Date: Sat, 23 Oct 1999 01:33:53 -0400 (EDT) From: Marty Goodman MD KC6YKC Subject: Less Technical, More Historical note on Specialized Halide Lamp Message-id: <01JHGFN95JPO8XKG6I@delphi.com> The following is a copy of a note I posted to my two local bike clubs. With purpose of introducing them to the Specialized Halide bike light. This post was a bit less technical, and had a bit of historical perspective. I thought some folks on BikeCurrent might enjoy it, even tho it pretty much duplicates all of what I posted in my previous note. Perhaps some might wish to share it with their local clubs. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Folks on these two lists (Single Cyclists and Grizzly Peak Cyclists) may recall that about two years ago I posted a number of comments on a state of the art bicycle lighting system introduced by CatEye: The first ever plasma arc - based lighting system for bicycles. I tested a prototype of the Stadium, and at times rode with that prototype and later with a production version. The light is phenomenal. Drawing 20 watts of power from the battery, it put out as much light as a 65 watt halogen lamp. The light was brighter than an ordinary car's normal beam headlamps. Almost as bright as the high beam lamp. The technology used was developed by Welsch Allyn for opthalmological surgical lamps and for projection TV screens, and similar to the technology used in high end luxury car headlamps. This light, like the luxury car lamps, had a distinctive bluish color. In order to operate, it used a "ballast / DC to DC converter electronic circuit" that converted 12 volts DC to 5000 volts for starting (for a fraction of a second) and to around 90 volts for operating the lamp. A complex, sophisticated system. CatEye had made a bold move, introducing this technology to bicycle lighting. Retail price was $425. But, like many initial efforts, the Stadium lamp had flaws. It tended to overheat if left running while the bicycle was stationary. Its physical form was a bit awkward, especially with respect to mounting and placement of the on/off button. The lamp could not be quickly turned on and off: It took 10 seconds from turning on the switch to the time a useful amount of light was put out, and another 5 to 10 seconds before the lamp had achieved full brightness. Run time was about 1.5 hours on its NiCd battery pack, which was charged with a relatively simple "dumb" charger. CatEye eventually took this lamp off the market, and is about to introduce a new version of it that addresses some of the problems of the earlier unit. However, over the last year or more, a competitor of CatEye, Specialized, has developed its own plasma arc metal halide bicycle lighting system. Now Specialized is about to introduce its plasma arc system, which it calls the "Fireball Team", the high end system of three "Fireball" lighting systems from Specialized. The basic lamp is the same Welsch Allyn bulb CatEye used, and the ballast is fundamentally the same as that used in the old CatEye system, too. But Specialized supplies a powerful NiMH battery than can run the plasma arc lamp for 3 1/4 hours. The system includes a 12 watt ordinary incandescent (halogen) lamp which automatically goes on when the plasma lamp is first fired up, and goes out when the plasma lamp reaches adequate brightness. This 12 watt lamp also serves as a medium power beam alternative, and can be operated at a 6 watt power level for emergency power conservation. Both the 12 watt and the plasma arc lamp can be independently aimed. On / off and power control is via a WIRELESS remote switch. The NiMH battery is charged using a very sophisticated smart charging system, which uses information from an electronic fuel gauge in the battery, AND from temperature and voltage sensors to quickly charge the battery, determine when it's full, then keep it topped off indefinitely without hurting it. The battery, by the way, is a 14.4 volt battery, which (based on tests I did with the Welsch Allyn lamp on my laboratory bench at home here) seems to operate the lamp more efficiently and brightly than does a 12 volt battery. Retail price is $500. All of the above information I've gleaned from email with the developer of the lamp at Specialized, the Specialized catalog for 2000, and comments from my friend Zach who saw the lamp at Interbike this September. I have NOT actually seem or tested the lamp myself. At that same Interbike, CatEye displayed its upgraded Stadium lamp. I know less about that right now, for I've not so much as seen a photograph of it. As I learn more about these two new lamps, I will share that information with folks on these lists. ---marty