Anyone make a hood for your headlight?

[Judd]

@LeprosyStudyGroup 154206 wrote:

I realized on the way home one could very easily swap out a hood and turn the throw pattern into WuTang or the bat signal

I’d probably pay $20 for a Wu-Tang Clan bike light. I’d then challenge every passing cyclist to enter the 36 chambers.

[peterw_diy]

@BobCochran 154213 wrote:

Electrical tape (the high quality kind, anyhow) has to withstand fairly high temperatures

I am under the impression that high temperatures in your electrical wiring indicate you’re pushing too much current. Tape used for vent ductwork, sure, that stuff is designed to laugh at scalding heat. But electrical tape?

[Vicegrip]

@anomad 154190 wrote:

Here’s where I am going with this idea. Thanks for the inspiration!

If the goal is to reduce glare for oncoming riders/walkers I think you will want to adjust a couple of things. I suspect that you will find the hoods need to be a good bit longer in front of the lights for good up and side cutoff. As the hoods are acting as cut offs and not true light guides they should be flat black or as non reflective as you can work out. This is more important for the sides than the top. As mentioned Kydex or PVC sheet works well as it can be cut and thermal formed with ease and common tools. I make up a test dummy using some cut up yellow folder stock and then transfer the template to the sheet stock adding in dimension adjustments for bends where needed. Start with way too much of a hood and go shine it on a wall to test. cut away until the light pattern is right, remove and lay the card stock flat. If you have a final design in hand but find transferring it to the final material an issue I can form it up in short order from some black kydex. I work with the stuff often and this can be fashioned from some of my plentiful scrap.

[BobCochran]

@peterw_diy 154225 wrote:

I am under the impression that high temperatures in your electrical wiring indicate you’re pushing too much current. Tape used for vent ductwork, sure, that stuff is designed to laugh at scalding heat. But electrical tape?

There are many different electrical applications where heat is an environmental factor. Sometimes you need an electrical tape with a high temperature rating. For the use case here (the hood taped over the LED light) I was thinking that the tape will heat up from sunshine exposure alone. If the tape can’t withstand that the hood could fall off the light. Anyhow I see that Vicegrip is giving interesting suggestions above and may be a better option.

This tape is rated to 600v and 14-176 degrees Fahrenheit.

https://www.amazon.com/Duck-299006-4-Inch-Utility-Electrical/dp/B001B19JLS/ref=pd_lpo_60_bs_lp_t_2?_encoding=UTF8&refRID=R25EPHPY2KD0FXG2QBFF&th=1

Scotch (3M) also makes specialized electrical tapes which are made of glass and intended for oven controls or other applications where there is really high heat.

https://www.amazon.com/3M-Electrical-Thermosetting-Adhesive-50-Inch/dp/B000UE46LK

A quick Google will disclose many types of high-temperature electrical tape. The tape you use depends on the application and environment. I’m a hobbyist and for some projects, high temperature tape is recommended. I simply follow the advice given for that particular project.

Thanks a ton

Bob

[huskerdont]

@anomad 154190 wrote:

Here’s where I am going with this idea. Thanks for the inspiration!

Remind me not to play bikey-jousty with you.

[DismalScientist]

@anomad 154204 wrote:

How do you go about that? Open up the light and re-position the LEDs? You can see my electrical engineering technical skills may be limited to duct tape and an old pop can

If you are using a cheap Chinese flashlight (like, I think, in post #9), twisting the front relative to the main battery case focuses the beam either near or far away. If you focus the beam far, the light will look like a square. You can even make out the “imperfections” in the shape of the LED. For the other lights pictured in the thread, there appears to be no focus adjustment.

[Steve O]

It really is too bad that the bike light manufacturers don’t take a cue from Europe and make engineered beams. They’re all just blazing circles of light. Of the 800 lumens or whatever, 600 of them are lighting things up that don’t really matter.
My generator-run light has an engineered beam that illuminates the trail only – no wasted light on the trees, sky and oncoming eyeballs.
I wear my blazing circle of light on my helmet, which operates on a swivel called a “neck.” It can quickly and easily be swiveled away from oncoming comrade-type people on bikes or swiveled directly into the eyeballs of non-comrade-type taxi drivers.
This swivel works without the need to move my hands from the handlebars nor any kind of remote control device. The downside is it’s very difficult to find replacement parts and repairs are wicked expensive.

[hozn]

As others have mentioned, there are a number of lights that have engineered beams, though. Besides the european ones, I know offhand (without actually researching it) that Blackburn and Specialized both make shaped-beam lights.

[Vicegrip]

At times I like to have side light such as when rolling to work on the W&OD pre-dawn. Damn Deer are almost always full ninja, no lights, no reflective and dappled brown.

[Harry Meatmotor]

@hozn 154252 wrote:

As others have mentioned, there are a number of lights that have engineered beams, though. Besides the european ones, I know offhand (without actually researching it) that Blackburn and Specialized both make shaped-beam lights.

I really like my Spec. Flux Elite. Beam pattern is so much nicer than any flashlight style reflector/lens bike light. I am keeping tabs on the new Exposure Strada 800 and 1200. I’m more fond of the Exposure mounting system than the Specialized.

[KLizotte]

@Harry Meatmotor 154260 wrote:

I really like my Spec. Flux Elite. Beam pattern is so much nicer than any flashlight style reflector/lens bike light. I am keeping tabs on the new Exposure Strada 800 and 1200. I’m more fond of the Exposure mounting system than the Specialized.

I have an earlier version of the Strada and like it very much (bought it about 5 years ago). The beam is cut off at the top so as to minimize blinding oncoming traffic but I still have to be sure it is pointed down slightly on the trails (I point it straight ahead in car traffic however). It’s a really bright, broad light. The mounting system is fantastic (easy on/off and very secure, no rattles ever). Long battery life. My only complaint is the weight and size; it’s possible the latest versions are smaller. I also use a smaller Exposure light on my helmet; don’t remember the name. The company makes a very good product.

[LeprosyStudyGroup]

So where are the hoods you guys made for your lights?

[anomad]

Well I test drove Gen1 hoods this morning and evening on my el cheapo chinese handlebar mounted light and also the helmet mounted Amoeba. I think they are very effective. I didn’t cut my hand off or anything on the aluminum. I took my glove off and reached up to feel the light at a couple stops and it was cool to the touch, so no issues with heat dissipation. The coolest thing is I can use high power now without blinding others. The Amoeba is very bright on full power and has excellent throw for its power.

It was easy to see the cutoff with the helmet mounted light on road signs and reflective objects. As mentioned above, its silly to have 1200 lumens with 700 of them signaling the Space Station and blinding others. I should have done this years ago, but I have never lived in an area with the amazing density of wonderful people using alternative forms of transportation that we have here. Thank you wonderful people.

I looked up silicon baking sheets on Amazon and thinking a long hood with that zip tied in place might be something to play with. The rounded shape of the Light and Motion lights lends itself nicely to that design.

[Harry Meatmotor]

@KLizotte 154261 wrote:

I have an earlier version of the Strada and like it very much (bought it about 5 years ago). The beam is cut off at the top so as to minimize blinding oncoming traffic but I still have to be sure it is pointed down slightly on the trails (I point it straight ahead in car traffic however). It’s a really bright, broad light. The mounting system is fantastic (easy on/off and very secure, no rattles ever). Long battery life. My only complaint is the weight and size; it’s possible the latest versions are smaller. I also use a smaller Exposure light on my helmet; don’t remember the name. The company makes a very good product.

I’ve still got a Diablo as my backup light so I completely agree that they’ve got (probably) the best mounting system extant, and apparently they’ve revised the beam pattern for the new Stradas. Very much looking forward to see some pics of the beam pattern in the wild.

[hozn]

Sounds like I should consider an Exposure next time they have their sale. (I have their Trace/r be-seen f/r set which has held up longer than any other similar lights I have owned.)

Or just get the Spec Flux…

[Author]

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