Lights: how bright is too bright?

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CharlesF

Guru
Location
Glasgow
At the back I have a Cateye LD600 on constant, a small flashing light on the pannier and on the front a light my son makes - 750lm with a Cree MC-E driven at 700mA per die, to give a focused beam there is a CMC RS optic. This light has high, low and flashing settings. Low is fine for roads, angled down no-one complains; I only use the high power on the tow path to throw a long beam that catches the pedestrians dressed in black, at a cost of £180 with a 4800Ah battery and charger, it is a bargain. Lastly, I have ordered a Topeak helmet light to finish off the Christmas tree effect.
 

GrasB

Veteran
Location
Nr Cambridge
trio25 said:
I do not like flashing front lights, they seem to irritate me, both on my own bike and on others so I have mine steady.
Well the Joystick is one of 3 lights I have on the bike & it's a low/high strobe more than flashing I'm guessing it's about 30/240 lumen strobe. The 240 lumen cuts through the light clutter nicely but isn't bright enough for long enough to cause issues with motorists & I've only had positive comments about the light on strobe. I don't actually see the led at all so don't notice the strobing. Obviously out of town I have it on solid as it's my see by light.
 

fossyant

Ride It Like You Stole It!
Location
South Manchester
potsy said:
3 lads at the bus stop this morning,one of them said "thought that was a motorbike" when they saw my 2 Hopes1's :laugh::biggrin:
Told a mate about it at work he said "what,until they heard your heavy breathing and wheezing?" Git;)


I'd clonk the colleague..... use the Hope on a rope !!! :smile:

The reaction's I've had have been from peds....

Kids "whoaaahh they are bright"

Blackpool 'Ride the Lights' - "good god they are bright" (peds on the prom...... "you'll beach the ships with those lights' (from a marshal) bear in mind the level of 'light pollution' from the displays.....

The main reactions are when motorists shuffle out of my way in traffic queues, they think it's a motorbike when filtering..... I'll wave a 'thanks' to them. :biggrin:
 

potsy

Rambler
Location
My Armchair
fossyant said:
I'd clonk the colleague..... use the Hope on a rope !!! :biggrin:
I would but he'sbigger than me:smile: And he was right,just got to the top of brinny hill and was having my recovery 1/2 mile doing about 9mph
Anyway I always take the micky out of him for riding a yellow racer :laugh:
 

GrasB

Veteran
Location
Nr Cambridge
BentMikey said:
LMAO!! I don't think a joystick is bright enough to do any blinding of oncoming traffic.
It's not about absolute lumen output it's about lux at the light source. If you compare a Joystick to a Maxx-D you have 1/4 the lumen produced over 1/4 the surface area. When aimed (in)correctly this surface brightness is more than enough to leave a nasty after image which lasts for about 30s or so, in this regards the Joystick actually manages to outperform all but the brightest car headlights on main beam.
 

HJ

Cycling in Scotland
Location
Auld Reekie
GrasB said:
It's not about absolute lumen output it's about lux at the light source. If you compare a Joystick to a Maxx-D you have 1/4 the lumen produced over 1/4 the surface area. When aimed (in)correctly this surface brightness is more than enough to leave a nasty after image which lasts for about 30s or so, in this regards the Joystick actually manages to outperform all but the brightest car headlights on main beam.

Humm, let see

Exposure Joystick MaXx Beam Shot
joystick.JPG

Exposure MaXx-D Beam Shot
MaXxD.JPG

The Maxx-D is definitely brighter, and neither light should be used in a way which would dazzle on coming people...
 

GrasB

Veteran
Location
Nr Cambridge
HJ;1095876][quote name= said:
When aimed (in)correctly this surface brightness is more than enough to leave a nasty after image which lasts for about 30s or so, in this regards the Joystick actually manages to outperform all but the brightest car headlights on main beam.

Humm, let see...

<snip>

...The Maxx-D is definitely brighter, and neither light should be used in a way which would dazzle on coming people...[/QUOTE]
The crucial thing for dazzling people isn't actually the ultimate lumen it's the surface brightness of the oncoming light, in this regard the Maxx-D is no more powerful than the Joystick. The reason is simple while Maxx-D has 960 lumen output it's spread over 4 240 lumen LEDs, the Joystick has 1 240 lumen LED. So while the Maxx-D has 4x more output the surface brightness of the two lights is the same... the Maxx-D just has more surface area.[/b]
 

AlanW

Legendary Member
Location
Not to sure?
Cubist said:
Go get one of these bad boys.
http://lumilite.co.uk/

Never heard of these before? It would be interesting to hear from anyone that has seen or used one?

But I am a little suspicious about that night time forest shot, as I sure that I have seen that same location used in other adverts by different companies?

Here


Is it the same place or not?

There is also an advert on e-bay from a supplier in Hong Kong using the same/similar location picture. I am just trying to find the advert in question, but failing at the moment. ;)
 

Cubist

Still wavin'
Location
Ovver 'thill
AlanW said:
Otherwise know as the Magicshine MJ-808

Full review here
Well spotted, except..... buy it from Lumilite and you get a smaller neater power pack, and a UK compatible intelli charger. Buy a magicshine you wait about three months for it to come from Hnog Knog or wherever, and then find the charger won't fit into the mains in the UK. Also, my mate has a magicshine and it's lensed slghtly differently. I'll have to put the two side by side for a full comparison. Mine has a flood with a bit of a hotspot. Mate's magicshine is just flood.

Oh, and the magicshine has 5 modes, this has 3, (claimed ) 900 Lumens, 500 lumens and flash. Flashes at a different speed to the Magicshine.
£80 quid for a f bright off road light? What's not to like?
 

Cubist

Still wavin'
Location
Ovver 'thill
AlanW said:
Never heard of these before? It would be interesting to hear from anyone that has seen or used one?

But I am a little suspicious about that night time forest shot, as I sure that I have seen that same location used in other adverts by different companies?

Here


Is it the same place or not?

There is also an advert on e-bay from a supplier in Hong Kong using the same/similar location picture. I am just trying to find the advert in question, but failing at the moment. ;)

Looks like the wood Hope used as well...........
 
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