Message-ID: Date: Wed, 24 Mar 1999 09:09:29 +0000 From: aukhawk Subject: KnightLite White LED - assessment Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 I just bought one of the KnightLite White LED lights, more to assess it than for any specific need. In the UK these are available from St John St Cycles, among other places - KnightLite Koncorde, £12.99. I can say straight away that it is *not* as good as my own home-built effort, which uses 5 white LEDs of the 1000mcd/60 degree type that have been discussed here recently. Viewed straight on it is substantially less bright than my light, while viewed from any kind of angle it shows itself to be quite directional, where mine gives virtually unchanged coverage across an arc of at least 60 degrees. All that said, I am nevertheless impressed with the KnightLite. For one thing, my light, if I built it again at current component prices, would cost twice as much. The design is the same as their single-LED rear light, which I have criticised in the past but which is popular with many riders. That is, it has a single LED which appears to be slightly oversized (this may be an illusion) mounted into a conical plastic reflector-diffuser-lensy- thingy which does a good job of making it look like a traditional filament bulb & reflector setup. Viewed more or less straight on, is a very bright, very neutral white light, certainly a big improvement on any other commercial front LED of any colour that I've seen in the UK. Viewed in this way, it is subjectively much brighter than a typical 2W halogen front light of the Vistalite or Cateye genre. Unfortunately the brightness drops off rapidly when viewed off axis. Seen by an oncoming vehicle on the opposite side of the road, it would not be all that impressive. The upside of this is that it does throw a bit of a beam - certainly good enough to get you home on a dark night, and, dare I say it, as good as any typical cycle front light of 15 or 20 years ago. Obviously to make use of this, you would need to mount it in such a way that it can be swivelled down and pointed as required. The mounting supplied is a typical rigid bracket-&-belthook arrangement designed to mount on the handlebar. It has two flashing modes. These are a major disappointment - usually LED lights when switched to a flashing mode become both subjectively and actually brighter, and therefore much more noticeable, although irritating to some people. I'd rather be noticed, in an irritating sort of way, than not at all. But for some reason on this light the LED is much dimmer in the flash modes, and the steady mode is in every way to be preferred. It uses two AAA cells so the usual misgivings about runtime apply. But overall, and for the price, I'm impressed. Francis Cooke ------------------ Date: Thu, 25 Mar 1999 16:31:11 +0000 To: bikecurrent@cyclery.com From: aukhawk Subject: Re: KnightLite White LED - assessment As an addendum to my 'assessment' - although this is an impressive little light, I honestly feel it falls between two stools - it is too directional to be of much use as a conspicuity light, and although the 'beam' is quite usable at low speeds, there are better 3rd-string backup devices. It's best role is as a lightweight 'bobby-dodger' - it is genuinely white, bright to look at, and could easily pass at first glance for a normal incandescent light.