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Help Me Choose A Headlight



 
 
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  #1  
Old May 2nd 07, 04:10 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech,rec.bicycles.marketplace,rec.bicycles.misc,nyc.bicycles,alt.rec.bicycles.recumbent
Prisoner at War
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Posts: 296
Default 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!

Ads
  #2  
Old May 2nd 07, 07:42 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech,rec.bicycles.marketplace,rec.bicycles.misc,nyc.bicycles,alt.rec.bicycles.recumbent
Bill
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Posts: 1,680
Default Help Me Choose A Headlight

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!

  #3  
Old May 2nd 07, 08:31 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech,rec.bicycles.marketplace,rec.bicycles.misc,nyc.bicycles,alt.rec.bicycles.recumbent
Peter Clinch
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Posts: 4,852
Default Help Me Choose A Headlight

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/
  #4  
Old May 2nd 07, 01:57 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech,rec.bicycles.marketplace,rec.bicycles.misc,nyc.bicycles,alt.rec.bicycles.recumbent
Prisoner at War
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Posts: 296
Default Help Me Choose A Headlight

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!

  #5  
Old May 2nd 07, 01:59 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech,rec.bicycles.marketplace,rec.bicycles.misc,nyc.bicycles,alt.rec.bicycles.recumbent
Prisoner at War
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Posts: 296
Default Help Me Choose A Headlight

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....

  #6  
Old May 2nd 07, 02:09 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech,rec.bicycles.marketplace,rec.bicycles.misc,nyc.bicycles,alt.rec.bicycles.recumbent
Donga
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Posts: 1,402
Default Help Me Choose A Headlight

On May 2, 12:10 pm, 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])....

TIA, folks!


Check out AYUP lights, www.ayup.com
getting a very good rap in Australia.

donga

  #7  
Old May 2nd 07, 02:28 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech,rec.bicycles.marketplace,rec.bicycles.misc,nyc.bicycles,alt.rec.bicycles.recumbent
Tim McNamara
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Posts: 6,945
Default Help Me Choose A Headlight

In article . com,
Prisoner at War wrote:

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.


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!


The point of a headlamp is not its brightness. The point of a headlamp
is providing useful light so that you can see where you are going. That
is as much a function of the optics of the light, not simply the power
consumption of the bulb. BTW, that's all the wattage rating is- it is
not a measure of light output. Bike lamp manufacturers have a tendency
to keep the output of their lights a confusing secret by mixing watts,
lumens, candlepower, etc.

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!


Not mine. YMMV.
  #8  
Old May 2nd 07, 02:45 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech,rec.bicycles.marketplace,rec.bicycles.misc,nyc.bicycles,alt.rec.bicycles.recumbent
Peter Cole
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Posts: 1,360
Default Help Me Choose A Headlight

Prisoner at War wrote:
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!


I think HID lights are overkill for the road. Since they're primarily
targeted for the off-road rider, the beam patterns are generally much
too wide also.

LED lights have been improving rapidly. I think they'll soon obsolete
all other technologies, if they haven't already.
  #9  
Old May 2nd 07, 03:39 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech,rec.bicycles.marketplace,rec.bicycles.misc,nyc.bicycles,alt.rec.bicycles.recumbent
Will
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Posts: 109
Default Help Me Choose A Headlight

On May 2, 7:57 am, Prisoner at War wrote:

HID lights are the brightest out there, so it's
HID for me!


That's true. I have a Blow Torch. But you should know the lamps have
durability issues and cost at least $85 to replace. You will want a
spare.

I bought a B&M bottle dynamo and Dymotec LED lamp for my street bike.
It is an excellent setup. Bright and utterly dependable. Also (to my
surprise) the bottle dynamo is not noticeable when it is engaged.

  #10  
Old May 2nd 07, 03:44 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech,rec.bicycles.marketplace,rec.bicycles.misc,nyc.bicycles,alt.rec.bicycles.recumbent
Peter Clinch
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Posts: 4,852
Default Help Me Choose A Headlight

Will wrote:

I bought a B&M bottle dynamo and Dymotec LED lamp for my street bike.
It is an excellent setup. Bright and utterly dependable. Also (to my
surprise) the bottle dynamo is not noticeable when it is engaged.


I have a B&M bottle on the freighter, and it works well. But if one is
willing to spend money then a SON hub is just much, much, much better.

Never having to worry about lights (including remembering to have them
with you, and making sure the batteries are juiced) is what I really
like. They are easily bright /enough/ for the road unless it's an unlit
road downhill at high speed. I stopped using my brighter and more
powerful rechargeables after I got the dynohub: just something extra to
faff with that didn't need faffing with.

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/
 




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