Flashlight holder

Doug Goncz said:

If I mount a 4 D cell LED flashlight with 16 LEDs under the boom tube
of my Lightning Cycle Dynamics Thunderbolt recumbent using a Wald #40
flashlight handlbar mount and some hose clamps
(www.bikepartsusa.com), will I be able to ride safely at night at
about 10 mph?

Will some spacers be required to point the flashlight at a point
ahead of the front wheel, instead of horizontally? It will be about
20 inches off the pavement.

At what point should I aim the light?

Or, how large should the circle of light be? A lane width? That's 12
feet here in Virginia.

The narrower the spot, the brighter, and vice versa. So if you make your spot
too wide, it won't be bright enough. Most bike lights seem to have a spot 2-4'
wide, aimed about 15-30' ahead of the bike, depending on speed. You only need a
path a few inches wide to be illuminated brightly. But those few inches are
very important, so you can see what your wheels are about to pass over. The
spillover light is usually enough to see to the sides.

Personally, I use a small handlebar light aimed about 15' ahead, plus a helmet
light aimed up to 30' ahead for higher speeds. If you have a focusable light
like a Maglite, you can experiment to find what works for you. But 15' ahead
and 2' wide is probably a good starting point.

Quoted message said:

This will be a frame mounted light with less oscillation with
steering than a standard handlebar mount. I believe this will be
better in every way, allowing the light to be pointed more closely at
the ground, at a steeper angle than if it were handlebar mounted.

In fact, lower is better in some ways. Many lights are fork mounted for this
reason.

Quoted message said:

I support the use of rechargeable alkaline batteries and the
recharging of standard alkaline batteries and have recycled zinc
powder from batteries for use as a reactant in electrochemical
experiments. This can be done with little environmental impact if the
wash water is absorbed into toweling, dried, and disposed to the
trash in a plastic bag. Mercury free cells are available.

Perhaps, but rechargeables (nicad and NiMH) give much better performance for
bike lights than alkalines. Rechargeables don't dim as they burn down, like
alkalines do. And it doesn't take long for rechargeables to pay for themselves.

Matt O.

Doug Goncz said:

If I mount a 4 D cell LED flashlight with 16 LEDs under the boom
tube of my Lightning Cycle Dynamics Thunderbolt recumbent using a
Wald #40 flashlight handlbar mount and some hose clamps
(www.bikepartsusa.com), will I be able to ride safely at night at
about 10 mph?

Oh now I get it. You are a recumbent type where the scientific
process is in a parallel universe.

Jobst Brandt
[email hidden]

Jobst Brandt said:

Doug Goncz said:

If I mount a 4 D cell LED flashlight with 16 LEDs under the boom
tube of my Lightning Cycle Dynamics Thunderbolt recumbent using a
Wald #40 flashlight handlbar mount and some hose clamps
(www.bikepartsusa.com), will I be able to ride safely at night at
about 10 mph?

Oh now I get it. You are a recumbent type where the scientific
process is in a parallel universe.

Could it be that Mr. Brandt has had the misfortune to encounter more
than his (statistically probable) share of obnoxious recumbent
"evangelists", as implied by past comments of his?

Some of us (present company included) never talk about our bicycles in
real life to upright riders unless the upright rider expresses interest
first. Conversely, it has been my experience that it is impossible to
ride a recumbent without receiving numerous unsolicited derogatory comments

--
Tom Sherman

Doug Goncz said:

...
I support the use of rechargeable alkaline batteries and the recharging of
standard alkaline batteries and have recycled zinc powder from batteries for
use as a reactant in electrochemical experiments. This can be done with little
environmental impact if the wash water is absorbed into toweling, dried, and
disposed to the trash in a plastic bag. Mercury free cells are available.

As someone who built plenty of prototype rechargeable alkaline
zinc-manganese batteries, I can say there are significant differences in
internal construction that greatly reduce the likelihood of the internal
shorting that often occurs when attempting to recharge regular alkaline
batteries.

The electrolyte used in alkaline batteries is a mixture of potassium
hydroxide and zinc oxide, and is relatively harmless when sufficiently
diluted. Zinc is bad for fish, so it should not be discharged into
waterways without treatment.

The last mercury containing alkaline batteries were phased out of the US
market almost 10 years ago. Current alkaline batteries only contain the
trace amounts of mercury found in industrial purity zinc.

Note that wet powered zinc can spontaneously combust upon drying.

--
Tom Sherman

the two light approach is a positive step forward.
mounting one low on a fork, one high gives the killer pothole visual
definition for a microsecond avoidance.
and on course, you are what you eat!

Quoted message said:

From: [email hidden] (g.daniels)

Quoted message said:

the two light approach is a positive step forward.

I have a two light approach. I use an FL-4 4 AA fluorescent as a marker light
already. I use the same with a yellow filter as a rear marker. With the
flashlight, I'll have three lights. Of course, that's a lot of alkaline
batteries.

I can use 2/3 AA NiCd cells in the FL-4, but I don't know how long I can hit it
with 7.2 VDC. It's only designed for 6 VDC. So I might have to use the NiCd
cells in the rear light, and add a flasher to reduce the duty cycle.

I am almost sure I can use 5 C NiCd or NiMH cells in the flashlight. They are
just about the 4/5 D length.

Quoted message said:

mounting one low on a fork, one high gives the killer pothole visual
definition for a microsecond avoidance.

yes, I agree.

Quoted message said:

and on course, you are what you eat!

of course, I must be made of turkey, salmon, and tuna because that's what I
eat!

But if I eat a pothole, do I become the pothole?

See the pothole, Jedi Biker.
See the pothole, feel the pothole.
Eat the pothole, Jedi Biker.
Eat the pothole, be the pothole.

?

Yours,
Doug Goncz ( ftp://users.aol.com/DGoncz/incoming )
Student member SAE for one year.
I love: Dona, Jeff, Kim, Mom, Neelix, Tasha, and Teri, alphabetically.
I drive: A double-step Thunderbolt with 657% range.