Headlight - Anyone try this?

birdmannn101

birdmannn101

New Member
Does anyone use a cheap Harbor Freight flashlight as a headlight? Looks pretty bright. One review says the batteries run down quickly.
 
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I use the LED unit to replace incandescent lights in other head lights. For about six bucks that is a terrific light. With 32 LEDs it lights things up and of course the batteries don't last very long. One with 9 LEDs will last longer and give less light. It runs on three triple A batteries (1.5volts x 3 = 4.5 volts) and I have used it with a china girl magneto successfully. Works nicely also with a 6v. bottle generator as it tolerates the 6 volts with no problem.

I don't know how many of these I have used, but have never had a bad one. Using it as you propose should give you a lot of light for a little money. While you're at Harbor Freight buy a big packet of batteries...

You can also attach it to your handle bar with two hose clamps, one around the bar and the other around the flashlight, hooked together. Works perfectly for less money than the clamp shown. Hope this helps. Try one. You'll like it.

If you want some show and tell on using the guts in a headlight conversion let me know and I'll find a couple of links.
SB
 
Any chance that I could get some pictures of how you guys hooked up the LED lights and light boards to a headlight? I do have a Sturmy Archer front brake/dynamo on the front wheel.
 
http://motorbicycling.com/showthread.php?p=488261#post488261

Here's one for adapting a Harbor Freight dune buggy light and using it as a honker headlight. It uses the flashlight LEDs from the one on your thread. What is the output of your dynamo? 12 volts would be too much for this light, I think, but 6 volts should be okay since that's what I've used with it.

I'll look for another how to thread...
SB
 
Go to ebay and look up CREE head lamps. I have one for my bike and it is brighter than anything. I did get a different lens for the lamp to more direct the beam. With the included battery I can get quite a few rides out of it before I have to recharge.

I think all together the light and everything was $25 or so.
 
I've had customers that did a lot of night riding. It wasn't until I talked them into getting a real headlight (in the 1200 to 1800 lumen range) that they stopped breaking spokes in potholes.

These lights are rechargeable & usually under $40.
 
I love the cree headlights, I used the small one with diffuser lens forever until I broke it

Now in using a 6 led cree, it's pretty darn good too for rural areas with no Street lights
 
I am big CREE fan too.
These Chinese lights work pretty well, 1200 Lumen with 1 CREE LED and the 8.4V quad rechargeable battery pack.

CREE1200kit2.jpg


But this looks to be the deal now so I just bought 2 of these.
http://www.lightmalls.com/3600-lume...-for-3-cree-xm-l-t6-4-mode-led-bike-light-kit

3600 Lumen version, same light with 3 CREE's.
$23.47
 
I'm also using CREE LED lights. It does heats up, and battery can last for more than hour. It's very bright. I think it's brighter than most car headlamps.
 
I don't ride at night very often, what I like is the strobe for daylight riding, I haven't even had a close call since we started using the strobe for daytime riding.
 
haven't pulled the trigger yet but I have been eyeballing some of the things on this site
www.superbrightleds.com/

they sell completed lights too, but I have been looking at buying some bulbs and sockets then building the rest of the headlight out of copper pipe. that said i have no idea how much life i can push from that kind of set up, but i can say i plan on using a small 12V car/ATV battery i can recharge with an automotive trickle charger.

obviously this plan is leaps and bounds more work than something that can be bought and attached as is, but the whole point is to get my hands dirty right?

also basically no ready made kits i could find have headlights, taillights, and turn signals that didn't look like a dollar store toy.
 
I plan on ordering a Cree bike light.I have a Cree flash light that is unbelievable.
Ya if the head light is any thing like the flash lights it can't be beat.

Fly
 
Cree light are the best! I have a 6000 lumen rechargeable one and it's great to see pot holes or debris at a distance. I got mine on eBay for a good price too. Only thing is it came from china so it took a few weeks to get but it was worth the wait.
 
Easy Rider said:
Cree light are the best! I have a 6000 lumen rechargeable one and it's great to see pot holes or debris at a distance. I got mine on eBay for a good price too. Only thing is it came from china so it took a few weeks to get but it was worth the wait.
Click to expand...

Which one did you get on Ebay Easy Rider? Do you have a link to it?
 
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