Trailhead DIY Light

I tried to buy two MR11 shell from Trailhead, but Duane has stopped
development of the smaller shells. I ended up moulding a pair of shells
myself from Epoxy FRP. A complicated process. They worked well, I did buy
a lightbrian 2000 PWM controller for them. 9.6 Volt battery needs to be a
bit larger, but I can get from 35 minutes (Overdriving two 10 watt MR11's
at about 7.2 V using the max power from the card) to about 3 hours (at
normal voltage, min power) -from my 3.6 Ahr battery- (8x Sanyo sub C cells)

Duane will no doubt still have MR16 shells available.

"Gurrie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

All,

http://www.trailheadlights.com/details.html

The DIY kits are at the bottom.

Considering getting this shell as the basis of my new light - anyone used
one and can provide feedback?

I want my light to be a helmet mount and I'd rather pay a few dollars to
get something decent rather than use PVC pipe etc etc.

Any feedback is appreciated.

Craig

Looks like a good product. But have a read of the ordering page
(www.trailheadlights.com/2co_order.html). Manufacturers son was killed in a
bike accident and he isn't making very many.

Sent a shiver down my spine.

As he says "Watch out for cars, they *are* trying to kill you"

Thanks for the details.

Excuse the ignorance, but what is "Epoxy FRP"??

"Bob Chambers" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I tried to buy two MR11 shell from Trailhead, but Duane has stopped
development of the smaller shells. I ended up moulding a pair of shells
myself from Epoxy FRP. A complicated process. They worked well, I did buy
a lightbrian 2000 PWM controller for them. 9.6 Volt battery needs to be a
bit larger, but I can get from 35 minutes (Overdriving two 10 watt MR11's
at about 7.2 V using the max power from the card) to about 3 hours (at
normal voltage, min power) -from my 3.6 Ahr battery- (8x Sanyo sub C cells)

Duane will no doubt still have MR16 shells available.

"Gurrie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

All,

http://www.trailheadlights.com/details.html

The DIY kits are at the bottom.

Considering getting this shell as the basis of my new light - anyone used
one and can provide feedback?

I want my light to be a helmet mount and I'd rather pay a few dollars to
get something decent rather than use PVC pipe etc etc.

Any feedback is appreciated.

Craig

Gurrie said:

Excuse the ignorance, but what is "Epoxy FRP"??

FRP is an acronym for Fibre Reinforced Plastic. It's fibreglass.

Similarly, CRP is Carbon Reinforced Plastic, also commonly known as carbon fibre.

Note the "plastic" bit in each...

Regards,

Suzy

"suzyj" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Gurrie said:

Excuse the ignorance, but what is "Epoxy FRP"??

FRP is an acronym for Fibre Reinforced Plastic. It's fibreglass.

Similarly, CRP is Carbon Reinforced Plastic, also commonly known as
carbon fibre.

Note the "plastic" bit in each...

Regards,

Suzy

--
suzyj

The epoxy bit at the start is slightly misleading as you don't normally
combine epoxy with fibreglass. Epoxys are usually used on Kevlar or carbon
fibres.

Marty

Thanks for the feedback.

Is it readily available? expensive?

Anyone got any plans or details (url etc?) to how you would make a suitable
MR globe housing using this stuff.

Thanks again.

Craig

"Marty Wallace" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"suzyj" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Gurrie said:

Excuse the ignorance, but what is "Epoxy FRP"??

FRP is an acronym for Fibre Reinforced Plastic. It's fibreglass.

Similarly, CRP is Carbon Reinforced Plastic, also commonly known as
carbon fibre.

Note the "plastic" bit in each...

Regards,

Suzy

--
suzyj

The epoxy bit at the start is slightly misleading as you don't normally
combine epoxy with fibreglass. Epoxys are usually used on Kevlar or carbon
fibres.

Marty

"Marty Wallace" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"suzyj" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Gurrie said:

Excuse the ignorance, but what is "Epoxy FRP"??

FRP is an acronym for Fibre Reinforced Plastic. It's fibreglass.

Similarly, CRP is Carbon Reinforced Plastic, also commonly known as
carbon fibre.

Note the "plastic" bit in each...

Regards,

Suzy

--
suzyj

The epoxy bit at the start is slightly misleading as you don't normally
combine epoxy with fibreglass. Epoxys are usually used on Kevlar or carbon
fibres.

Marty

In this case I used Derakane Epoxy Grade 470 (selected because it claimed to
have a softening point of about 150 C for the hot hot 10 Watt MR11's) with
an accelerator to provide short gel times, so the layup wouldn't run. The
shells are pretty small, you can close your fist over the finished article
and they ran all over the place and needed constant turning until gelled. -
I had to buy enough epoxy and light glass cloth scrim to mould about 1000
shells as it happens. I was moulding the shells over a turned wooden
(Australian cedar as it happens) internal mould which had the bulb shape "in
mind". The mould ensured that I could get the bulbs to fit the into the
finished shell. The laying up was difficult at times since the rubber
gloves would pull off the necessarily small pieces of fibreglass scrim as I
worked. The outside looked pretty daggy when set, but was filed and sanded
to a headlight shape, then painted with matt black high temperature engine
paint. The big problem was getting enough cover on the mould so that I
could use compressed air to blow the moulded shell off the mould when the
shells set.

If I was building them commercially, I'd set up and internal and external
mould, but for a one off (or pair off) I used the internal form. The final
shells are fixed to those Cateye handlebar brackets with cam action clamp.

Anyway, just as I finished this twin lamp PWM controlled light the high
power LED's and associated regulators appeared commercially. But it was fun
laying up 2 small shells.

Bob CO

See my post about moulding shells.

Bob C

"Gurrie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Thanks for the feedback.

Is it readily available? expensive?

Anyone got any plans or details (url etc?) to how you would make a
suitable MR globe housing using this stuff.

Thanks again.

Craig

"Marty Wallace" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"suzyj" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Gurrie wrote:

> Excuse the ignorance, but what is "Epoxy FRP"??

FRP is an acronym for Fibre Reinforced Plastic. It's fibreglass.

Similarly, CRP is Carbon Reinforced Plastic, also commonly known as
carbon fibre.

Note the "plastic" bit in each...

Regards,

Suzy

--
suzyj

The epoxy bit at the start is slightly misleading as you don't normally
combine epoxy with fibreglass. Epoxys are usually used on Kevlar or
carbon
fibres.

Marty

See my post about moulding shells.

Bob C

"Gurrie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Thanks for the feedback.

Is it readily available? expensive?

Anyone got any plans or details (url etc?) to how you would make a
suitable MR globe housing using this stuff.

Thanks again.

Craig

"Marty Wallace" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"suzyj" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Gurrie wrote:

> Excuse the ignorance, but what is "Epoxy FRP"??

FRP is an acronym for Fibre Reinforced Plastic. It's fibreglass.

Similarly, CRP is Carbon Reinforced Plastic, also commonly known as
carbon fibre.

Note the "plastic" bit in each...

Regards,

Suzy

--
suzyj

The epoxy bit at the start is slightly misleading as you don't normally
combine epoxy with fibreglass. Epoxys are usually used on Kevlar or
carbon
fibres.

Marty

Thanks - not sure what I am going to do, still evaluating the whole "diy" Vs
purchase something or perhaps something in the middle, like a kit.

Cheers,

Craig

"Bob Chambers" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Marty Wallace" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"suzyj" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Gurrie wrote:

> Excuse the ignorance, but what is "Epoxy FRP"??

FRP is an acronym for Fibre Reinforced Plastic. It's fibreglass.

Similarly, CRP is Carbon Reinforced Plastic, also commonly known as
carbon fibre.

Note the "plastic" bit in each...

Regards,

Suzy

--
suzyj

The epoxy bit at the start is slightly misleading as you don't normally
combine epoxy with fibreglass. Epoxys are usually used on Kevlar or
carbon
fibres.

Marty

In this case I used Derakane Epoxy Grade 470 (selected because it claimed
to have a softening point of about 150 C for the hot hot 10 Watt MR11's)
with an accelerator to provide short gel times, so the layup wouldn't run.
The shells are pretty small, you can close your fist over the finished
article and they ran all over the place and needed constant turning until
gelled. - I had to buy enough epoxy and light glass cloth scrim to mould
about 1000 shells as it happens. I was moulding the shells over a turned
wooden (Australian cedar as it happens) internal mould which had the bulb
shape "in mind". The mould ensured that I could get the bulbs to fit the
into the finished shell. The laying up was difficult at times since the
rubber gloves would pull off the necessarily small pieces of fibreglass
scrim as I worked. The outside looked pretty daggy when set, but was
filed and sanded to a headlight shape, then painted with matt black high
temperature engine paint. The big problem was getting enough cover on the
mould so that I could use compressed air to blow the moulded shell off the
mould when the shells set.

If I was building them commercially, I'd set up and internal and external
mould, but for a one off (or pair off) I used the internal form. The
final shells are fixed to those Cateye handlebar brackets with cam action
clamp.

Anyway, just as I finished this twin lamp PWM controlled light the high
power LED's and associated regulators appeared commercially. But it was
fun laying up 2 small shells.

Bob CO

"Gurrie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Thanks - not sure what I am going to do, still evaluating the whole "diy"

Vs

Quoted message said:

purchase something or perhaps something in the middle, like a kit.

Cheers,

Craig

I thought someone would have put you onto Fat Hippys website by now.
Guess I'll have to do it myself. (Roll eyes.)

Try here Craig

http://sites.uws.edu.au/vip/fathersa/mtb.htm#lights

It has everything you wanted to know but were afraid to ask.

Regards

Marty

"Marty Wallace" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Gurrie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Thanks - not sure what I am going to do, still evaluating the whole

"diy"

Quoted message said:

Vs

Quoted message said:

purchase something or perhaps something in the middle, like a kit.

Cheers,

Craig

I thought someone would have put you onto Fat Hippys website by now.
Guess I'll have to do it myself. (Roll eyes.)

Try here Craig

http://sites.uws.edu.au/vip/fathersa/mtb.htm#lights

It has everything you wanted to know but were afraid to ask.

Regards

Marty

The Fat Hippy site got me started and now I am onto about version 9 or so.
There are plenty of different options on housings and you are pretty well
only limited by your imagination and budget.

FWIW, here is my site.

http://www.users.tpg.com.au/adsl4xun/

Ride On,

Gags

"Gags" <gags_44nospamatnospamtpg.com.au> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Marty Wallace" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Gurrie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Thanks - not sure what I am going to do, still evaluating the whole

"diy"

Quoted message said:

Vs

Quoted message said:

purchase something or perhaps something in the middle, like a kit.

Cheers,

Craig

I thought someone would have put you onto Fat Hippys website by now.
Guess I'll have to do it myself. (Roll eyes.)

Try here Craig

http://sites.uws.edu.au/vip/fathersa/mtb.htm#lights

It has everything you wanted to know but were afraid to ask.

Regards

Marty

The Fat Hippy site got me started and now I am onto about version 9 or so.
There are plenty of different options on housings and you are pretty well
only limited by your imagination and budget.

FWIW, here is my site.

http://www.users.tpg.com.au/adsl4xun/

Ride On,

Gags

I'm still happy with my "temporary" setup with my Luxeons.
Two 5 watts on my MTB and a single 5 watt on my road bike.

Did a 102 km night ride on the road three nights ago and my 12 volt 2.5 amp
hour NiMh battery lasted this distance without any problems.

I've got a 4.5 amp hour NiMh battery on the MTB.

Marty

Is a single 5W Luxeon (like your road setup?) comparable to a 5w halogen -
if so I'd rather something brighter than a 5w halogen.
Do you have any pics showing beam patterns etc.

Thanks,

Craig

"Marty Wallace" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Gags" <gags_44nospamatnospamtpg.com.au> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Marty Wallace" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Gurrie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
> Thanks - not sure what I am going to do, still evaluating the whole

"diy"

Quoted message said:

Vs
> purchase something or perhaps something in the middle, like a kit.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Craig

I thought someone would have put you onto Fat Hippys website by now.
Guess I'll have to do it myself. (Roll eyes.)

Try here Craig

http://sites.uws.edu.au/vip/fathersa/mtb.htm#lights

It has everything you wanted to know but were afraid to ask.

Regards

Marty

The Fat Hippy site got me started and now I am onto about version 9 or
so.
There are plenty of different options on housings and you are pretty well
only limited by your imagination and budget.

FWIW, here is my site.

http://www.users.tpg.com.au/adsl4xun/

Ride On,

Gags

I'm still happy with my "temporary" setup with my Luxeons.
Two 5 watts on my MTB and a single 5 watt on my road bike.

Did a 102 km night ride on the road three nights ago and my 12 volt 2.5
amp
hour NiMh battery lasted this distance without any problems.

I've got a 4.5 amp hour NiMh battery on the MTB.

Marty

I used to have a light set up that I made myself using a 10w/6v halogen globe
hooked up to a 6AH SLAB. It was cheap and reliable but for commuting at night on the tandem I thought I'd get serious and make sure the car drivers had absolutely no excuse whatsoever to say they hadn't seen us coming.
We now have a Cateye Stadium 3 that I picked up on Ebay.
This light lights up the road where there are no street lights and makes
car drivers adjust their mirrors to avoid retinal damage.
On of the best things that I've spent money on for the tandem.

"Gurrie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Is a single 5W Luxeon (like your road setup?) comparable to a 5w halogen -
if so I'd rather something brighter than a 5w halogen.
Do you have any pics showing beam patterns etc.

Thanks,

Craig

I haven't used halogens for a while now and I can't quite remember how
bright they are but the setup is adequate to ride by. From memory I'd say
that the 5 watt luxeon wouldn't be far off the 10 watt halogen.

Marty