VistaLite won't blink
Timothy E Vaughan
I have a VistaLite on my bike. Recently, instead of blinking when it
is supposed to, it just gives a steady light.
I tried replacing the batteries, but that did nothing. Does this mean
that a bulb is burned out? Can individual bulbs be replaced in these
lights? (How much is a bulb, and where can I get one?) Please tell
me I don't have to trash the whole unit!
Tim
Jeff Orum
> The newer Vistalites have a multiple mode where they can
> either give blinking action, or a steady light. If you
> look at the box, it will say something about "European steady".
> Push:
> 1 time: blinking
> 2 time: off
> 3 time: steady
> 4 time: off
Mine has a sequence as follows:
Push:
1 time: blinking
2 time: steady
3 time: off
4 time: off
I've never understood why there are 2 off positions.
Larry M. Watanabe
The newer Vistalites have a multiple mode where they can
either give blinking action, or a steady light. If you
look at the box, it will say something about "European steady".
Push:
1 time: blinking
2 time: off
3 time: steady
4 time: off
-Larry Watanabe
Timothy E Vaughan
|> tvau...@athena.mit.edu (Timothy E Vaughan) writes:
|>
|> >I have a VistaLite on my bike. Recently, instead of blinking when it
|> >is supposed to, it just gives a steady light.
|>
|> The newer Vistalites have a multiple mode where they can
|> either give blinking action, or a steady light. If you
|> look at the box, it will say something about "European steady".
|>
|> Push:
|>
|> 1 time: blinking
|> 2 time: off
|> 3 time: steady
|> 4 time: off
|>
Uh, Larry, I'm not a COMPLETE idiot. I've had this light for over a year,
and I know how it is supposed to work. I meant that when the light is
supposed to blink (Mode 1, in your scheme), it gives a steady light instead.
Any ideas?
Tim
Walter R Francis
bet that if you call them, they'll replace your light free of charge.
You may have to ship your light to them, it may be as simple as the
switch is worn out.
You do flip through the 'four' positions, right? Blink, steady, off,
and off? :) (Never have understood why there are two off positions..)
Vista's number is 1-800-456-2355, actually Bell-Sports, but they own
Vista... Just ask for Vista tech...
Seeya..
--- _
Walter _ // MOOR.SLIP.UKY.EDU!Ro...@NCC.UKY.EDU <-Preferred address
R 婢/ Wa...@UKCC.UKY.EDU
Francis Fra...@UKPR.UKY.EDU Fra...@MIK.UKY.EDU
Mike DeMicco
drivers. I don't know where I read this, but I was watching the TV
show "Cops" once, and some drunk driver crashed into a parked cop car
which had it's flashing lights on. One of the cops said it probably
wouldn't have happened if their emergency lights weren't on.
I ride at night rarely, but, on the basis of this, I am unsure what
would be the best for a rear light/reflector.
_________________________________________________________
Opinions expressed here are my own and not my employer's.
Mike De Micco <demi...@llnl.gov>
David Casseres
writes:
> Mine has a sequence as follows:
>
>
> 1 time: blinking
> 2 time: steady
> 3 time: off
> 4 time: off
>
> I've never understood why there are 2 off positions.
I didn't understand it either at first, then I found out. I usually keep
my VistaLite in the #4 OFF position when I'm not using it, so that it
will then go ON (#1 position) with just a single push. One day I was
carrying it in my jersey pocket (clothes-clip version) and when I took it
out it was blinking! The button had somehow been pushed once. If I had
put it in the #3 OFF position, it would still have been OFF after one
accidental push. Now I use the #3 position whenever I pack the light in
a bag or carry it in my pocket.
-------------
David Casseres
Exclaimer: Hey!
Timothy J. Lee
|I have a VistaLite on my bike. Recently, instead of blinking when it
|is supposed to, it just gives a steady light.
Hmmm, some people might think that this is desirable.
Any comments on whether blinking or flashing is better?
--
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Timothy J. Lee tim...@netcom.com
No warranty of any kind is provided with this message.
Andy Armstrong
tvau...@athena.mit.edu "Timothy E Vaughan" writes:
| |> tvau...@athena.mit.edu (Timothy E Vaughan) writes:
| |>
| |> >I have a VistaLite on my bike. Recently, instead of blinking when it
| |> >is supposed to, it just gives a steady light.
Assuming this is something like the `flashing or steady' specialized thing I
strap to my seatpost its probably a bunch of high intensity LEDs with a simple
flasher circuit on a little PCB. If that's the case I'd look for mechanical
failure of the passives on the PCB. You'll probably find at least one resistor
and a capacitor on the PCB; you should check to see if they're cracked (which
may not be too visible).
Of course it might be something completely different...
Andy Armstrong, Armstrong Walker Ltd
Phone: 091 2012158 Fax: 091 2303222
Mobile: 0860 922719 EMail: An...@armswalk.demon.co.uk
Brent Chivers
> or...@cup.hp.com writes:
> >
> > I've never understood why there are 2 off positions.
In article <36f07k$a...@apple.com>, David Casseres <cass...@apple.com> wrote:
>
> I didn't understand it either at first, then I found out. One
> day I was carrying it in my jersey pocket (clothes-clip version)
> and when I took it out it was blinking! The button had somehow
> been pushed once. If I had put it in the #3 OFF position, it
> would still have been OFF after one accidental push.
I think it's far more likely that a 4-position push-button
switch is much more of a standard item than a 3-position
switch. The cost (or availability) of a 3-position switch
might have too much impact on the shelf price for the product.
--
______________________________________________________________________
Brent Chivers McLean, VA bchi...@mitre.org
Wouter Suverkropp
As far as I know, the Vista lights and many others of the same type use LED's rather than light bulbs. The lifetime of a LED is about 50.000 hours, so unless you are VERY serious about cycling it will last you a lifetime. If the LED's are on, as you say they are, they work. It is the controlling circuitry that failed. It switches the LED's on and off for you, at either a low rate (blink) or a high rate ('steady'). Obviously the low rate failed. If you have a friend who is in to electronics the repair should not be too complicated. Open up the case (carefull!), and look for capacitors. They are bound to be used in the timing. Your electronics friend may want to put a different capacitor in parallell to the one mounted. If that cures the problem, the original cap failed. He (or she for that matter) may also want to use a multimeter to check that the switch actually goes trough it states correctly. It is usually the switch that fails.
Hope this helps, please let me know any results.
Kind regards,
Wouter
wouter.s...@jet.uk
>Tim
- Disclaimer: Please note that the above is a personal view and should not
be construed as an official comment from the JET project.
Nobu M Nakamoto
bulbs. They use LEDs. If they emit light, whether or not they
blink, the LEDs are not dead; the blinking circuitry is external
to the LEDs. If your LEDs stop emitting light, you can replace
them by de-soldering the old one and soldering in a replacement.
I am not sure who makes the original equipment LEDs, but I do
know that Hewlett-Packard makes some very bright LEDs (the same
kind that are used as tail lights in some cars, like the Ford
T-Bird) that are suitable for replacements. If you can find a
distributor that stocks HP LEDs, ask to the TS-AlGaAs LEDs. If
you need help finding a distributor, e-mail me and I'll see if
I can find out who the distributors are.
-NN (I dunno, maybe these opinions do reflect my employer's.
Then again, maybe not.)
Richard Stallard
: >|> >I have a VistaLite on my bike. Recently, instead of blinking when it
: >|> >is supposed to, it just gives a steady light.
: >Uh, Larry, I'm not a COMPLETE idiot. I've had this light for over a year,
: >and I know how it is supposed to work. I meant that when the light is
: >supposed to blink (Mode 1), it gives a steady light instead.
: >Any ideas?
I have one of the original VistaLites and I pulled it apart some time
ago to see what circuitry they had in them The flasher circuit is a
classic 2-transistor multivibrator, with a 3rd transistor as a switch to
drive the LEDs. I changed the resistor values in the multivibrator
circuit to increase the flash rate so that it appeared to be on
continuously, so I guess that's what the manufacturers have done for this
new model. The different switch positions probably switch in different
resistors to give the fast and slow flash rates.
Anyone with some knowledge of electronics should be able to draw the
schematic from the PCB and troubleshoot it for you. Most of the
components should be readily available and none should cost more than
50c, so it is probably worth trying to fix.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
| Richard Stallard |
| Bicycle Transportation Alliance ,-_|\ |
| P.O. Box 8295 / OZ \ |
| Perth Business Centre WA 6849 PERTH --> *_,-._/ |
| AUSTRALIA v |
| e-mail: rich...@cougar.multiline.com.au |
| BTA is a non-profit organisation incorporated in Western Australia |
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Todd M. Bezenek
|I have a VistaLite on my bike. Recently, instead of blinking when it
|is supposed to, it just gives a steady light.
I have never seen the insides of one of these, but I guess that they
have an integrated circuit with a resistor and a capacitor for support
circuitry to do the flashing. If this is the case, either the resistor
or the capacitor is bad. My guess is the capacitor.
Take the device to a Radio Shack or similar store and buy a capacitor
that can replace the one in the device. (If there is more than one, I
cannot help without seeing a VistaLite.)
-Todd
--
Todd M. Bezenek, KO0N
bez...@badlands.nodak.edu
Robert Harrison
>|I have a VistaLite on my bike. Recently, instead of blinking when it
>|is supposed to, it just gives a steady light.
(I hope I have attributed this to the right person!)
I recently bought one of these flashing lights. The instructions said
that if you took the front cover off (as if changing the batteries) and
reversed it (the front cover) the light would be steady rather than
flash. I am actually using this option because I wanted to mount the
light so that it faces to the side and didn't want there to be any
possible confusion about it being a turn signal.
- Robert Harrison
rob...@u.washington.edu
Pete Fraser
> In article <timleeCw...@netcom.com>, tim...@netcom.com (Timothy J.
Lee) writes:
> |> tvau...@athena.mit.edu (Timothy E Vaughan) writes:
> |> |I have a VistaLite on my bike. Recently, instead of blinking when it
> |> |is supposed to, it just gives a steady light.
> |>
> |> Hmmm, some people might think that this is desirable.
> |>
> |> Any comments on whether blinking or flashing is better?
>
> |> Timothy J. Lee
>
> Oh, flashing is definitely much much better---definitely draws
> attention, catches the eye. A dim little constant light is
> hardly any good at all, I think, whereas a dim little flashing
> light is actually fairly noticeable.
>
snip
I read that the CHP, when the stop a motorist on the freeway at
night do not use their flashing lights because drunk drivers are
attracted/distracted by them and tend to steer straight for them.
Although I use flashing rear lights on my bike, I am always somewhat
worried by this effect.
Pete Fraser
Whitney Elfner
Don't wait!
A local guy Roderick Whitehurst got run down one morning (I think)
All he wanted was the guy to pay his medical bills and bike
replacement. The guy took him to court and the way Roderick put it he
turned on the blinker and the case was over!
He got some cash for pain and sufering too!
Case law in Gadsden Co. Florida about 3 years ago?
I have used both and use a blinker vista 300? with my 420 pack or
union center wheel generator.
Whit
flap when the first legal actions hits for an accident alleged
: to be caused by poor visability of a flashing tail light on a
: bicycle. I'll keep mine on steady, thank you.
: Keep spinning!
--
o \ Torn Between \ ______/ ___ \_____
~ _ <<_ / 'All who wander are not lost' / | / \ |
~ /.\>/.\ \ & 'f/8 and be there' \ | < > |
~ \_/ \_/ / whi...@freenet.fsu.edu / |_______\___/______|
John Vance
Timothy J. Lee writes:
>|> tvau...@athena.mit.edu (Timothy E Vaughan) writes:
>|> |I have a VistaLite on my bike. Recently, instead of blinking when it
>|> |is supposed to, it just gives a steady light.
>|>
>|> Hmmm, some people might think that this is desirable.
>|>
>|> Any comments on whether blinking or flashing is better?
>
>
>attention, catches the eye. A dim little constant light is
>hardly any good at all, I think, whereas a dim little flashing
>light is actually fairly noticeable.
>
Ah, but a BRIGHT steady light beats a dim flashing light any day
(er, that is, any night.)
A Cateye TL-300 steady taillight with the Vistalite VL400 2 watt bulb
_kills_ any and all of the VistaLite LED flashers. From the rear it is as
bright as a car brake light. A Union taillight with the VistaLite VL430 6
watt halogen bulb lays waste to any taillight on the road, period.
Motorists, blinded by the red spear of light it emits, steer off the road
into storefronts before they come anywhere near you.
In complete seriousness, a ~1.5 watt taillight, with a focused beam (such
as the old Cateye or the newer Union) is far superior to any flasher, and
is as bright from behind as most motorcycle taillights. It marks you as a
vehicle on the road - as in a slow-moving motorcycle or moped - rather
than as a curiosity to be inspected closer by drunks.
And, if you clip your vistalite flasher to your pack, and it's aimed at
the sky or the ground instead of at overtaking traffic, you might as
well be carrying a rabbit's foot instead, for all the good it's doing
you.
John Vance
--
"Above all, it is the young who succomb to this magic. They experience the triumph of the motorcar
with the full temperment of their impressionable hearts. It must be seen as a sign of the invigorating
power of our people that they give themselves with such fanatic devotion to this invention,
an invention which provides the basis and structure of our modern traffic." -- Adolf Hitler
Brian Lafferty
>>Oh, flashing is definitely much much better---definitely draws
>>attention, catches the eye. A dim little constant light is
>>hardly any good at all, I think, whereas a dim little flashing
>>light is actually fairly noticeable.
autos would be using them. The main reason bicycle lights flash
is to conserve battery life. I can't wait to see the
Nobu M Nakamoto
the do-it-yourselfer to make, since you don't need to design and
construct a blinking mechanism. All you need is some bright red
LEDs, a battery, a switch, and some hardware (current limiting
resistor is optional), and you can make yourself a nice, bright
tail light.
The human eye does sense the DC light level also, so that a steady
light will appear brighter than a blinking light with the same
intensity when it is on. Of course, the trade-off is reduced
battery life, but you could increase your battery life by reducing
the DC current level instead of making it blink.
Just my $0.02.
-NN (my opinion, not my employer's)
Gordon D. Renkes
front reflector. The front cover is a white reflector. The LED's inside
are either red or yellow. What are your observations regarding their
effectiveness at alerting others that you are coming?
--
Gordon Renkes renk...@osu.edu
THE Ohio State University
120 West 18th Avenue
Columbus Ohio 43210
USA "Just the FAQ's, Ma'am"
Phillip N Price
|>
|> Brian Lafferty <bplaf...@delphi.com> writes:
|> >John Vance <jav...@cybele.unm.edu> writes:
|> >
|> >>>Oh, flashing is definitely much much better---definitely draws
|> >>>attention, catches the eye. A dim little constant light is
|> >>>hardly any good at all, I think, whereas a dim little flashing
|> >>>light is actually fairly noticeable.
|>
|>
|> John "my 6 watt Union taillight will set your flasher on fire" Vance
|>
John is correct, I (Phillip Price) wrote the original quote, which
I stand behind.
Phillip "a 6 watt flashing taillight is a lot more noticeable
than a 6 watt steady taillight" Price
John Vance
>Hard for me to believe people are claiming that flashing lights
>aren't more attention-getting than steady lights. Guess we should
>tell the police, fire department, etc.
I'm not claiming that. Flashing lights are more attention getting
than steady lights of the same power. Especially for drunks. That's
why they smash into CHP cruisers with such regularity.
>I was going to just "flame on" and make fun of the idea that
>steady lights are more noticeable than (or as noticeable as) flashing
>lights that use the same power...
This is the key point. The VistaLites are trying to squeeze as much
noticeability out of their meagre LEDs as they can. Well, as some
NASCAR racer whose name escapes me once said, "there's no substitute
for cubic inches."
There's no substitute for candlepower or wattage. A 1.5 - 2 watt
steady focused taillight is as bright as a good motorcycle taillight,
and considerably brighter, and more noticeable, than the VistaLites.
As a bonus, it doesn't befuddle drunks.
Don't take my word for it. Get a cateye TL-300 taillight and replace
its bulb with a VistaLite 2 watt halogen bulb. Place it next to
a VistaLite 5 led flasher, and step back 100, 200, and 300 feet.
Which is more noticeable. Can you even _see_ the flashing light,
or is it drowned out by the steady light? Now, misaim both lights
and repeat the experiment. The results will be "illuminating."
>I suspect that the reason cars don't use them is that the result
>would be too much visual confusion. If all of the lights on the
>road were flashing all the time, the result would be visually
>chaotic.
Also, it is easier to judge distance and closing speed with steady
taillights than with blinking ones.
John Vance
Speed Freak
Actually I think it is to do with volumes of traffic and the fact that
cars use indicators. Imagine a road full of cars with flashing rear lights.
I believe quite a lot of american cars flash the brake lights to signal
a turn as well whereas at least in the UK we have yellow turn indicators.
When riding my bike people seem to give me much more room when they pass
when I have my rear light flashing.
Ian
--
"We have no power to prevent ourselves being born; but we can rectify this
error - for it is sometimes an error." -- Friedrich Nietzsche
Ian Crocker i...@btcase.bt.co.uk
Ilana Stern
writes:
> Here's how to cheaply modify an existing steady taillight to provide
> a 2-watt steady focused beam (as bright as a good motorcycle or auto
> taillight when viewed from behind)
[details deleted. Cost was $13 not counting batteries + charger.]
Here's how to make an even cheaper awesome taillight, if you have a
NightSun or similar 12v headlight with a rechargeable battery:
Trailer light connector set $1.13 (Radio Shack)
Note: I couldn't find the Molex connector that NightSun uses on their
taillight jack, so I just got 2 new ones.
Trailer marker light $2.39 (hardware store, may be cheaper at auto part store)
Since cars don't care about wattage, I didn't know the wattage until
I got home and tested it -- it was 4 watts. I might try to find a
2-watt bulb so I get more battery lifetime.
Cut the taillight jack on your headlight and replace it with 1/2 the
taillight connector. (The NightSun has 2 and 2 wires, connect each pair
as a single one.) Connect the other half to a double wire, run it across
the top tube, and solder one wire to the wire terminal and the other to
the ground terminal of the marker light. Bolt the marker light to the
bike (I used the rear reflector connection) and you're done for under $3!
Of course, I already had heat-shrink tubing, wire, bolts, etc. But
it seems to me that if you've got or can borrow the tools, you can make
a taillight to plug into an existing NightSun for under $5. NightSun wants
that much for the connecting wire alone, and $40 for their taillight!
--
/\ It is not clear that intelligence has any | r.b. cliff swallow dod#9
\_][ long-term survival value. (S. Hawking) | il...@ncar.ucar.edu
\___________<a href=http://www.ucar.edu/dss/ilana.html>Ilana Stern</a>
Michael O'Hair
Brian Lafferty <bplaf...@delphi.com> wrote:
>
> If flashing were more visable, I suspect that
>autos would be using them.
They do. They're called turn signals.
There was a move several years ago to have motorcycle headlights "blink" and
there were studies done about its effectiveness. The visibility and
"notice-ability" was higher for blinking. If memory serves me, there was
an issue over "flashing white lights" as opposed to "flashing colored lights."
If there are any psych majors out there, maybe they can explain why a
flashing light registers with the brain faster than a steady light. I live
in an area that has lots of trees and shrubbery, twisty roads, and lots of
runners/joggers/riders. I know that I've "seen" runners that have reflective
strips on their shoes from a greater distance than those that are wearing
"high visibility orange" jackets/pull-overs.
My vote is for both: a large steady tail light and bright flashing LED's.
Robert M. Perkins
|> bui tho xuan wrote:
|> > The blinking LEDs are very effective.
|> ... in making the cyclists on a bike-route hate, hate, hate you!
|> They are also effective in disguising the route you are going to take
|> to motorists.
|> Flashing lights draw attention and confuse. It works well for one cyclist.
|> It endangers 10 cyclists.
Well, on my 20 km commute,
I am the ONLY cyclist. Period. Sometimes I see someone
coming the other way. It is the same guy. We wave at each other.
Drivers in the USA are so unconscious that one must wake
them up. On freeways (autobahnen) it is not uncommon
to see people reading, writing, putting on makeup, and of
course talking on their mobile phones.
On a heavily travelled route, I'd get a steady taillamp.
That is what I had when I lived in Berlin, where drivers _looked_ for
bicycles. In the USA, every week I have at least one driver scream
that "roads are for cars". I ride anyway.
As for indicating the route I take, the drivers can see my
body and bike because of reflective clothing and tape.
Rob
--
__________________________________________________________
Rob Perkins Internet rper...@bnr.ca
ESN 294-7632 Commercial 919-991-7632
AIN/SSP Development, Dept 3C38
Bell Northern Research, 35 Davis Drive, RTP, NC 27709
The opinions I opine are purely mine; BNR doesn't share them.
__________________________________________________________
Michael Donald Siewert
reflector in the distance, which was reflecting my headlights. As
I drew nearer I noticed the "reflector" seemed to pulsate. Still
closer my when my headlights illuminated the cyclist the
"reflector" turned out to be a flashing led style lamp. The
interesting thing here, is that, at a distance the flashing lamp
was, in fact, insufficient to over come the reflective properties
of it's lens. So is the lamp usefull ? Is the lamp just a
glorified reflector, after all I had realized that the
"reflector" I could see was a cyclist long before I could
percieve the flashing. And we do want to use lamps because they
are "superior" to reflectors don't we ?
mike
Royce Myers
lights and steady lights (this discussion occurs every year, and I'm sure
there are lots of homebrew light system posts over in tech, and a lot of
RFI's over in marketplace).
Flashing lights are visible farther away than steady lights. Although
drunks are attracted to them, incidents of drunks smashing into CHP
vehicles tend to occur after 10pm along otherwise dark freeways and
highways. For urban bicycle commuters this risk is too small to be a
factor.
Steady lights allow other vehicles to more accurately estimate your speed
and distance. If you ride faster than a motorist would expect, as most of
us here do, steady lights may be safer.
Here's what I have, for what it's worth: front and rear flashers, lots of
reflectors and reflective tape on my wheels (for good luck), and a steady
front light, a 10 watt hallogen. However the headlight is in its third
season, and the lead acid battery should last 2.5 hours, but can't quite
make it the entire forty five minutes of my commute. I'm considering
getting a generator light or a cyclops, but in the meantime it's nice to
have the flashers as backups.
--
Royce Myers Ro...@ug.eds.com
John Walker
I find flashing lights to be much more noticeable. Unfortunately,
since they are off most of the time, I find it difficult to judge
their position. Once I realized this, my solution wasn't to
debate which was better - I now use both a steady and flashing light
when commuting.
-- John
--
------------------------------------------------------------------
John Walker Jackson & Tull Chartered Engineers
wal...@cs.stanford.edu Seabrook, Maryland
or john...@jntsea.gsfc.nasa.gov
Dave Siegler
>bui tho xuan <bl...@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> wrote:
>
>>The blinking LEDs are very effective. Very very effective...except
>>in foggy condition--reasonably rare occurences where I live.
>
We don't get fog much here either, but the other day I passed a
( in my car) someone with a LED light in thick fog. I could see the
whole outline of the rider before I could see the flashing LED's
I hope I didn't scare the guy too much, but the LED light did not
make him show up. A non cyclist might not have seen him at all.
I was shocked, so I went back to the old steady taillight and the
LED unit.
Dave Siegler
my opinions only....
tnic
> mounted properly (ie clipped to a pack) the rider's outline becomes
> visible before the flashing LEDs are noticed.
>
Lines: 14
There is no question that a Vista light (the single largest selling
tail light in production) requires above average intelect to install.
If you dont use a seat post mounting and check the angle you will
quickly become a statistic of modern natural selection. This will
improve the intelect of the collective breed in general.
If you can manage your way through the complicatd installation:-}
You will be seen. You wont have to worry about bulb burnout any more
and you will learn that a light can actually run 100hours on
2 AAs.
I love them and have had very positive responses. I also use ankle
reflectors. The motion is unmistakable.
John Vance
powered flashers such as the VistaLite. It's becoming increasingly
difficult to find a decent steady light, and only Cateye and Vetta,
as far as I know, make ones that go on and off the bike easily. As
far as I'm concerned, the VistaLites are low powered junk. Under
headlights, the reflective lens drowns out the LEDs. If they're not
mounted properly (ie clipped to a pack) the rider's outline becomes
visible before the flashing LEDs are noticed.
I haven't seen the new VistaLite Xenon strobe, but I know it's expensive,
and Radio Shack sells a strobe light for less than $20, if anyone's
interested.
Some have suggested using both a steady light and a flasher. After
trying that, and observing the lights while a friend rode away, I
decided that the flasher was superfluous. My semi-homebrew 2 watt
Cateye was so much brighter than the VistaLite, that at distances
over 100 feet the flasher light could no longer be made out. The
Cateye steady light was clear and bright well beyond the stated
range of the VistaLite flasher.
I recommend this to everyone: before relying on a light, observe it in
real world conditions as it will be mounted. I saw one guy with a flasher
mounted to the back of his helmet. Whenever he looked up his collar hid
it. Another person had a VistaLite taillight mounted behind a rack-top
bag. Wasn't doing her any good at all.
As for the added visibility of really powerful flashers (such as maybe the
Radio Shack strobe), I see no need to be _more_ visible at night than a
well-lit motorcycle. In fact, I'd prefer to be mistaken for a motorcycle,
or (when riding with a friend 2-up) a car, and I frequently am. It's
amazing how patiently people will wait at intersections if they think a
motor vehicle is coming through, (NiteRider headlight - can't say enough
good things about it. I've started using it during the day, too, like
motorcycles) and how much space they'll give you when passing. "Damn! It
was a bike! Oh well - too late to skim it now."
John Vance
No Hitler .sig today
bui tho xuan
>
>I find flashing lights to be much more noticeable. Unfortunately,
>since they are off most of the time, I find it difficult to judge
>their position. Once I realized this, my solution wasn't to
>debate which was better - I now use both a steady and flashing light
>when commuting.
You must be the 6.02 x 10^23rd person to say this, John. I don't know
what brand you guys use, but my vistalite is _on_ most of the time.
The blink rate is pretty durn fast, IMO, and judging distance is pretty
easy for me. What's the deal folks?
tho
Geoffrey Adams
I made the following observations during a 24 hour event when I was
having some allergy problems and being passed by a lot of riders on a
fourteen mile loop at night. The tail lights that had the least range
were the flashing LED types. Much better were the steady red
conventional bike tail lights. A little better were the old Belt Beacons
with the yellow flashing strobe. At arms length the LED lights seem
impressive, but at working distances they are poor. The visibility of a
light is dependent on it's size and it's intensity. The LEDs are tiny
and not very bright.
Geoff Adams
Phillip N Price
aren't more attention-getting than steady lights. Guess we should
circuitry for car turn signals, too---just have 'em steady.
Those red airplane-warning lights on top of buildings and bridges?
Why have them flash, it seems silly.
I was going to just "flame on" and make fun of the idea that
steady lights are more noticeable than (or as noticeable as) flashing
lights that use the same power, but I'm in a good mood today, so
I'll just say: _I_ find flashing lights to be more noticeable than
steady lights. I doubt I am the only one.
I suspect that the reason cars don't use them is that the result
would be too much visual confusion. If all of the lights on the
road were flashing all the time, the result would be visually
chaotic. However, that's not the case: most of the lights are
steady, and I find that MY eye is drawn to flashing lights, when
they're present. I think as long as the number of bikes on the
road is much less than the number of cars, it's good if the
bikes flash.
--Phil Price
Chris Vernell
In a previous article, bplaf...@delphi.com (Brian Lafferty) says:
>
> If flashing were more visable, Isuspect that
>autos would be using them. The main reason bicycle lights flash
>is to conserve battery life. I can't wait to see the
>flap when the first legal actions hits for an accident alleged
>to be caused by poor visability of a flashing tail light on a
>bicycle. I'll keep mine on steady, thank you.
> Keep spinning!
>
Cars have far more powerful electrical systems than bikes, and therefore
can power steady tail lights bright enough to be seen a long way off.
In my observation, the flickering (not `flashing') tail lights on bikes
catch the eye more easily than most of the steady bike tail lights I have
seen.
As to conserving battery life, I very much doubt that a flickering diode
light consumes much less power than one in steady state.
--
Chris Vernell
Nepean, Ontario
bui tho xuan
I'll agree with Phil here. The point is to be seen and noticed
at the "interactive" distance. You don't need to tell a driver
that you're on the road 3 miles away, because it'll be 3-6 minutes
before he can get close enough to hit you. 1000-2000 feet is quite
sufficient.
You don't need to illuminate the road behind you either. The point
of the rear light is to be seen, not to see with.
The blinking LEDs are very effective. Very very effective...except
in foggy condition--reasonably rare occurences where I live. I
reccommend that you judge for yourselves: buy or borrow one and see
how visible it is in various dusk/night conditions. It probably will
convince you as much as it convinced me.
tho
John Vance
Brian Lafferty <bplaf...@delphi.com> writes:
>John Vance <jav...@cybele.unm.edu> writes:
>
>>>Oh, flashing is definitely much much better---definitely draws
>>>attention, catches the eye. A dim little constant light is
>>>hardly any good at all, I think, whereas a dim little flashing
>>>light is actually fairly noticeable.
I didn't write that. Check your attributions, folks.
John "my 6 watt Union taillight will set your flasher on fire" Vance
Chris Brewster
> If flashing were more visable, I suspect that
>autos would be using them.
They do. They're called turn signals. ...
They're also called hazard lights, which would seem to argue for the use
of blinking taillights on bikes. In other words, a driver recognizes a
steady red light as simply a vehicle moving at approximately the
driver's same speed; but a blinking red light means something different:
a car slowing to turn, a car stopped, a bike that's probably going much
slower than the car.
--
Chris Brewster Cray Research, Inc.
bui tho xuan
> Vista Lite and others also make similar flashers to install for the
>front reflector. The front cover is a white reflector. The LED's inside
>are either red or yellow. What are your observations regarding their
>effectiveness at alerting others that you are coming?
IMO, they're adequate when used with a generator light (for stopping).
By themselves, they aren't good enough (you need to see road condition).
They aren't as effective as the rear light, again IMO, because the
closing speeds are so different (say, 20 mph vs. 60 mph).
tho
Kent Lind
flasher I've ever seen. Turns out it was a modified flasher from one of
those highway warning sawhorses bolted to his rack and running off his
nightsun battery. Didn't have time to find out how he put it together.
Has anyone else ever used one of these units? Can you actually buy them
or must I "borrow" one from the state DOT?
Another possibility would be to pick up one of the battery powered
flashers used by Amish buggies. Since I live 2000 miles from the nearest
Amish I have no way of checking these things out for size and weight but
I remember from living in Pennsylvania that they are quite bright.
As for the debate on flashing vs. steady beams I think that flashers are
generallly used to indicate slow moving vehicles in most states and
countries. Whether bikes should be considered slow moving vehicles is
another thread ;-)
Kent Lind
kent...@u.washington.edu
Hans-Joachim Zierke
bui tho xuan wrote:
> The blinking LEDs are very effective.
... in making the cyclists on a bike-route hate, hate, hate you!
They are also effective in disguising the route you are going to take
to motorists.
Flashing lights draw attention and confuse. It works well for one cyclist.
It endangers 10 cyclists.
hajo
Richard F. Masoner
In a previous article, bplaf...@delphi.com (Brian Lafferty) says:
> I'll keep mine on steady, thank you.
I wimp out of this issue entirely by having both (a VistaLight
5 LED on blink, and a 6V light that illuminates the road behind
me on my generator). Someday I'll ask somebody to watch as I
ride off and tell me which is more noticable.
Richard
--
Richard F. Masoner
"A soft answer turns away wrath."
Joshua Putnam
>The blinking LEDs are very effective. Very very effective...except
>in foggy condition--reasonably rare occurences where I live.
And in fog, which isn't uncommon up here, by far the most
effective light I've found is an amber xenon strobe. It's bright
enough to be visible two miles away in clear weather, and is not
directional. In heavy fog it is visible as a pulsing ball of
orange light long before either my steady red tail light or my
Vistalite becomes visible. It also makes me visible from the
sides and front in heavy fog, which none of the directional
lights do.
--
Joshua Putnam
jpu...@eskimo.com
P.O. Box 13220 / Burton, WA 98013-0220
John Vance
I've included .tech in the Newsgroups line because I thought this
might be of interest there.
In article <41...@dog.ee.lbl.gov> pr...@carla.lbl.gov (Phillip N Price) writes:
>Phillip "a 6 watt flashing taillight is a lot more noticeable
>than a 6 watt steady taillight" Price
Originally you supported dim flashing lights over steady dim lights.
I noted that an adequately powerful steady light (1.5 watts) is
superior to any of the commercially available flashing lights. Now
you're advocating 6 watt flashers.
Where can I buy one? Where can I buy a flasher in the 1.5 - 2 watt
range? How can I cheaply modify an existing product to provide such
output?
Here's how to cheaply modify an existing steady taillight to provide
a 2-watt steady focused beam (as bright as a good motorcycle or auto
taillight when viewed from behind)
Parts:
Cateye TL-300 taillight (1) $8.00
VistaLite 2 watt 3 volt halogen bulb $5.00
For rechargeable:
2 Radio Shack Hi Capacity C-cells $8.00
1 Hi Capacity 4 battery charger (2) $20.00
Runtimes:
Alkaline - 6 hrs
NiCad - 2.5 hrs
(1) These are getting hard to find. This mod can probably be done
with the newer TL-500 taillight, provided the OEM bulb is 3 volt
screwbase (the TL-500 takes four AA-cells.) Also, some department
stores and supermarkets(!) are selling cheap copies of the old Cateye
headlamps and taillamps for $10 a pair.
(2) A smaller, cheaper Hi Capacity charger may be available. I bought
this one for another application. Be sure to get a hi-capacity
charger suitable for the 1.8 amp/hr C-cells. Also, check your local
RC hobby store for batteries and chargers.
This is what I use for a taillight whenever I take my racing or
mountain bike out for a night cruise. The 6 watt light that I
mentioned previously is permanently mounted on my commuter (Union
taillight lens powered by an old BriteLite battery.) It's _too_
bright, but I couldn't find a lower power 6 volt screwbase halogen.
I'm probably going to go back to the Radio Shack 1.5 watt incandescent
bulb I was using previously.
Remember, folks:
Steady taillight == vehicle
Flashing taillight == target :-)
John Vance
Richard Stallard
: Vista Lite and others also make similar flashers to install for the
: are either red or yellow. What are your observations regarding their
: effectiveness at alerting others that you are coming?
I have seen the Vista Lite front lights and I think they are pretty
useless. First of all, the yellow-green leds are inherently less
efficient than the red ones. Second, you need brighter front lights to
be seen against the background of car headlights, etc. Thirdly, they are
quite directional (Look at the pattern when you shine one at a wall.) and
don't show up much from the side.
I have written to our consumer affairs dept. suggest that the front led
lights should carry a warning sticker indicating that they should only be
used in addition to a conventional steady white light. Some cyclists
here ride with only a flashing led light at the front which, while better
than no lights at all, is nowhere near adequate.
The recently released Vista strobe lights are much more visible and
essentially omni-directional but IMHO still only suitable in addition to a
conventional light as they do not illluminate the road surface.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
| Richard Stallard |
| Bicycle Transportation Alliance ,-_|\ |
| P.O. Box 8295 / OZ \ |
| Perth Business Centre WA 6849 PERTH --> *_,-._/ |
| AUSTRALIA v |
| e-mail: rich...@cougar.multiline.com.au |
| BTA is a non-profit organisation incorporated in Western Australia |
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Mike DeMicco
standard rear reflector that comes with the bike is more than adequate
to be seen from the rear by a motorist. This reflector is supposed to
be bright enough to be seen by a motorist from a 500' distance. He
says that distance is plenty, as motorists do not need any more lead
time to decide what to do, and decide their plan of action within a
couple of hundred feet anyway. Also, if your tail light battery goes
dead or bulb burns out, you have nothing.
Personally, I have a pair of reflective leg bands that are way brighter
and more visible than my Vistalite. I verified this by following a
friend who had a Vistalite used only one of these leg bands. I also do
not wish to be a magnet for drunk drivers by using overly bright,
flashing lights.
_________________________________________________________
Opinions expressed here are my own and not my employer's.
Mike De Micco <demi...@llnl.gov>
Donald S. Finan
Robert M. Perkins <rper...@brtph727.bnr.ca> wrote:
>In article <5Z4VH...@quijote.in-berlin.de>, ha...@quijote.in-berlin.de (Hans-Joachim Zierke) writes:
>|> bui tho xuan wrote:
>|> > The blinking LEDs are very effective.
>|> ... in making the cyclists on a bike-route hate, hate, hate you!
>|> They are also effective in disguising the route you are going to take
>|> to motorists.
>|> Flashing lights draw attention and confuse. It works well for one cyclist.
>|> It endangers 10 cyclists.
>
>Well, on my 20 km commute,
>I am the ONLY cyclist. Period. Sometimes I see someone
>coming the other way. It is the same guy. We wave at each other.
>
>Drivers in the USA are so unconscious that one must wake
>them up. On freeways (autobahnen) it is not uncommon
>to see people reading, writing, putting on makeup, and of
>course talking on their mobile phones.
>
>
>Rob
>
>--
>__________________________________________________________
>Rob Perkins Internet rper...@bnr.ca
>ESN 294-7632 Commercial 919-991-7632
>AIN/SSP Development, Dept 3C38
>Bell Northern Research, 35 Davis Drive, RTP, NC 27709
>The opinions I opine are purely mine; BNR doesn't share them.
>__________________________________________________________
Once I saw someone watching TV (yes, the driver) on a two-lane (not
interstate) highway at night. Luckily, I was driving at the time.
He passed me doing about 70 (in a 55 zone with multiple cross-streets).
--
=============================================================================
Don Finan
dfi...@ucs.indiana.edu Remember when I couldn't 'member 'memberin?
=============================================================================
Hans-Joachim Zierke
I do not understand why people need high power for taillights. There are
red LEDs, and they don't need to flash. 0.3 Watt is absolutely sufficient
to give cyclists a bright steady taillight, using either 4 LEDs directly or
one LED with a mirror system.
hajo
Whitney Elfner
: In John Forester's book, "Effective Cycling," he claims that the
: standard rear reflector that comes with the bike is more than adequate
: to be seen from the rear by a motorist. This reflector is supposed to
: be bright enough to be seen by a motorist from a 500' distance. He
: says that distance is plenty, as motorists do not need any more lead
: time to decide what to do, and decide their plan of action within a
: couple of hundred feet anyway. Also, if your tail light battery goes
: dead or bulb burns out, you have nothing.
Vista lights are suppost to be 'legal' reflectors without flashing!
: Personally, I have a pair of reflective leg bands that are way brighter
: and more visible than my Vistalite. I verified this by following a
: friend who had a Vistalite used only one of these leg bands. I also do
: not wish to be a magnet for drunk drivers by using overly bright,
: flashing lights.
Proof, PROOF, I want proof!
Whit
--
o \ Torn Between \ ______/ ___ \_____
~ _ <<_ / 'All who wander are not lost' / | / \ |
~ /.\>/.\ \ & 'f/8 and be there' \ | < > |
~ \_/ \_/ / whi...@freenet.fsu.edu / |_______\___/______|
Richard A. Webb
: Vista Lite and others also make similar flashers to install for the
: front reflector. The front cover is a white reflector. The LED's inside
: are either red or yellow. What are your observations regarding their
: effectiveness at alerting others that you are coming?
I've used one of these for the past couple of winter commuting seasons; the
LEDs are actually a greenish-yellow. My main light is a NightSun system,
but I think the flickering `yellow' LEDs help to catch the eyes of drivers,
especially those coming in from cross streets (where their headlights can't
illuminate the yards of reflective tape I have stuck all over *everything*).
Even a bright headlamp can get lost against the crowd of storefronts,
street lighting, ... The flickering Vista isn't magic, but it might be the
edge one night where I wouldn't otherwise be noticed.
--
Rich Webb rw...@infi.net
VaBch, VA
Rolf Mantel
Rob> ha...@quijote.in-berlin.de (Hans-Joachim Zierke) writes:
Hajo> The blinking LEDs are very effective. ... in making the
Hajo> cyclists on a bike-route hate, hate, hate you! They are
Hajo> also effective in disguising the route you are going to take
Hajo> to motorists. Flashing lights draw attention and
Hajo> confuse. It works well for one cyclist. It endangers 10
Hajo> cyclists.
Rob> Well, on my 20 km commute, I am the ONLY cyclist. Period.
Rob> Sometimes I see someone coming the other way. It is the same
Rob> guy. We wave at each other.
Rob> Drivers in the USA are so unconscious that one must wake them
Rob> up. On freeways (autobahnen) it is not uncommon to see
Rob> people reading, writing, putting on makeup, and of course
Rob> talking on their mobile phones.
This is why in those European nations where slow-moving vehicles are
allowed but not expected on fast multi-lane roads, the highway code
suggests slow-moving vehicles ought to have an orange ligh flashing
into all directions. On motorways (freeways), bikes are generally
banned but on other multi-lane roads (interstates etc.) bikes are only
banned in some European nations (Germany, Netherlands,.. but not UK or
Ireland).
Rob> On a heavily travelled route, I'd get a steady taillamp.
Rob> That is what I had when I lived in Berlin, where drivers
Rob> _looked_ for bicycles. In the USA, every week I have at
Rob> least one driver scream that "roads are for cars". I ride
Rob> anyway.
Rob> As for indicating the route I take, the drivers can see my
Rob> body and bike because of reflective clothing and tape.
Do US vehicle codes allow flashing red rear lights?
I thought flashing lights are generally only allowed as hazard lights
but not as vehicle-marking lights.
Flashing blue lights are reserved for emergency vehicles, blashing
orange lights for stationary or slowly moving obstacles on the
highway. If you consider yourself to be a slowly moving obstacle, wear
a flashing orange light, but don't use flashing red lights! They only
confuse other people as to what it means.
Rolf
--
Rolf Mantel, * ma...@csv.warwick.ac.uk @ ) _ _
Dept. of Mathematics, * r...@maths.warwick.ac.uk /\ * | |_| |
University of Warwick, * _`\ `_(== | |
Coventry CV4 7AL, England * ________________________(_)/_(_)______ | |
Whitney Elfner
: I thought flashing lights are generally only allowed as hazard lights
: but not as vehicle-marking lights.
: Flashing blue lights are reserved for emergency vehicles, blashing
: orange lights for stationary or slowly moving obstacles on the
: highway. If you consider yourself to be a slowly moving obstacle, wear
: a flashing orange light, but don't use flashing red lights! They only
: confuse other people as to what it means.
Rolf,
Have you ever seen the LED lights?
They blink from 6 to 9 times a second and IMHO could not be confused
for Emergancy vehicals!
Brian Lafferty
>He got some cash for pain and sufering too!
>
>Case law in Gadsden Co. Florida about 3 years ago?
Do you have a full case name or citation? Thanks!
andrew cooke
someone supporting reflectors. i think most these days
use cube-corner prisms, so they're pretty effective. if
the efficiency is good, then they are equivalent to a car
headlight of the same size and 1/4 the brightness visible
at the bike (if you see what i mean - from inverse square
law). this seems pretty bright to me.
there's a good idea in the faq - put some scotch tape
on the rim (the area facing the hub) of the wheels. it
flashes and can be seen from almost any angle. the white
scotch tape available in supermarkets works fine (well, it
doesn't rain here, so i can't speak for that, but it
stuck securely + hasn't come off for 8 months).
andrew
Donald S. Finan
I suspect (no, I don't get to follow many riders at night who use good
lighting systems) that a steady light will "flicker" as a bike hits
small bumps and such. Perhaps the LED type of lights would even enhance
this effect, as they are somewhat directional (They definetly don't do
squat if misaligned). So, perhaps a steady light actually flickers a bit to
the observer.
I think it's true that people can more easily identify a flashing light,
however I feel that it's more difficult for a person to determine how
far away a flashing light is as compared to a steady light.
In terms of battery life, I would suspect that a
flashing LED with a 50% duty cycle would use about half as much power as
a steady LED (I'm assuming that it takes no additional power to "start up"
a LED as opposed to steady state).
Well, maybe this is all BS, because I'm no lighting expert (see above) nor
an LED expert.
Don - who uses 2 VistaLite tail lights: One flashing and one in steady mode.
--
=============================================================================
Don Finan
dfi...@ucs.indiana.edu Remember when I couldn't 'member 'memberin'?
=============================================================================
Colin Tinto
>than steady lights of the same power. Especially for drunks. That's
>why they smash into CHP cruisers with such regularity.
>>I was going to just "flame on" and make fun of the idea that
>>steady lights are more noticeable than (or as noticeable as) flashing
>>lights that use the same power...
>This is the key point. The VistaLites are trying to squeeze as much
>noticeability out of their meagre LEDs as they can. Well, as some
>NASCAR racer whose name escapes me once said, "there's no substitute
>for cubic inches."
>There's no substitute for candlepower or wattage. A 1.5 - 2 watt
>steady focused taillight is as bright as a good motorcycle taillight,
>and considerably brighter, and more noticeable, than the VistaLites.
>As a bonus, it doesn't befuddle drunks.
When I was driving home the other night (no I wasn't drunk !) I passed
two cyclists - one with a single, constant light, and another with
a flasher on each pedal, a flasher on his seatpost, and one small
constant light on his helmet.
It was a very wet night, traffic was heavy, and the single, constant
light just sort of blended into the background of street lights and
car rear lights.
But - the "flasher" could be seen from a long way off - in fact, I
could see the flashing lights before I could see the cyclist, and
I wondered what it was.
Of course, in the UK, it is illegal NOT to have a constant light, so
you would need a flashing light and a constant light - surely the
safest option !
Col
Wolfgang Strobl
Aren't red LEDs the only ones which have a "super efficient"
type? I've seen HP advertizing red ones and red/orange, but
neither green nor yellow. I own a red original Vistalite
Taillight (3 LED, red) and a noname headlight (3 LED, yellow/green).
The red Vistalite is _much_ brighter than the yellow/green headlight.
From looking through what's availaible in local shops, I conclude
that non-red bright LED lights simply are nonexistant.
--
o ( Wolfgang Strobl Wolfgan...@gmd.de (+49 2241) 14-2394
/\ * GMD mbH
_`\ `_<=== Schloss Birlinghoven, P.O. Box 1316, | #include
__(_)/_(_)___.-._ 53731 Sankt Augustin, Germany | <std.disclaimer.hpp>
Peter Gaunt
> since they are off most of the time, I find it difficult to judge
> their position.
I remember reading of some research done into this a year or so back (can't
remember where but the reference was in New Scientist). That showed that
while flashing lights are more visible than steady ones they do indeed cause
problems with people accurately locating their position. I've remembered
this ever since reading it and it does seem true that roadworks which are
illuminated by those pesky flashing yellow lamps cause me more problems than
those illuminated steadily.
It's worth pointing out too that, here in the UK at least, attaching a
flashing light to a bicycle is illegal, though it's OK to attach it to your
good self. All LED lamps (even steady ones) are currently illegal when used
as the only illumination. This is due to a technicality -- the law speaks of
'bulbs'. LEDs are not 'bulbs' so they're illegal. The relevant British
Standard has now been amended (by replacing references to bulbs with
references to 'light sources'). It does, however require an Act of
Parliament before the new standard is legal so LEDs are still technically
illegal, even if the lamp conforms to all other requirements of the
standard, such as angle of visibility.
--
Pete
====
fra...@cruzio.com
No, don't "steal", or even "borrow", I'm sure your mommy taught
you that.
Sounds like you ran by one of Ed Kearney's lighting systems.
Last I knew he offered a 2" diameter steady light, or 7" diameter
twice-per-second flashing highway-flasher style light.
Although it's been some years, I fished out my literature and
the address I have is:
Bicycle Lighting Systems
1385 Manchester Lane
Washington, D.C. 20011
(202) 722-1831
(I know the phone number is not part of the address, but I included
it anyway.)
Ed Kearney is (as far as I know he is alive) a traffice law lawyer
(retired) interested in and defender of cycylists.
His products include an array of eight six and twelve volt headlights
and two tail lights. Nickel Cadmium and Lead Acid battery optinos
at was "options") are listed as well. The literature I have
is before the advent of the
'gel cel'
batteries, so there may be more lead acid options nowadays.
His lights were covered in the July 1985 issue of 'Bicycling',
page 110. <Warning! This is also the vintage of his literature
in my files! Hope he's still there.>
I hope this will help you in your search for lighting which suits
your needs.
Pureheart
--
Frank & Rosy Shields
pH & Beck
Fra...@cruzio.com
Richard F. Masoner
>: Vista Lite and others also make similar flashers to install for the
>: front reflector. The front cover is a white reflector. The LED's inside
>: are either red or yellow. What are your observations regarding their
>: effectiveness at alerting others that you are coming?
The location: rural Champaign County Illinois.
The time: Last wednesday, about 6:45 pm.
I was riding my bike home on a country road, had my generator light
(I was having difficulty with my battery light, and ended up giving
up on it that night). My headlight does a pretty good job of illuminating
the corn fields to my sides and the road in front of me. I'll see the
reflective signs a good 1000 ft in front of me. Other than that, it's
totally dark (full moon that night, but clouds obscured it). I see
an quick odd reflection ahead of me down low; I think it's an animal.
Shortly afterwards, I start seeing an odd blue flickering -- I think it's
some kids playing in the cornfield or something until I see a cyclist
illuminated by my headlight -- the odd flickering was a vistalight
thingy on the front. If I was driving a car down the middle of that
narrow lane there's a *very* good chance I wouldn't've seen him till it
was much too late.
Richard, who's sticking with his real headlights and tailights.
Three-way redundant, too!
Nobu M Nakamoto
Aren't red LEDs the only ones which have a "super efficient"
type? I've seen HP advertizing red ones and red/orange, but
neither green nor yellow. I own a red original Vistalite
Taillight (3 LED, red) and a noname headlight (3 LED, yellow/green).
The red Vistalite is _much_ brighter than the yellow/green headlight.
From looking through what's availaible in local shops, I conclude
that non-red bright LED lights simply are nonexistant.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
HP does make "super efficient" LEDs in colors other than red. The
super efficient red LEDs, using AlGaAs technology, were the first
of these to come to market. AlInGaP LEDs are now available which
are available in a variety of colors, and are getting so bright
that I believe some of the LEDs now come with warnings not to
stare directly at them due to the intensity of the light.
Besides red, I know amber and reddish orange are now available,
and there may be more; advances in LED technology have been very
rapid. The amber LEDs are well suited for front lights.
The AlGaAs red LEDs make great tail lights, and are very easy
for the do-it-yourselfer. The hardest part might be getting the
LEDs. The latest catalog I have lists the distributors; anyone
interested can e-mail me (let me know your geographical location)
and I will let you know the nearest distributor. I made some tail
lights using four HLMP-8100 LEDs (a parallel pair of two in series)
in series with a fifteen ohm resistor, a switch, and four AA ni-
cad batteries in series. (Don't stare at this light when it is
on).
-NN
RaleighBud
had the same problem with my Vistalite until I realized that the batteries
that I installed were already half dead. The flashing feature on a
viatalite seems to work only for about 20 hours or so, then it glows
stadily for the rest of the claimed 200 hours of battery life.
Steven L. Sheffield
(RaleighBud) wrote:
Some VistaLites (especially the Cue), come with a reversable lens. Put
it on one way, and the light flashes. Rotate it 180 degrees, and the
light is steady. Flashing actually SAVES battery life, as compared to
draining it more quickly. I've had the same batteries in my VistaLite
for well over a year, and they're still going strong--and my light ONLY
flashes.
--
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|Steven L. Sheffield Disclaimer? I don't need no |
|(BOB #1765/IBOB #3) stinking disclaimer. |
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Walter R Francis
Weird... I must have a defect one... It blinks until it dies..
--- _
Walter _ //
R 婢/ Wa...@POP.CC.UKY.EDU Wa...@UKCC.UKY.EDU
Francis Fra...@UKPR.UKY.EDU Fra...@MIK.UKY.EDU