holy bright lights! Lupine Betty 12 LED

[freekengo]

I've been using the Wilma (830 lumen version) for the last 6 months, I have to say that I really like the light pattern of the Lupine lights. No real hot spot but still get out there pretty far. The bottle size battery is lighter than my NiMH battery for my Nightrider Rage. I don't use water bottles, so I don't miss the cage being taken. It also keeps the frame from scratches since it mounts on the bottle cage and not on the frame with a strap. If anyone is considering one, I'm on the fully loop at night 3 nights a week around 6:30pm. Hard to beat being able to charge the battery on Monday and being able to ride the whole week without having to charge the battery again. I usually get 6 full hours of run time on high before I start to notice the light dimming at all. The quality of the unit is second to none! Just my personal opinion on the unit after six months of use.

[BrewMaster]

Originally Posted by tkblazer

be sure to post up your results and if possible take pics along the way? i think it would be an awesome step by step DIY project to post up.

I most definitely am taking pics and plan to post a DIY report.

The schematic is on the instructables website in one of the pics. Quite honestly, I don't know jack about electrical engineering so I am just copying his design with a few changes within my limited range of knowledge. If I want to make changes or upgrades, I may be posting here to ask the EEs for help.

Originally Posted by spookydave

BrewMaster, are you going to put the LEDs in any type of housing?

I'm thinking about it. I need to figure out how I want to mount the heat sink and LEDs to my helmet. I may just get a cheap aluminum housing from Radio Shack or something. It will all be sealed up nicely so it doesn't need a housing, but it will probably be easier to mount with a housing it will look nicer (as if that matters at night).

Update: Digikey parts arrived today so I will be building this bad boy tonight!

[tkblazer]

Originally Posted by BrewMaster

I most definitely am taking pics and plan to post a DIY report.

The schematic is on the instructables website in one of the pics. Quite honestly, I don't know jack about electrical engineering so I am just copying his design with a few changes within my limited range of knowledge. If I want to make changes or upgrades, I may be posting here to ask the EEs for help.



I'm thinking about it. I need to figure out how I want to mount the heat sink and LEDs to my helmet. I may just get a cheap aluminum housing from Radio Shack or something. It will all be sealed up nicely so it doesn't need a housing, but it will probably be easier to mount with a housing it will look nicer (as if that matters at night).

Update: Digikey parts arrived today so I will be building this bad boy tonight!

its funny because on my drive to work, i was thinking about how i would wire everything up.. its been a long time since i've done any electrical work and i'm rusty at reading circuit diagrams

[Fired Yo Momma]

FYI if your looking for a casing you may just want to buy some real cheap lights and use those housings

[coldbrews]

Originally Posted by freekengo

I've been using the Wilma (830 lumen version) for the last 6 months, I have to say that I really like the light pattern of the Lupine lights. No real hot spot but still get out there pretty far. The bottle size battery is lighter than my NiMH battery for my Nightrider Rage. I don't use water bottles, so I don't miss the cage being taken. It also keeps the frame from scratches since it mounts on the bottle cage and not on the frame with a strap. If anyone is considering one, I'm on the fully loop at night 3 nights a week around 6:30pm. Hard to beat being able to charge the battery on Monday and being able to ride the whole week without having to charge the battery again. I usually get 6 full hours of run time on high before I start to notice the light dimming at all. The quality of the unit is second to none! Just my personal opinion on the unit after six months of use.

Hey Freek, would you say that the 1400 lumen betty would be over kill? Have you used your light at any other trails with pitch black flowing singletrack? How does it perform there.
I have an hid on my bars and the minewt x2 up top. I could use something brighter on my lid.

[tkblazer]

a really cheap option would be pvc pipe fittings although i'm not sure if they would melt from the heat of the light

[freekengo]

Originally Posted by coldbrews

Hey Freek, would you say that the 1400 lumen betty would be over kill? Have you used your light at any other trails with pitch black flowing singletrack? How does it perform there.
I have an hid on my bars and the minewt x2 up top. I could use something brighter on my lid.

Depending on the trail, the more open the trail is the more light you're gonna need. The wilma has been more than plenty for me so far. I run that light single on the bar only. I used to run the nightrider rage on the bar and TG15 turbocat on the lid, but found that the helmet light kept washing out the terrain for me no matter how I adjusted the angle especially on the technical areas. The feature that really sold me on the Lupine is the light pattern. No hot spot in the middle to wash out the terrain. Unless you're riding switchbacks all night long, I say the wilma or the betty on it's own should be fine. Just for giggles, I was pondering on getting the Betty 6 so that I can have an option on the battery and get the Y kit and run both the wilma and the betty at the same time to see how ridiculously bright I can light up the trail. Then again, I haven't ever felt "underlit" at any given point with the wilma. I'd rather have too much and have to run it on lower power than running a light at max all night long.

I've ran the light on the loop, Hurkey creek, Simpson park, Luge, and a few others since I got the wilma, and it's been the best so far.

I've run the Rage and the wilma simultaneously on the bar one time and the wilma made the rage seem like it wasn't even there. Other than the extra weight...

[BrewMaster]

Originally Posted by tkblazer

a really cheap option would be pvc pipe fittings although i'm not sure if they would melt from the heat of the light

That probably wouldn't work with the heat sink I am using. I just figured out how I am going to mount it to my helmet using velcro. If this works, I probably won't use a housing on the light.

[Schecky]

Originally Posted by BrewMaster

That probably wouldn't work with the heat sink I am using. I just figured out how I am going to mount it to my helmet using velcro. If this works, I probably won't use a housing on the light.

is there no concern for air moisture/condensation getting to it?

[BrewMaster]

Originally Posted by Schecky

is there no concern for air moisture/condensation getting to it?

silicone baby, silicone.

[92se-r]

If you guys are interested, when I am done, I can post my a schematic that will include battery undervoltage monitoring and will sound a buzzer that will alert you of this and be able to override this buzzer.

[Torque Wrench]

FYI -- The Path is now a Lupine dealer.

[spookydave]

Originally Posted by 92se-r

If you guys are interested, when I am done, I can post my a schematic that will include battery undervoltage monitoring and will sound a buzzer that will alert you of this and be able to override this buzzer.

I would love to see your schematic.