Premium Headlight now Available

[Ironman]

Check out my front rack solution for the light on my RadRunner Plus.  Youtube clip here...https://youtu.be/kJjPonetvus

[sc00ter]

That is a nice solution Ironman! Very nice!

[JimInPT]

I agree that this "premium" headlight is utterly useless after dark (I tried one) but does anybody know the wattage draw of this light?  I've attached an aftermarket light that draws about 10 watts and Area 13 warns that their controller upgrade (which I also have) does not support this light and runs a risk of burning out.

[handlebar]

I agree that this "premium" headlight is utterly useless after dark (I tried one) but does anybody know the wattage draw of this light?  I've attached an aftermarket light that draws about 10 watts and Area 13 warns that their controller upgrade (which I also have) does not support this light and runs a risk of burning out.

Back in the day, carbon-zinc would light a dim bulb. A dynamo would light a bright bulb until you forgot to ride the brakes down a hill to prevent a blowout. Even with a working bulb, you'd be in the dark at a stop sign.

Rechargeable batteries were heavy and leaked sulphuric acid.

I bought a carbide lamp. I bought the kind with a striker so I wouldn't have to light it with wet matches. If you buy one, make sure it's not a tungsten carbide lamp. They're impossible to light.

[JimInPT]

WARNING - I just got a reply from Area 13 saying the 35A controller upgrade is limited to 5w headlight power and can only handle the stock 5w headlight, not even the "Premium" Rad headlight.

I checked with them after reading this:

Will only work with stock 200 lumen headlight, will not work with the 500 Lumen headlights. THE 500 will burn up your controller.

from here:  https://area13ebikes.com/products/radkit

I assume this applies to the upgrades sold by ElectroBikeWorld and other vendors as well.  This seems like a ridiculous design spec on an "upgrade" controller, but Area13 is adamant about this.

I haven't had a problem, but I almost never ride after dark, so my use so far was limited to a few minutes after installation of this 10w unit to get it aligned to the road:

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/234738995390

So it looks like I'll be removing this one and leaving both it and the Rad "Premium" headlight in my spare-parts box.

Sigh.

[handlebar]

Will only work with stock 200 lumen headlight, will not work with the 500 Lumen headlights. THE 500 will burn up your controller.

Sigh.

My rechargeable has a 5.8 AH, 3.7 V battery, or about 21.46 watt hours. The manufacturer says it will run 4 hours on high. That would be more than 5 watts. I think a modern Cree bulb will typically produce 100 lumens per watt, so it's probably about 500 lumens. I can adjust the beam height as I ride, and unlike a carbide lamp, it won't burn my fingers.

[JimInPT]

My rechargeable has a 5.8 AH, 3.7 V battery, or about 21.46 watt hours. The manufacturer says it will run 4 hours on high. That would be more than 5 watts. I think a modern Cree bulb will typically produce 100 lumens per watt, so it's probably about 500 lumens. I can adjust the beam height as I ride, and unlike a carbide lamp, it won't burn my fingers.

My main headlight is a Planet Bike 800 rechargeable, almost exclusively used in slow-strobe mode for daytime visibility.  Highly recommended.  I was hoping that yellow one would be a good backup for nighttime use just in case, because where I live, if the moon's not up after dark, it's farkin' DARK outside.  The stock (and "Premium"... hah) headlights are actually dangerous in that condition, where you'd be in the pothole, or critter, before you spotted it.

And somewhere I still have an honest-to-God brass carbide miner's headlamp that's around a hundred years old or so, used by my grandfather when he was a kid.  It's a beautifully-crafted jewel and I can't imagine mining amidst coal dust with an open-flame lantern like that.  Brass ballz, they had.

[Naranja_CT5+]

So it looks like I'll be removing this one and leaving both it and the Rad "Premium" headlight in my spare-parts box.

Sigh.

It does not look like you need to remove it. Your headlight says you can use 12v "Designed to work on 12v 48v 52v and 60v ebike electrical systems"
You just need to power it externally. I have seen a 12v system powered by 18650 batteries on Amazon

[handlebar]

My main headlight is a Planet Bike 800 rechargeable, almost exclusively used in slow-strobe mode for daytime visibility.  Highly recommended.  I was hoping that yellow one would be a good backup for nighttime use just in case, because where I live, if the moon's not up after dark, it's farkin' DARK outside.  The stock (and "Premium"... hah) headlights are actually dangerous in that condition, where you'd be in the pothole, or critter, before you spotted it.

You may be unaware of the law. Unless on rails, a locomotive must have somebody with a lantern walk at least 60 yards ahead. That should allow ample braking distance if he spots a critter or a pothole and flags you down. It was repealed when motor vehicles came along, but an ebike is not a motor vehicle.

[JimInPT]

It does not look like you need to remove it. Your headlight says you can use 12v "Designed to work on 12v 48v 52v and 60v ebike electrical systems" You just need to power it externally. I have seen a 12v system powered by 18650 batteries on Amazon

Yes, I getcha, but I rarely ride after dark, or really anytime a headlight would even be visible on the road surface - I was just trying to replace the stock headlight with one that had a useful beam pattern, for emergencies (like my Planet Bike rechargeable not working) or the very-rare need to ride after dark.

I don't want to carry around more batteries and have more hassle just for that.  So far, I've been unable to find a 5-watt headlight that could be a drop-in replacement like the 10-watter I have, but with a better beam than stock. 

Also still sort of pissed off that an "upgrade" controller can't even handle 10 watts whereas apparently the stock controller can (I asked Rad how many watts the "premium" headlight draws and their response was "500 lumens") - does nobody attend even high-school STEM classes anymore?  WTF is that about?

[JimInPT]

You may be unaware of the law. Unless on rails, a locomotive must have somebody with a lantern walk at least 60 yards ahead. That should allow ample braking distance if he spots a critter or a pothole and flags you down. It was repealed when motor vehicles came along, but an ebike is not a motor vehicle.

Oh, I'm aware of the law, all right.  I always comply with any arbitrary law, excreted by somebody who could only get a government "job" that comes along, to the letter.  You betcha.

Anyway, everything was fine until my lantern guy was run down by a locomotive sneaking up from behind.  Nailed the lantern too, so I'm scrooed.

[handlebar]

Anyway, everything was fine until my lantern guy was run down by a locomotive sneaking up from behind.  Nailed the lantern too, so I'm scrooed.

Ride around the golf course and chat with caddies. With shorter playing hours, most of them will jump at a chance to moonlight and gladly purchase a lantern.