Thanks to advice here, I cobbled up a couple of lights for a little dog race we had here this month. I thought it might be of interest to share.
Xhp35hi emitter, through a ledil suri-rs optic, in a 7075 housing. Driven by a TaskLED buck driver, batteries were samsung 21700 50e 4s1p setup. These rigs went 1000 miles through bush Alaska. Temps ranged from 51 below to 48 above (seriously, a 100 degree temperature swing during the race). Plenty of water dumped on the housings, no issues. Lit up reflectors during blizzards like a champ, gave me luxurious view of the dogs and trail every night.
Things i'd do different next time - use a 5700 or 6000k emitter instead of 5000k. And find someone with a numeric control machine instead of manual equipment. Machining took forever.
Try uploading them to imgur.com, then edit your post and put the .jpg link in where you want it. Can also click the little “picture” button next to the “film reel” button when you edit to embed the image; make sure to set say 70 on the “width” section in that.
I mountain bike in snow and have so many questions.
That optic/led has a very narrow beam pattern. It would be almost un-rideable around here, you must be traveling very fast. I find 4000k better than 5000k in falling snow, much less light reflected back in my face and trail contours are easier to see. Is 6000k just personal preference or do think there is a performance advantage somewhere?
Did the light on your head bother your neck? Were you able to use it in falling snow?
How did you keep the batteries warm enough?
How hard were you driving the lights?
And most important, could you post a picture of the dog team?
