Dear all,
I remember seeing some time ago threads about replacement LED bulbs serving as replacements for halogens. Did anyone succeed in making these work?
M11 LED replacements
Re: M11 LED replacements
I didn't see that thread but I've been looking with interest at this myself. Nite Ize and Maglite do (did anyway) replacement 'bulbs' which are the plain 'prefocus' (non screw threaded) type (same size as go in old plastic every-ready battery lights) to fit Maglites.
The Nite Ize one is a 'battery miser' (~£10) and the Maglite one (~£20) was a much more powerful device, about what you might need on a 2-3W bicycle dynamo. They have recently changed the maglite LED system; I'm not sure if the old one will remain available, or if the new one is the same internally or not, but the new one is not a 'bulb' any more, it is a special fitting for the maglite only and may be for one voltage only now.
Both original LED 'bulbs' have electronics in the body so that they work OK on a variable voltage; however I don't know if they are tolerant of reverse polarity or not. I plan to try one of these out in a bicycle lamp at some point. If anyone else has BTDT I'd like to hear.
cheers
The Nite Ize one is a 'battery miser' (~£10) and the Maglite one (~£20) was a much more powerful device, about what you might need on a 2-3W bicycle dynamo. They have recently changed the maglite LED system; I'm not sure if the old one will remain available, or if the new one is the same internally or not, but the new one is not a 'bulb' any more, it is a special fitting for the maglite only and may be for one voltage only now.
Both original LED 'bulbs' have electronics in the body so that they work OK on a variable voltage; however I don't know if they are tolerant of reverse polarity or not. I plan to try one of these out in a bicycle lamp at some point. If anyone else has BTDT I'd like to hear.
cheers
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Re: M11 LED replacements
Give me a shout when you've done it. I'd like to try a LED in one of my old coal miners lamp twin spot sets.
The original overvolted halogens were the best thing since sliced bread back in the 90s.
The original overvolted halogens were the best thing since sliced bread back in the 90s.
If at first you don't succeed - cheat!!
Re: M11 LED replacements
Well I have NightPro lights with a Nickel Metal Hydride battery, so I'm not even wanting to run them off a dynamo. I would just like to run them for a long time between charges.
By the way Nickel Metal Hydride is oxymoronic, surely?
By the way Nickel Metal Hydride is oxymoronic, surely?
Re: M11 LED replacements
oxymoronic? mmm, maybe....
My 'plan' such as it is.. is to use the Nite-Ize bulb for a 'low' beam (~150mA @ 5V) and the more powerful one for a 'high' beam (~0.8A @ 5V) in two lamp housings. The Maglite reflectors are adjustable, and with the correct focus setting and a very simple mask you can get a bright spot ~20M ahead and no dazzle for oncoming road users.
My experiments to date show that brightness is maintained very well even as the voltage droops with these 'bulbs' because of the clever circuitry inside, i.e. as the voltage drops more current is drawn until the votage gets to a threshold and then the light gradually dims. This makes far better use of the batteries (or a rectified dynamo output) than any tungsten bulb. Either 'bulb' will work up to about 9V and down to about 3V.
cheers
My 'plan' such as it is.. is to use the Nite-Ize bulb for a 'low' beam (~150mA @ 5V) and the more powerful one for a 'high' beam (~0.8A @ 5V) in two lamp housings. The Maglite reflectors are adjustable, and with the correct focus setting and a very simple mask you can get a bright spot ~20M ahead and no dazzle for oncoming road users.
My experiments to date show that brightness is maintained very well even as the voltage droops with these 'bulbs' because of the clever circuitry inside, i.e. as the voltage drops more current is drawn until the votage gets to a threshold and then the light gradually dims. This makes far better use of the batteries (or a rectified dynamo output) than any tungsten bulb. Either 'bulb' will work up to about 9V and down to about 3V.
cheers
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Re: M11 LED replacements
Well, in case anyone is interested I did find a web page for a guy who does conversions for NightPro
http://www.el34world.com/Misc/bike/BikesLights1.htm
it looks SO complicated.
I was hoping just to replace a halogen bulb with an LED bulb. No such luck.
http://www.el34world.com/Misc/bike/BikesLights1.htm
it looks SO complicated.
I was hoping just to replace a halogen bulb with an LED bulb. No such luck.Re: M11 LED replacements
I bought an LED replacement bulb from Lumicycle for my Halogen set, slotted straight in and works perfectly. Battery life is amazing, but it lacks the poke of the 12W Halogen it replaced - more flood type beam.
I also recently upgraded my Aye-Up lights from a 4 year old "pretty good" set to a new "Wow!" set - the new ones put out more than twice the light. Aye-Up were doing special upgrade packs as a swap over - they recycle the older units for schools use.
So both commuter bikes are now set up for the long commute on dark mornings / evenings. All I need now is to shake off this chest infection!
I also recently upgraded my Aye-Up lights from a 4 year old "pretty good" set to a new "Wow!" set - the new ones put out more than twice the light. Aye-Up were doing special upgrade packs as a swap over - they recycle the older units for schools use.
So both commuter bikes are now set up for the long commute on dark mornings / evenings. All I need now is to shake off this chest infection!
Re: M11 LED replacements
this one?
http://www.lumicycle.com/product/213/led1w_12mr11/1-watt-led-spot.html
do you happen to know the voltage range it works over, if it runs ac/dc (some LED MR11 fitments will do both) etc?
I didn't see this kind of info on the Lumicycle website... I have a couple of Vistalight housings I could upgrade...
cheers
http://www.lumicycle.com/product/213/led1w_12mr11/1-watt-led-spot.html
do you happen to know the voltage range it works over, if it runs ac/dc (some LED MR11 fitments will do both) etc?
I didn't see this kind of info on the Lumicycle website... I have a couple of Vistalight housings I could upgrade...
cheers
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~