Message-Id: <3.0.5.32.19990529101556.007b04f0@inca.nscl.msu.edu>
Date: Sat, 29 May 1999 10:15:56 -0400
To: bikecurrent@cyclery.com
From: Pawel Danielewicz <duncan@seneca.nscl.msu.edu>
Subject: follow-up on German dynamo lights

On the occassion of the trip to Germany, I made friends
at a couple of local bike shops and went on to test 
there various dynamo lights comparing rear LEDs to
incandescents.

Findings:
The LED B&M 4D Light remains as pathetic as it appeared to
me in the past; no match for incandescents.

In the comparison of the incandescent fender B&M, 
the rear rack incandescent B&M 
ToplightPlus, and LED rear rack DToplightPlus, the fender
one is the brightest, next comes the rack incandescent,
and finally the LED rack.  That is the overall output
order; in general, the order of the last two can be disputed.  Along the
line straight on, the DToplightPlus
appears to have a higher intensity.  Now, as far as the
power consumption is considered, while the incandescent 
drew 90mA from my 6V battery pack, the DToplightPlus took
only 35mA after having charged the standby capacitor.
The standby light had a reasonable intensity compared to
the regular.

As far as the light pattern was concerned, I preferred
to more spread out beam of the incandescent, but for
the same price, or within a factor of 2-4, the LED would 
win for me with the power 
consumption.  In the end, I hesitated buying the LED.
Its typical price is just under DM50, i.e. close to
$30 which I felt was too much.  The incandescent fender 
B&M costs under DM8, i.e. $4.

Examining the front halogens, I did not find much gain
in the B&M Lumotec (about DM30), over Union; people
in Germany typically regard Lumotec as the best.
Lumotec has a more elegant solution for attaching
wires.  The beam quality appears to me about the same,
while the price differs by nearly a factor of two.
The standby light in the PLus version of the
Lumotec is pretty dim.

As a closing comment, Germany is a land of plenty.
In a right shop, you'll put your hands under one roof 
on Schmidt, 12V FER, regular FER, all kinds of lamps,
Brooks saddles and whatever else your soul should dream of.

--Pawel Danielewicz