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Any other headlights Rad compatible?

Started by MagnumPA, June 20, 2023, 05:51:21 PM

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MagnumPA

My premium headlight did its usual moving towards the sky and i did the usual push it back down and today the plastic mount on the bottom snapped.  Do any other lights out there have the same connector/mount/power consumption?  I don't want to splice wires if possible since my bike sits out in the rain when I'm at work.

Does anyone know the power consumption? 

Can I just unplug it and use battery bike lights?

I'm used to vintage 2 stroke mopeds and if you run those without a headlight, all the other bulbs will blow out. Will running without a headlight overload other components on the RadRunner+ ?  I'm assuming no, since you can turn it off, but I just wanted to make sure. 

handlebar

I've considered buying a brighter light for my Radrunner 1. A light whose voltage range includes 48 and that has the red (2-wire) connector on a cable that will reach, should work.

Current draw is a possible problem. I wish they'd publish how much headlight current a particular controller can supply and how much a particular light needs. I imagine most lights would work. Some at Amazon say specifically that they will work on a Radrunner.

MagnumPA


handlebar

#3
https://amzn.to/3NugdLA

This one is shown with the right connector, but some have received the wrong one. Some complain that it's too dim, but that doesn't tell how it compares with the light you're replacing.

https://amzn.to/3NqQ4NJ

This one shows the right connector and specifically mentions Rad models. It says it uses 10 watts. That would be about 200 ma. I think the controller could easily handle that. It doesn't say how long the cord is.

MagnumPA

Thanks, I'm gonna try out the OZ one.

handlebar

Quote from: MagnumPA on June 21, 2023, 05:40:26 PM
Thanks, I'm gonna try out the OZ one.

I want to hear how well it goes, and if it's really as bright as they say.

Tree

#6
i don't bother with messing with the the electrical system, and got these handle bar mounted lights...

this one for brightness, be it a cloudy day, and evening ride, etc - https://amzn.to/43XYbse

and this one as a daytime running light, on the slower flash function - https://amzn.to/3JwB8g6

handlebar

#7
Quote from: Tree on June 24, 2023, 07:32:58 AM
i don't bother with messing with the the electrical system, and got these handle bar mounted lights...

this one for brightness, be it a cloudy day, and evening ride, etc - https://amzn.to/43XYbse

and this one as a daytime running light, on the slower flash function - https://amzn.to/3JwB8g6

I much prefer my Radmission to my Radrunner 1 at night because the former has a brighter light. It would probably be great to ride with a light as bright as the Victagen, and if I didn't clamp the bracket too tightly on the bar, I could set the elevation as I rode. I could unclip it for a flashlight.

They advertise 8,000 lumens. Really? The battery has about 20 watt hours. They say you get 2.5 hours at the highest brightness. That would be 8 watts, for a thousand lumens per watt. The most efficient LEDs get a tenth that much, about 100 lumens per watt.

It looks as if it would be a little cockeyed if I didn't have a level section of handlebar to mount it.

What's with the blue taillight? It would be illegal on the road.  It's a novelty that makes the taillight more complicated to operate.

One reviewer recommended putting baby oil on the rubber strap to mount the taillight. He said otherwise, it would soon deteriorate from exposure. I doubt baby oil would help, but some rubbery stuff stands up to sunlight very well. How is yours holding up?

In spite of the blatantly false advertising of lumens, I'm tempted. I'm not tempted to buy the other item for daytime. Instead, I wear a yellow safety vest. It presents a big, high picture like a stop sign, and I'm immediately recognizable as a human in the road.

JimInPT

#8
Quote from: handlebar on June 24, 2023, 12:00:04 PMIn spite of the blatantly false advertising of lumens, I'm tempted. I'm not tempted to buy the other item for daytime. Instead, I wear a yellow safety vest. It presents a big, high picture like a stop sign, and I'm immediately recognizable as a human in the road.

FYI, here are the front and rear lights I hung on my MiniST2 and am very happy with - I just hang them on a charger when I charge up the main bike battery (both can be charged in place if your USB cables are long enough, but are easy and fast to remove if not) and yes the mounts adjust in only one axis so you'll need a level front bar, the rear orientation doesn't really matter as long as it's not pointing downward, so I hung mine from my seat's frame since the seatpost is angled too much and is blocked by my rear basket:

Front:  https://amzn.to/43VUbbz
a phenomenal light that I use in slow-strobe mode during the day for fantastic visibility and hours of time on a charge; I almost never ride after dark, but it has brightness settings all the way to blistering with a great beam shape that doesn't annoy oncoming traffic - far superior to stock Rad lights of any sort.  Easy to unclip to use as a flashlight or to prevent theft.  They offer less-powerful models, but I live in a rural area with no road lights and often no bike lanes or even shoulders, where moonless nights are utterly dark out on the road, so the high-power brightness setting is useful.  Because of their weak, rectangular and tightly-focused beam pattern, the Rad lights are actually dangerous under these conditions, where you've either already hit what was out of the range of light or it's moved past the beam and disappeared.  Nasty Rad lights, those.

Rear: https://amzn.to/46lh0qU
a long-lasting and well-made rechargeable with auto-on/auto-off motion sensor so you don't have to remember to turn it on or off each ride - the flash settings last a very long time (I use "dit-dit .... dit-dit-dit-dit" which is an attention-grabbing sequence) and this thing is BRIGHT.  I use it along with my flashing stock Rad taillight.  When I ordered mine, it was sold as a single, choosing either front or rear, so I didn't bother ordering the front. 
Shucks Ma'am, I'm no "Hero Member", I just like to wear this cape.

handlebar

#9
Quote from: JimInPT on June 24, 2023, 12:16:22 PM

Front:  https://amzn.to/43VUbbz
a phenomenal light that I use in slow-strobe mode during the day for fantastic visibility and hours of time on a charge; I almost never ride after dark, but it has brightness settings all the way to blistering with a great beam shape that doesn't annoy oncoming traffic - far superior to stock Rad lights of any sort.  Easy to unclip to use as a flashlight or to prevent theft.  They offer less-powerful models, but I live in a rural area with no road lights and often no bike lanes or even shoulders, where moonless nights are utterly dark out on the road, so the high-power brightness setting is useful.  Because of their weak, rectangular and tightly-focused beam pattern, the Rad lights are actually dangerous under these conditions, where you've either already hit what was out of the range of light or it's moved past the beam and disappeared.  Nasty Rad lights, those.


It first I liked the Blaze better than the Victagen because the claimed output looks honest and it looks simpler to operate.

Now I see important advantages in the Victagen.

1. Easier to operate. A Blaze reviewer pointed out that kicking it to a higher intensity requires cycling through the settings. I hated that in headband headlamps. The Victagen is simpler.

2. Wide and narrow beams. I hated headband lamps with only one beam pattern. With the Victagen, the other beam pattern is one click away. Then you can click down the level if you wish.

3. Almost twice the battery capacity and faster charging.

4. Battery level percent. I've read that the Blaze has a low-battery warning, but the Victagen shows percent remaining. It can be a great convenience to know when recharging isn't necessary.

5. The Victagen costs half as much as the Blaze.

Tree

Quote from: handlebar on June 24, 2023, 12:00:04 PM
Quote from: Tree on June 24, 2023, 07:32:58 AM
i don't bother with messing with the the electrical system, and got these handle bar mounted lights...

this one for brightness, be it a cloudy day, and evening ride, etc - https://amzn.to/43XYbse

and this one as a daytime running light, on the slower flash function - https://amzn.to/3JwB8g6

I much prefer my Radmission to my Radrunner 1 at night because the former has a brighter light. It would probably be great to ride with a light as bright as the Victagen, and if I didn't clamp the bracket too tightly on the bar, I could set the elevation as I rode. I could unclip it for a flashlight.

They advertise 8,000 lumens. Really? The battery has about 20 watt hours. They say you get 2.5 hours at the highest brightness. That would be 8 watts, for a thousand lumens per watt. The most efficient LEDs get a tenth that much, about 100 lumens per watt.

It looks as if it would be a little cockeyed if I didn't have a level section of handlebar to mount it.

What's with the blue taillight? It would be illegal on the road.  It's a novelty that makes the taillight more complicated to operate.

One reviewer recommended putting baby oil on the rubber strap to mount the taillight. He said otherwise, it would soon deteriorate from exposure. I doubt baby oil would help, but some rubbery stuff stands up to sunlight very well. How is yours holding up?

In spite of the blatantly false advertising of lumens, I'm tempted. I'm not tempted to buy the other item for daytime. Instead, I wear a yellow safety vest. It presents a big, high picture like a stop sign, and I'm immediately recognizable as a human in the road.

between the 2 lights on the back of my bike and the two on the tube, i'm not sure which ones came with which lights, but i generally don't use the blue. i usually put them on some sort of flash, usually with red, white, or yellow, depending on the light. they're not complicated. it's simply a single button that allows you cycle through the different lighting settings.

i've had all the lights for just about 12 months, with no issues. rubber seems fine, and i do plenty of riding in 90+ degree weather. today's 107 with a heat index of 125 may keep me inside though. lol

i find myself charging the Gator about once a week, after 3 to 5 rights. the Victagen less so - in part because i simply don't use it that often. i don't ride that much at night, and even less so during the summer when it's light here until well past 8:30....

they've certainly met my needs.


Eric7

I agree with others in saying just mount a light with its own battery.  I am afraid if you draw too much power you would burn out the controller or the headlamp section of the controller, and that part is expensive.

handlebar

Quote from: Eric7 on June 29, 2023, 02:27:08 PM
I agree with others in saying just mount a light with its own battery.  I am afraid if you draw too much power you would burn out the controller or the headlamp section of the controller, and that part is expensive.

I'm glad I was talked out of getting a 48-volt replacement, mostly because my rechargeable mounts on the handlebars, 46" high, compared to the original 29", under the front rack of my Radmission. Up on the bars, it's more visible to let motorists and pedestrians know I'm coming. To light the pavement, say, 100 feet ahead, I can aim it down more steeply, to keep it out of drivers' eyes. What's more, I can change the elevation as I ride.

The same light can be switched to my Radrunner, and I can use it as a flashlight. I need to devise a way to fix it to a tripod for a work light.

MagnumPA

I've been riding all week with the OZ light all week in 90 plus heat, all good so far.  Cord length is perfect for replacing Radrunner Plus headlight.  The mounting bracket is a lot thicker than the Rad one so a longer bolt was needed, and the bracket is shorter, so the headlight is only about an inch higher than the fender.  This might be a problem for night riding since the fender/tire blocks the light if you angle it downward, but it seems so bright it's probably fine for city riding, maybe not trail riding in the dark.  I usually only ride in the day so I can't say for sure yet. 

handlebar

I was going to buy an OZ like yours. I bought a different one because it mounts on the handlebar. I find it so advantageous that I suggest that you might mount yours higher if you can see a way to do it.

My big reason for a headlight is to be visible in town. Suppose a driver is about to back out a driveway. A higher mounting reduces that chance that the driver's view will be obstructed by a bush or trash can. Another advantage is that if the screw isn't too tight, I can adjust the elevation as I ride. I want the beam high enough to catch the attention of motorists but not so high as to be annoying by day or blinding by night.

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