Comments on: A bright way to cycle

By: Verimius

Verimius — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 18:24:28 +0000

Slip rings. Devices used to transfer power, or signals, between fixed and rotating parts are called “slip rings”. There are many types for different applications.

There are even rotary transformers, which transfer power or signals purely by induction, without any metal-to-metal contact.

By: monkeyslayer56

monkeyslayer56 — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 11:40:11 +0000

i probably would have used EL wire because i would be afraid of braking the tubes… but then again ive never used neon or cold cathode so that may not be a problem

By: blizzarddemon

blizzarddemon — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 11:24:51 +0000

Too bad those are illegal in my state. No high luminance lights are allowed on any vehicle, bike, or pedestrian unless necessary, ie no cosmetic add-ons. They’re supposedly a hinderence for on coming vehicles, claiming they cause visual confusion.

By: r4v5

r4v5 — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 08:01:34 +0000

A better question: They have hub generators, in which the front wheel would generate a/c at around 12 volts and ground the frame. Why carry around two batteries in a fanny pack when you could just do that? How much current are these tubes drawing, anyway?

By: Az

Az — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 19:03:25 +0000

“Don’t worry, Ma’am – I’m from the internet.”

By: James

James — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:03:55 +0000

Slightly OTT. And as a cycle-commuter I can guarantee that that’s going to get bricks and bottles thrown at you if you cycle anywhere less than pleasant!

By: Hackius

Hackius — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:21:04 +0000

Somebody saw Men In Black

By: DocMAME

DocMAME — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:53:32 +0000

My son has been running with automotive LED strips on his bike for well over a year… running off of a radio control battery pack he could run for several days solid on a single charge. We found this out when we left them on purposely to discharge the pack and they were still lit two days later.

They light the road and the frame of the bike and draw attention when he rides after dark at the car shows and fireworks displays in the park.

By: jeff-o

jeff-o — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:38:15 +0000

Looks pretty useless when it’s raining. That’s a shame, since riding in the rain usually requires more lights!

By: Monkeysflingpoo

Monkeysflingpoo — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 05:23:20 +0000

They use inverters. My point was just that you can get off the shelf kits designed for computer and automotive use that run off 12v.

By: Akoi Meexx

Akoi Meexx — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 23:41:44 +0000

@monkeysflingpoo: Yeah, but don’t CCFLs use a step up as well? I can only assume that’s what he’s using, I have one light mounted on the undercarriage of my bike for visibility purposes. I hardwired the transformer to a switch and blade terminals, then connect those to two jumpered VPX batteries.

By: Joe

Joe — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 23:03:42 +0000

You had me until the fanny pack bit.

By: fooquestionmark

fooquestionmark — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 21:28:37 +0000

I like it.

By: antiNeonLightHacks

antiNeonLightHacks — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 21:15:50 +0000

You should file him under tool review.

By: Monkeysflingpoo

Monkeysflingpoo — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 20:55:16 +0000

No write up?

Is he using neon or cold cathode? I would think it would have been easier to throw on some 12v CCFLs out of the box. They are easily had and come in various sizes. All working off of 12v.

Just saying.