Cheap DIY headlight

:
: The current crop is much smaller. Some take bulbs with integral
: reflector, some have a reflector and you just provide the bulb.
: Typical prices are $10-20. I saw one recently for $8.00 (20% off $10
: price.) Use your choice of bulb+battery for the desired brightness
: and runtime.
: Jim

What do you use for a battery these days?
How is it connected?
Pat in TX

Even simpler than that: For a couple of years my front light was a 12V
track lighting bulb with integral reflector. Held onto the bars by two
hose clips, one around the outer rim of the bulb and the other passing
through it at right angles and around the bars. Auto engine paint
sprayed on the back of the bulb prevented light leakage backwards. If I
was feeling fussy I put epoxy between the bulb and the hose clip around
it to make a better-looking joint. Battery was an el-cheapo lead/acid
from an electronics store. Cheap, worked well.
Giles

LED lights last 4-5 times longer on the same battery cost.

Jim said:

When I commuted to work I picked up some "lawn lights" and made mounts
to put on the bike. I used the really cheap ones, put in a 10 or 20
watt halogen bulb and ran it off a 12 volt gel cell. The one on the
back got a red lens. Worked great. It's about 4" in diameter. This
was early 1990's.

The current crop is much smaller. Some take bulbs with integral
reflector, some have a reflector and you just provide the bulb.
Typical prices are $10-20. I saw one recently for $8.00 (20% off $10
price.) Use your choice of bulb+battery for the desired brightness
and runtime.

I also have one for use during night walks with the dog. They are
bright enough that cars see you and dim their lights.

Now - can you beat that for cheap?

This is true, using off-the-shelf components you can put together an
excellent system for very little cost. You can get fancy with waterproof
switches, and waterproof connectors, or you can just hook the lamp
directly to the battery with some spade lugs, and hook the charger to
the battery with some alligator clips.

The upside is that you're ending up with a very powerful lighting
system, suitable for high speed commuting, for around $100 once you
factor in shipping costs, and various bits an pieces of hardware. Unlike
most of the lower cost commercial bicycle lighting systems, this one
uses MR16, as opposed to MR11 lamps, which are more efficient due to the
larger reflector.

Here is a list of components if you're buying everything from scratch:

These are U.S. sources for most components, other countries probably
have similar types of sources.

$ 9 500mA smart charger for Lead Acid Batteries http://tinyurl.com/95yu8

$15 12 VOLT 5 AH GEL CEL BATTERY http://tinyurl.com/8nffo

$16 Two MR-16 lamp enclosures (description on web site is wrong, these
are MR16 lamps) http://tinyurl.com/8jr3s. You won't use the lamps that
come with the enclosures.

$12 Two Rail Clamp bases ($6 each) for mounting lights to handlebars
http://www.cabelas.com, search for "rod rail clamp base"

$ 9 Xenon strobe http://tinyurl.com/ddur2
(read all the reviews for this--many people are now using this item for
bicycle lighting systems, thanks to me!). Mount this to the back of your
rear rack using an L bracket.

$ 3 3 miniature toggle switches ($1 each) http://tinyurl.com/8efb5
One for each headlight, one for the tail light

$ 5 (optional) 4 Splashguard boots for miniature toggle switches.
http://www.action-electronics.com/switches.htm, search for PH-30-1000

$ 2 Enclosure case for switches. http://tinyurl.com/7dm47
You can attach this to your top tube with a couple of cable ties. It's
better to make the holes for the switches in the bottom, as this
prevents water from leaking into the box.

$ 7.50 5 waterproof connectors ($1.50 each) http://tinyurl.com/c8lyb
One for each lamp, one for the charger, one for the battery.

$ 5 12 volt, 10W Narrow Flood MR16 lamp http://tinyurl.com/8cwej

$ 3 12 volt, 20W Spot or Flood MR16 lamp http://tinyurl.com/8rzt3

Note: 5W MR16 lamps are available from http://tinyurl.com/byscy

Wire, heat shrink tubing, solder, 1/2" bolts, cable ties

Assembly:

1. Attach a connector to each lamp, red +/black-, + exposed

2. Attach a connector to the battery, red +/black-, - exposed

3. Attach a connector to the charger, red +/black-, + exposed

4. Attach a connector to the switch box, red +/black-, + exposed, with
one side common to each switch, the other side passing through

5. Mount the switches in the switch box and add a connector to each
switch, red +/black-, - exposed

Giles said:

Even simpler than that: For a couple of years my front light was a 12V
track lighting bulb with integral reflector. Held onto the bars by two
hose clips, one around the outer rim of the bulb and the other passing
through it at right angles and around the bars.

This type of set-up works fine, but the mounting leaves a lot to be
desired. It's better to buy a pair of automotive driving lights that use
the MR-16 style track lighting bulbs. These are pretty cheap ($16 for two).

SMS said:

Unlike most of the lower cost commercial bicycle lighting systems,
this one uses MR16, as opposed to MR11 lamps, which are more
efficient due to the larger reflector.

But, with the exception of the excellent Philips Masterline ES, the
quality of the beam spread is far poorer with the several MR16s I have
tried so far, and I know other MR16 users have said the same thing with
those they have tried. As well as being significantly less bulky, the
advantage of the MR11 system is that really good quality 5 to 12W bulbs
are available, and also cheaper but still decent 20W bulbs.

It's no good putting out more light in total if too much of it goes into a
ridculously small spot (seems to be common for the central beam to be far
narrower than what it's suppose to be with MR16s), or if distracting
patterns and lines are cast on the road, or the colour of the light is too
yellow.

Unfortnatley the Philips ES MR16 range starts at 20W.

~PB

Pete Biggs said:

SMS said:

Unlike most of the lower cost commercial bicycle lighting systems,
this one uses MR16, as opposed to MR11 lamps, which are more
efficient due to the larger reflector.

But, with the exception of the excellent Philips Masterline ES, the
quality of the beam spread is far poorer with the several MR16s I have
tried so far, and I know other MR16 users have said the same thing with
those they have tried. As well as being significantly less bulky, the
advantage of the MR11 system is that really good quality 5 to 12W bulbs
are available, and also cheaper but still decent 20W bulbs.

It's no good putting out more light in total if too much of it goes into a
ridculously small spot (seems to be common for the central beam to be far
narrower than what it's suppose to be with MR16s), or if distracting
patterns and lines are cast on the road, or the colour of the light is too
yellow.

Unfortnatley the Philips ES MR16 range starts at 20W.

I've had good luck with the standard Sylvania 10 deg, 20W spot. Also,
Nightsun sells 10W wide spots for the low beams in its own systems. These
are custom made for Nightsun, with good QC. A few dollars more maybe, but
worth it. These are a good choice for 12V SLA systems, because they're
already pretty hot and bright at 12V -- no need to overdrive them.

Matt O.

Matt O'Toole said:

Quoted message said:

Unfortnatley the Philips ES MR16 range starts at 20W.

I've had good luck with the standard Sylvania 10 deg, 20W spot. Also,
Nightsun sells 10W wide spots for the low beams in its own systems. These
are custom made for Nightsun, with good QC. A few dollars more maybe, but
worth it. These are a good choice for 12V SLA systems, because they're
already pretty hot and bright at 12V -- no need to overdrive them.

Unfortunately there are some cheap MR16 lamps that don't have good
quality reflectors. I haven't seen these personally, but I know that
others have. I've had good luck with the name brand MR16 lamps.

As Pete wrote, the bigger issue with MR16 lamps is that the lower
wattage lamps are not that common. I haven't tried the 5W/12V MR16 that
the guy in the UK is selling. I inquired to a Chinese company about such
a lamp, and they could make them, at very low cost (in quantity) but it
wasn't a standard product.

I'm not positive, but I think that the Light & Motion 13W lamp is an MR16.

Matt O'Toole said:

Also,
Nightsun sells 10W wide spots for the low beams in its own systems.
These are custom made for Nightsun, with good QC.

Thanks. Do you know what its beam angle is in degrees? Some websites
describe it as a "flood" or even a "broad flood". I wouldn't want more
than 20 degrees; really I'd prefer 8 to 12 degrees. (The cheap 10W MR16 I
have is supposed to be 10 degrees but looks more like 3!).

Quoted message said:

A few dollars more
maybe, but worth it. These are a good choice for 12V SLA systems,
because they're already pretty hot and bright at 12V -- no need to
overdrive them.

Would life be drastically reduced by using 14.8V? (from a battery I
already have for my other lights).

~PB

SMS said:

Matt O'Toole said:

Quoted message said:

Unfortnatley the Philips ES MR16 range starts at 20W.

I've had good luck with the standard Sylvania 10 deg, 20W spot. Also,
Nightsun sells 10W wide spots for the low beams in its own systems. These
are custom made for Nightsun, with good QC. A few dollars more maybe, but
worth it. These are a good choice for 12V SLA systems, because they're
already pretty hot and bright at 12V -- no need to overdrive them.

Unfortunately there are some cheap MR16 lamps that don't have good
quality reflectors. I haven't seen these personally, but I know that
others have. I've had good luck with the name brand MR16 lamps.

As Pete wrote, the bigger issue with MR16 lamps is that the lower
wattage lamps are not that common. I haven't tried the 5W/12V MR16 that
the guy in the UK is selling. I inquired to a Chinese company about such
a lamp, and they could make them, at very low cost (in quantity) but it
wasn't a standard product.

I'm not positive, but I think that the Light & Motion 13W lamp is an MR16.

Light and Motion use their own reflectors, which I think are aluminum
instead of glass. This is why their lights are so much better than
others, with a much more even beam. Have a look at that Eddy's bike shop
page again.

Matt O.

Pete Biggs said:

Matt O'Toole wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Also,
Nightsun sells 10W wide spots for the low beams in its own systems.
These are custom made for Nightsun, with good QC.

Thanks. Do you know what its beam angle is in degrees? Some websites
describe it as a "flood" or even a "broad flood". I wouldn't want more
than 20 degrees; really I'd prefer 8 to 12 degrees. (The cheap 10W MR16
I have is supposed to be 10 degrees but looks more like 3!).

I don't know the specs. I guess it's around 18deg, which is only
nominal anyway. It is a "flood" beam, designed for singletrack mountain
biking at singletrack speeds (the companion 20W high beam is a spot for
higher speeds).

Note that generic "flood" beams are often around 30 degrees, which is
definately too wide for biking. However many cheaper bike lights like
older Cygolites use these anyway.

I agree that a "12deg" beam is about perfect.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

A few dollars more
maybe, but worth it. These are a good choice for 12V SLA systems,
because they're already pretty hot and bright at 12V -- no need to
overdrive them.

Would life be drastically reduced by using 14.8V? (from a battery I
already have for my other lights).

I wouldn't use a Nightsun-branded bulb at 14.8V, unless you don't care
about burning up a $25 bulb pretty quickly. Older Nightsuns are
probably fine, but later ones do seem brighter at the same wattage --
meaning they're probably "overvolted" a little already at their rated 12V.
If you're using a 14.8V (14.4V?) battery, I suggest a standard lamp
with a long bulb life rating, 3000h or better. The basic relationship is,
by overvolting 10-20%, you get 50-100% more light, but bulb life decreases
by a factor of 10. The variation is due to how hot various bulbs are to
begin with, at their rated voltage. Their rated life is a good clue.

Matt O.

Jim said:

When I commuted to work I picked up some "lawn lights" and made mounts
to put on the bike.

(snip)

Quoted message said:

Jim

What did you use to make the mounts? I'm curious because I wanted to adapt a
lawn light for bike use but was put off because the several cheapest ones I saw
accepted a HUGE, coarse-thread stud-thingie for mounting.

--
Michael

Michael said:

Jim said:

When I commuted to work I picked up some "lawn lights" and made mounts
to put on the bike.

(snip)

Quoted message said:

Jim

What did you use to make the mounts? I'm curious because I wanted to adapt a
lawn light for bike use but was put off because the several cheapest ones I saw
accepted a HUGE, coarse-thread stud-thingie for mounting.

I have one bicycle with those sealed beam lawn lights.

http://www.nordicgroup.us/s78/images/img_0281.jpg

I mounted them without any enclosure, by using bolts through the holes
in the metal tabs.

One advantage of these lamps is the large size, which makes the bicycle
appear as some other type of vehicle from far away. Not the greatest
beam shape, certainly not as good as MR16 lamps.

"I find a sealed beam is less troublesome than a housing with a
removable lamp and the larger reflector produces more light per watt
than an MR11 lamp, though in a less focused pattern. The 14W beam is
actually perfect for bicycle commuting at speeds up to 20 mph; it both
lights the road and makes you very visible. The sealed beams make the
bicycle look more like a motorcycle than do the tiny MR11 lamps. The
beam is used without a housing, and is very lightweight (less than an
MR11 or MR16 lamp inside a metal housing). It runs cooler than the MR11
and MR16 type of lamps, and it is waterproof. However the sealed beams
are not as cool looking (I think that they're retro looking) as those
tiny housings used by commercial systems, and the beam is not easily
aimable once installed.

Use 8/32" screws (length depends on what you are mounting it to) through
the terminal holes after you tap threads with the short self-tapping
screws that are included. Use ring lugs for a #8 stud on these bolts to
bring power to the headlight. The set-up does look rather geeky due to
the wooden plank. Painting the plank black, or covering it with black
heat shrink tubing, would degeekify it quite a bit (in my opinion). A
system that an engineer can love! My six year old son was very impressed
with it. Kids that I pass while riding think that the lights are way cool.

The 14W beam is Intermatic/Malibu LV504, the 25 watt beam is LV505. The
LV505 is sold only at Home Depot (I have not seen it on-line or at other
hardware stores)."

Michael said:

What did you use to make the mounts? I'm curious because I wanted to adapt a
lawn light for bike use but was put off because the several cheapest ones I saw
accepted a HUGE, coarse-thread stud-thingie for mounting.

If it's what I think you're talking about, that stud-thingie may be a
perfect mate for standard threaded 1/2" (ID) PVC pipe.

The parts I have in hand to make a mount, but haven't tried yet are:

- T adapter with 1/2" (ID) threaded on the "vertical" and various sizes
on the "horizontal" part to try mounting on various places, e.g.
handlebar, stem or derailleur post on my recumbent bike

- 1/2" (ID) PVC nipple (male on both ends, one end to fit into the T,
the other end to fit onto the lawn light

- stainless steel hose clamps (intending to use old innertubes to
protect my frame)

With various combos of T's, elbows, etc., I figure I could shape and put
a light mount wherever I need it.

The pipe nipples were actually a little hard to find--they're not with
the regular PVC bits and pieces at Home Depot and Lowes. They seem to
be available only in the lawn sprinkler area and are generally black
(maybe Toro brand?), and fortunately come in many different lengths.

--
I do not accept unsolicited commercial e-mail. Remove NO_UCE for
legitimate replies.

Michael said:

Jim said:

When I commuted to work I picked up some "lawn lights" and made mounts
to put on the bike.

(snip)

Quoted message said:

Jim

What did you use to make the mounts? I'm curious because I wanted to adapt a
lawn light for bike use but was put off because the several cheapest ones I saw
accepted a HUGE, coarse-thread stud-thingie for mounting.

This was an all-plastic light. It had a plastic stake to stick in the
ground. I cut off all but a few inches of the stake and bolted on a
Stanley "L" bracket to it. Check your local home lifestyle emporium
(aka hardware store). The other end of the bracket had conveniently
drilled holes, and I just stuck it on the bolt that held the front
brake.

Jim