Conference noted::bicycle

	The two best systems that I'm aware of are the Sanyo Dynapower and
a similar unit made by Soubitez. They both use a roller generator mounted
at the chainstay pin near the bottom bracket. Both use quartz-halogen bulbs.
I'm not sure of the voltage, although I'd guess they're 6V. It would be a
trivial matter to rig up a battery pack using recargeable cells that could
be trickle charged from the generator.
	I've never seen a brake light system on a bike before. I'm not sure
what use it would have. Most motorists tend to react two ways to a cyclist
at night...either they slow down when they see you or they cruise onward
as if you weren't there. I think a brake light would just confuse the former
and have no effect on the latter. Just my $.02 worth.

CdH

	C'mon Tom Porcher, YOU know about lights !

	One little warning about bottom bracket generators; they
assume a regular (conventional) frame and cannot easily be mounted on
a mountain bike because of the way the chain stays run parallel and
farther apart. 

	Reg

Re: -1

	Real mountain bikes have knobby tires, and these don't work well
at all with drum generators.

CdH

I have two bikes, one with the Sanyo and the other with the Soubitez - 
both bottom bracket models.  If its a generator system you want, 
strongly suggest the Soubitez, its better for a number of reasons
(contact me if you want to know them).

If you do get a Soubitez, the cheaper model is better since it has
a smaller headlamp which doesn't break the bracket yet is still just
as bright (6 volt halogen lamp).

	Mike Hanauer

Just my 2 cents worth.  I have a roller generator like described in the 
previous replies. Love it very little drag, hardly notice it at all.

Hate it because it got in the way if mounted where factory said to. Plus my 
wife's bike didn't have room to mount it.  Solution was to build bracket to
come off the same bracket that the rear brake calipers are mounted to. 

Solution works well, It's out of the way of road debrie, will fit almost any 
bike I've seen and I can reach it with my hand to turn it on at dusk.

Rich Hein 
(stickly amatur but have been riding for 20 years)

	Re:- .3   OK, but who wants to ride with lights off road ?
Who wants to run real_knobbies on the road ?  The semi_knobbies with a
centre ridge will run a dyno ok, provide acceptable traction off road
and some smooth on the pavement - a compromise, but a reasonable one.
The thing I disliked most about the Sanyo set up was that they expect
you to use the frame as a ground return, OK until you come to the
little pointed screw in the rear lamp bracket that is supposed to bite
through the paint on the seat stay.  I ran separate ground wires.

	Reg	

I have had a Union generator set on my commuting bike, which I got after using
a supposedly good battery light and then running over a tree branch in the road
(fortunately, it didn't cause an accident). 

The Union is quite bright, and gets up to full brightness easily. The reflector
seems to be a good shape, and I can move the light up and down easily while
riding because of the way it is mounted on the bracket.

It is not high-tech halogen or anything, but it seems to do the job.

--Dan 

	I saw in the January Bicycling which arrived last night; Soubitez
has a system which attaches to your generator that will keep the light on
for 30 seconds after you're stopped. Probably a large capacitor or something.
                                                       
Re: mountain bikes without knobbies

	Reg, I didn't mean to start a war here. I just feel that a mountain
bike isn't a real mountain bike without knobby tires that are designed for
off road use. Any mountain bike you'd put lights on is really a commuter
bike, so they should have city bike tires.

CdH

    In seven years of commuting in Cambridge and Boston, and various
    touring, I finally came to the conclusion that bicycle lights are
    for notifying motorists, not to help one see.  The tiny patch of
    light you get dancing ahead of you ruins your night vision.  The
    drag from any generator is significant.  
    
    I finally wound up with one of the leg-mounted beacons, turning
    it on only when a car approached.  A remote switch would be nice.
    
    This approach worked for all but cloudy nights;  your eyes will
    adapt well enough to function even in starlight.
    
    John Peters

Does anyone know a source of halogen replacement lamps in the Boston
area, especially for the Soubitez.  They seem to be tough to get. 
"Bicycle Exchange" in Cambridge has an almost, but not quite. 

    re:10 You may want to look at a sporting goods store that
    sells Magnalite (sp?) flashlights. I have one and it uses a
    4.5v halogen bulb. the size and shape is I belive called a pr-13
    take your old one with you..also take at least $5.00 as that
    is how much they one I just replaced soaked me for.
    
    					-jerry

    I've had a battery-halogen system for several years and am generally
    pleased with it. Made by outfit in Virginia, forget their name.
    Disagree that being seen by cars is enough: had too many close calls
    with dim (admittedly inferior) generator system, and then ran over
    some piece of garbage in the road  that I couldn't see in time that
    destroyed a tire (as well as puncturing tube etc.) Yes you can
    basically tell where the road is in starlight but at 20 mph you
    need to see more than that.
    
    This has a very bright 2" dia headlight - gets full attention and
    respect from autos, they think its a motorcycle coming at least;
    the battery snaps out after a ride a plugs in to recharge overnight.
    Minor complaints: the tail light bulb is a screw type that periodically
    unscrews itself and must be put back in; it should be a bayonet.
    Also the switches are not best quality (mounted on top bar), should
    be sealed switch system. Occasionally get intermittent action. I
    plan on replacing them before the fall. In general I'm happy with
    this system and would recommend it to anyone who does a lot of
    winter evening commuting.

    Has anyone experience with Ed Kearny (sp?) lights?  They were
    rechargable battery and various lamps with steady and flashing
    rear light options.  I get tired of supporting battery companies
    and having to keep up speed for generators.  Usual solution has
    been to pick routes carefully and depend on lights as markers and
    not to illuminate the road.  Most of the lights that I and friends
    used when I lived in Florida suffered in the beach air and were
    garbage in a short while.  Right now I do not have to depend on
    them but would like to have a *good* set.

Re: < Note 10.13 by OASS::JBINGHAM "John Bingham" >

	I've used Kearney's lights in the past, and find them excellent,
    even for someone with night vision as bad as mine. However, I've been
    trying to order some new lights for over a month, and Kearney is not
    answering the 'phone, nor is he answering letters, so I suspect he's
    quit the business.

    Incidentally, I've found a supplier of lights similar to Kearney's
    in the Boston area. Try Jerry Slack at the Cycle Loft in Burlington.
    The light is called a SladeLight, and he sells it for $140. It has
    the same GE bulb as Kearney used in a similar rubber casing, and
    comes with the same Gates rechargable lead-acid battery. Jerry includes
    a current-limited recharger for the battery.

    RE: Ni-Cad head lights, leg lights, and reflectors
    
    
        I go through a fair amount of busy intersections and have to use
    heavily traveled roads on my bicycle commute.  After years of trying
    various lighting effects, I am currently settled on Ni-Cad battery
    systems. 
    
    My concession to seeing junk on the road is the Cateye headlight, with
    batteries recharged often, and car headlights, which are usually
    available . 
    
    What I feel is most important is to BE SEEN. For that I use a set
    of Ni-Cads in a leg light which is secured to my ANKLE by a velcro
    strap. Try to find a leg light with the additional amber center for best
    visibilty.  I also use a plastic REFLEX PRISM on cloth leg band on each
    ankle.  Of course I have the usual rear reflector etc., but the
     oscillating light is what picks the cyclists out of the background
    clutter of reflectorized mail boxes etc.
    
    I have had coworkers comment on my excellent visibility (and the
    lunacy for commuting through such crazy traffic).
    
    Carrying a spare set of batteries and/or keeping a spare charger
    at work would probably be a good idea for those people not willing
    to take the chance of both lights dying at once.
    
    My final hint is my favorite night rider phrase to stay alive with:
    -- Invisible not invincible!--
    
    Thom  
   

When I used to commute to work in DC on bike, I wore 2 "Belt Beacons"
facing rear, mounted on the little backpack I rode to work with. The BB
is a blinker light with an amber lens, 2 models were available, w/60 or
40 flashes/min. Powered by 9V batteries. EXCEEDINGLY visible, and worked
well for keeping cars away, since you look sort of like a mobile
road construction zone to cars. I had 1 each of the 40 and 60 fpm models, so
the flashes never really synchronized (this was found to be an advantage).

Another friend used a flasher with a regular flash-camera type flash tube in
it, this was visible for a very long distance, but seemed a bit fragile.

As a warning, some states ruled that attaching a flashing light to your bike
classifies you as an emergency vehicle or some such, *but* attaching the
same light to your person (i.e. my backpack) is perfectly legal.

                                              ken

    I had asked what happened to Kearny in an earlier note and a reply
    said that someone else had noticed it too.  Then a couple of months
    ago I saw his ad reappear in the back of Bicycling again.  Does
    that mean that he's back?

    Some thoughts on lighting, at random...8)>>
    
    If Designing a battery (storage or primary) system, check the
    Watt-Hours/pound.  NiCads are marginally better than lead-acid (gel
    cel), but the difference is thin.  (A generator is lighter yet,
    but how to balance drag vs weight carried is beyond me.)

    A fluorescent gives at least 3 times the light per watt that an
    incandescent will.  3x the light, or 3x less weight, or 3x more
    hours per battery.  Properly designed a fluorescent system should
    be more rugged, as there is no filament required.

    thanks
    dave pierson

    Time to  revive  this note, as I need a good lighting system these
    days. I'm looking for advice on a system that will be used for 1-2
    hours  at  a  time  (commuting to work), and can then be recharged
    overnight.  Some of the roads I use are completely unlit, and have
    overhanging trees, so I need a serious headlight.

    I've seen  the  article in the Oct/Nov. issue of Bicycle USA. Some
    of  the  statements  in  that  article are that bicycle rear light
    reflectors   were   markedly  improved  in  the  mid-80s;  bicycle
    generators are horribly inefficent; and names of several suppliers
    of lighting systems.

Questions:

    Any more advice on NiCads vs. Gel Cells?

    Are all Halogen bulbs of the same wattage the same brightness? How
    can  you  tell how bright a light is from the specs? Failing that,
    can anyone recommend particularly good bulbs or reflectors?

    Two of  the  systems I know about use one 4W Halogen headlight. Is
    that  enough  light  for  riding 17 mph on dark, unlit streets? If
    not, can you recommend a brighter system?

    Any thoughts  on  mounting  systems? The Midnight Sun system has a
    helmet  mount  for the headlight. I don't like the idea of putting
    screws  into  a  helmet. Does anyone have any experience with this
    mount?  What happens in an accident?

    Any other advice would be greatly appreciated.

--David

    I use a bright lite system. I have used this system offroad and on and
    it seems to have enough lite for under 20mph... As for helmet mount---
    don't do it. You loose the contrast of the shadows created by a lite
    mounted under your field of vision.

         <<< Note 10.21 by ULTRA::WITTENBERG "Uphill, Into the Wind" >>>
                     -< Questions or rechargeable systems >-

>    Any more advice on NiCads vs. Gel Cells?

I'd recommend the gel cells.  I use them for my ultra-marathoning and they 
work fine.  A little pricey to begin with, but the nicads probably cost as 
much.  Get two, so you can always have one freshly charged.

>    Are all Halogen bulbs of the same wattage the same brightness? How
>    can  you  tell how bright a light is from the specs? Failing that,
>    can anyone recommend particularly good bulbs or reflectors?

I'd say different bulbs of the same wattage would provide the same amount of 
light, but the brightness of the system depends a lot upon the design of the 
lamp and the lens.  I have two systems with the same bulb and one is 
considerably brighter.  The best system I've tried so far is to use two Union 
Frondenberg 2.4w headlamps (HS3 is the lamp part #, I think).  Provides enough 
light for 20+ mph.  These lamps throw a lot of light, but one is not enough. 
I've tried using hotter bulbs (4.5w and 5w) but they seem to cause problems in
the system.  Either the bulb is not the right length and therefore makes
intermittent contact, or the hotter bulbs melts the PLASTIC lip that locates
the bulb, causing the system to fail.  The bulb holder design in these lamps
is TERRIBLE, but they're lightweight and throw a lot of light.  With a 4amp/hr
gel cell, you'll get about 4hrs with the above setup (a little less if you
also use it to drive a taillight and a computer light like I do). 

>    Any thoughts  on  mounting  systems? The Midnight Sun system has a
>    helmet  mount  for the headlight. I don't like the idea of putting
>    screws  into  a  helmet. Does anyone have any experience with this
>    mount?  What happens in an accident?

I mount my lights low on the fork, to get as much light on the ground as 
quickly as possible.  Helps avoid having light 10-20 ft out in front, but with 
darkness right in front of the wheel.  I think a helmet mounted light would be 
a good addition to the above system, to help making turns since you can look 
into the turn before you actually steer thru it (and bike mounted lights are 
always shining on the outside of the turn anyway... and you need the light on 
the inside).  Also good for flashing car drivers, checking for animals, 
reading street signs, making repairs, etc.  I think I'll go get one!

Kevin

    A test in one of the mountain bike mags suggested putting a light
    on the bike AND one on the helmet.  This provided general illumination
    and a point-and-see capability.  Nicads have a sharp cut-off during
    discharge so they go dark much faster than gel-cell--if you anticipate
    riding close to the capacity of the battery it needs to be considered.
    
    I noticed that Bicycle Lighting Systems (Ed Kearny's company) had
    changed addresses.  Does anyone know if he sold the company?
    
    

RE: .24

Ed Kearny is still in business.  His adresss is:

Bicycle Lighting Systems
1385 Manchester Lane
Washington, DC  20011

    He uses  sealed  beam headlights mounted on the handlebars because
    he  thinks  it's  very important to have the light high, though he
    thinks helmet mounts are a bad idea. I don't really understand the
    advantage of mounting the light high, but he talks about having it
    at  the  same  height as the driver's eyes, and being visible over
    car  hoods.  His preferred taillight is a 7 inch diameter flashing
    yellow light, but some states require flashing lights to be on the
    rider,  and  some  other states require a red taillight as well. I
    know  he  sells  a red taillight, but I don't know what he advises
    for  states  that  don't allow a flasher to be mounted directly on
    the  bike. He's a very small outfit, each weekend he fills all the
    orders that came that week.

    I bought  a  Brite  Lite  system  with  a  2.5w bulb, and it's not
    satisfactory.  I  mounted the bulb on the fork, which seems like a
    good  place,  but it doesn't throw enough light for speeds over 14
    or  so  mph  in  completely unlit areas. It is bright enough to be
    seen,  as every car I come across turns off his high beams for me.
    I  ordered  a 4.5w bulb, which I'll mount on the other side of the
    fork,  and  hope that the combination is enough. I'll let you know
    here what I find out.

--David

    One of his articles published many moons ago discussed the placement
    of lights and went so far as to mount a flashing red light on a belt
    where it was prohibited to be mounted on the bike.  And the flashing
    amber light was offered where flashing red and/or blue lights are
    restricted to emergency or law enforcement vehicles.
    
    A test that attempted to be more complete and included an example of
    his lights (again from distant memory) reported them to be expensive
    and good.  They were the best in coverage and visibility in the test
    but much more expensive than anything else in the test.  Are they
    still pretty expensive?
    

My notes are at home, so these numbers are approximate.

    Nashbar has  a  Brite  Lite  system  (4.5w  headlight, 4 hour (4.0
    ah)battery) for $120. This comes with a steady red taillight.

    Kearney charges  about  $150  for  a 8w headlight, 4 hour (5.0 ah)
    battery,  huge  flashing  yellow  taillight.  He  includes a spare
    headlight when you buy a system.

    Since the  Brite  lite 2.5w light is clearly not brite enough, I'm
    considering  two  4.5w  Brite lite lamps running from one battery.
    The  spare  lamp  (with  bulb)  costs  $30  +  a  buck  or  two in
    connectors. So, the Brite light system will cost about the same as
    Kearney's system if you want 8 or 9 watts of illumination.

    Kearney's  system  comes  with a bigger battery, and a single bulb
    (which  means  that  you have to carry a spare bulb). Kearney uses
    sealed  beam  headlight, which are substantially larger than the 3
    or  so  inch  lights that Brite lite uses. Brite Lite uses a small
    bulb  in  a  reflector, so spare bulbs are light, but changing one
    requires  a  screwdriver,  and  is not a job I'd like to do in the
    dark.

    I bought  the  Brite Lite, but I think the kearney may be a better
    buy.  The reason I'm staying with the Brite lite i sthat I want to
    mount the lights on the fork so I can keep my handlebar bag, and I
    like the idea of having two lights so I don't have to change bulbs
    in  the  dark  if  one  blows on the way home. I may buy a Kearney
    flasher  if  my  belt beacon doesn't seem bright enough. I'll keep
    the red light as well.

--David

    Does anybody know of a reliable source of lightbulbs.

    I'm looking for a 2.4w 6v AC halogen bayonet mount bulb
    for a Union generator set.

    I've had it on special order from Bike Exchange for a month now,
    and I've check in a few other shops as well.  Is there any place
    known for having a good selection of light bulbs?

    -Jeff Bell

    Many hardware stores carry them.
    
    They're in the little bubble packs for about $4-5 each.
    
    ed

>    Many hardware stores carry them.

    Those are usually 3 volts.  The 6 volt ones are usually not halogen.
    The hardware stores have said to ask at bike stores.

    I got something close from Radio Shack, but it gives
    a pale yellowish light.

    I found an electrical supply place in Boston where I could order them,
    but the minimum order was 100.  (any one want to split it ?)

    -Jeff Bell

    The original bulb had a little sine wave on it.

    Is there any difference between halogen bulbs for generators
    and those for battery systems?

    -Jeff Bell

    Britelite would have them. They use the Union lamp for there system.
    
    800-34-brite

           <<< Note 10.30 by TALLIS::JBELL "Zeno was almost here" >>>
                            -< I've looked there. >-

>    Those are usually 3 volts.  The 6 volt ones are usually not halogen.
>    The hardware stores have said to ask at bike stores.

They do come in 6v models.  I've bought them.  But they also draw more amps 
and output more watts... and heat.  I've had these bulbs melt the locating lip 
on the inside of Union headlamps, thus rendering them rather useless.  These 
bulbs also seem to be a little shorter from the locating flange to the tail, 
which exacerbates the above problem.  I've given up on them and gone back to 
regular Union 2.4w bulbs, which can be ordered directly from Union.  And if 
you're a UMCA member, you get a discount.

Kevin

    I think they're Siemens or Phillips bulbs... I'll try and remember
    to look up the part number tonight; if you can get them from a local
    distributer it's *much* cheaper than via Brite Lite or any of those.

    I've been using the 4.5 watt bulbs and have not had anything melt
    yet - it gives considerably more light than the standard bulb.

    - Jim

    Belmont Wheelworks  carries Brite Lite, so if the bulb you need is
    used by Brite Lite, they should have it. (Belmont Wheelworks has a
    good collection of spare parts for Brite Lite.)

--David

Re .9: Startlight is not good enough in city night riding. Street lights foul
up your vision, casting weird shadows. When I did the Houston Moonlight Bicycle
Ramble back in '80 (18 miles @2 A.M.), I ran into a traffic island in a big
intersection (5 way with split road and median). The road was heavily lighted 
by street lights that gave off a pinkish glow, but I didn't see the island until
I was a foot away from it. Bent up the rim of my Sears 10-speed real good!

What's worse, while some spots are well-lit, others are unlit. You move in and 
out of lighted zones, and your eyes are constantly trying to adjust. 

A forty KW halogen spot would work well, and it would give the oncoming cars 
something to thing about! Generator might be a bit of a problem...

Steve (who has since thrown his Sears bike out and gotten a real one)

    I have Kearney's new product sheets at home.  They arrived in today's
    mail.  My wife gave me a quick run down on the contents.  It appears you 
    can buy components and build your own or buy any of several system
    options.  He even has a 12.5 v nicad for $350.00.  If anyone is
    interested, drop me a note and I'll provide more detail.
    
    -Marty

    The League of American Wheelmen has just published what they claim
    is  the  definitive study of bicycle lighting. I ordered my copy a
    couple  of weeks ago, and will be reading it eagerly when it comes
    in.

--David

    I got  the  LAW report I mentioned in the previous reply. It gives
    the  legal requirements in every US state, and a little about what
    laws  they  think  are  adviseable,  but not much on how to make a
    lighting  system that works. The legal requirements are all stated
    in  terms of visible from such a distance, and don't seem to cover
    being able to see the road.

    I'm now  happy  with  my  much modified Brite Lite system. I found
    that  2 4 watt bulbs weren't enough, so I now use a pair of 6 Watt
    bulbs.  The  lamps  are  mounted on the fork using U-bolts. I have
    plenty of light, but occasionally want it aimed more to the inside
    of  a  curve. The low mounting gives shadows to bumps in the road,
    which helps. It also illuminates the front wheel a bit, making the
    bike more visible from the side.

    For a  tail light, I just added a Vista Lite, which is the size of
    a  standard  reflector  (but a bit thicker), and has 3 very bright
    LEDs  which flash. It runs on two AA cells, and is supposed to get
    300  hours  out  of  them.  It  cost  around $15 at the local bike
    stores.  This  is  a  great product. It's very visible, reasonably
    light,  and  doesn't  use  too  much  power.  It even doubles as a
    reflector  when  it's  turned  off.  I  still  use  my  Brite Lite
    taillight,  because  it's  hard to have good depth perception on a
    flashing  light,  but the Vista Lite does wonders to make me stand
    out.

    One warning about the Brite Lite battery holder (the cloth pouch).
    The  battery  sits on top of the wires leading out of the battery,
    and  last  night my battery wore through one of the wires, leaving
    me  with  intermittant  headlights for the rest of the way home. I
    suspect  that  a  lot  of  systems  have  the same problem, as the
    battery  mounts  look  similar.  I  intend  to solve this by using
    speaker wire, which has thicker insulation, and gluing the wire to
    the  battery  with  a dab of silicone at the front lower corner of
    the  battery.  This  is  where  the  wear  occured, and I think by
    holding  the  two  pieces together I can prevent it from happening
    again.

--David

    You're right the Vista Lite does get your attention.  The other morning
    I was riding in behind what looked like a very bright Brite Lite tail
    light with a loose connection.  Once I caught up with the rider, he
    told me it was a Vista Lite.  I think I'll get one, the price is sure
    right.  David, since you have the LAW lite report, are Vista lites
    legal seeing as they are a flashing red light,
    
    -Marty

    I'm not  a lawyer and I don't have my copy of the report handy, so
    this  is  my  guessing from my memory of someone else's extract of
    (Mass.) law. (Is that a good enough disclaimer?)

    In Mass.  you  must  have  either a taillight or a rear reflector,
    which  is  visible  for  600  feet when in the low beams of a car.
    Since  the  Vista  Lite  doubles  as a reflector, it may meet that
    requirement  even  when off. The (Mass.) law explicitly allows you
    to  have  extra  reflectors or lights, and doesn't mention whether
    they  can  flash.  I think the Vista Lite is legal to use, buy you
    may have to have something else as well.

    I'll try  to  remember  to bring the report in next week, and I'll
    answer questions about other states then.

--David

Some of the state rules.  I'll add others if people ask.

    Mass. requries  a headlight visible at least 500' and either a red
    taillight or a red rear reflector visible at least 600' in a car's
    low  beams.  The  lights  can  go  off  when  the  bike is stopped
    (generators  are ok.) Also, pedal reflectors and "side" reflectors
    visible  for  600' in a car's low beams. You can replace the pedal
    and  side reflectors with reflective ankle bands. You can use more
    lights and reflectors.

    New Hampshire  requires  a  headlight  visible 300' and a red rear
    reflector  visible  300'  in a car's HIGH beams. You may add a red
    tail light, but it does not replace the reflector.

    Vermont requires  a headlight visible 500' and a red rar reflector
    visible  300' in a car's HIGH beams. You may add a red tail light,
    but it doesn not replace the reflector.

    Rhode Island  requires  a  headlight visible at least 500', a rear
    red  reflector  visible at least 600' in a car's low beams, and 20
    square  inches  of reflective material visible on each side of the
    wheels or tires making a nearly circular shape. It must be visible
    500' in a car's low beams. You may add a taillight visible from at
    least 500', but it does not replace the rear reflector.

    North Carolina (added for John Ellis) requires a headlight visible
    at  least  300'  and  either  a  red  reflector or a red taillight
    visible at least 200'.

--David

    Would you mind adding Virginia, DC and Maryland?  This is where I play
    in traffic.
    
    Marty

    
    RE: .42  - Thanks, David.

    Maryland requires  a headlight visibel from 500', a rear reflector
    of  an  approved  type visible from all distances between 600' and
    100'  in a car's high beams. You may add a red light or a flashing
    amber  light  visible  from  a distance of 500' in addition to the
    rear reflector.

    The document  I  have  only  lists state laws, so I can't tell you
    what the rules are in DC.

    Virginia requires a headlight visible at least 500' and a rear red
    reflector  of an approved type visible from all distances from 50'
    to  300'  in  a  car's  high beams. A red taillight visible from a
    distance  of  500'  may  be  used instead of or in addition to the
    reflector.

    California requires  a  headlight  which  while  the bicycle is in
    motion  (allows generator lights) illuminates the highway in front
    of  the  bicyclist ans is visible from a distance of 300' in front
    and to the sides of the bicycle. A red rear reflector visible from
    500'  in  a  car's  high  beams, a white or yellow pedal reflector
    visible  at least 200' (front and rear of each pedal), and a white
    or  yellow reflector on the front half of the bike, and a white or
    red  reflector  on the rear half of the bike (both visible to both
    sides)  or  reflectorized  tires. There are standards for the side
    reflectors,  but they're not in the law. They seem to be trying to
    say  wheel reflectors without actually requiring wheel reflectors.
    The headlight may be on the bicyclist instead of on the bicycle.

    Oregon: A headlight visible at least 500'. A red reflector or tail
    light,  or  reflective  material visible up to 600' in a car's low
    beams.  You may have additional lights.

    Washington: A   headlight  visible  at  least  500'.  A  red  rear
    reflector  of  an approved type visible at all distances from 100'
    to  600' in a car's low beams. A taillight (red) visible from 500'
    may be used in addition to the rear reflector.

--David

The Vista light sounds as if it's worth buying - does anyone know if they
are obtainable in the UK?   

Or, if someone from the US is planning to visit the UK soon maybe they
could bring one over?  Please drop me a mail if so... 

Thanks,
Richard

    FWIW, Sanyo (of all people) makes a high quality 2AA cell light that
    straps onto a leg or arm with a velcro strap.  It has two lenses, one
    red rear, and the other, clear lense, has a strobe option.  It's not
    usable to see where you're going, but there's probably not much better
    (between the movement and strobe) for making folks see you.  When
    combined with a red reflector (and not in strobe mode), it seems to
    satisfy all of the state requirements for lighting so far.  It costs
    abotu $17 (Performance) and doesn't weigh much.  I also use it running
    at night.  -kb 

    I don't  think  it  satisfies  ANY of the requirements I posted so
    far.  All  but California seem to require the light be attached to
    the  bicycle,  which  it isn't. California requires that the light
    illuminate  the  highway in front of the bike, and I'm not sure if
    it passes that requirement. Also, many of the requiremnts required
    the  light  to  be  visible  for  500'. That can be done with 2 AA
    cells,  but  it's  not  easy,  so  I'm not sure that it meets that
    requirement.

    As far  as rear lighting, a lot of states require a reflector even
    if you also use a light.

    This Sanyo  light  (I used to have a french version which ran on C
    cells.)  sounds  like a good thing for visibility, but unlikely to
    help with legal requirements.

--David

    Through the magic of velcro and a rotating head, it could be attached
    to the bike, too.  Check it out; it's a lot brighter than you would
    think 2AA could get.  It's a very narrow focused beam, so 500' is no
    problem, provided it's aimed.  Illuminating the highway in front of the
    bike it doesn't do, though.  I have yet to see one that satisfactorily
    does at typical cycling speeds, however.  -kb

    kb, I  think  we're  in general agreement, and I don't want to get
    into a long argument on the details.

    My philosphy  on  bicycle lighting is safety first, and then worry
    about  the  legal  requirements.  Most  of the bicyclists I see at
    night  are  inadequately lit by what I think is the most important
    measure:  My subjective opinion. -- I just can't see them as early
    as I think I should. All sorts of small reflectors and lights show
    up  at a reasonable distance, but I'd like something more obvious.
    I  put  pedal  reflectors, reflective ankle bands, and most of the
    arm  and  leg  lights  I've seen in this category. They're visible
    from a remarkable distance, but they look very small and it's hard
    to  figure  out what it is that I'm seeing. That's why my bike has
    so many large lights on it.

    I carry  2  6  watt  headlights. Even one is very visible, and two
    light  up  the  road  enough  to ride to reasonable speeds (say 18
    mph).  I  have  a  Vista  Lite  because  it  really  seems  to get
    attention,  as  well  as  a  Belt Beacon for the same reason and a
    taillight  because  it's  easier to guess the distance to a steady
    light  than  a  flasher.  I also have some reflectors just to look
    bigger.

    As for  the legal requirements, I consider them almost irrelevant.
    I  believe  that  most police don't have a clue as to what the law
    requires  for  bicycle lights, and in any event, I can't imaging a
    policeman   stopping   a   bicyclist   for  inadequate  lights  in
    Massachusetts  (where  I  live).  The  let  all  sorts  of blatant
    violations  go  by,  and  I've  seen kids with no lights ride by a
    police  car at night. If they did want to make an issue of it, you
    could  defend your self fairly will with a "doctrine of necessity"
    defense  -- this system isn't strictly legal, but is necessary for
    saftey. If you want to do that, you better exceed the requirements
    by a fair bit.

    The other time the legal requirements matter is if you're involved
    in  an  accident. The other guy may try to argue that your illegal
    lights were a contributing cause to the accident. Again, if you're
    more visible than the law requires he's going to have a tough time
    with  it,  but if you did something that's not obviously more than
    the law requires, you could be in trouble.

--David

    I saw  a  VistaLite  in  use  last  week. The good news is that it
    really  catches your attention. The bad news is that with just the
    VistaLite,  I had trouble figuring out exactly where the bike was.
    This  was  on  a well lit city street, and my headlights never hit
    the  VistaLite, so I don't know if the reflective properties would
    have helped.

    So my  recomendation  (and  what  I  do  on  my bike) is to have a
    VistaLite (or a Belt Beacon, or both) to catch people's attention,
    and  steady  taillight  to make it easier to see exactly where you
    are.

--David

    Perhaps I missed it, but what a vistalite?  Taillight? red? steady?
    blinking? big? small?
    
    ed

>    Perhaps I missed it, but what a vistalite?  Taillight? red? steady?
>    blinking? big? small?

It's a red tailight about 3inches by 4inches.
It blinks at about 3Hz.

-Jeff

    I've been having some problems with my Brite Lite system. I called
    Brite  Lite, and their customer service rep told me that I had put
    too large a bulb in the lamp (The HS3 head lamps can only handle a
    4.2  Watt  or smaller bulb). A Brite Lite dealer told me that that
    lamp would handle a 6 Watt bulb.

    Brite Lite  is  replacing  both  of  my lamps with new XE100 lamps
    which can handle bulbs up to 10 Watts.

    I am  quite  pleased  with  their  response,  and  recommend their
    equipment both because it works well and because they stand behind
    it.  It  is  particularly  nice  that they are replacing something
    which  I  broke  when they could have blamed me and the dealer for
    the problem.

    Incidentally, Specialized has bought Brite Lite, and so it will no
    longer  be  possible  for individuals to order directly from Brite
    Lite. Specialized has a $100 min. order for shops. This may be why
    Brite  Lite  has  been  disappearing  from  mail  order  catalogs.
    Specialized  seems  to  keep  its  stuff  out  of  the  mail order
    catalogs.

--David Wittenberg

    I am shopping for a replacement lighting system. My old headlamp,
    CYCLOPS, is no longer be made or supported...as best I can tell.
    
    Although I found the helmet mount especially useful in my mountain
    biking and adequate for road applications, I am considering going to a
    handlebar or fork mounted sytem.
    
    Most of the current replies (.35 through .54) don't really address
    different systems available. The exception being the glowing
    recommendation for BRITE LITE in .54.
    
    Can anyone suggest any other vendors with superior systems or is BRITE
    LIGHT the de facto standard by which all others are to be judged? I've
    read BICYCLING's report from last year, but I'm hoping someone can help
    with recommendations based on actual use and not specifications. I'm
    more interested in hearing about real life experiences; i.e. how well
    has your system held up to the wear and tear of every day riding as
    opposed to comparing WATTs, lens designs, etc.
    
    The VISTAlite sounds like a must to add to any new lighting system and
    my trusty BELT BEACON. 
    
    Thanks for any and all advice.
                                                 

    It seems  that  all  the  "serious"  lighting  systems  are in the
    $120-$200  range.  The  one exception I know of is a guy in CA who
    published  a  design  for  a  $90 lighting system. I looked at his
    design,  and might use some of his ideas, but heavily modified. He
    knows just enough about electrical stuff to be dangerous.

    The "Big Names" now are Brite Lite, NightSun, and Bicycle Lighting
    Systems.  It seems that Brite Lite is fixing their minor problems,
    so I'd still go with them. 

    NightSun makes  a  wider  range of lights, and most of their units
    have  2  lights,  a  ~10  Watt bulb, and a ~28 Watt bulb. WARNING:
    Their  useable  time  estimates  assume  you  use the smaller bulb
    exclusively.  The  NightSun quick releases are reputed to be quite
    good.  Some problems with their design: It mounts to the center of
    the  handlebars.  period.  I'm  not  sure  if  you  could get your
    computer  to  not interfere with the light. It takes up a fair bit
    of  the  handlbars  (the two bulbs are side by side, so it's quite
    wide).  This may interfere with your hand positions. The lamps are
    small.  Smaller  reflectors are less visible than larger ones, and
    are  more  sensitive  to  small imperfections. Looks like a pretty
    good system if you can deal with the mounting.

    Brite Lite uses only Gel Cells and have just improved their lamp a
    lot. The new lamp has quite a good beam shape. You can mount these
    in lots of different ways with very little ingenuity. (To mount on
    your  forks,  either use the low rider braze ons, or use U-bolts.)
    The  battery pack is suspended under the seat, so it's less likely
    to  shake  the  terminals  off  the  battery ( a problem I've seen
    reported).  Do remember to put a dab of silicone seal on the lower
    front  corner  of  the  battery where the wires go around it. They
    should do that, and maybe they do now. Good switch to use in heavy
    gloves. They've just beefed up their connectors to what seem to be
    the best around.

    Bicycle Lighting  Systems  is  a  small shop (one man- Ed Kearney)
    which  was  the  first  to make real lights. He still makes lights
    which  are  reputed to be the best around for seeing. He uses auto
    style  sealed  beam  headlamps,  a rear flasher that looks like it
    came  off  a  construction  site, and lots of battery to drive it.
    I've  never  seen  one of his systems, but am told that they don't
    look  as  polished  as  the two above. His prices on batteries are
    very  high,  so  you  might  buy  a  system  from him and get your
    batteries  elsewhere  (or you might buy your batteries from him to
    support  someone  who  will  work  to  make  better  lights in the
    future.)  I think his headlight mount is on the handlebars, but it
    may be below them so you can still use all your hand positions.

    Lights are a tough problem. The environment on a bike is awful, so
    it's hard to make lights which work reliably. Expect to spend some
    effort customizing whichever system you get.

    I recommend  a VistaLite in addition to either the NightSun or the
    Brite  Lite.  With  Ed's  flashing yellow taillight, the vistalite
    probably  doesn't  add  much  except  a  taillight  on a different
    battery  which  won't  fail  if you have problems with the rest of
    your  lights.  I  also  recommend  a  constantly on taillight. The
    flasher  gets people's attention, and the constant light lets them
    figure  out where you are. Check my previous replies in this topic
    for the laws on lighting in your state.

--David

There's YAFLS (Yet Another Lighting System) which I fell in with and
began cloning.
    
There's a system called the Turbo Cat which is a mod kit for the
3V Cateye Halogen.  It comes in two capacities for two different bulbs.
These are the lower capacities in the table below.  I have done further
experiments, including testing two heavier configurations.

The batteries that I've seen come in 4 capacities which along with
the option of 2 different bulbs give quite a few options.  The
following is all from memory. Btw, it is difficult to optically
detect the difference between a 2.4W bulb and a 4.2, though you
might be able to detect something from a greater distance.

ah cap. wt.lbs  2.4W hrs  4.2Whrs
1.2      .5     2         1.2
3.5     1.3     6         4
6.3     2.5     12        8
10      3.8     18        16

Charging times with a 400ma charger are a little longer than the time of
use with a 2.4 and nearly double with the 4.2.   You must not just leave the
battery charging.  I have a 750 ma charger for the 2 larger batteries,
shorted charging times result.

The kit is about $90 for the 3.5 ah but you must also buy a cateye
halogen.  I made my own battery bags for the larger configuarions.

Also I made my bags so they suspend between my Scott clipons so that I have
minimal wire lengths.

ed

re .57

I recently saw a review for the Turbo Cat and I thought it would be a good way
to upgrade my Cateye light - where did you find it available?

Note that Radio Shack markets a bike light that is very similar to the Cateye
but costs significantly less.

Rich

    Haggett's in Concord NH has them.  Tell 'em "Ed sent you."
    
    ed

    There's been  a  lot of statements about batteries in this string,
    and  I'd  like  to  add some facts. I have in front of me the spec
    sheets  for  the Panasonic LCR 6V4P and the LCR 6V6.5P gell cells.
    Comments  in  square  brackets  are  my  interpretations, the rest
    (including  all  the  tables)  are  copied  directly from the spec
    sheets.

    They are  both  6v,  the 6V4P is 4 AH [Brite Lite uses either this
    one  or  the 4.5 AH from the same series, I forget which], and the
    6V6.5P  is 6.5 AH. Those ratings are assuming you take 20 hours to
    discharge  the  battery.  [If  you use it faster (as bike lighting
    systems do) you must derate the battery as follows]:


6V6.5P		6V4P		6V6.5P		(all at 25 C, 77 Farenheit)

20 Hours	4.0 AH		6.5 AH
10 Hours	3.7 AH		5.8 AH
5  Hours	3.3 AH		5.2 AH
1  Hour		2.7 AH		4.0 AH

Capacity affected by Temperature

104 F (40 C)	102%		This table was the same for both
 77 F (25 C)	100		Batteries.
 32 F ( 0 C)	 85
 -4 F (-20 C)    60

    [This implies  that  if  you discharge the battery in an hour, and
    ride  at  freezing  (which I often do) you can expect about 55% of
    the  rated  power  from  a  battery.  (and  looking  at the curves
    described  later,  at  the  end  of  the hour the voltage would be
    around 5.5 and dropping fast.)]

Weight:  6V4P approx. 1.83 lbs. (830 gm); 6V6.5P approx 2.54 lbs. (1150 gm)

Self Discharge 77 F (25 C)

Capacity after  3 month storage	91%
Capacity after  6 month storage 82%
Capacity after 12 month storage 64%

Charge (Constant Voltage)

Cycle:  Voltage 7.25 ~ 7.45	(the same for both batteries,
Float:	Voltage 6.8  ~ 6.9	  assumes 77F (25 C) temperature)

The 6V6.5P lists initial charging current less than 2.6A,
the 6V4P lists initial charging current less than 1.6A.

    [This last  implies  that  there is no need for a current limiting
    resistor  on a charger. Just regulate the voltage, and the battery
    won't  demand  too  much  current.  (Anyway,  most of us don't use
    chargers that are capable of putting out 2.6A.)]

    There are  also  discharge  curves  showing  voltage  vs.  time at
    various current draws. For currents that discharge it in more than
    an hour, the voltage drops from 6.5V to 6.2 V in the first minute,
    and then drops slowly, staying above 6V for half the battery life,
    and then drops fairly sharply.

    [Note that  NiCads  have  different  behaviour.  Most  of them are
    spec'd for 5 hour discharge, so you may not have to derate them as
    much.  They  generally  require  a  "constant  current" charger (a
    voltage source with a current-limiting resistor in series is close
    enough),  and  they  maintain  their  voltage almost to the end of
    their  life before it drops very sharply. Typically you can charge
    a  NiCad faster than a gell cell. NiCads also tend to be much more
    expensive,  and only slightly lighter. I don't have any NiCad spec
    sheets handy.]


--David

    I just got a Vistalite from Chelmsford Cyclery.  Looks good; well built
    and the strobe effect will certainly catch the attention of drivers.
    
    CC is selling them for $14.99 (batteries not included).
    
    Eric

    I want to change my lighting system to 12 Volts.

    Does anyone  know  where  to  get  12V 6-10 Watt bulbs (I'd prefer
    closer to 10W) that fit Brite Lite housings?

    They're small  halogen bulbs mounting with a flange, not a bayonet
    mount.  The  information  on  a 6V 6W bulb reads: Phillips Germany
    5.5V 1A   HMP15/HPR36   I'm looking for a bulb which is 12 V, and
    physically compatible with the 6V bulb.

    Alternatively, if  you  can  give  me the name of a distributor of
    Phillips  (or  some other manufacturer of small halogen bulbs) who
    will  sell  in  small  quantities  to individuals, that would be a
    great help.

--David

    You should also be able to get them from Osram - probably the
    Thomas Register would have who to call.

    - Jim

    Thanks to  Jim I've found several suppliers of the 4W and 6W bulbs
    Brite Lite uses. It's a lot cheaper to buy from them (around $2 or
    $3  per  bulb  instead  of the $10 to $15 that stores want for the
    Brite  Lite  packages.)  I  will shortly put together an order for
    anyone who is interested.

    In the  mean  time, does anyone have a 10W Brite Lite bulb? If so,
    could  you  please  mail me the numbers from the base of the bulb?
    That would let me get those cheaply as well.

    Thanks.

--David

    I'll be  putting  in an order for Brite Lite bulbs in the next day
    or  two.  I  can  get the 4.2, 6, and 10W bulbs, and think I'll be
    able to get the 2.4W bulbs. If you want some, send me mail so I'll
    know how many to order. I expect it to take about 3 weeks for them
    to come in. The 4.2, 6, and 10W bulbs are $4 each (sorry about the
    wrong  price  in  the  last  note),  and we'll see about the 2.4 W
    bulbs.  (At  this  point, the only quote on the 2.4W bulbs is over
    $7,  and  by  the time you pay the shipping, it's hardly worth it.
    However, these prices vary wildly (more than a factor of two), and
    I'm hoping to get the 2.4 W for a reasonable price.)

--David

Just a word of warning:  I've had problems using bulbs from different 
manufacturers in Union headlamps.  I'm not sure about the source of the problem 
(intermittant contact... the lamp would go out from time to time, esp on bumpy
roads).  It could have been the length of the lamp was a bit short for the 
socket, or, since I was using a 4.5w bulb (hotter than the 2.4w Union supplies)
I was melting the socket, allowing the bulb to move further into the socket, 
thus breaking contact.  Very frustrating...

Despite that, I'm placing an order with David...

Kevin

re: my last reply (.66)  

.54 seems to back up my idea that I was melting my lamp by using a hotter bulb.

Kevin

    There are  two different lamps that Brite Lite supplied. The first
    says  2.4W on the bottom edge of the lens, but Brite Lite's manual
    says  that you can use 4.2W bulbs in them. I used 6W bulbs in them
    with  extremely  poor  results.  They  have a single black plastic
    piece  protruding  back  from the silver colored reflector. I have
    heard other similar reports of problems when using the wrong bulbs
    in these lamps.

    The second type is the XE100. It is rated to 10W. It says XE100 on
    the  middle  of  the  lens, and has a distinct line 1/4 way up the
    lens.  I think this is to provide diffuse light near the bike, and
    still   focus   the   light   falling   farther  away.  The  other
    distinguishing  point  about  these  lamps  is  that they have two
    pieces  of plastic protruding from the back of the reflector. Mine
    use red and black plastic for the two pieces.

    The bulbs  I'm  ordering are the ones Brite Lite supplies. I don't
    know  what  Union does, but if you read the number off the bulb, I
    can  try  to  get  them  if they're different from what Brite Lite
    uses.  Someone is looking for the part numbers for NightSun bulbs,
    so with luck I'll be able to get those next time.

--David

    I have been looking for a really good lighting system but have been
    reluctant to spend 150 to 200 dollars for Brite light or night sun
    systems.  I have been assembling my own custom system as an experiment
    from inexpensive, readily available components.  I now have a more
    effective lighting system than any I have seen for a total expense of
    $60 dollars.  It's heavy for sure and the durability is still an
    unknown but here's what I did if you're interested:
    
    I'm using a Black and Decker car light (small hand held spot light)
    that I modified and mounted to the bracket my front refelctor was
    attached to.  The tail light is a running light for a trailer that I
    bought at my local auto supply store.  The battery is a portable pack
    intended for use with celular phones or camcorders.  Prices:
    Car light $15.00
    Battery (on sale) 39.95
    tail light and misc. hardware $5.00.
    
    The battery capacity is 4.5 AH.  The front light draws 2.15 amps and the
    tail light draws .3 amps.  When I'm not on a real road I don't use the
    tail light.  Average time available is 2hrs.
    
    The battery is the heaviest component at about 5lbs.  The rest is only
    about another 1lb.  The front light is so good people mistake me for a
    motocycle.  You can't go fast enough to out ride this light and it has
    a somewhat flattened beam so the light pattern is excellent.
    
    You can file this in the what crazy things are people doing category
    but it's a great light and since I ride for the exercize the weight is
    not an issue for me.

    The cateye tail light is a fine idea.  It would add maybe 20 minutes to
    the running time.  I believe my tailight is brighter, though the cateye
    is probably bright enough.  The trade-offs...... My light cost $2.00.
    The battery is a nicad and comes with a charger.  I have run it for two
    hrs. with just the front light with no noticeable change in light
    output.  Nicads are like that.  2 hrs. may not measure up to other
    systems but I don't envision myself needing to ride that long in the
    dark.  I do plan on getting a small handlebar light like the radio
    shack version of the cateye Halogen as an emergency backup.  More
    weight to carry around but it's hard to carry spare bulbs for my main
    light.

    In re-reading your questions I notice I didn't give you much detail
    about the battery.  It is about 4" by 8" by 1" in dimension.  The case
    is plastic with a short coiled cord with a cigarette lighter type
    socket on the end.  It also has a separate jack for the charger and
    an LED to indicate charging.  It also has a built in circuit breaker
    that automatically resets itself.  I tested that out once by accident. 
    The charger puts out .5amps so it take over night to charge.  They
    claim 10 hrs.  I thought it was a great buy for 40 bucks and it is
    mostly what inspired me to do this, besides wanting to ride at night.
    That's from memory.  If you want more detail I'll have to check it out.

    
    Well, not a miniature battery by any means, but worth thinking
    about.  Thanks for the details.
    
    -john

    I doubt if this is "legal" for brevets and such, but I have a little
    high intensity LED based flasher thing that weighs little more than
    a reflector and it's great!  Since I often end up coming home near
    darkness, I only have to switch it on and it's amazingly visible.

    I often go down to Port Jefferson LI from Maynard and like to leave at
    about 3:30 AM so I'll arrive mid afternoon, and with the LED flasher and
    the little Cateye halogen I'm all set with very little extra weight.
    (early AM is the safest time to be on the road in the dark, and in the
    summer you avoid the heat.)

    I would not want to use the Cateye for regular or hard use as it's mounting
    is flimsy plastic - as soon as it gets light I take it off and put in my
    saddlebag.  For the brevets I used a Union headlamp and a lantern battery
    in a water bottle cage - even on some of those roads Charlie Lamb had
    us on never shook it loose, and it was a *lot* cheaper than the Brite Lite
    stuff.

    [ I don't have the money to go to France this year, and in any case am
      too busy with work to train properly, so I'm missing out on PBP -
      it sucks, but would suck worse to be one of the people out of a job. ]

    Anyhow, I highly recommend the little Vistlight LED flasher.

    - Jim

    
    In the main, I like Jim's ideas, and agree that 3:30am is a great
    time to be on the road in the dark ... compared to 11pm!  In BMB'90
    my norm was to start at 3:30am, rather than pushing on in the evening,
    with its dodgy quality of driver.
    
    For low traffic situations, a strobe (LED) taillight sounds fine,
    but a strobe is more useful for drawing attention rather than
    establishing where you are (within 2 meters).  If there's plenty of
    room for the motorist to swing 'round you, then fine, but if he/she
    needs to be more precise (say, giving you only 6 feet clearance),
    a steady glowing light is much better.  
    
    As to the Cateye, I have no problem with it's staying mounted: I use
    electrical tape (on the drop portion of the handlebar), and discard
    the mount, which, among other things, cost Genghis Ron Grossman a
    brand new ("ridden only 10 miles") De Rosa frame last year.
    
    The Unions are what I would use for PBP, as main light, despite 
    what I consider their finnicky performance, and very moderate
    light output.  Just pre-stress-test your mounting set up with them!
    
    -john

    It not only moves when you look around, it will not give you any
    perception of depth because you can't see the shadows.
    
    ed

    Not only that (.77) but it will be illegal as well. British law
    requires that the light be fixed to the bike. Even if it didn't, I
    think you would be well advised to do so anyway - oncoming motorists
    (I am one occasionally!) find it hard enough already to see me.
    
    Chris

    Re the vistalight LED flasher -

	This flashes so fast that it's almost a steady light, so there
    is no problem with seeing where you are "between flashes".  I think
    it would be neat to have something like a "strip" of LED's that
    you could put down the sides of your seat stays - they'd be out of your
    way then and would look very distinctive.

	It also goes without saying that you should take along reflective
    ankle bands like the Bike-a-lite brand if you're worried about
    being caught in the dark.  If you've seen someone with them you
    know how visible they are.

	In all, I think cycle lighting has evolved reasonably well for
    the performance rider - there are some light weight alternatives now.

	(What happened to Ron?  Did the light get caught in his wheel?)

    - Jim

    I have  to  disagree  with  Jim  in .79 about Vista Lites. The few
    times I've seen a VistaLite in real use (always in an urban area),
    I've been struck by how hard it is to find the bike and figure out
    where  it  is.  I use a VistaLite to get people's attention, but I
    also  have  a  large steady taillight next to it so you can figure
    out where I am.

    The other  warning  about flashing lights is that they are reputed
    to  attract  drunks.  That  is,  a  drunk  drive will head for the
    flashing light rather than avoiding it.

    I do  agree  with  Jim  about  the Bike-a-Lite leg bands. They are
    remarkably  visible. If a bicyclist is wearing them at night, they
    are  almost  invariably the first thing I see when I drive towards
    the  bicycle.  In  Mass.  you  can wear them in lieu of both wheel
    reflectors  and  pedal  reflectors.  Since  my  pedals  don't have
    reflectors, I use the leg bands.

    I made  a  taillight out of the high intensity LEDs that VistaLite
    uses,  and  it works well. I'll write up the details sometime this
    month  if anyone is interested. It draws 40 mA at 6 V (240 mW) and
    is  noticeably  brighter than any other 500 mW taillight that I've
    seen.

--David

Just wondering if there are any new ideas/horror stories on lights.

Since the days are getting shorter now, I'm starting to look for a good lighting
system to allow me to continue commuting.

I commute ~15 miles each way, all of which may be in the dark.  So I would like
to have at least 2 hours of *strong* light so that I don't have to recharge at
work.

I'm leaning toward the Brite Lite right now, partly because I can mail order
from Performance.  I've read the previous replies, and they don't seem to give
a lot of praise to the Brite Lite system.  Re .39 (and others):  David (if you
are still around) why did you have to go with two Brite Lite bulbs up front?  Do
you know if the new systems are good enough to go with one bulb?

Anyway, I definitely plan to go with a VistaLite along with whatever tail light
I choose.  The system I choose must meet the following requirements (in order
of importance):

1) Rechargable overnight, preferably ~3 hours of strong light per charge.

2) **Weatherproof**, including rain and sub-freezing temps.

3) I need to be able to change from bike to bike, so I guess that means clip-on
mounting (which I think the new Brite Lite has).

4) Enough headlight to allow speeds of 20-30 mph on very dark, somewhat bumpy
roads.

5) Less than 2 ounces.   (OK, so this one is probably pushing it %^)  Actually,
weight is not a big concern.  Couldn't be near the weight of my pack, anyway.

6) Less than $150.  I am shocked that they are even that much, but I've decided
to bite the bullet and put safety (and hopefully reliability) first.



Any suggestions?


Bill

    I used  two  lamps  for  two  reasons, the first is that the early
    Brite  LItes  only went up to 4 Watts and I wanted more light, and
    the second is that all the lighting systems I know of are somewhat
    unreliable, and I wanted redundant systems. The two headlamps each
    have  their  own  batteries,  so  I don't have any single point of
    failure  (other  than the bike frame and the bag the batteries are
    carried in.)

    Now I  use  10W  bulbs  in  each lamp, which gives plenty of light
    (perhaps  more  than I need, but better too much than too little).
    With  the  6.5  AH  6V  batteries, that should give me more than 2
    hours of light even in very cold weather.

    I use  my  own  mounts,  and don't know how well the standard ones
    work.

    For charging,  I  now  use  Powersonic  automatic  chargers, which
    decrease  the  charging  voltage when the battery is charged, just
    like the batteries like.

--David

    (Incidentally, I still have bulbs for Brite Lites available)

This is a followup to my question in 10.81.

After looking around quite a bit, I decided to buy the Brite Lite Performance
system.  This system comes with a 6W front lamp, a .6W rear lamp, and a 4 A-hr
battery which recharges in ~8 hrs.  The life of the battery between charges with
this configuration is around 3.5 hrs.  The lights have quick release mounts,
which I clamp to the handlebar on front and the top of on of the seat stays in
back.  I mount the battery in my second water bottle cage on the seat tube.

BTW, I looked around locally for the light before ordering from Performance, and
I am really glad that I did.  I found it at Franks Spoke n Wheel in Sudbury, for
about $20 cheaper than Performance.  Not only did I save on the light, but
I have finally found a really good bike shop in the area.  (No affiliation
with or profit from Frank's - just a satisfied customer spreading the word.) 

I haven't used it a great deal yet - part of the reason for this is that I have
had several problems with it.  After about three uses, I was clamping on the
front light and the *plastic* quick release lever broke off in my hand.  I do
have to make it somewhat tight to keep the light from rotating around the
handlebar, but I didn't think it was inordinate force.  It broke close to the 
injection mold mark, so I thought maybe it was just a faulty part.  I aborted
the commute that morning (glad it happened at home).

I returned to Frank's (I'm *really* glad I bought it locally), and Stan (I think
that is his name) pulled out an old quick release mount that another customer
had returned after breaking the bracket.  He gave me the lever off of that part.
Interestingly, the lever was about twice as thick as the one I got with my
new light.  Unfortunately, it failed in a different place after two uses.  It
failed at work, but it held enough to get me home.

However, on that same ride home, the front bulb failed.  Now, I know that I
should have been carrying a spare, but I just hadn't gotten around to getting
one, and I thought that since I had only used it 5 times...  Well, that won't
happen again.  At $15 a pop from Brite Lite (Specialized, actually, I'm worried
that it went out so quickly.

Performance-wise, the system is lightweight, the 6W light is adequate, and I
like the quick-release mount concept.  But, reliability is probably the 
number one requirement, and so far it has fallen short there.

In summary, up to this point I am pretty unhappy with the Brite Lite.  I'm
going to give the quick release one more try.  If it fails again, I am going
to try to get my money back.  Since the Brite Lite seemed to be the only system
out there which met my needs, I'm hoping I've just been unlucky so far.
We'll see.

Bill

    On just about every BMB/PBP Brevet I rode on, I saw riders with their
    mickey mouse quick release lights clattering to the ground.  The
    design is just plain bad for serious riding.

    What I suggest you do if you're basically happy with the other parts
    of the system is make something out of a stainless steel hose clamp
    to hold the reflector.  Mine *never* came loose, and it wasn't difficult
    to remove after the rides. (actually, I just bought the Union setup
    and threw the generator away rather than bother with Brite Lite.)

    I don't know about the premature bulb failure - I never used the wattage
    bulb you have.  Also Dave Wittenberg may still have a supply of less
    expensive bulbs - they're standard OSRAM halogen lamps.

    - Jim

    This year's  Brite Lite is a lot better than last years. They have
    gone  to  better  connectors (molded on to the cords), and they've
    got a better bag which won't rub the power cord from the switch to
    the  connector. Also, the switch now comes through the bag, rather
    than  pushing  it  through the cloth. Of course, I don't use those
    Brite Lite parts, so it doesn't help me.

    Specialized is  quite  good  for customer service, so call them if
    you have problems.

    The 10W  bulbs  are  not very standard; there's only one supplier.
    They  bulb's package (from the manufacturer, not Brite Lite) gives
    a  25  hour  life.  I haven't been keeping track, but I think mine
    have lasted longer than that, and haven't blown yet. I think Brite
    Lite was labelling them 100 hour. I can't explain the discrepancy,
    as  both  specs  are  at  the  same  voltage.  The intended use is
    flashlights,  so  perhaps  they  have power cycled more frequently
    than  bike  lights,  but I'm not sure that would cause a factor of
    four difference.

    I do still have 4.2W, 6W, and 10W bulbs available at $4/each.

--David

    
    I got a nite-sun last year to use while commuting 20 miles (1 way) to work. 
    the model I got has an ENORMOUS (~5 lb) 12 volt lead-acid battery that
    attaches either to the seat tube or the down tube, using one water
    bottle boss and 1 clamp around the tube.
    
    Overall, I think the light is fantastic.  It has a high and low beam
    using two bulbs, so you always have a backup bulb in place.  The
    high-beam gives plenty of light for as fast as you want to go: I feel
    safe going down-hill at 35-40 mph.  (I guess I would feel safe going
    up-hill at 35-40 mph, but it doesn't happen too often). The low light
    is fine for regular cruising speeds (~20).  The high-beam is bright
    enough that I can get cars to turn off their high-beams by flashing the
    light, same as in a car!!!
    
    Nite-sun claims the battery lasts 2.5 hours on high and (10 or 12,
    don't remember) hours on low.  Battery life is not a concern since I
    use it 2 hours a day.
    
    I used it all winter and never lost a bulb.
    
    On the down side, it 
    	- is rather heavy, 
    	- does not have a quick-release,
    	- can be mounted only on the handlebars,
    	- uses the frame for ground (new bike is carbon-fiber, have to add a
    	  ground wire for taillight).
    
    
    The battery is as easy to remove as a bottle cage and the headlight is
    not very big, so the lack of quick release is not bad, IMHO.
    
    I think they offer a smaller battery that fits in a bottle cage, but it
    wasn't available at the shop where I got mine. 
    
    I paid $130 for it and am very pleased.

    
    
    I bought the Night Sun system this summer.  It has two front lights. 
    One is a flood (low beam) that is on all the time.  The other is a spot
    (high beam) that is turned on by a switch mounted on the handle bars.
      The battery is a NiCad in a water bottle.  Low beam lasts about 4
    hours and high 2.5 to 3 continuous hours.  High beam easily lets you
    ride as fast as you want down a hill.  I love when cars flip on the
    high beams because they see a bike.  One flash of the windshield
    melting spot usually makes them return to low beam.
      I also bought the optional quick release that goes with the system.
    It allows the installation and removal time to be reduced to about two
    minutes.  
      The unit is very light except for the battery.  I think the
    disadvantage of the weight is offset by the advantage.  The battery,
    if trickle charged, will not retain a "memory".  It comes with a
    battery charger.  
      Another option is a rear tailight.  I bought a vista light instead.
    
    
    						Norm
    
    

    
    A word on Night Sun and another on Vista Lite:
    
    - Other Night Sun owners have commented favorably, much along
      the Norm's lines.  Charlie Lamb (Mr. BMB) used Night Sun on 
      PBP brevets and PBP'91, and seemed pleased.
    
    - Many people in PBP'91 used Vista Lites.  They are better than
      normal strobes, because you can locate the object (the bike &
      cyclist) to which they are attached pretty easily.  However,
      to a weary person cycling in view of a Vista Lites, they are
      annoying (like strobes), and at times in PBP I had the urge
      to go up and casually duct-tape over such lights (!).  They are
      just ocular torment to follow behind for any length of time.
    
      For normal commuting or long night rides, they are fine, because
      you will not normally be followed for any length of time by 
      any one motorist or cyclist.
    
    -john

  I'm in the process of puting together a lighting system.
  I don't see how the prepackaged systems can cost so much.

  So far I've got a the following peices attached to the bike:

    30W Grote headlight.  $9.95 at the auto parts store.
        I dropped it in the driveway, and found at that
        replacement bulbs are $4.10.

    Gates gell cell.  I don't know the price because I
        found it in a dumpster.  I think it was originally part
        of a Vax 8800 time of year clock.  Digikey might
        charge 25$ for a new one.  I think that it's 4 A-h.

    Vistalight strobe tail light. $15.

    Heavy gage speaker wire, a switch and some connectors. 6$.

  Also:

    Cateye Halogen headlight as a spare and for the summertime.

  Plusses:
    Lots of light.
  Minuses:
    It's a little heavy.  I'm taking it off during the summer.
    The beam pattern is not the best.  Some light is on the trees.


  Questions:

    I'm planning to add a steady LED tail light.  Does anybody 
    have suggestions for a small read housing?  I've got to fit it between
    the panniers, above the back tire and below the level of the rack
    along with the vistalight.

    Does anybody know of a source for a halogen bulbs like the one in the
    cateye but at a lower voltage?  The cateye goes through C cells
    too fast, so I'm running it on NiCads.  NiCads have a lower voltage
    than alkaline batteries, so it's not as bright.  Is there a source
    a similar 2.4 volt bulb?

    -Jeff Bell

This doesn't directly answer the question, but it looks to me like there are 
some possibilities in the battery powered video lights.  They are compact and 
bright, though they would tend to have a wide beam.  The operating times on
a full charge are a little short, I think, but that can be changed with larger
batteries.  Some of them sell for < $50.00.

Barry

    My partner and I have been working on lighting systems for 
    a month now , some of the questions we have seems to be everybodys
    concerns also. The design will be dual lamp of course ,we have lamps 
    with rear reflectors that is rated for 20w and 1 1/2" dia reflectors
    this will be great helmet mount/ high beam. as far as batteries the
    gell cell will deliver the power but is heavy , nicads of different
    ratings could be expensive ie 12v 2.5 amphr =$55. same on the gel 
    will be aprox $35. with 6amphr. back to nicads a cell puts out 1.2v
    so for a 6v lamp you will need 5 batteries. the good news is tyco
    remote control cars have a package of 9.6v - 8 cells and a 4 hr 
    charger . this will work good for a 6v front and a 3v (cateye) rear 
    lighting system wired in series , if you have cateyes already the lamps
    depending on the wattage ie 6w front , 1.5w rear ,will be about $10
    the power supply & charger $30 . 
    thanks 

    
    
    As mentioned in another note somewhere, Bicycling magazine did a test 
    on lightweight lights in the Feb issue. The only recommendation that 
    they made was for the Nice Lite!.... is stood head and shoulders above 
    the rest. Has anybody tried one of these out? I was wondering how they 
    compared to something like a 6w or 10w Brite Lite. At $36 each, two
    Nice Lites would be cheaper than one Brite Lite.  
    
    
    doug
    
    
    

    
    I remember a previous magazine survey (probably in Bicycling)
    which included the Nice Lite.  They liked the fact that it was
    very sturdy, but on the whole found it less suitable for bicycling
    than, say, a Brite Lite - they termed the Nice Lite a glorified
    flashlight - that it's coverage pattern wasn't optimal for biking, etc.
    
    Maybe they changed their design; I don't know; but that was the
    previous analysis.
    
    -john

re: last two

I have a Nice Light, and it serves my purposes well.  That is, occasional
use, to extend evening or morning riding hours a bit.  An important feature 
for me, is no requirement for a permanently attached mounting, and easy
mounting and removal.

It isn't much brighter than a flashlight, because that what it is!  It is a 
4 AA cell Tekna flashlight with a handlebar mount.  A rechargeable battery
kit is available, or you could use rechargeable AA's.  I suspect that it
would be counter-productive though, since there would be even less voltage
available.

For me, it's basic purpose is to make me visable, rather than to illuminate
the road effectivly.  If I were going to be commuting, or riding where
road illumination was critical, I would be looking at some of the more
expensive systems, or some kind of home-brew arrangement.  IMHO, there is
no good reason, except for low production, that some of the light systems
cost as much as they do, but thats the way it goes.  You always get
what you pay for.

Barry

BTW, The Nice Light replaced a Wonder Light.  For rear visability, I use
the Sanyo leg light sold by Performance or Nashbar (I forget which).

    re: .94
    
    Where did you purchase your Nice Light and how much was the available
    recharger?
    
    thanks,

From T.J. Frisbee bicycles in Ridgecrest, CA.  I think the charger/battery
set is $20.00 to $30.00, I use throw-away batteries.

Tom Frisbee (that's his name, really!) has a nice shop, BTW, if you're 
ever in that neighborhood.  There are some interesting rides in the area, such
as Death Valley to Mt Whitney (lowest point in cont. U.S. to highest, although
the ride doesn't go to the peak).

Barry

    
    I am in the process of ordering directly from Nice light.  My problem 
    is that I have to order at least three lights.  If anyone is interested
    in a light or a recharging kit let me know.  
      At the moment I don't know what a recharging kit will cost.  It will
    be less than catalog prices though.  
      The cost of a light will be $30.00 + U.S. mail.  cheap.
    
    Norm
    
      

    After reading through the previous reply's to this note, I am
    interested in hearing recommendations on some of the systems that were
    purchased and/or home made.  My intention is to use a system on my MTN
    bike for some easy trail riding after work.  The system needs to be
    reliable, offer good illumination and be rechargable.  
    
    Thanks,
     

I finally pruchased a VistaLite VL420. This light has a 6 watt bulb and a 2.5
amp hour battery, 6 volt battery. Some of it's features that made it my first
pick was;

	Very solid design, not flimsy (strong wires also)
	
	Quick release allows easy installation.

	Adjustable beam focus. (Very good. Wide for slow, narrow for distance)

	Multi position mounting.

	Upgradable to 10 watt bulb.

	Most of all PRICE! $69.00. 

This isn't a great light for see everything, fast as daytime riding. It does get 
me home from work with out any worry about hitting a large pothole. I did see
a Nite Sun and the Nite Rider systems as they say you get what you pay for. 
Those systems run about $200.00 plus but are by far the best lights for both
on and off road riding. They are very bright and of high quality. You won't
find any thin wires that could get snapped by a branch on them.

I have a VistaLite rear flashing light that works great. 

Tom

    
    
    
    Here's a fairly interesting repost from the internet....
    
    
Article 12535 of rec.bicycles.tech:
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.tech
Path: netnews.alf.dec.com!crl.dec.com!pa.dec.com!decwrl!uunet!news.moneng.mei.com!howland.reston.ans.net!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!cs.uiuc.edu!asimov!watanabe
From: watanabe@asimov.cs.uiuc.edu (Larry Watanabe)
Subject: Lights - cheap and easy 20W homebrew (LONG)
Message-ID: <CFqz55.880@cs.uiuc.edu>
Summary: instructions on building a light
Keywords: lights safe night homebrew headlight 
Sender: news@cs.uiuc.edu
Organization: University of Illinois, Dept. of Comp. Sci., Urbana, IL
Date: Sun, 31 Oct 93 01:55:53 GMT+5:00
Lines: 539

              

                   An Easy, Cheap Homebrew Bike Light


I. Introduction

	Arnie Berger has posted directions for the Ultimate
Homebrew bike light. However, if you don't have many tools or
soldering skills, here is a light that can be built without
cutting or soldering. It does help to be have a power drill
but this can be dispensed with. The light can probably be 
built in 20 minutes, although it will take most people
an hour or so. The light is robust, waterproof, bright, and cheap -
about $15. The charger and battery total about $55, so altogether this
is about the same price as a Vistalite VL420, although 
much brighter and cheaper to operate (bulb lasts longer,
battery easier to find replacement for, charger is better).
It is considerably less elegant than Arnie's light.

	Many of the ideas in here borrow heavily from Arnie
and other contributors to the light.faq. Thanks to everyone
who directly or indirectly provided information that helped
me to put my system together.

	After looking at the cost/difficulty of building my own 
charger, I decided to simply buy the Powersonic PSC-12800.
This is a 12V, 800 ma charger that switches automatically between
fast charge and float charge, with LED indicators to show the
charge mode. Charging is fool-proof. It was $33 from a local
electric supply company.

	The battery is a Powersonic 12V 7.0 AH battery for $22,
also from the electric supply company. Mouser or Digikey sells
it for about the same price.

	The bulb is a GE 12 V 20 Watt BAB (flood) light. 
Arnie and others say that the ESX (spot) is better. I believe
them. However, around here the BAB was $5.00 cheaper, and with
20 Watts there is more than enough light. The flood light is
also better for being seen in the city, as the filament can
be seen from a wider range of angles than for a spot light.

                         DISCLAIMER

These plans carry no warranty, whatsoever. It describes how
you can easily build a light that can be hooked up to a gel-cel.

II. Objectives:

	Cheap operating cost, reasonable initial cost,
bright light, easy to build for anyone, and using tried-and-true
design parameters. (Common parameters:  about 7.0 AH gel-cell, 
12 V 20 Watt sealed halogen lights). Explain things in enough
detail so that someone like myself could make the light.

III. Materials

     Here is the list of materials:

     1- One 12V 20 watt halogen spot light. GE type ESX   - $12.80 ES
	or
	One 12V 20 watt halogen flood light, GE type BAB   - $7.50 ES,FF

	NB. The GE bulbs come with a protective lens. The 
	Sylvannia and Phillips ESX bulbs don't.

     2- One rubber hose connector			  - $2.19  HS,FF
	It looks like this, and comes with two hose 
	clamps. It seems to be used for connecting a larger
	pipe with a smaller one.

		hose clamp      hose clamp
                   |	      ----------
			   /	   | |	|
		-----------	   | |	|
		| | |		   | |	|
		| | |		   | |	|
		| | |		   | |	|
		| | |		   | |	|
		| | |		   | |	|
		| | |		   | |	|
		-----------	   | |	|
			   \	   | |	|
			     ----------

	
     3- One PVC end piece				  - $0.70  HS
	this just looks like a cup - no handle -
	this should have a smooth bottom and just fit inside
	the small end of the hose connector.
		
     4- One rechargable battery, 12V 7AH- Powersonic      - $22.00 ES
     5- One 12V 800 ma 2-step automatic charger		  - $33.00 ES
		(Powersonic PSC-12800A)
     6- 2 18-22 gauge butt connectors			  - $ 0.70 HS
     7- 2 18-22 gauge female spade connectors		  - $ 0.70 HS
     8- 1 Litton in-line glass fuse holder		  - $ 0.70 AS
     9- 1 pack 5 Litton 10 A fuses			  - $ 0.70 AS
    10- 1 	Fanny pack			  	  - free 
    11- 1 Bike Nashbar plastic bag			  - free

    12- hose clamp about the size of your handlebars.	  - 0.70   HS, FF
    13- 2 sets of female+male molex connectors		  - $2.00  RS
	(automotive polarized quick disconnects)
		/ \
		|o| look like this from end
		|o|
		---
    14	5' 18-gauge two-connector wire - this is just lamp cord.
    15  1 18-22 gauge twist connector			  - $0.06 HS
    15  nuts, bolts, washers, electric tape		  - ???
	cable ties
	
HW = Hardware store
LS = Lighting Store
PS = Plumbing Supply store
RS = Radio Shack
SM = Super Market
EM = Electronic Mailorder ( DigiKey )
BM = Bike Mailorder
MS = Metal supply
AS = Automotive store (Autozone)
FF = Farm & Fleet


IV. Construction

NOTE: Look to the end section on design alternatives. You 
might want to consider some of them - like making the light
removable, and using a proper base rather than butt connectors.
   
1. Using a hacksaw (this works well) or knife, cut off the
   plastic part of the butt connectors until it is flush with
   the metal part. It is easiest to hold the hacksaw blade still
   and move the butt connector rather than vice versa.

	   -------------------------
	       ------------------
	       ------------------
	   -------------------------
				 ^
				cut here

2.
  Insert the prongs of the bulb into each butt connector and
  crimp it with a crimping tool (needlenose pliers if you haven't
  got a crimping tool)

                                      /
                              bulb /   |
                                 /     |
                                /      |
                        ___  ---       |
                        ___=|          |
                        ___ |          |
                        ___=|          |
                          ^  ---       |
                           butt \      |
                         connect.\     |
                                   \   |
                                      \
     
3.
  Cut about 3 feet of lamp cord (however much you want/need to
  go from lamp to battery).  Separate the two wires for an inch or 
  so at the end. Strip about .5" of both wires, and twist them
  each (separately) so they don't unravel. Insert one wire
  into each of the butt connectors (that are crimped onto the
  prongs of the bulb) and crimp the connectors down.

                                      /
                              bulb /   |
                                 /     |
                                /      |
                        ___  ---       |
      lamp cord      /  ___=|          |
     ================   ___ |          |
                     \  ___=|          |
                     ^    ^  ---       |
                  split    butt \      |
                  ends   connect.\     |
                  of lamp          \   |
                  cord                \
     

4. Put the bulb in the big end of the hose. Make sure that the lens of the bulb
   is directly beneath the middle of the hose clamp, and that the 
   bulb is positioned equally around. This may get tricky - you might
   push the bulb in too far on one side, and need to get it out again.
   You can push it out from the small end and try again. When you've
   got it positioned correctly, tighten down the hose clamp so that
   it is secure.

		    	     ----------
	         	   /	   | |	|
		-----------	   | |	|
    	      	| | |		   | |	|
       lamp cord| | |		   | |	|
	| 	| | |		   | |	|
	========| | |		   | |	|
	 	| | |		   | |	|
	      	| | |		   | |	|
        	-----------	   | |	|
			   \	   | |	|
			     ----------
				    ^ edge of bulb here
					under hose clamp.


5. Take the PVC end piece. Drill a small hole, just large enough for 
   the lamp cord,
   in the side of the PVC end piece. The hole should be angled,
   (to reduce strain on the cord) and come out just epsilon
   from the end. The reason for this will be explained later,
   it is basically because you want a snug fit but also pressure
   to hold the cord in place.

	|	   |
	|	   |
	|	   | 
	|	   | 
	|	   |\ drill hole here, at about this angle
	-----------



6.  Cut the free end of the lamp cord at an angle. This will help
    get it through the tight fighting hole in the end piece.
    Thread the cord through the end piece. Grab it with pliers
    once you get the tip through, and pull the cord through
    the end piece.

                                           ------------
                                          /       | |  |
                                ----------        | |  |
      end    ------            | | |              | |  |
      piece  |                 | | |              | |  |
             |                 | | |              | |  |
             |   ==============| | |              | |  |
             | //     ^        | | |              | |  |
             |-----    cord    | | |              | |  |
      =======                   ----------        | |  |
          ^lamp cord                      \       | |  |
                                           ------------
     

7.
	Slip the small hoseclamp under the hose clamp at the small end.
	Put the end piece into the rubber pipe

	Now, here is the reason for drilling the hole in the side
	of the end piece, rather than the bottom.

	If you position the end piece just right, you will get a
	tight fit yet enough pressure on the cord to make it very
	secure.

	If you drill the hole too far up the side, then the cord will
	prevent the rubber from fitting snugly around the end piece.

	If you drilled the hole in the bottom, the rubber would not
	exert any pressure when the hose clamp is tightened.

	When you've got the piece in, then pull the lamp-cord out
        so that not TOO much is inside there. But, leave a little
        slack so that just in case things come loose a yank on the
        cord won't immediately disconnect the bulb.

	Tighten the hose clamp on the small hose clamp and end piece.

8.	Put some friction tape/electric tape/handlebar tape
	around your handlebars/fork where you will mount it.
	Mount the lamp on the handlebars/fork using the small
	hose clamp.  You may leave it a little loose so that you can 
	make adjustments on the fly.

9. 	Measure the length of cord you are going to need as
	accurately as possible. I found it best to put no slack
	in the lamp cord, but to have slack in the battery
	cord. 

	Cut the cord to length and strip the end of the cord.
	Attach a male molex connector to the free end of the lamp
	cord.

	The molex connector really needs a special tool to crimp
	it down, but it can be done with judicious application
	of needle-nosed pliers. There are two sets of "arms"
	that can be crimped down. I found that the longer ones
	near the end were a little too long, so I cut off a little
	with the pliers. These ones crimp around the insulation of
	the wire. The next set of "arms", further up, crimp around
	the bare wire. 

10. 	In order to make the connection somewhat waterproof, 
	Use electrical tape around the molex connector. This is the
	way I did it:

		1. Wind a bit around the wire right up against
		   the molex connector. This will make the wire
		   a bit thicker there, making it stronger and
		   providing less of a transition to the thick
		   molex connector.

		2. wind electrical tape a couple of times around the
		   molex connector. The trick is to position the	
		   electric tape half on the molex connector, 
		   and half on the wire. In addition, each time you
		   get to a corner of the square molex connector,
		   slit the tape above the wire. This acts like
		   a dart on pants, so that you can wrap it around	
		   the thick molex connector and the thinner wire
		   without tape bunching up.

11. 	Secure the lamp cord to the frame if necessary using
	cable ties. I have my battery in back, so I cable tie the
	cord to the top tube. If you are going to carry your
	battery in a handlebar bag, though, then probaby
	not necessary to secure it.

12. 	strip both ends of the in-line fuse connector and attach one
	end to the female spade connector. You can just crimp it down
	on the wire.

13.     Use the rest of the cord for your battery. I used about 2 feet,
	so I have lots of extra. Split 1 end of the cord, and make
	it shorter by the length of the in-line fuse connector and
	the wires going out of it. strip the ends of the wire.
	Use a twist connector to attach the shorter end to the
	fuse connector, and crimp another female connector on 
	the longer end. 

	This makes the ends for the battery. Wedge
	the female spade connectors onto the battery terminals now.
	(I'm assuming that these are the FASTON battery terminal types).

14. 	Attach a female molex connector to the end of the battery
	cord. Now, the important thing here is to use the common
	convention of making the POSITIVE wire connected to the
	BOTTOM molex connector

		/ \
	 neg  -	|o| 
	 pos  +	|o|
		---

	Use the same crimping and taping techniques as in step 9.

16. 	Stick a fuse in the in-line connector, hook up the spade
	connectors to the battery terminals if you haven't already
	(making sure to follow these polarity conventions) and
	plug the lamp connector into the battery connector. The
	lamp should light!

	a. If the fuse blows, then you have a short in your 
	   circuit. Use a continuity checker (you can make one
	   yourself - a battery and two wires) to track down
	   if there is any flow between the positive lead and
	   the negative lead where there shouldn't be.
	   Actually, you should do this before you try out the
	   lamp.

	b. If the lamp doesn't light, use the continuity
	   checker to find out where the bad connection is.

	The gel-cel can discharge at least 60 amps if it
        shorts, so you really do need the fuse. A 10 amps
	fuse will blow before major damange occurs.

17. 	Tape down the cord to the battery so that the in-line
	fuse isn't hanging around to be yanked off. I put
	the fuse on the top since the terminals are up there
	taking up space anyways. I also put some slack in
	the cord and taped it to the battery, so that if you
	yank on the cord it will not cause any damage. 
	Stick more tape on fastening down miscellaneous
	wires. I also wrapped tape around the terminals and
	the twist-on connector.

18. 	Cut a hole in the plastic bag, put the battery in the bag,
	run the wire through the hole, and tape the bag shut snugly
	around the battery. This makes it really waterproof.
	I put the plastic bag + battery in a fanny pack I got
	for free, just to have a convenient way to carry it
	off the bike (I can grab the strap) and to provide
	some protection. You may want to put it in a bag
	that can attack securely to your saddle, rack, etc.
	I keep the fanny pack + battery in my knapsack, and toss
	the knapsack into my metal basket as usual. The wire
	sticks out from the knapsack and I hook it up. This is
	handy because I never have to attack/detach the battery
	from my bike. It is more like plugging the light into
	the knapsack which I carry anyways.

19. 	If your charger doesn't come with molex connectors,
	put one on. If you are really sure then you can simply
	cut the cord and stick a molex connector on. Make
	sure to keep the convention that the positive is the
	bottom of the molex connector. Another way is to cut
	a piece of cord, attach the molex on there, then attach
	the cord to the charger cord. This way is safer if
	you find your charger doesn't work and you want to 
	return or exchange it.

20. 	For esthetic purposes, you may want to cover the
	hose clamps with electric tape to prevent possible
	scratching.


You are done! to recharge, plug the charger into the battery
to run the light, plug the light into the battery.

Design Alternatives:
--------------------

1.  There is no switch in this design. This is easy to fix;
    switches are a couple of dollars at radio shack, and
    the pvc is easy to drill holes in. I didn't find a switch
    necessary - I just plug/unplug the light. 

2.  Instead of permanently mounting the lamp on your bike,
    you can insert an extra pair of molex connectors near
    the lamp-end of the lamp cord. Then, the lamp can be
    unplugged and removed from the bike. In this case you
    need some quick release system. You can stick a small 
    bracket through the rear hose clamp, instead of the
    handlbar-hose clamp, and screw a cateye mouting
    bracket to it. This is what I did.

3.  You can buy the correct base for the bulb from a lighting
    supply store. This will make it easy to change bulbs on
    the road. However, it is an extra $4.00.

4.  You can make your own charger. People mentioned that
    the best way to do this is to get an LM317 variable voltage
    regulator from radio shack. There is a circuit on the
    package that explains what other parts you need and how
    to put it together:
  
	transformer	- $9
	case		- $4
	LM317		- $2
	capacitors	- $1
	resistors	- $1
	wire		- $1
	variable resist - $2
	--------------------
			$19


IMHO, I feel it is worthwile to spend the extra $14 and
get the powersonic charger, which also switches to float
charging, and has the cute LEDs. 

5.   You can use a 1 Amp, 12 V motorcycle charger. This 
     requires taking the battery off charge when the
     battery is charged. If you follow this solution,
     you might want to put a 10 ohm 10 Watt resistor in series
     (available from radio shack). This will limit the
     current to about 200 ma (determined empirically by
     measuring) so it is gentler on the battery. You want
     to take it off charge when current drops to 70 ma and
     the voltage is 14.70 for the Powersonic. If you commute
     the same route every day, then often you can calculate
     pretty precisely how long the battery needs to be charged
     for your route, so you run almost no risk of overcharging.
     Again, I feel this isn't worth the trouble.

6.   If you don't have a drill, just put the cord beside
     the end piece, rather than drilling a hole and putting
     it through it. When you tighten the hose clamp it
     will hold the wire firmly in place. However, the cord
     will prevent a really good seal around the end-piece,
     so you sacrifice some waterproofness.

6.  The battery, charger, and bulb are compatible with the
    specifications for Arnie's light. So one design alternative:
    make Arnie's light!  You could also make this light first,
    then upgrade to Arnie's light later.

---------------------------------------------

Is it bright enough? I ride on a country road every day,
no lights for quite a distance, corn to the left and right.
It seems even brighter where there is no other light, as 
others have probably found. 

As far as being seen: I have heard the following comments as 
I ride by, from one person to another:

	" ... mutter .. "
	"So what? People can see him".

	"He's got a light!!"

	"I thought that was a motorcycle at first".

You do have to be careful when riding around campus town,
particularly near bar closing hours. Because you are riding
very close to where pedestrians hang out (near the side of the
road) they tend to get caught in the beam and freeze like deer.
Make sure to keep the beam pointed towards the ground, too.
My back end is protected by a vistalite and a 3" SAE amber
reflector.

Incidentally, be careful not to overestimate how long
your battery will last. The ratings for battery are for
when you use 1/10 the capacity.

For example, here is the time it takes to fall to 11 volts for
the PowerSonic batteries:

3C	5 minutes
2C	10 minutes
1C	30 minutes
.6C	60 minutes
.25C	3 hours
.175C   5 hours
.1C     7 hours
.05C    15 hours

"C" represents the capacity of the battery. Since the light
draws 1.667 amps, and the battery is 7.0 AH, this is about
.25 C so I figure I have 2-3 hours run time.

Ni-cad batteries are much better than gel-cels at this, so
if you are drawing a substantial part of the batteries capacity
then e.g. a 4.0 AH ni-cad may last just as long as a 7.0 AH
gel-cel. They are also much lighter, and are used in high-end
lighting systems such as NiteRider and NightSun. But, they
are much more expensive - so for commuting I decided to stick
to gel-cel. This home-brew system should have very low 
operating cost, since it uses the very best, safest type of charger,
cheap gel-cel batteries, and cheap, long-lasting bulbs.

-Larry Watanabe




    

    Thanks for posting those instructions.  I'd like to give it a try. 
    Could you post the directions for Arnie Berger's Ultimate Homebrew bike
    light as well?
    
    Thanks,  Don

    
    Has anyone built the light in .100 in MA?  I was going to try, until
    I Radio Shack did not have any of the parts except for the connectors.
    
    As my ambition was not too great at the time, I did not try the phone
    book yet.  Any pointers for a bulb, battery, charger?
    
    --roger
    

re 3052.???  (Not able to mount a rear light on a Trek 2??? frame

I use an old helmet and mount a flashing tail light (Vista 300 I think) and
headlight (Niterider Pro) directly to the shell.  I use the helmet for 
commuting, and use the bike for training, racing, cyclocross, commuting.

(Yeah, the bike is old, and kind of beat, but thats not important here.)

The helment is about 8 years old, an Avenir.  It has a "full shell."  Thats
as opposed to the "micro-shells" out today.  The styrofoam liner can be 
removed, and I drilled a hole in the shell for the light (and replaced the
liner.)  This creates the near equivalent of a "high 3rd brakelight."  I am
not sure I would recommend drilling one of todays helmets, as the shells are
much thinner, and may not support the light.  I am also not sure if the
styrofoam can be removed w/out destroying the helmet.....

--Roger

    re 10.100  (Instructions on how to build a light)
    
    I built the light described in reply .100
    
    I purchased the light at Ames dept store for about $6.00.  It is a 20
    watt halogen, and I purchased the battery through 1-800-Digikey for
    about $30.00.  I forget the exact size of the battery, but it does fit
    into a fanny-pack.  The battery is a 12 volt, 7.5AH rechargeable
    battery.  
    
    With a single light, it should run for 5 hours, which far exceeds my
    peddling time.  I plan to add a second light.
    I use my 12 battery charger for recharging (the same one I use for my
    car).  I created a separate set of connections for charging.  
     
    
    Caution:  The light is bright!  It will attact every flying insect for
    miles!    

    Thanks for the word of caution (.-1) on the amps.  My battery charger has a
    2/6 amp switch; I will use the 2 amp selection (and stand back).  
    My battery charger also has an overcharging protector that cycles off
    and on  when the battery is charged.  Hopefully this will prevent me 
    from killing the battery.  
    -Larry