Light & Motion "Vega" LED Headlight

rdclark <[email hidden]> wrote:
:> Light and Motion Vega
:>
:> This is after four days with the unit.
:>
:> WARNING: This light interferes with my Supergo wireless
:> HRM/cyclocomputer, adding some 50mph to the current speed. This is
:> consistent and 100% repeatable. It does not seem to interfere with
:> the HRM function, nor with the function of my other HRM (an Ekho) or
:> any wired comp. I e-mailed Light & Motion on Tuesday and have
:> received no response.

Seems like there is always something standing between me and the perfect
light! 🙂

:>
:> This is a 3W Luxeon LED with an internal NiMH rechargeable battery.
:> It sells for $150-180. It comes with a handlebar mount and thick
:> spacers to adjust for bar diameter. I tried mounting it underneath
:> the bar but my knee hit it when I stood up to pedal.
:>
:> For comparison, my old lights are a 15W NiteRider single-spot
:> halogen, and a 12W-spot/12W-flood ViewPoint halogen. I also have a
:> 1W Luxeon, the Performance version of the Nitehawk Emitter.
:>
:> First, the quality of the light from the Vega is different from
:> halogens, white/blue instead of yellow. As a result, it is not as
:> distinctly visible at dusk as a halogen, I'm guessing because there's
:> less contrast between its light and the ambient light from the sky.
:>
:> In full darkness, the Vega projects a tight, bright beam that can
:> easly light the pavement out to 30 feet or more in front of the
:> bike. Aimed that way, there is not much spill to the sides.
:>
:> It's not as bright as the Niterider, but the main difference is that
:> the Niterider throws more light to the sides.

Isn't that good - more light to the sides?

:>
:> It's actually very competitive with the 12W spot on the ViewPoint,
:> which has less flare than the NiteRider. Of course, the ViewPoint
:> also has a flood (and a very heavy SLA battery that can barely run
:> both lamps for an hour).
:>
:> The 1W setting on the Vega is about equivalent to the Emitter on
:> high, as expected, but the Vega's light is whiter, the Emitter's
:> bluer.

Interesting. I thought the Emitter's light was pretty white. And that lady
on the website thought the Vega was blueish. So my concept of white must be
skewwed badly! 🙂

:>
:> As a road commuter light for urban/suburban riders I think this is a
:> winner. It throws plenty of light for seeing obstacles and
:> road-surface irregularities while riding 15mph. It had the *immense*
:> advantages of being self-contained, light in weight (220 grams), and
:> quick charging (with a charger small enough to bring along).
:>
:> However, if I spent a significant part of my commute on unlit country
:> roads where very long throw and wider coverage were important, I
:> might want two of these, aimed high and low. At which point other
:> systems would be much more cost-effective.

Why not one on each side of center? More light to the sides and a somewhat
stronger beam down center?

:>
:> The wireless interference issue, along with L&M's lack of response to
:> my e-mail, are also worth taking into account.
:>

I hope that interference issue is a fluke.....BTW, can you see your
cyclocomputer at night? That was one problem I had when night riding...then
other was not being able to see my chainrings on front and cogs in rear.
I've gotten used to that.

Totally OT, but I'll chip in my .02$

Me and the wife bought a set of those LED Xmas lights last year to try 'em
out...

I think they interfere with RF fields...and vice versa.

We put 'em up on the fireplace mantel, a few feet from the entertainment
unit. One by one, starting with the LED bulb closest to the TV, they would
"fizzle" and go out. Each time an LED went, there would be a corresponding
blip of static on the TV. Is this something the manufacturers of
"super-bright" LED's should be telling us??? Could you be riding along in
the dark, talking on your cellphone, and suddenly your fancy new LED bicycle
light winks out???

F.U.D...since 1929

I've found that my Lightbrain PWM Controller does the same to a Polar 725
HRM. With the Controller operating and my DIY lights on, Heartrate was
showing at 180% of max (without even my HRM belt on) and speed was 28 km/hr
with the bike in the shed on a workstand. These readings varied as I set
the lights at various levels. Cute. Just don't use the HRM at night - you
can't see it anyway.
Bob C
"rdclark" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Light and Motion Vega

This is after four days with the unit.

WARNING: This light interferes with my Supergo wireless
HRM/cyclocomputer, adding some 50mph to the current speed. This is
consistent and 100% repeatable. It does not seem to interfere with the
HRM function, nor with the function of my other HRM (an Ekho) or any
wired comp. I e-mailed Light & Motion on Tuesday and have received no
response.

This is a 3W Luxeon LED with an internal NiMH rechargeable battery. It
sells for $150-180. It comes with a handlebar mount and thick spacers
to adjust for bar diameter. I tried mounting it underneath the bar but
my knee hit it when I stood up to pedal.

For comparison, my old lights are a 15W NiteRider single-spot halogen,
and a 12W-spot/12W-flood ViewPoint halogen. I also have a 1W Luxeon,
the Performance version of the Nitehawk Emitter.

First, the quality of the light from the Vega is different from
halogens, white/blue instead of yellow. As a result, it is not as
distinctly visible at dusk as a halogen, I'm guessing because there's
less contrast between its light and the ambient light from the sky.

In full darkness, the Vega projects a tight, bright beam that can easly
light the pavement out to 30 feet or more in front of the bike. Aimed
that way, there is not much spill to the sides.

It's not as bright as the Niterider, but the main difference is that
the Niterider throws more light to the sides.

It's actually very competitive with the 12W spot on the ViewPoint,
which has less flare than the NiteRider. Of course, the ViewPoint also
has a flood (and a very heavy SLA battery that can barely run both
lamps for an hour).

The 1W setting on the Vega is about equivalent to the Emitter on high,
as expected, but the Vega's light is whiter, the Emitter's bluer.

The tiny Vega charger brought the battery to full initial charge in
less than 2 hours. I have not tested run times, but after 1 hour on
high ("4W" - they overdrive the LED, apparently) there was no visible
dimming, and a recharge took less than an hour.

As a road commuter light for urban/suburban riders I think this is a
winner. It throws plenty of light for seeing obstacles and road-surface
irregularities while riding 15mph. It had the *immense* advantages of
being self-contained, light in weight (220 grams), and quick charging
(with a charger small enough to bring along).

However, if I spent a significant part of my commute on unlit country
roads where very long throw and wider coverage were important, I might
want two of these, aimed high and low. At which point other systems
would be much more cost-effective.

The wireless interference issue, along with L&M's lack of response to
my e-mail, are also worth taking into account.

RichC

rdclark said:

Light and Motion Vega

This is after four days with the unit.

WARNING: This light interferes with my Supergo wireless
HRM/cyclocomputer, adding some 50mph to the current speed. This is
consistent and 100% repeatable. It does not seem to interfere with the
HRM function, nor with the function of my other HRM (an Ekho) or any
wired comp. I e-mailed Light & Motion on Tuesday and have received no
response.

try to separate them as far as possible. that's usually all it takes
one on each side of the bar. the computer on the same side as the
transmitter.
other lights will it too any with electronics in them. I have a
xenon flasher that would do it.
Knight-Toolworks
http://www.knight-toolworks.com
affordable handmade wooden planes

"rdclark" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Light and Motion Vega

This is after four days with the unit.

WARNING: This light interferes with my Supergo wireless
HRM/cyclocomputer, adding some 50mph to the current speed. This is
consistent and 100% repeatable. It does not seem to interfere with the
HRM function, nor with the function of my other HRM (an Ekho) or any
wired comp. I e-mailed Light & Motion on Tuesday and have received no
response.

This is a 3W Luxeon LED with an internal NiMH rechargeable battery. It
sells for $150-180. It comes with a handlebar mount and thick spacers
to adjust for bar diameter. I tried mounting it underneath the bar but
my knee hit it when I stood up to pedal.

For comparison, my old lights are a 15W NiteRider single-spot halogen,
and a 12W-spot/12W-flood ViewPoint halogen. I also have a 1W Luxeon,
the Performance version of the Nitehawk Emitter.

First, the quality of the light from the Vega is different from
halogens, white/blue instead of yellow. As a result, it is not as
distinctly visible at dusk as a halogen, I'm guessing because there's
less contrast between its light and the ambient light from the sky.

In full darkness, the Vega projects a tight, bright beam that can easly
light the pavement out to 30 feet or more in front of the bike. Aimed
that way, there is not much spill to the sides.

It's not as bright as the Niterider, but the main difference is that
the Niterider throws more light to the sides.

It's actually very competitive with the 12W spot on the ViewPoint,
which has less flare than the NiteRider. Of course, the ViewPoint also
has a flood (and a very heavy SLA battery that can barely run both
lamps for an hour).

The 1W setting on the Vega is about equivalent to the Emitter on high,
as expected, but the Vega's light is whiter, the Emitter's bluer.

The tiny Vega charger brought the battery to full initial charge in
less than 2 hours. I have not tested run times, but after 1 hour on
high ("4W" - they overdrive the LED, apparently) there was no visible
dimming, and a recharge took less than an hour.

As a road commuter light for urban/suburban riders I think this is a
winner. It throws plenty of light for seeing obstacles and road-surface
irregularities while riding 15mph. It had the *immense* advantages of
being self-contained, light in weight (220 grams), and quick charging
(with a charger small enough to bring along).

However, if I spent a significant part of my commute on unlit country
roads where very long throw and wider coverage were important, I might
want two of these, aimed high and low. At which point other systems
would be much more cost-effective.

The wireless interference issue, along with L&M's lack of response to
my e-mail, are also worth taking into account.

RichC

Interesting.
I would think a lot of devices that use PWM (pulse width modulation) for
controlling the light power and intensity would have this problem too. The
transistors used to drive the LED(s) can generate a lot of RFI and jam out
things up close to them. The wireless cycle-computers usually have very
weak transmitters in their sensors, so that two people riding side by side
don't interfere with each other. I remember being on a organozed ride once
where at the starting line my HRM and cycle-computer both were jammed out by
all the other riders around me. After we started the units started working
Ok again.
You might try moving the things farther apart, and ensure the wheel sensor
pickup/transmitter is as close to the bike computer as possible and in a
straight line too.