Freelights?



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Stephen \

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Anyone given these a go or know more about them?

www.freelights.co.uk

They put a small flyer on my bike the other day in Holborn. Might nip up to their shop one lunch to
take a look. The lights themselves look a bit pathetic but I like the generator. No connection with
them just thought it looked interesting.
 
On Thu, 13 Mar 2003 18:44:32 -0000, "Stephen \(aka steford\)"
<[email protected]> in <[email protected]> wrote:

>Anyone given these a go or know more about them?
>
>www.freelights.co.uk
>
>They put a small flyer on my bike the other day in Holborn. Might nip up to their shop one lunch to
>take a look. The lights themselves look a bit pathetic but I like the generator. No connection with
>them just thought it

Not sure I understand this bit of the explanation on their website. Sounds quite like a Sheldon
Brown pi$$ take to me!

[from http://www.helpyou.freewire.co.uk/how.html]

"Gap: This is the most important point! In this system, there are two strong magnets interacting on
each other. This allows a larger gap (.5cm-4cm) between the magnets to make the internal magnet
tumble to generate electricity. It is especially suitable in some environments that the gap is
always changed, such as on a bicycle wheel. As we know, the rotating bicycle wheel is not always
straight, the gap between the two magnets will be changed when the bicycle changes direction."

--
Two fish suddenly swim into a brick wall. Damn! To reply put only the word "richard" before
the @ sign
 
Looks interesting, let me know what you find when you visit.

SW

"Stephen (aka steford)" <R_[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Anyone given these a go or know more about them?
>
> www.freelights.co.uk
>
> They put a small flyer on my bike the other day in Holborn. Might nip up
to
> their shop one lunch to take a look. The lights themselves look a bit pathetic but I like the
> generator. No connection with them just thought it looked interesting.
 
"Richard Bates" <mai[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Thu, 13 Mar 2003 18:44:32 -0000, "Stephen \(aka steford\)"
> <[email protected]> in
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >Anyone given these a go or know more about them?
> >
> >www.freelights.co.uk
> >
> >They put a small flyer on my bike the other day in Holborn. Might nip up
to
> >their shop one lunch to take a look. The lights themselves look a bit pathetic but I like the
> >generator. No connection with them just thought
it
>
> Not sure I understand this bit of the explanation on their website. Sounds quite like a Sheldon
> Brown pi$$ take to me!
>
> [from http://www.helpyou.freewire.co.uk/how.html]
>
> "Gap: This is the most important point! In this system, there are two strong magnets interacting
> on each other. This allows a larger gap (.5cm-4cm) between the magnets to make the internal magnet
> tumble to generate electricity. It is especially suitable in some environments that the gap is
> always changed, such as on a bicycle wheel. As we know, the rotating bicycle wheel is not always
> straight, the gap between the two magnets will be changed when the bicycle changes direction."
>
Yes it's not the best website I agree. I like the tumbling magnet idea though. If I have the time
I'll go up and have a look.
 
In message <[email protected]>, Richard Bates
<[email protected]> writes
>On Thu, 13 Mar 2003 18:44:32 -0000, "Stephen \(aka steford\)"
><[email protected]> in <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>Anyone given these a go or know more about them?
>>
>>www.freelights.co.uk
>>
>
>Not sure I understand this bit of the explanation on their website. Sounds quite like a Sheldon
>Brown pi$$ take to me!
>
>[from http://www.helpyou.freewire.co.uk/how.html]
>
Yeah, it would help if they learnt to write English....

My response to this is really what's the point? Of course it doesn't create much drag - it's only
generating enough power to light a couple of little LEDS once a rev. whatever fraction of a Watt
that might be, as opposed to the 3W or so of a standard Dynamo.

You'd still need a decent light as well.

Sorry another one to go down in cycling history's book of 'good ideas' ? that didn't make it.
--
Chris French, Leeds
 
chris French <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> My response to this is really what's the point? Of course it doesn't create much drag - it's only
> generating enough power to light a couple of little LEDS once a rev. whatever fraction of a Watt
> that might be, as opposed to the 3W or so of a standard Dynamo.
>
> You'd still need a decent light as well.
>

Absolutely. It probably needs about 40mW to keep those two LEDs running at most. A standard dynamo
can be around 50% efficient, this cannot be more than 100% efficient. Energy doesn't come from
nowhere so ergo its just generating an exceeding small amount of power for an application that
consumes an exceedingly small amount of power. You could probably get more from a Seiko Kinetic
generator driven by road vibrations.

Add it to this related idea http://www.halfbakery.com/idea/Kinetic_20Mobile_20Phone

Tony

--
http://www.raven-family.com

"I don't want any yes-men around me. I want everybody to tell me the truth even if it costs them
their job."

Samuel Goldwyn
 
"Stephen \(aka steford\)" <R_[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> Anyone given these a go or know more about them?
>
> www.freelights.co.uk
>
> They put a small flyer on my bike the other day in Holborn. Might nip up to their shop one lunch
> to take a look. The lights themselves look a bit pathetic but I like the generator. No connection
> with them just thought it looked interesting.

Interesting. Please do that and let us know how well they work in practice. Does anyone know whether
the LEDs that you sometimes see flashing in children's training shoes as they walk work on a similar
principle? Of course as the lights appear only to flash and not have a steady on mode it would be
illegal to use them on a bicycle in the UK, even as a supplementary light. The walker/jogger version
attached to your ankle might be legal though.

--
Dave...
 
[email protected] (Dave Kahn) writes:
> Interesting. Please do that and let us know how well they work in practice. Does anyone know
> whether the LEDs that you sometimes see flashing in children's training shoes as they walk work on
> a similar principle?

No, they're a battery put in at manufacture. Well, at least some are.
 
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