Review: Solidlights 1203d (long)

Dane Buson said:

Review for: Solidlights 1203d
Found at:http://www.solidlights.co.uk/products/1203d.php
Cost: 155 GBP

Note: TLDR summary at the bottom of article.

For the last two years, I've been using a Lumotec Oval Plus and have
been quite happy with it. Still, I can admit to a small amount of envy
for my batteried brethren who spray the darkness indiscriminately with
decawatts of light. On the other hand, no amount of shininess could
compel me to use one again considering I often go on night time rides
that last longer than five hours.

While lurking in the uk.rec.cycling newsgroup I heard discussion of a
company Solidlights that made LED dynamo headlights with dual LEDs.
Dual 3 watt LEDs. Evidently the Audaxers and commuters who had stumped
up the cash for it were delighted with it.

A dynamo light with two 3 watt LEDs that ramped up as your speed did? A
flashing and a solid mode? A five minute standlight using the same
LEDs (thus making adjusting the beam angle much easier).

With one thing and another, I finally decided to jump in and buy it July
1st. A short week later it had been shipped across the pond to sunny
Seattle and was sitting in my grubby hands.

I first attempted to mount it on the fork. Previously with the Lumotec
mounting there wasn't a problem, even with cantilever brakes.
Unfortunately with the lower boxier shape of the 1203d, the front brake
cable was rubbing the power cable and would have sawed through in time.
[1] A *loooong* fork mount bracket and a spacer later I was happier with
it.

I went on a ride with some friends that night that lasted until after
midnight. I was quite happy with the light, though the limited
stretches of darkness (it was mostly urban riding except for a short
stretch) forbade a really good test. One thing to note is that at low
speeds (6-8 mph) it cast a *much* larger degree of light than my old
lights.

Oh, that mounting bracket? It broke the very next day. Damn potmetal.
Currently the light is attached to a handlebar mounting bracket, and I
haven't had any problems with it.

I went on a longer ride with more stretches of real darkness, and this
is where the light really shined. When I was catching up with a lead
group, one of them commented that he thought I was a car coming from
behind [3]. The light outperformed every battery headlight I have used
previously (including a dual 6w / 12w halogen system). It was
definitely not better than some of the 20-25W HID systems I've seen, but
I was certainly carrying the brightest light of anyone there.

Ease of use: It has a sealed button on the side. Press once to turn
on, once more to change to blinking, once more to turn off. Dead
simple.

Quality of construction: It's a box. A nice sealed, gasketed, sturdy
box. I have a feeling it will last quite a while, though it will win no
awards for style. It has a locking style connector leading to the
dynamo, very nice.

Mounting: Available with a standard fork crown mounting or set up for a
handlebar bracket.

Drag: When it's in blink mode, the drag is unnoticeable. This makes it
particularly attractive for cloudy days and see-me urban riding. The
drag is barely perceptible when on, though I have no doubt it's there.
Theoretically at max speed, I'm losing approximately 12 watts [4]. It's
probably a touch more. On the other hand, I weigh 200 pounds, and I'm
only losing those watts when I'm already near top speed. Smaller riders
might not be so sanguine about that.

Some impressions: This is definitely the product of a small engineering
company. The serial number on my light is 000214, so they're not many
out there. On the other hand, the dynamo lights are evidently an
outgrowth of their battery lights IIRC, so it is a tested design.

Conclusion: I love the light, and really look forward to using it for
my winter commute. It was expensive, but I'm very satisfied with it so
far. I'll see if I can't write a followup review once the darkness has
fallen over our fair city.

TLDR [2]: Light is awesome, but expensive. It is the ne plus ultra of
dynamo headlights. I would absolutely buy it again.

[1] A side or bottom exit for the cable would have alleviated this
problem.
[2] Too Long Didn't Read
[3] This was on a closed bike trail, so I think I scared him.
[4] Shimano DH-3N71 - reputedly about 50% efficient

--
Dane Buson - [email hidden]
The party adjourned to a hot tub, yes. Fully clothed, I might add.
-- IBM employee, testifying in California State Supreme Court

sounds like a winner, and thanks for posting this.

it's kinda cool that they're simplifying things by making both schmidt
and shimano versions, but i see there's no shimano version with a rear
light output. could you just use the schmidt one for which there is a
rear output and use a shimano connector?
any idea how this compares directly to the other blingbling high
output setups like dual e6s or dual inoled 20+'s?

how much variance could there really be in drag between the different
lights? (i really have no idea about these kinds of generator
questions; i mostly just use the stuff.)

Dane Buson said:

Review for: Solidlights 1203d
Found at: http://www.solidlights.co.uk/products/1203d.php
Cost: 155 GBP

Quoted message said:

TLDR [2]: Light is awesome, but expensive. It is the ne plus ultra of
dynamo headlights. I would absolutely buy it again.

What does the gasket look like? I hear too many tales of light failure,
perishing gaskets and water ingress even on fairly new units to swap my
E6 for one at the moment.

Dane Buson said:

Review for: Solidlights 1203d
Found at:http://www.solidlights.co.uk/products/1203d.php
Cost: 155 GBP

Note: TLDR summary at the bottom of article.

For the last two years, I've been using a Lumotec Oval Plus and have
been quite happy with it. Still, I can admit to a small amount of envy
for my batteried brethren who spray the darkness indiscriminately with
decawatts of light. On the other hand, no amount of shininess could
compel me to use one again considering I often go on night time rides
that last longer than five hours.

While lurking in the uk.rec.cycling newsgroup I heard discussion of a
company Solidlights that made LED dynamo headlights with dual LEDs.
Dual 3 watt LEDs. Evidently the Audaxers and commuters who had stumped
up the cash for it were delighted with it.

A dynamo light with two 3 watt LEDs that ramped up as your speed did? A
flashing and a solid mode? A five minute standlight using the same
LEDs (thus making adjusting the beam angle much easier).

With one thing and another, I finally decided to jump in and buy it July
1st. A short week later it had been shipped across the pond to sunny
Seattle and was sitting in my grubby hands.

I first attempted to mount it on the fork. Previously with the Lumotec
mounting there wasn't a problem, even with cantilever brakes.
Unfortunately with the lower boxier shape of the 1203d, the front brake
cable was rubbing the power cable and would have sawed through in time.
[1] A *loooong* fork mount bracket and a spacer later I was happier with
it.

I went on a ride with some friends that night that lasted until after
midnight. I was quite happy with the light, though the limited
stretches of darkness (it was mostly urban riding except for a short
stretch) forbade a really good test. One thing to note is that at low
speeds (6-8 mph) it cast a *much* larger degree of light than my old
lights.

Oh, that mounting bracket? It broke the very next day. Damn potmetal.
Currently the light is attached to a handlebar mounting bracket, and I
haven't had any problems with it.

I went on a longer ride with more stretches of real darkness, and this
is where the light really shined. When I was catching up with a lead
group, one of them commented that he thought I was a car coming from
behind [3]. The light outperformed every battery headlight I have used
previously (including a dual 6w / 12w halogen system). It was
definitely not better than some of the 20-25W HID systems I've seen, but
I was certainly carrying the brightest light of anyone there.

Ease of use: It has a sealed button on the side. Press once to turn
on, once more to change to blinking, once more to turn off. Dead
simple.

Quality of construction: It's a box. A nice sealed, gasketed, sturdy
box. I have a feeling it will last quite a while, though it will win no
awards for style. It has a locking style connector leading to the
dynamo, very nice.

Mounting: Available with a standard fork crown mounting or set up for a
handlebar bracket.

Drag: When it's in blink mode, the drag is unnoticeable. This makes it
particularly attractive for cloudy days and see-me urban riding. The
drag is barely perceptible when on, though I have no doubt it's there.
Theoretically at max speed, I'm losing approximately 12 watts [4]. It's
probably a touch more. On the other hand, I weigh 200 pounds, and I'm
only losing those watts when I'm already near top speed. Smaller riders
might not be so sanguine about that.

Some impressions: This is definitely the product of a small engineering
company. The serial number on my light is 000214, so they're not many
out there. On the other hand, the dynamo lights are evidently an
outgrowth of their battery lights IIRC, so it is a tested design.

Conclusion: I love the light, and really look forward to using it for
my winter commute. It was expensive, but I'm very satisfied with it so
far. I'll see if I can't write a followup review once the darkness has
fallen over our fair city.

TLDR [2]: Light is awesome, but expensive. It is the ne plus ultra of
dynamo headlights. I would absolutely buy it again.

[1] A side or bottom exit for the cable would have alleviated this
problem.
[2] Too Long Didn't Read
[3] This was on a closed bike trail, so I think I scared him.
[4] Shimano DH-3N71 - reputedly about 50% efficient

--
Dane Buson - [email hidden]
The party adjourned to a hot tub, yes. Fully clothed, I might add.
-- IBM employee, testifying in California State Supreme Court

Thank you very much for this review. I am planning to buy another
light to supplement my
1W LED in the next year...I've been looking at the DeNotte (sp?) line,
but like dynamos besides. (Dynamos, AA and D batteries are what I've
standardized on in my life and bicycling life, so the DeNotte use of
AA's is like a siren call to me.)

Pureheart
Aptos, CA

Dane Buson said:

Review for: Solidlights 1203d
Found at: http://www.solidlights.co.uk/products/1203d.php
Cost: 155 GBP

<snip>

Quoted message said:

A dynamo light with two 3 watt LEDs that ramped up as your speed did? A
flashing and a solid mode? A five minute standlight using the same
LEDs (thus making adjusting the beam angle much easier).

<snip>

Quoted message said:

--
Dane Buson - [email hidden]
The party adjourned to a hot tub, yes. Fully clothed, I might add.
-- IBM employee, testifying in California State Supreme Court

Apropos dynamos, do you have an opinion regarding the SON dynamo re:
the quality of the bearings? If I were to convert to one it would
mean giving up my beloved Phil Wood Hub which as served me well for
many years (at least during my 'lighting season'😉. Do they come in 40
and 48H versions and do you find the quality adequate?
(following up my own previous post)

Pureheart

On Fri, 7 Sep 2007 12:55:16 -0700, Dane Buson <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

A dynamo light with two 3 watt LEDs that ramped up as your speed did? A
flashing and a solid mode? A five minute standlight using the same
LEDs (thus making adjusting the beam angle much easier).

Thanks for the review. It sounds like the best light around for those
of us who prefer to grind our own lumens.

The website pics are impressive.

Ugly or not, it sure beats a desk lamp or flashlight.
--
zk

I saw several photos of bikes on PBP that had these weird looking square
boxed headlamps with two lenses. This is what those are. Too bad that
the Web site doesn't include the beam pattern for this particular unit.
It looks quite interesting.

Quoted message said:

Thank you very much for this review. I am planning to buy another
light to supplement my
1W LED in the next year...I've been looking at the DeNotte (sp?) line,
but like dynamos besides. (Dynamos, AA and D batteries are what I've
standardized on in my life and bicycling life, so the DeNotte use of
AA's is like a siren call to me.)

Pureheart
Aptos, CA

---------------
I have a Dinotte, and the AA
rechargeble's are the way to go. I
tried Lithium AA's and they went dark
way to quick. Sometimes the bumping
will knock an AA loose, and you lose the
light, but I solved it easily by putting
a rubber band around the holder and the
bats, so they can't shake loose. The
only thing about the DiNotte light, is
that it is a flood, and the spot doesn't
go out very far. So you still need a
spot way out front. I'm planning on
getting a fenix L2d-ce flashlight, with
a twofish cyclopblock to hold it, to put
a spot way out there. Presently I use a
cateye el-500 to get a spot, but that
light is barely adequate in my opinion.

Zog The Undeniable said:

Dane Buson said:

Review for: Solidlights 1203d
Found at:http://www.solidlights.co.uk/products/1203d.php
Cost: 155 GBP
TLDR [2]: Light is awesome, but expensive. It is the ne plus ultra of
dynamo headlights. I would absolutely buy it again.

What does the gasket look like? I hear too many tales of light failure,
perishing gaskets and water ingress even on fairly new units to swap my
E6 for one at the moment.

I used a fairly new one on PBP. It was ideal for that but the O rings
were slightly perished, though the unit was new, and the unit got
quite moist inside. It continued to work well throughout PBP and the
ride home to Twickenham but failed a few days later while JRA.

The company's service was superb and they had the unit repaired and
back to me within 5 days, including a weekend. The included worksheet
mentioned the water ingress and the perished O rings, now renewed of
course, but also referred to an unspecied "unusual component failure".
In spite of my disappointment at the early failure I still have
confidence in the unit though not quite as much as previously, but the
lesson is always to have a backup of some kind and not rely on a
single lighting source no matter how good. So if using a Solidlight
with a dynamo the backup should really be a battery unit of some kind
as either the light or the dynamo could fail.

--
Dave...

Tim McNamara said:

I saw several photos of bikes on PBP that had these weird looking square
boxed headlamps with two lenses. This is what those are. Too bad that
the Web site doesn't include the beam pattern for this particular unit.
It looks quite interesting.

The unit gives a general wash of light with a very bright central
area. Best results seem to be obtained by angling the unit down far
more than you would with most lights so the bright spot is 4 - 5 yards
in front of the bike. The road beyond the bright spot will still be
lit well enough to travel confidently at 30 mph, both verges will be
plainly visible, and distant signposts will light up. With the unit
angled down like this oncoming vehicles will not be dazzled but you
will still get comments from people about how bright the lights seem.

Because of the lack of a defined beam pattern the unit is much more
impressive on very dark roads than well lit ones. Under good street
lighting, and in a car headlight beam, the effect of illuminating the
road almost disappears although of course you are still highly visible
to oncoming traffic. In good street lighting I think it makes sense to
switch to flashing mode, reverting to steady mode when ambient light
is low.

--
Dave...

Crescentius Vespasianus said:

Quoted message said:

Thank you very much for this review. I am planning to buy another
light to supplement my
1W LED in the next year...I've been looking at the DeNotte (sp?) line,
but like dynamos besides. (Dynamos, AA and D batteries are what I've
standardized on in my life and bicycling life, so the DeNotte use of
AA's is like a siren call to me.)

Pureheart
Aptos, CA

---------------
I have a Dinotte, and the AA rechargeble's are the way to go. I tried
Lithium AA's and they went dark way to quick. Sometimes the bumping
will knock an AA loose, and you lose the light, but I solved it easily
by putting a rubber band around the holder and the bats, so they can't
shake loose. The only thing about the DiNotte light, is that it is a
flood, and the spot doesn't go out very far. So you still need a spot
way out front. I'm planning on getting a fenix L2d-ce flashlight, with
a twofish cyclopblock to hold it, to put a spot way out there.
Presently I use a cateye el-500 to get a spot, but that light is barely
adequate in my opinion.

Does the Fenix have an adjustable spot to flood lens like the Maglite?

In article <[email hidden]>,

dkahn400 said:

Tim McNamara said:

I saw several photos of bikes on PBP that had these weird looking
square boxed headlamps with two lenses. This is what those are.
Too bad that the Web site doesn't include the beam pattern for this
particular unit. It looks quite interesting.

The unit gives a general wash of light with a very bright central
area. Best results seem to be obtained by angling the unit down far
more than you would with most lights so the bright spot is 4 - 5
yards in front of the bike. The road beyond the bright spot will
still be lit well enough to travel confidently at 30 mph, both verges
will be plainly visible, and distant signposts will light up. With
the unit angled down like this oncoming vehicles will not be dazzled
but you will still get comments from people about how bright the
lights seem.

Is this mounted at the handlebar or lower? I mount my lights about
level with the top of the tire.

Quoted message said:

Because of the lack of a defined beam pattern the unit is much more
impressive on very dark roads than well lit ones. Under good street
lighting, and in a car headlight beam, the effect of illuminating the
road almost disappears although of course you are still highly
visible to oncoming traffic. In good street lighting I think it makes
sense to switch to flashing mode, reverting to steady mode when
ambient light is low.

Thanks for the further information.

In rec.bicycles.misc Nate Knutson said:

sounds like a winner, and thanks for posting this.

it's kinda cool that they're simplifying things by making both schmidt
and shimano versions, but i see there's no shimano version with a rear
light output. could you just use the schmidt one for which there is a
rear output and use a shimano connector?

I haven't the foggiest idea for that one. I've gone with just using
blinkies for my rear, as I've never liked the idea of stringing another
wire the length of my frame.

Quoted message said:

any idea how this compares directly to the other blingbling high
output setups like dual e6s or dual inoled 20+'s?

Not reallly, other than looking at the specs. The Inoled 20+ has one 2
watt LED, versus the dual 3 watt LEDs in the 1203d. Just looking at the
beam patterns on Peter White's site, I'd say the 1203d beam is a touch
wider since it stacks the LEDs side by side.

Quoted message said:

how much variance could there really be in drag between the different
lights? (i really have no idea about these kinds of generator
questions; i mostly just use the stuff.)

I'd say the 1203d probably has three times as much drag as the Inoled
20+. It's pretty linear as you ramp up.

--
Dane Buson - [email hidden]
A novice was trying to fix a broken lisp machine by turning the
power off and on. Knight, seeing what the student was doing spoke sternly,
"You cannot fix a machine by just power-cycling it with no understanding
of what is going wrong." Knight turned the machine off and on. The
machine worked.

In rec.bicycles.misc Zog The Undeniable said:

Dane Buson said:

Review for: Solidlights 1203d
Found at: http://www.solidlights.co.uk/products/1203d.php
Cost: 155 GBP

Quoted message said:

TLDR [2]: Light is awesome, but expensive. It is the ne plus ultra of
dynamo headlights. I would absolutely buy it again.

What does the gasket look like? I hear too many tales of light failure,
perishing gaskets and water ingress even on fairly new units to swap my
E6 for one at the moment.

I'll see if I can't take a picture later. It's a gasket around the side
plate, and a gasket for each screw. I'm pretty much eminently
unqualified to judge it's efficacy, but it does look better sealed than
some other lights I've had that have succumbed to Seattle rains.

--
Dane Buson - [email hidden]
"France is the only country where the money falls apart and you
can't tear the toilet paper." -Billy Wilder

In rec.bicycles.misc dkahn400 said:

Zog The Undeniable said:

Dane Buson said:

Review for: Solidlights 1203d
Found at:http://www.solidlights.co.uk/products/1203d.php
Cost: 155 GBP
TLDR [2]: Light is awesome, but expensive. It is the ne plus ultra of
dynamo headlights. I would absolutely buy it again.

What does the gasket look like? I hear too many tales of light failure,
perishing gaskets and water ingress even on fairly new units to swap my
E6 for one at the moment.

I used a fairly new one on PBP. It was ideal for that but the O rings
were slightly perished, though the unit was new, and the unit got
quite moist inside. It continued to work well throughout PBP and the
ride home to Twickenham but failed a few days later while JRA.

The company's service was superb and they had the unit repaired and
back to me within 5 days, including a weekend. The included worksheet
mentioned the water ingress and the perished O rings, now renewed of
course, but also referred to an unspecied "unusual component failure".
In spite of my disappointment at the early failure I still have
confidence in the unit though not quite as much as previously, but the
lesson is always to have a backup of some kind and not rely on a
single lighting source no matter how good. So if using a Solidlight
with a dynamo the backup should really be a battery unit of some kind
as either the light or the dynamo could fail.

Sounds like I should start carrying my extra light on my fork mount this
winter. I'm dreading the idea of shipping it back and forth across the
ocean.

--
Dane Buson - [email hidden]
"Contrary to popular belief, penguins are not the salvation of modern
technology. Neither do they throw parties for the urban proletariat."

In rec.bicycles.misc said:

Dane Buson said:

Review for: Solidlights 1203d
Found at: http://www.solidlights.co.uk/products/1203d.php
Cost: 155 GBP

<snip>

Quoted message said:

A dynamo light with two 3 watt LEDs that ramped up as your speed did? A
flashing and a solid mode? A five minute standlight using the same
LEDs (thus making adjusting the beam angle much easier).

Apropos dynamos, do you have an opinion regarding the SON dynamo re:
the quality of the bearings?

Are you interested in the service life, or the drag when when it's
on/off? Because the bearings don't have much to do with dynamo drag,
that has more to do with the hub's design.

I belive the SON hubs have sealed cartridge bearings.

Quoted message said:

If I were to convert to one it would mean giving up my beloved Phil Wood Hub
which as served me well for many years (at least during my 'lighting
season'😉. Do they come in 40 and 48H versions and do you find the quality
adequate? (following up my own previous post)

I believe the SON does come in 40 and 48 hole versions, though I
wouldn't know where to get them. I went with the Shimano as the frugal
and 'good enough' option. The Shimano only comes in 32H and 36H.

--
Dane Buson - [email hidden]
"You are welcome to visit the cemetery where famous
Russian and Soviet composers, artists, and writers
are buried daily except Thursday."
-In the Lobby of a Moscow Hotel Across from a Russian Orthodox Monastary

In rec.bicycles.misc Zoot Katz said:

On Fri, 7 Sep 2007 12:55:16 -0700, Dane Buson <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

A dynamo light with two 3 watt LEDs that ramped up as your speed did? A
flashing and a solid mode? A five minute standlight using the same
LEDs (thus making adjusting the beam angle much easier).

Thanks for the review. It sounds like the best light around for those
of us who prefer to grind our own lumens.

It is really nice. The only thing I'm concerned about is the
weatherproofing. I've toasted too many (battery) lights from moisture
to be less than leary. [1]

Quoted message said:

The website pics are impressive.

Ugly or not, it sure beats a desk lamp or flashlight.

True, true.

[1] Planet bike, I'm looking at you!

--
Dane Buson - [email hidden]
E = MC ** 2 +- 3db

Dane Buson said:

In rec.bicycles.misc said:

Dane Buson said:

Review for: Solidlights 1203d
Found at:http://www.solidlights.co.uk/products/1203d.php
Cost: 155 GBP

Quoted message said:

<snip>

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

A dynamo light with two 3 watt LEDs that ramped up as your speed did? A
flashing and a solid mode? A five minute standlight using the same
LEDs (thus making adjusting the beam angle much easier).

Quoted message said:

Apropos dynamos, do you have an opinion regarding the SON dynamo re:
the quality of the bearings?

Are you interested in the service life, or the drag when when it's
on/off? Because the bearings don't have much to do with dynamo drag,
that has more to do with the hub's design.

Service life. I've got so much junk I carry to/from work that drag is
the least of my worries.

Quoted message said:

I belive the SON hubs have sealed cartridge bearings.

Quoted message said:

If I were to convert to one it would mean giving up my beloved Phil Wood Hub
which as served me well for many years (at least during my 'lighting
season'😉. Do they come in 40 and 48H versions and do you find the quality
adequate? (following up my own previous post)

I believe the SON does come in 40 and 48 hole versions, though I
wouldn't know where to get them. I went with the Shimano as the frugal
and 'good enough' option. The Shimano only comes in 32H and 36H.

I since saw on Peter White's site that it is available in 40H and 48H,
at an extra cost. (Gee, what is this, like women's clothing where you
pay more for less? You'd think that they'd be *cheaper* since there's
less metal! <insert smiley here>😉

Quoted message said:

--
Dane Buson - [email hidden]
"You are welcome to visit the cemetery where famous
Russian and Soviet composers, artists, and writers
are buried daily except Thursday."
-In the Lobby of a Moscow Hotel Across from a Russian Orthodox Monastary

pH

Quoted message said:

Dane Buson said:

I believe the SON does come in 40 and 48 hole versions, though I
wouldn't know where to get them. I went with the Shimano as the frugal
and 'good enough' option. The Shimano only comes in 32H and 36H.

I since saw on Peter White's site that it is available in 40H and 48H,
at an extra cost. (Gee, what is this, like women's clothing where you
pay more for less? You'd think that they'd be *cheaper* since there's
less metal! <insert smiley here>😉

You're forgetting that the versions with more holes are lighter! And
lighter bike components _always_ cost more! It's a law, isn't
it? ;-)

- Frank Krygowski

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I since saw on Peter White's site that it is available in 40H and 48H,
at an extra cost. (Gee, what is this, like women's clothing where you
pay more for less? You'd think that they'd be *cheaper* since there's
less metal! <insert smiley here>😉

The surcharge just about covers the cost for sweeping up the extra
aluminium chips and carting them over to the metal recycling facility 😉
--
/Marten

info(apestaartje)m-gineering(punt)nl