lamp isn't going to provide
sufficient illumination in most situations, there are fine
quartz-halogen or xenon rechargaeable systems available for well under
$100 that provide more than adequate illumination.

Since I don't blast through unknown territory at 25 MPH at night my main
use is for cars to see me. My LED Cateye gives me enough light for maybe
15 MPH safely. Faster and I might find a pothole the hard way. This may
sound a bit strange but my night vision is good enough that I can ride
trails by a full moon alone. That's a beneficial side effect of working
indoors with computers most of the time and wearing 10% pass polarized
UV blocker goggles in the day time.
Your needs may vary.
Bill Baka

Prisoner at War wrote:
I'm wondering whether to get the Light & Motion ARC Li-Ion Ultra HID
or the NiteRider Moab HID/LED. They're both the same price but the
NiteRider burns over 50% longer at the same highest level of
brightness (if I'm reading the specs right -- in which case I'm
surprised Light & Motion haven't lowered their price at all; also, I'm
not sure what it means for the NiteRider to be "HID/LED" [according to
performancebike.com, anyway])....

If burn time is an issue get a hub dynamo unot, and then the burn time
is as long as you keep moving. No fiascos with battery charging, no
fiascos with forgetting your lights.
Partner with the LED B&M D-Lumotec Oval Senso plus, switches the lamp on
automagically when it starts getting gloomy so no moving parts on the
switching to break either.

Worth supplementing if you're doing a fast descent on an unlit road and
don't want to slow down, but otherwise good for most stuff. The SON is
the best of the hub dynamos, especially if you've a small front wheel.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

On May 2, 3:31 am, Peter Clinch wrote:


If burn time is an issue get a hub dynamo unot, and then the burn time
is as long as you keep moving. No fiascos with battery charging, no
fiascos with forgetting your lights.
Partner with the LED B&M D-Lumotec Oval Senso plus, switches the lamp on
automagically when it starts getting gloomy so no moving parts on the
switching to break either.

Worth supplementing if you're doing a fast descent on an unlit road and
don't want to slow down, but otherwise good for most stuff. The SON is
the best of the hub dynamos, especially if you've a small front wheel.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/


I was looking into just that when I was first considering my 'bent,
but, to my way of thinking, the whole point of a light is its
brightness, and them HID lights are the brightest out there, so it's
HID for me! Besides, the NiteRider claims eight hours at 13.5
watts...even if it's really just five or six hours, that's still long
enough for most real-world applications I can imagine!