From: David Larsen Subject: [BC] Australian Reviewof Cateye EL500 Date: Thu, 5 Aug 2004 17:18:35 +1000 Message-ID: <2059697640-1463792638-1091690328@boing.topica.com> X-Topica-Id: <1091690325.inmta010.25369.1402396> All, thought you would like to have a look at a review that i have written for Bicycle Victoria's magazine - Ride On! - for further details of this organisation refer to http://www.bv.com.au regards David Cateye Power Opticube EL500 Light - RRP$135 LED technology continues to progress in leaps and bounds, and in the new EL 500 light, Cateye have produced their brightest light to date that runs on 4AA batteries. Weighing 190g with batteries and measuring 10cm long, with a lens diameter of 4.5 cm, the new light has just a single 1 watt LED that is combined with Cateye's Opticube lens technology to produce a very bright beam that last s 30 hours at maximum brightness. The magnetic switch has a nice positive action that is effective, and while I have not tested it, Cat Eye claim tha t the light is water proof to 30 feet. The light is firmly secured by the standard tools free bracket that cat eye produce for most of its lights. I took the opportunity to compare how this light stood up against other similar lights in the Cateye range and against the Australian Standard for Lighting Equipment for Bicycles - AS 3562-1990. To do this I am grateful to the assistance provided by Dr's A.Metha and R.Ashman of the Melbourne University Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences. Two tests were undertaken. The first, to measure Luminescence (Brightness) from the various angles specified by the standard, this was done using a QM1586 Ditentec Photometer at a distance of one meter from each light mounted on a gimbal. The second test measured the colour of the light using a PR650 Sprectrometerscan and this was compared against the standard to determine if it was within the range specified. In both tests fresh Duracell alkaline AA batteries were used for each light. The results presented below vary from the claims made by the manufacturer and as such can only be considered indicative and subject to further investigation to verify the results. It should also be noted that both the EL300 and the EL500 have passed both the comparable British and German lighting standards. [NOTE: this is the appearance of the table in links, a text web browser. -wb] Brightness in Candela (cd) at specified degrees to Photometer (1 candela = 0.98 candles) 0 4o 4o 15o 15o 80o 80o Colour Notes right left right left right left compliance Aust 400 250 250 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 Standard HL500II 673 562 561 8 6 0 1 yes 2.4w over 2.4w volted halogen globe EL 200 150 66 104 3 4 1 1 yes 3 LEDs basic lens EL 300 540 289 123 2.7 2.5 1 1.4 yes 5 LED Opticube lens EL 500 778 661 583 70.5 10.8 1.7 0.5 yes 1 watt LED As can be seen from the above the new EL500 is the brightest light in the test, surpassing not only the previous LED lights but also the previous brightest 4AA battery light in the Cat Eye range, the HL500II halogen light, which has an over volted 2.4w halogen globe and runs for only 3 hours. The beam pattern of the light is circular and provides a useful light out to a distance of approximately of 10 meters. This light does comes at a price that approaches more powerful systems, but having said this, I am not aware of any comparable light that succeeds so well at combining brightness with a run time that can see you through 3 nights of riding on one set of 4AA batteries.