LED Headlights (a bit bikey!)

[Rigger Mortice]

Just before Xmas there was a thread about headlights and I mentioned that I was waiting for one to come from the Far East which I had taken a punt on on E-Bay.

It arrived a few days ago and I have to say that I am astonished at how good it is. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/160932220705?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

It cost me £17.55 including delivery (they've now put the price up a bit) and it comes complete with a rechargeable battery pack, a charger, straps to hold it on your head, plus bungies (?spelling) to hold it on bike handlebars.

I've already relegated my previous bike lights to the lowly position of backup.

The little bungies enable the light to be fixed on bike handlebars in just a few seconds. They could equally well be used to fix the light to a push pit, a pulpit, stanchions or the frame of a canopy.

Very highly recommended. At £20 ish it is fantastic value for money.

One small grumble. It was advertised as being 1800 lumens but the box it came in says 1200 lumens. If the box didn't say anything I would have none the wiser. It seems churlish to com[plain about it though.

A word of caution. For use in a cockpit on passage it may be too bright...night vision and all that...but I won't know until I use it in anger on the boat. But as a powerful headlight when you need something with a bit of umph, highly recommended.

Good on a bike too!

 

[sailorman]

Just before Xmas there was a thread about headlights and I mentioned that I was waiting for one to come from the Far East which I had taken a punt on on E-Bay.

It arrived a few days ago and I have to say that I am astonished at how good it is. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/160932220705?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

It cost me £17.55 including delivery (they've now put the price up a bit) and it comes complete with a rechargeable battery pack, a charger, straps to hold it on your head, plus bungies (?spelling) to hold it on bike handlebars.

I've already relegated my previous bike lights to the lowly position of backup.

The little bungies enable the light to be fixed on bike handlebars in just a few seconds. They could equally well be used to fix the light to a push pit, a pulpit, stanchions or the frame of a canopy.

Very highly recommended. At £20 ish it is fantastic value for money.

One small grumble. It was advertised as being 1800 lumens but the box it came in says 1200 lumens. If the box didn't say anything I would have none the wiser. It seems churlish to com[plain about it though.

A word of caution. For use in a cockpit on passage it may be too bright...night vision and all that...but I won't know until I use it in anger on the boat. But as a powerful headlight when you need something with a bit of umph, highly recommended.

Good on a bike too!

Please point them down so you can see where your going rather than blind motorists, thank you

 

[Tarka1]

I've had one of these for the last 12 months, used it for off road running, mountain biking etc and they're superb value

 

[Rigger Mortice]

Please point them down so you can see where your going rather than blind motorists, thank you

I've already mounted it on my helmet for exactly that reason.

A small movement of my head was very useful this evening when a car was coming towards me with headlights on full beam. He soon dipped his lights!

 

[Chris_robb_ndota]

I've already mounted it on my helmet for exactly that reason.

A small movement of my head was very useful this evening when a car was coming towards me with headlights on full beam. He soon dipped his lights!

I realized before I started driving just how frustrating Hi-Beams are when walking/running/biking etc in the dark and always switch to dip when I've one approaching as with any car/bus/lorry etc.

Simple good manners.

Not always reciprocated.

 

[[70521]]

Please point them down so you can see where your going rather than blind motorists, thank you

+1,000

 

[[70521]]

I've already mounted it on my helmet for exactly that reason.

-1,000

 

[nigelmercier]

There are several similar types here.

 

[onesea]

Please point them down so you can see where your going rather than blind motorists, thank you

Simple answer is Full beam back , until they do "dip" theres.

I've already mounted it on my helmet for exactly that reason.

A small movement of my head was very useful this evening when a car was coming towards me with headlights on full beam. He soon dipped his lights!

No problem with that we all have to do it form time to time to remind each other..

I realized before I started driving just how frustrating Hi-Beams are when walking/running/biking etc in the dark and always switch to dip when I've one approaching as with any car/bus/lorry etc.

Simple good manners.

Not always reciprocated.

Not going to argue again but if you are walking/ jogging down an unlit road PLEASE put something bright on or carry a torch.

I live down a mile long unlit lane that is a dead end but frequented by joggers and dog walkers...

Please do not act surprised/ complain when there is a car that does not "dip" their lights, when they eventually see you. If I dip the lights and cannot see you I WILL return to full beam.

I often walk this lane on the way back from local (not always in bright cloths), if I forget my torch I will stand in a bush till the car passes. Not walk unlit down the middle, that is just stupid ...

 

[sailorman]

Simple answer is Full beam back , until they do "dip" theres.



No problem with that we all have to do it form time to time to remind each other..



Not going to argue again but if you are walking/ jogging down an unlit road PLEASE put something bright on or carry a torch.

I live down a mile long unlit lane that is a dead end but frequented by joggers and dog walkers...

Please do not act surprised/ complain when there is a car that does not "dip" their lights, when they eventually see you. If I dip the lights and cannot see you I WILL return to full beam.

I often walk this lane on the way back from local (not always in bright cloths), if I forget my torch I will stand in a bush till the car passes. Not walk unlit down the middle, that is just stupid ...

best wear bright clothing & no helmet
rather than helmet & dark clothing

 

[maxi77]

Simple answer is Full beam back , until they do "dip" theres.



No problem with that we all have to do it form time to time to remind each other..



Not going to argue again but if you are walking/ jogging down an unlit road PLEASE put something bright on or carry a torch.

I live down a mile long unlit lane that is a dead end but frequented by joggers and dog walkers...

Please do not act surprised/ complain when there is a car that does not "dip" their lights, when they eventually see you. If I dip the lights and cannot see you I WILL return to full beam.

I often walk this lane on the way back from local (not always in bright cloths), if I forget my torch I will stand in a bush till the car passes. Not walk unlit down the middle, that is just stupid ...

So it is quite OK to dazzle other road users but woe betide if the upset you.

 

[onesea]

So it is quite OK to dazzle other road users but woe betide if the upset you.

No if they have no lights and I cannot see them without full beam, what do you want me to do stop till they have gone away?

If some one has torch/ reflective tape/ visible cloths it is not an issue dropped lights every time
...
If not well sorry, I think its safer for them if I can see them....

 

[maxi77]

No if they have no lights and I cannot see them without full beam, what do you want me to do stop till they have gone away?

If some one has torch/ reflective tape/ visible cloths it is not an issue dropped lights every time
...
If not well sorry, I think its safer for them if I can see them....

I was thinking of the cyclists and motorists you think it is OK to dazzle, that just makes them a danger to themselves and you to satisfy your self importance. You know the road is dangerous yet drive at speeds that need full beam to see pedestrians. As a motorist I find you approach worrying and as a cyclist I find it scary

 

[emsworthy]

The irony (not sure if that's the correct word) of super-bright LED "headlights" on bikes, nearly cost another cyclist their life the other evening.

I was driving at well less than 30 down a winding country lane the other evening when around the corner coming towards me came what looked like something out of Close Encounters and totally blinded me! Thankfully the cyclist who clearly wanted to be seen passed my RH side in just enough time to stop me ploughing into the back of another cyclist, perfectly well lit and wearing bright clothing, on my side of the lane. Even at the slow speed I was doing at the time he was never going to fair well against a car tipping him off and then running over him just for good measure!

As a cyclist myself I totally agree that being seen is an absolute necessity to long term survival but surely not if it's at the expense of the lives of other road users!

 

[Rigger Mortice]

best wear bright clothing & no helmet
rather than helmet & dark clothing

FWIW a. I wear a Hi Viz flourescent jacket and a Flourescent Hi Viz helmet but I do a fair mileage on A roads of various types.

SWMBO laughs at me when I don my biking gear. So do I when I see myself in a mirror.

FWIW b. I'm not convinced that mounting a light on a helmet is necessarily the best thing to do. It ends up with a light at about 5 feet above the road....considerably higher than the lights on cars or motorbikes. I'm not entirely convinced that it might not be miss-interpeted by other road users but, for the time being at least, I'm trying it out.

 

[sailorman]

FWIW a. I wear a Hi Viz flourescent jacket and a Flourescent Hi Viz helmet but I do a fair mileage on A roads of various types.

SWMBO laughs at me when I don my biking gear. So do I when I see myself in a mirror.

FWIW b. I'm not convinced that mounting a light on a helmet is necessarily the best thing to do. It ends up with a light at about 5 feet above the road....considerably higher than the lights on cars or motorbikes. I'm not entirely convinced that it might not be miss-interpeted by other road users but, for the time being at least, I'm trying it out.

The problem with LEDs is they are very bright can be seen for miles but give very little useful illumination of the road

 

[Rigger Mortice]

The problem with LEDs is they are very bright can be seen for miles but give very little useful illumination of the road

I'm not sure how the physicists would respond to that.....different parts of the light spectrum perhaps?
All I can say is the light that prompted me to start this thread certainly does illuminate the road ahead. For the cost and size quite remarkably so.

 

[onesea]

I was thinking of the cyclists and motorists you think it is OK to dazzle, that just makes them a danger to themselves and you to satisfy your self importance. You know the road is dangerous yet drive at speeds that need full beam to see pedestrians. As a motorist I find you approach worrying and as a cyclist I find it scary

Let me just clarify since you do not seem to be understanding what I am trying to say or have very minimal experience of truly unlit roads:

1) Since you bring speed into it, the road is 30mph I normally travel at less, the people who park at the end to walk there dogs drive way in excess even thought there are 2 blind bends. When some one is incorrectly attired speed has nothing to do with it, YOU JUST CANNOT SEE THEM.
2) If the bike or pedestrian have lights or reflective clothing I will dip my lights every time.
3) It is only when people are stupid enough to either not move of the road or not wear something visible that they end up blinded. I often slow and advise them how invisible they are, this is not always well received.
4) The police now have put signs up advising pedestrians to use torches wear hi vis clothing.

Just like with bikes and cars pedestrians have a obligation to make themselves, visible to other road users.

 

[True-Brit]

Take a look at:
Petzel, Zipka
I've used one of these super bright LED lights for years on the boat & everyday at work & they are brilliant, 2 brightness settings & strobe & it's also got a really good red night vision light too. The strap retracts into itself & can be used to attach it to other things as well as your head. Take a punt buy one & you won't be disappointed.

 

[maxi77]

Let me just clarify since you do not seem to be understanding what I am trying to say or have very minimal experience of truly unlit roads:

1) Since you bring speed into it, the road is 30mph I normally travel at less, the people who park at the end to walk there dogs drive way in excess even thought there are 2 blind bends. When some one is incorrectly attired speed has nothing to do with it, YOU JUST CANNOT SEE THEM.
2) If the bike or pedestrian have lights or reflective clothing I will dip my lights every time.
3) It is only when people are stupid enough to either not move of the road or not wear something visible that they end up blinded. I often slow and advise them how invisible they are, this is not always well received.
4) The police now have put signs up advising pedestrians to use torches wear hi vis clothing.

Just like with bikes and cars pedestrians have a obligation to make themselves, visible to other road users.

Just as other road users have an obligation not to dazzle others, something you claim to do deliberately when other road users annoy you.

Two wrongs do not make a right!