Another cheap Chinese rechargable light $6

On Sat, 12 Dec 2015 16:54:01 -0500, Frank Krygowski
wrote:

On 12/12/2015 2:05 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
... on the frame or
handlebars, something like this is required:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/191382018009

I bought an antique kerosene-lamp bike headlight once, similar to that
lamp but with a wider flame. It probably dated from about 1900.

I eventually fueled it up and tried it on some dark dead-end streets in
our neighborhood. It astounded me that anyone was ever able to ride
with that as their only light source.

But, as it's been pointed out, until Edison did his thing, the world was
darker place than we can imagine. There would have been no competing
glare, and I suppose typical night vision may have been better.

When we were sailing we would occasionally anchor at some small island
where there was no electricity. It is very dark.

But when I was in Japan I rode back and forth on a bike with a very
anemic incandescent light. I don't remember that it was particularly
inconvenient. Just ride slower :-)
--
cheers,

John B.

On 12/12/2015 6:24 AM, somebody wrote:
So far so good, fits on the helmet. Battery inside is stamped 650
mah, but with chinese stuff you never know.

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Cycli...428451769.html

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Cycli...428944181.html

These were listed on that fake '11-11' sale on other aliexpress sites
for a few bucks more.

The low-capacity batteries are the big issue with those lights. They
work well, but if you want longer duration you need to put in a higher
quality battery. Their 18650 cell lights tend to be only about 60% of
the highest capacity 18650 batteries available.

OTOH, people have gotten in the habit of charging their various devices
every night, so maybe it's not such a big issue anymore to plug in your
lights along with your phone, laptop, tablet, watch, Fitbit, etc.

On Mon, 14 Dec 2015 08:30:14 -0800, sms
wrote:

On 12/12/2015 6:24 AM, somebody wrote:
So far so good, fits on the helmet. Battery inside is stamped 650
mah, but with chinese stuff you never know.

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Cycli...428451769.html

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Cycli...428944181.html

These were listed on that fake '11-11' sale on other aliexpress sites
for a few bucks more.

The low-capacity batteries are the big issue with those lights. They
work well, but if you want longer duration you need to put in a higher
quality battery. Their 18650 cell lights tend to be only about 60% of
the highest capacity 18650 batteries available.

OTOH, people have gotten in the habit of charging their various devices
every night, so maybe it's not such a big issue anymore to plug in your
lights along with your phone, laptop, tablet, watch, Fitbit, etc.

Yes, it would be great to have one with a replaceable 18650. There is
more of an emphasis on small size than battery capacity.

I charge it once a day when at work. It is a few months old and daily
charging isn't a hardship. The work laptop has USB-3 and that is good
for almost 3 amps when charging a 4x26650 pack.

John B. wrote:

On Sat, 12 Dec 2015 16:54:01 -0500, Frank Krygowski
wrote:

On 12/12/2015 2:05 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
... on the frame or
handlebars, something like this is required:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/191382018009

I bought an antique kerosene-lamp bike headlight once, similar to that
lamp but with a wider flame. It probably dated from about 1900.

I eventually fueled it up and tried it on some dark dead-end streets in
our neighborhood. It astounded me that anyone was ever able to ride
with that as their only light source.

But, as it's been pointed out, until Edison did his thing, the world was
darker place than we can imagine. There would have been no competing
glare, and I suppose typical night vision may have been better.

When we were sailing we would occasionally anchor at some small island
where there was no electricity. It is very dark.

But when I was in Japan I rode back and forth on a bike with a very
anemic incandescent light. I don't remember that it was particularly
inconvenient. Just ride slower :-)
--
cheers,

John B.

while I have a MTB flood light, for the royal parks and spotting the
deer which need space.

do get folks with either tiny little glowing lights or none at all, the
park is big enough and with walls and trees it's properly dark, so they
just rely on lack of speed.


Roger Merriman

On Tue, 15 Dec 2015 23:18:03 +0000, (Roger Merriman)
wrote:

John B. wrote:

On Sat, 12 Dec 2015 16:54:01 -0500, Frank Krygowski
wrote:

On 12/12/2015 2:05 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
... on the frame or
handlebars, something like this is required:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/191382018009

I bought an antique kerosene-lamp bike headlight once, similar to that
lamp but with a wider flame. It probably dated from about 1900.

I eventually fueled it up and tried it on some dark dead-end streets in
our neighborhood. It astounded me that anyone was ever able to ride
with that as their only light source.

But, as it's been pointed out, until Edison did his thing, the world was
darker place than we can imagine. There would have been no competing
glare, and I suppose typical night vision may have been better.

When we were sailing we would occasionally anchor at some small island
where there was no electricity. It is very dark.

But when I was in Japan I rode back and forth on a bike with a very
anemic incandescent light. I don't remember that it was particularly
inconvenient. Just ride slower :-)
--
cheers,

John B.

while I have a MTB flood light, for the royal parks and spotting the
deer which need space.

do get folks with either tiny little glowing lights or none at all, the
park is big enough and with walls and trees it's properly dark, so they
just rely on lack of speed.


Roger Merriman

Well, that makes sense, doesn't it. Can't see = slow down :-)
--
cheers,

John B.

On 12/15/2015 3:18 PM, Roger Merriman wrote:

snip

do get folks with either tiny little glowing lights or none at all, the
park is big enough and with walls and trees it's properly dark, so they
just rely on lack of speed.

They rely on the lack of speed, but they are a hazard to others.

On Saturday, December 12, 2015 at 8:54:21 PM UTC-5, Doug Landau wrote:
On Saturday, December 12, 2015 at 8:19:24 AM UTC-8, AMuzi wrote:
On 12/12/2015 10:08 AM, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 12/12/2015 9:24 AM, somebody wrote:
So far so good, fits on the helmet. Battery inside is
stamped 650
mah, but with chinese stuff you never know.

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Cycli...428451769.html


http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Cycli...428944181.html


These were listed on that fake '11-11' sale on other
aliexpress sites
for a few bucks more.

I see that the white one is shown clipped onto a seatpost,
pointed rearward. I know that's illegal in my state, and I
believe it's illegal in most states. White is for the
front, red for the rear.

And I expect that headlight would be about as useful as a
candle flame.


Or less. candles can do interesting things:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UbSL3Bri4E


One of the first things I read here way back when is to bring a candle when bike camping and make a new reflector-base for it each night out of a soda or beer can. And since the latter are plentiful alongside every american hiway, you don't need to carry one.

Canadians are flogged n beatin in stocks for 30 days for littering.

sms wrote:

On 12/15/2015 3:18 PM, Roger Merriman wrote:

snip

do get folks with either tiny little glowing lights or none at all, the
park is big enough and with walls and trees it's properly dark, so they
just rely on lack of speed.

They rely on the lack of speed, but they are a hazard to others.

bare in mind they are travelling at walking pace, This being the Royal
parks there are, dog walkers and walkers in genral, plus red and roe
deer.

Red deer in partical are the most risky, being comftably larger than a
man, wild and often well hidden.

unlit cyclist may make me think they are bit of berk but realisticly my
light, picks them with ample time, since it intended to be a MTB light.

Roger Merriman

On 12/17/2015 2:14 AM, Roger Merriman wrote:
sms wrote:

On 12/15/2015 3:18 PM, Roger Merriman wrote:

snip

do get folks with either tiny little glowing lights or none at all, the
park is big enough and with walls and trees it's properly dark, so they
just rely on lack of speed.

They rely on the lack of speed, but they are a hazard to others.

bare in mind they are travelling at walking pace, This being the Royal
parks there are, dog walkers and walkers in genral, plus red and roe
deer.

Red deer in partical are the most risky, being comftably larger than a
man, wild and often well hidden.

unlit cyclist may make me think they are bit of berk but realisticly my
light, picks them with ample time, since it intended to be a MTB light.

I'm thinking of cyclists with legal, but relatively poor lights, like
older bottle dynamo powered lights. These lights aren't likely to pick
up unlit riders, or those with similarly poor lights, though presumably
these riders would all be riding fairly slowly.

On 12/17/2015 12:36 PM, sms wrote:


I'm thinking of cyclists with legal, but relatively poor lights, like
older bottle dynamo powered lights. These lights aren't likely to pick
up unlit riders, or those with similarly poor lights, though presumably
these riders would all be riding fairly slowly.

Oh, nonsense. "Older bottle dynamo powered lights" were brighter and
gave better illumination than almost all battery powered lights of the
day. Besides, a bottle dynamo gives essentially the same amount of light
as a hub dynamo. The bottle's slight disadvantages don't relate to power.

It's hard to tell whether Scharf is engaging in "safety inflation" - as
in "Nothing but the best is safe enough" - or merely trying more
guerrilla marketing.

--
- Frank Krygowski