Lights Camera Action!

Bill the Cat

Well, the days are getting shorter and I have a minimum 1hr 20min commute
home each day.

I have the obligatory crappy flashy be seen light, but I am looking for
something a whole lot brighter.

Torpedo 7 have a special on a 24w dual system with lead battery (Nightpro
Expert) for $99.
http://www.torpedo7.com.au/products/NPLIHNNEX

Does anyone have experience with lights of this kind?

I see there are several types around but I do not really understand the
difference between the various set ups around.

Weight does not matter much to me, and these bottle batteries won't be a
problem when I manage to get another bottle cage on.

I think cheap is good, but I worry when things like this are too cheap. Any
horror stories or recommendations?

Thanks

BtC

G-S

Bill the Cat wrote:

<SNIP>

> Torpedo 7 have a special on a 24w dual system with lead battery (Nightpro
> Expert) for $99.
> http://www.torpedo7.com.au/products/NPLIHNNEX
>
> Does anyone have experience with lights of this kind?

Not I... although I'm in a very similar situation to you and I have been
looking at exactly the same light on special and wondering exactly the
same thing.

$99 is a lot less than the basic Ay-Up 2008 roadie kit @ $249...

Wanna buy one and let me know what the tordedo light is like? ;-)


G-S

Rob.

Bill the Cat wrote:
> Well, the days are getting shorter and I have a minimum 1hr 20min commute
> home each day.
>
> I have the obligatory crappy flashy be seen light, but I am looking for
> something a whole lot brighter.
>
> Torpedo 7 have a special on a 24w dual system with lead battery (Nightpro
> Expert) for $99.
> http://www.torpedo7.com.au/products/NPLIHNNEX
>
> Does anyone have experience with lights of this kind?
>
> I see there are several types around but I do not really understand the
> difference between the various set ups around.
>
> Weight does not matter much to me, and these bottle batteries won't be a
> problem when I manage to get another bottle cage on.
>
> I think cheap is good, but I worry when things like this are too cheap. Any
> horror stories or recommendations?
>
> Thanks
>
> BtC
>
>

The price should tell you something - like there finished and no one
wants them.

I would consider the battery replacement, charge time, etc. before
rushing out and buying one. Your going to charge that up once a day at
1.3hrs each day commute time.

Look for a good LED lamp with small rechargeable, easy replaceable,
safe, keep in the pocket, batteries. They are available.

LED lamps are still cheaper than the $99, what's more just as efficient.

http://www.torpedo7.com.au/division.../title/Lighting

Zebee Johnstone

In aus.bicycle on Thu, 10 Apr 2008 07:51:10 +1000
Rob. <mesa@mine.com> wrote:
>
> The price should tell you something - like there finished and no one
> wants them.

Or you can spend more - $140 for a hub dynamo and $65 for a light -
and never have to manage batteries again.

I have the more expensive option - SON and Lumotec - which lights up a
twisty unlit bike path well enough to do 25kmh easily, as far as I
know the Shimano and E6 should do as well.

I just like the Lumotec Senso, because that really is a no-brains
light. It turns itself on when the surrounding area is dark enough to
need lights.

Zebee

DaveB

Lots of discussion here on Fenix headlights. I'll be giving one a go for
this winter.

http://forums.transitions.org.au/in...=27676&hl=fenix

DaveB

lemmiwinks.au@gmail.com

On Apr 10, 7:38 am, G-S <ge...@castbus.com.au> wrote:
> Bill the Cat wrote:
>
> <SNIP>
>
> > Torpedo 7 have a special on a 24w dual system with lead battery (Nightpro
> > Expert) for $99.
> >http://www.torpedo7.com.au/products/NPLIHNNEX
>
> > Does anyone have experience with lights of this kind?
>
> Not I... although I'm in a very similar situation to you and I have been
> looking at exactly the same light on special and wondering exactly the
> same thing.
>
> $99 is a lot less than the basic Ay-Up 2008 roadie kit @ $249...
>
> Wanna buy one and let me know what the tordedo light is like? ;-)
>
> G-S

I ordered one on Monday, I'll let you know when I try it out after it
arrives. I bought a 1W LED light from T7 a while back and while it's
quite bright, I consider it more of a be seen light, than a seeing
light. I felt like I was easily going to crash into something while
using it (though my terms of reference for night lighting are car and
motorcycle quartz halogen lights so I might be slightly biased).

The SLA battery it comes with will probably be heavy rubbish, but
replacement NiMh 12V cordless drill batteries and chargers are so
cheap I'm not really worried. There's always the R/C crowd if things
get really desperate.

Terryc

Zebee Johnstone wrote:

> Or you can spend more - $140 for a hub dynamo and $65 for a light -
> and never have to manage batteries again.
>
> I have the more expensive option - SON and Lumotec - which lights up a
> twisty unlit bike path well enough to do 25kmh easily, as far as I
> know the Shimano and E6 should do as well.

People have to watch hub abd other dynamos. Fine if you do 15km/h plus,
but not so good ifyou are a slower rider.

I'm still waiting for a reply from that last generator/solar bicycle
light that features on ABC's New Product^h^h^h^h^hInventor.

TimC

On 2008-04-09, lemmiwinks.au@gmail.com (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:
> The SLA battery it comes with will probably be heavy rubbish, but
> replacement NiMh 12V cordless drill batteries and chargers are so
> cheap I'm not really worried.

Er, cheap cordless drill rechargers are rubbish. I bought mine
(complete with drill, naturally, which I still use by plugging into a
12V supply) for $20, knowing it would be crap, but I didn't even get
to see how crap the battery was, because the charger had destroyed it
within 3 months, as one day I missed the vital "disconnect after 3
hours. No, you can't have a light to say it is already charged" step
as I was busy at the time.

<insert standard rant about wishing there was a step somewhere between
$20 plastic rubbish and $600 good tools. In this case, $20.30 plastic
rubbish with an extra LED and mosfet in the charging circuit would
almost certainly be sufficient to render it worthwhile. <insert
another rant about a $300 set of halogen cycling lights, where the
idiot designer forgot to include a LED on the battery to say that 1)
it is connected, and 2) whether or not it is charged. I am also not
convinced that it is even a smart charger, which I didn't expect for
$300. And of course there's no LED on the torch head either, so I
don't know whether there is no light because the battery is flat, or
because the bulb is blown, or because it is still too light outside to
see the reflection off the road, and that yes indeed, the bulb is
still glowing>>

--
TimC
Failure is not an option. It comes bundled with your Microsoft product.
-- Ferenc Mantfeld

Zebee Johnstone

In aus.bicycle on Thu, 10 Apr 2008 10:57:22 +1000
Terryc <newsthreespam-spam@woa.com.au> wrote:
>
> People have to watch hub abd other dynamos. Fine if you do 15km/h plus,
> but not so good ifyou are a slower rider.

Dunno about the Shimano, but the SON will light up quite well at
walking pace.

I know, because I have accompanied walkers, and we were using my light
to see by.

Zebee

Terryc

Zebee Johnstone wrote:

>
> Dunno about the Shimano, but the SON will light up quite well at
> walking pace.

Standard SON light?
Is it a LED?

Graeme Dods

"Bill the Cat" <oomph@bigtown.com.au> wrote in
news:F_9Lj.19$ko5.6@news-server.bigpond.net.au:

> Torpedo 7 have a special on a 24w dual system with lead battery
> (Nightpro Expert) for $99.
> http://www.torpedo7.com.au/products/NPLIHNNEX
>
> Does anyone have experience with lights of this kind?

I bought what looks like the same light from T7 a year or two ago (I think
just the battery case is different). Having previously used a fairly cheap
halogen CatEye light (that looks like an electric shaver) I was very
impressed with the performance and the quality seems good. It's handled a
lot of rough treatment (like a shelf load of decorating equipment falling
on it in the shed). I've not used anything more expensive, so I can't say
how it performs relative to higher end lights.

--
Graeme

Theo Bekkers

TimC wrote:
> lemmiwinkswrote

>> The SLA battery it comes with will probably be heavy rubbish, but
>> replacement NiMh 12V cordless drill batteries and chargers are so
>> cheap I'm not really worried.

> Er, cheap cordless drill rechargers are rubbish. I bought mine
> (complete with drill, naturally, which I still use by plugging into a
> 12V supply) for $20, knowing it would be crap, but I didn't even get
> to see how crap the battery was, because the charger had destroyed it
> within 3 months, as one day I missed the vital "disconnect after 3
> hours. No, you can't have a light to say it is already charged" step
> as I was busy at the time.
>
> <insert standard rant about wishing there was a step somewhere between
> $20 plastic rubbish and $600 good tools.

Unfortunately there really isn't. I've got an older 12V Hilti and a new 15V
one. The older one was left to me by my son when he went interstate 13 years
ago. The batteries died at 10 years and I got a quote for a new pair from
Hilti, and another quote from my battery wholesaler to rebuild with the best
batteries available in that form.

Hilti wanted $180, my wholesaler $95 to rebuild the two battery packs.

The Sub-$300 drills all have dead batteries in a year, two at the most.

The 15V Hilti I bought last year, comes with two batteries and a Smart
charger for around $800 plus GST. It just feels right when you pick it up,
and it's a joy to use. I expect to have it for a very long time. And no,
they're not in Bunnings.

Cheers
Theo

lemmiwinks.au@gmail.com

On Apr 10, 11:08 am, TimC <tconn...@no.spam.accepted.here-
astro.swin.edu.au> wrote:
> On 2008-04-09, lemmiwinks...@gmail.com (aka Bruce)
> was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:
>
> > The SLA battery it comes with will probably be heavy rubbish, but
> > replacement NiMh 12V cordless drill batteries and chargers are so
> > cheap I'm not really worried.
>
> Er, cheap cordless drill rechargers are rubbish. I bought mine
> (complete with drill, naturally, which I still use by plugging into a
> 12V supply) for $20, knowing it would be crap, but I didn't even get
> to see how crap the battery was, because the charger had destroyed it
> within 3 months, as one day I missed the vital "disconnect after 3
> hours. No, you can't have a light to say it is already charged" step
> as I was busy at the time.

There is that to bear in mind of course. There are generic RC
chargers available that will terminate on dT/dt and they're reasonably
affordable. If you were really clever, you could buy one of these
http://focus.ti.com/docs/prod/folde...nt/bq2002d.html and make your
own, but one of these http://focus.ti.com/docs/prod/folders/print/bq2002.html
would be even better. I'm nowhere near that clever so I'd just buy
something, or be my usual tight arse self and just keep an eye on the
clock while using a cheap charger (or even buy a mains timer).

BT Humble

lemmiwinks wrote:
> ... If you were really clever, you could buy one of thesehttp://focus.ti.com/docs/prod/folders/print/bq2002d.htmland make your
> own, but one of thesehttp://focus.ti.com/docs/prod/folders/print/bq2002.html
> would be even better.

Poor Amanda! You're going to talk her ear off at the Unaugural again
this year, aren't you?


BTH