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Freelights?

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UK and Europe
Published
13 March 2003
Last activity
19 March 2003
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Stephen \
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  1. Anyone given these a go or know more about them?

    www.freelights.co.uk

    They put a small flyer on my bike the other day in Holborn. Might nip up to their shop one lunch to
    take a look. The lights themselves look a bit pathetic but I like the generator. No connection with
    them just thought it looked interesting.

  2. On Thu, 13 Mar 2003 18:44:32 -0000, "Stephen \(aka steford\)"

    in said:

    Anyone given these a go or know more about them?

    www.freelights.co.uk

    They put a small flyer on my bike the other day in Holborn. Might nip up to their shop one lunch to
    take a look. The lights themselves look a bit pathetic but I like the generator. No connection with
    them just thought it

    Not sure I understand this bit of the explanation on their website. Sounds quite like a Sheldon
    Brown pi$$ take to me!

    [from helpyou.freewire.co.ukhow.html]

    "Gap: This is the most important point! In this system, there are two strong magnets interacting on
    each other. This allows a larger gap (.5cm-4cm) between the magnets to make the internal magnet
    tumble to generate electricity. It is especially suitable in some environments that the gap is
    always changed, such as on a bicycle wheel. As we know, the rotating bicycle wheel is not always
    straight, the gap between the two magnets will be changed when the bicycle changes direction."

    --
    Two fish suddenly swim into a brick wall. Damn! To reply put only the word "richard" before
    the @ sign

  3. Looks interesting, let me know what you find when you visit.

    SW

    "Stephen (aka steford)" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
    "]news:[email hidden]...

    Quoted message said:

    Anyone given these a go or know more about them?

    www.freelights.co.uk

    They put a small flyer on my bike the other day in Holborn. Might nip up


    to

    Quoted message said:

    their shop one lunch to take a look. The lights themselves look a bit pathetic but I like the
    generator. No connection with them just thought it looked interesting.

  4. "Richard Bates" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
    "]news:[email hidden]...

    Quoted message said:

    On Thu, 13 Mar 2003 18:44:32 -0000, "Stephen \(aka steford\)"
    <[email hidden]> in

    Quoted message said:

    Anyone given these a go or know more about them?

    www.freelights.co.uk

    They put a small flyer on my bike the other day in Holborn. Might nip up


    to

    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:

    their shop one lunch to take a look. The lights themselves look a bit pathetic but I like the
    generator. No connection with them just thought


    it

    Quoted message said:


    Not sure I understand this bit of the explanation on their website. Sounds quite like a Sheldon
    Brown pi$$ take to me!

    [from helpyou.freewire.co.ukhow.html]

    "Gap: This is the most important point! In this system, there are two strong magnets interacting
    on each other. This allows a larger gap (.5cm-4cm) between the magnets to make the internal magnet
    tumble to generate electricity. It is especially suitable in some environments that the gap is
    always changed, such as on a bicycle wheel. As we know, the rotating bicycle wheel is not always
    straight, the gap between the two magnets will be changed when the bicycle changes direction."


    Yes it's not the best website I agree. I like the tumbling magnet idea though. If I have the time
    I'll go up and have a look.

  5. In message <[email hidden]>, Richard Bates
    <[email hidden]> writes

    Quoted message said:

    On Thu, 13 Mar 2003 18:44:32 -0000, "Stephen \(aka steford\)"

    in said:

    Anyone given these a go or know more about them?

    www.freelights.co.uk

    Not sure I understand this bit of the explanation on their website. Sounds quite like a Sheldon
    Brown pi$$ take to me!

    [from helpyou.freewire.co.ukhow.html]


    Yeah, it would help if they learnt to write English....

    My response to this is really what's the point? Of course it doesn't create much drag - it's only
    generating enough power to light a couple of little LEDS once a rev. whatever fraction of a Watt
    that might be, as opposed to the 3W or so of a standard Dynamo.

    You'd still need a decent light as well.

    Sorry another one to go down in cycling history's book of 'good ideas' ? that didn't make it.
    --
    Chris French, Leeds

  6. chris French said:


    My response to this is really what's the point? Of course it doesn't create much drag - it's only
    generating enough power to light a couple of little LEDS once a rev. whatever fraction of a Watt
    that might be, as opposed to the 3W or so of a standard Dynamo.

    You'd still need a decent light as well.

    Absolutely. It probably needs about 40mW to keep those two LEDs running at most. A standard dynamo
    can be around 50% efficient, this cannot be more than 100% efficient. Energy doesn't come from
    nowhere so ergo its just generating an exceeding small amount of power for an application that
    consumes an exceedingly small amount of power. You could probably get more from a Seiko Kinetic
    generator driven by road vibrations.

    Add it to this related idea halfbakery.comKinetic 20Mobile 20Phone

    Tony

    --
    raven-family.comraven-family.com

    "I don't want any yes-men around me. I want everybody to tell me the truth even if it costs them
    their job."

    Samuel Goldwyn

  7. chris French said:


    You'd still need a decent light as well.

    Here's your front light - excaliburelectronics.comforeverflashl.html

    Tony;-)

    --
    raven-family.comraven-family.com

    "I don't want any yes-men around me. I want everybody to tell me the truth even if it costs them
    their job."

    Samuel Goldwyn

  8. "Stephen \(aka steford\)" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
    news:<[email hidden]>...

    Quoted message said:

    Anyone given these a go or know more about them?

    www.freelights.co.uk

    They put a small flyer on my bike the other day in Holborn. Might nip up to their shop one lunch
    to take a look. The lights themselves look a bit pathetic but I like the generator. No connection
    with them just thought it looked interesting.

    Interesting. Please do that and let us know how well they work in practice. Does anyone know whether
    the LEDs that you sometimes see flashing in children's training shoes as they walk work on a similar
    principle? Of course as the lights appear only to flash and not have a steady on mode it would be
    illegal to use them on a bicycle in the UK, even as a supplementary light. The walker/jogger version
    attached to your ankle might be legal though.

    --
    Dave...

  9. In message <[email hidden]>, Tony Raven <[email hidden]> writes

    Quoted message said:
    chris French said:


    You'd still need a decent light as well.


    Here's your front light - excaliburelectronics.comforeverflashl.html

    Tony;-)

    I like the ' Faraday Principle of Electromagnetic Energy' it's got to be good if it uses that......

    I wonder if the vibration of the bike would be enough to stop it going out every few minutes.?
    --
    Chris French, Leeds

  10. (Dave Kahn) said:

    Interesting. Please do that and let us know how well they work in practice. Does anyone know
    whether the LEDs that you sometimes see flashing in children's training shoes as they walk work on
    a similar principle?

    No, they're a battery put in at manufacture. Well, at least some are.

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