Good sources for home made bike lights

[Robert Haston]

I was looking up bulbs for someone and checked:

http://www.bulb-source.com/MR11.htm

Their 12 volt 12 watt narrow spot was $3.90. Buy three and you get free shipping, a dozen go for
$2.75 each.

batteries.com has a 4 amp hour 12V battery for $12. I had gotten some 2.2s for around $6 a
while back.

There are lots of ways to build your own light, most are way too complex, trying to copy elaborate
waterproof designs (which often fail and hold the water in) and such.

One of the simplest is shown on my home page: http://home.earthlink.net/~rehaston/index.html

But I feel even simpler is better, like those track lights that simply clasp the bulb. My first was
like that, and I used it 2 years in all conditions.

A little cord, a switch taped onto the battery, an old bike light mount, some aluminum to clamp onto
it and shield the back glow, and an hour later, you are lighting up the neighborhood for up to 4
hours for under $20.

 

[Robert Haston]

I was looking up bulbs for someone and checked:

http://www.bulb-source.com/MR11.htm

Their 12 volt 12 watt narrow spot was $3.90. Buy three and you get free shipping, a dozen go for
$2.75 each.

batteries.com has a 4 amp hour 12V battery for $12. I had gotten some 2.2s for around $6 a
while back.

There are lots of ways to build your own light, most are way too complex, trying to copy elaborate
waterproof designs (which often fail and hold the water in) and such.

One of the simplest is shown on my home page: http://home.earthlink.net/~rehaston/index.html

But I feel even simpler is better, like those track lights that simply clasp the bulb. My first was
like that, and I used it 2 years in all conditions.

A little cord, a switch taped onto the battery, an old bike light mount, some aluminum to clamp onto
it and shield the back glow, and an hour later, you are lighting up the neighborhood for up to 4
hours for under $20.

 

[Torben Scheel]

Thanks for great info.

Unfortunately I cant use the sources in Denmark - we have other sources though.

Torben

"Robert Haston" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I was looking up bulbs for someone and checked:
>
> http://www.bulb-source.com/MR11.htm
>
> Their 12 volt 12 watt narrow spot was $3.90. Buy three and you get free shipping, a dozen go for
> $2.75 each.
>
> batteries.com has a 4 amp hour 12V battery for $12. I had gotten some
2.2s
> for around $6 a while back.
>
> There are lots of ways to build your own light, most are way too complex, trying to copy elaborate
> waterproof designs (which often fail and hold the water in) and such.
>
> One of the simplest is shown on my home page: http://home.earthlink.net/~rehaston/index.html
>
> But I feel even simpler is better, like those track lights that simply
clasp
> the bulb. My first was like that, and I used it 2 years in all
conditions.
>
> A little cord, a switch taped onto the battery, an old bike light mount, some aluminum to clamp
> onto it and shield the back glow, and an hour
later,
> you are lighting up the neighborhood for up to 4 hours for under $20.

 

[Torben Scheel]

Thanks for great info.

Unfortunately I cant use the sources in Denmark - we have other sources though.

Torben

"Robert Haston" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I was looking up bulbs for someone and checked:
>
> http://www.bulb-source.com/MR11.htm
>
> Their 12 volt 12 watt narrow spot was $3.90. Buy three and you get free shipping, a dozen go for
> $2.75 each.
>
> batteries.com has a 4 amp hour 12V battery for $12. I had gotten some
2.2s
> for around $6 a while back.
>
> There are lots of ways to build your own light, most are way too complex, trying to copy elaborate
> waterproof designs (which often fail and hold the water in) and such.
>
> One of the simplest is shown on my home page: http://home.earthlink.net/~rehaston/index.html
>
> But I feel even simpler is better, like those track lights that simply
clasp
> the bulb. My first was like that, and I used it 2 years in all
conditions.
>
> A little cord, a switch taped onto the battery, an old bike light mount, some aluminum to clamp
> onto it and shield the back glow, and an hour
later,
> you are lighting up the neighborhood for up to 4 hours for under $20.

 

[David Bogie]

Robert, Very cool, wish I'd found your site a few weeks ago, I can do that stuff. But I got
completely impatient trying to figure out a DYI solution while I was commuting both ways in
dark-dark-dark and eating AAs like popcorn. So I copped out and got a 12v system from Performance,
NightHawk dual-light 10W and 20W, for about $120. I'm frustrated that I couldn't find the energy
and time to build my own but at least I'm totally visible and the bike path is lit far enough out
that I can pick up the speed. I've got a great collection of dancing and flashing red LEDs on the
back, I'm a sight.

I've got the lamp heads behind the fairing, which, of course, causes its own strangeness. On gfoggy
mornings, I look like a giant ping pong ball. Figuring out how to mount the light heads to the
external bolts of the fairing supports has me freaked out again. You've given me some inspiration
... copper, brass, solder, and a hammer. I can do that!

david boise id

"Robert Haston" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> I was looking up bulbs for someone and checked:
>
> http://www.bulb-source.com/MR11.htm
>
> Their 12 volt 12 watt narrow spot was $3.90. Buy three and you get free shipping, a dozen go for
> $2.75 each.
>
> batteries.com has a 4 amp hour 12V battery for $12. I had gotten some 2.2s for around $6 a
> while back.
>
> There are lots of ways to build your own light, most are way too complex, trying to copy elaborate
> waterproof designs (which often fail and hold the water in) and such.
>
> One of the simplest is shown on my home page: http://home.earthlink.net/~rehaston/index.html
>
> But I feel even simpler is better, like those track lights that simply clasp the bulb. My first
> was like that, and I used it 2 years in all conditions.
>
> A little cord, a switch taped onto the battery, an old bike light mount, some aluminum to clamp
> onto it and shield the back glow, and an hour later, you are lighting up the neighborhood for up
> to 4 hours for under $20.

 

[David Bogie]

Robert, Very cool, wish I'd found your site a few weeks ago, I can do that stuff. But I got
completely impatient trying to figure out a DYI solution while I was commuting both ways in
dark-dark-dark and eating AAs like popcorn. So I copped out and got a 12v system from Performance,
NightHawk dual-light 10W and 20W, for about $120. I'm frustrated that I couldn't find the energy
and time to build my own but at least I'm totally visible and the bike path is lit far enough out
that I can pick up the speed. I've got a great collection of dancing and flashing red LEDs on the
back, I'm a sight.

I've got the lamp heads behind the fairing, which, of course, causes its own strangeness. On gfoggy
mornings, I look like a giant ping pong ball. Figuring out how to mount the light heads to the
external bolts of the fairing supports has me freaked out again. You've given me some inspiration
... copper, brass, solder, and a hammer. I can do that!

david boise id

"Robert Haston" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> I was looking up bulbs for someone and checked:
>
> http://www.bulb-source.com/MR11.htm
>
> Their 12 volt 12 watt narrow spot was $3.90. Buy three and you get free shipping, a dozen go for
> $2.75 each.
>
> batteries.com has a 4 amp hour 12V battery for $12. I had gotten some 2.2s for around $6 a
> while back.
>
> There are lots of ways to build your own light, most are way too complex, trying to copy elaborate
> waterproof designs (which often fail and hold the water in) and such.
>
> One of the simplest is shown on my home page: http://home.earthlink.net/~rehaston/index.html
>
> But I feel even simpler is better, like those track lights that simply clasp the bulb. My first
> was like that, and I used it 2 years in all conditions.
>
> A little cord, a switch taped onto the battery, an old bike light mount, some aluminum to clamp
> onto it and shield the back glow, and an hour later, you are lighting up the neighborhood for up
> to 4 hours for under $20.

 

[Robert Haston]

You also have a society that doesn't treat cyclists like road-kill. I hope to cycle there someday,
maybe after I come back from this year's trip to the Middle East.

"Torben Scheel" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Thanks for great info.
>
> Unfortunately I cant use the sources in Denmark - we have other sources though.
>
> Torben
>
> "Robert Haston" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > I was looking up bulbs for someone and checked:
> >
> > http://www.bulb-source.com/MR11.htm
> >
> > Their 12 volt 12 watt narrow spot was $3.90. Buy three and you get free shipping, a dozen go for
> > $2.75 each.
> >
> > batteries.com has a 4 amp hour 12V battery for $12. I had gotten some
> 2.2s
> > for around $6 a while back.
> >
> > There are lots of ways to build your own light, most are way too
complex,
> > trying to copy elaborate waterproof designs (which often fail and hold
the
> > water in) and such.
> >
> > One of the simplest is shown on my home page: http://home.earthlink.net/~rehaston/index.html
> >
> > But I feel even simpler is better, like those track lights that simply
> clasp
> > the bulb. My first was like that, and I used it 2 years in all
> conditions.
> >
> > A little cord, a switch taped onto the battery, an old bike light mount, some aluminum to clamp
> > onto it and shield the back glow, and an hour
> later,
> > you are lighting up the neighborhood for up to 4 hours for under $20.
> >
> >

 

[Robert Haston]

You also have a society that doesn't treat cyclists like road-kill. I hope to cycle there someday,
maybe after I come back from this year's trip to the Middle East.

"Torben Scheel" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Thanks for great info.
>
> Unfortunately I cant use the sources in Denmark - we have other sources though.
>
> Torben
>
> "Robert Haston" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > I was looking up bulbs for someone and checked:
> >
> > http://www.bulb-source.com/MR11.htm
> >
> > Their 12 volt 12 watt narrow spot was $3.90. Buy three and you get free shipping, a dozen go for
> > $2.75 each.
> >
> > batteries.com has a 4 amp hour 12V battery for $12. I had gotten some
> 2.2s
> > for around $6 a while back.
> >
> > There are lots of ways to build your own light, most are way too
complex,
> > trying to copy elaborate waterproof designs (which often fail and hold
the
> > water in) and such.
> >
> > One of the simplest is shown on my home page: http://home.earthlink.net/~rehaston/index.html
> >
> > But I feel even simpler is better, like those track lights that simply
> clasp
> > the bulb. My first was like that, and I used it 2 years in all
> conditions.
> >
> > A little cord, a switch taped onto the battery, an old bike light mount, some aluminum to clamp
> > onto it and shield the back glow, and an hour
> later,
> > you are lighting up the neighborhood for up to 4 hours for under $20.
> >
> >

 

[Mikael Seierup]

"Robert Haston" skrev...
> You also have a society that doesn't treat cyclists like road-kill. I hope to cycle there someday,
> maybe after I come back from this year's trip to the Middle East.

Ehm well... no they don't actively go after cyclists, but we're actually the country in Europe with
the second highest rate of fatalities on the road. Cellphones, people driving according to "the
conditions" which usually means not according to the law and the commuters that manage to shave,
read the paper and use a laptop. Bring a helmet. ;-)

Mikael

 

[Mikael Seierup]

"Robert Haston" skrev...
> You also have a society that doesn't treat cyclists like road-kill. I hope to cycle there someday,
> maybe after I come back from this year's trip to the Middle East.

Ehm well... no they don't actively go after cyclists, but we're actually the country in Europe with
the second highest rate of fatalities on the road. Cellphones, people driving according to "the
conditions" which usually means not according to the law and the commuters that manage to shave,
read the paper and use a laptop. Bring a helmet. ;-)

Mikael