USB Rechargeable Helmet Light

[Karl]

Looking for a helmet light thats provides good light for riding technical sections on the mountain bike. I current use a solarstorm on low setting most of the time but need something which is usb rechargeable.

Only one I can find is the exposure joystick...any other suggestions?

Thanks

Karl

[Bearbonesnorm]

Have you looked at the stuff from Lezyne Karl?

http://www.tweekscycles.com/bike-access ... ont-lights

[johnnystorm]

Lezyne macro duo gets a thumbs up from me. The helmet mount is as good as the exposure one. It's only 400 lumens max but the rear light built in is handy and can be switched off. It's micro usb which is either handy or awkward depending how new your Garmin is.

https://www.evanscycles.com/lezyne-macr ... oCjXDw_wcB

[ScotRoutes]

Niterider Lumina Range

[benp1]

Lezyne Macro duo used to be my helmet light on my commuting lid

Have put the Macro duo onto my folding helmet for use on my Brompton

Have a joystick on my commuting lid and a Diablo on my off road lid

All would work well for you. Macro duo had the least power but quite some way though, and the battery isn't that big

The Cateye volt 400 or 800 could work too

[Karl]

Just to give a bit more background I'll be using a revo dyno light on the bar so the helmet light will be an extra light for when the riding gets a bit more technical.

Whats people experience of the leyzne, niterider and cateye helmet mounting options?

[Karl]

Anyone used one of these Alpkit Boson's. Looks good for the money.

https://www.alpkit.com/products/boson

[In Reverse]

I use one of these for exactly the scenario you're describing Karl.
Somehow seems much brighter than the 300 lumens quoted.

That Boson looks cracking though tbf.

[Justchris]

I have a lezyne power drive xl on the lid. But it's one of the older versions. And it's pretty good some reviews say it's more robust than the newer versions. However even in overdrive 475 lumens mode it gets completely drowned out by my toro on a medium setting. But pretty much anything other than a high end exposure helmet light will. Tweeks have good prices I would get one of those. It can act as a battery itself to charge other things and if the connections are as well made as my toro it won't be damaged as it charged, say in a gas tank or in a handlebar harness. I wouldn't think my lezyne would survive too many recharges in a stem cell etc. I don't think any usb rechargeable one will, maybe I am wrong.

[DoctorRad]

Adapt a triple AAA headtorch to run off a USB battery in your backpack:

https://www.facebook.com/kLite.com.au/p ... 897074130/

Basically you use a diode to drop the 5V USB voltage to around 4.4V to drive the headtorch.

[Asposium]

Lupine make a USB charger.

https://www.lupine.de/products/parts-an ... sb-charger

Works a treat; when wild camping use the USB charger to recharge a Lupine NEO headtorch from an external battery pack.

[Karl]

Asposium you were thinking on my wavelength. This arrived from amazon today for my Chinese solarstorm lights that I've currently got. Converts 5V USB to 9V. So far it seems to work and cheaper than a new light. I'll keep you posted on success or failure.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01 ... UTF8&psc=1

If it doesn't work might go down the diode route as I've got all the bits apart from the diode, thanks for posting.

[DoctorRad]

Asposium you were thinking on my wavelength. This arrived from amazon today for my Chinese solarstorm lights that I've currently got. Converts 5V USB to 9V. So far it seems to work and cheaper than a new light. I'll keep you posted on success or failure.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01 ... UTF8&psc=1

If it doesn't work might go down the diode route as I've got all the bits apart from the diode, thanks for posting.

What have you got this 'working' on? This is a plug output, and most Chinese lights have a plug input, so are you using back-to-back sockets? Also, they tend to pull more than the 800mA this gizmo is capable of delivering, and if you attach to a USB battery, you are passing your current through THREE regulators (Battery pack, gizmo, LED driver) with power losses at each stage. Much better to just power it directly from a set of Li-Ion cells.

The diode trick won't work with a headlamp needing more than 5V, only something that takes 3x 1.2 - 1.5V cells.

[BigdummySteve]

I like the look of these
ZNEX® ØM³/u | High Power USB spotlights, outdoor, bicycle, helmet lamp, LED light,... https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B013BNA3FY/ ... MybFZZBCX2

They also do a version which connects to their waterproof frame mounted battery, could be a versatile setup

[Karl]

Doctorrad I'm just recharging a solarstorm battery. I need the diode to bring the voltage down below 8.4v for safety/longevity. Power is coming from a cache battery charged from the dyno.

[DoctorRad]

Charging a battery from a battery can result in significant energy losses. If you want to use a USB battery as your power source, much better to get a light which will run directly from the USB output.

[Karl]

I'll be pluging it in directly to the Igaro D1 once I know it works. Checked the output voltage, exactly 9v so a 1N4001 diode is being purchased from Maplins on the way home - 9p. This will bring the volts down to 8.3v and will safely charge the battery for my regular helmet light. Total cost will be £5.99 + £0.09.....