Time to actually think about lighting...

[Parah_Salin]

OK, so, lighting.

My bike is looking nearely complete enough that I should through a light or two on it.

What are some, good, cheap lighting options? I want to use batteries outside of my happy times power system as to not sap power from the engine, am I better off just making a pack of C or D disposable batteries, or getting some kind of a cheap rechargeable?

Also, can I run a house lightbulb off a battery?

I want a fairly bright setup, as this thing will be my main way of getting home from concerts at 3 AM

 

[SirJakesus]

Check out DealExtreme.com. They have lots of HIGH POWERED (150+ lumen) flashlights and holders that attach to your handlebars. Most use rechargeable batteries too.

 

[loquin]

I'll second that. I bought a couple of their (DealExtreme's) R2 units - these are 3-4 watt LEDs that are seriously bright. You can see the street ahead for close to 200 feet. You would need to epoxy a piece of glass to the front of the reflector, (dealextreme sells these too) and fasten the light unit to an aluminum block or small heat sink, as it can get quite hot. You could mount the unit inside one of the old-style metal lights for weather protection, and you wouldn't need the glass glued to the front of the R2 reflector. (you WOULD still need the heat sink, though)

For a battery pack, use 4 of Aventrade's "C" or "D" sized Nickel metal hydride batteries, as they have some serious storage capacity. 5 or 10 amp hours, respectively. Radio Shack sells the battery holders.

The R2 units can handle 3-18 volts, as they have built-in driver circuitry. The built-in driver is most efficient at about 3.5 volts, though. (about 80%) At higher voltages, it's less efficient, and as a result, there is more wasted heat.

If you want to get the most battery life, scrap the driver board on the R2 unit, and get a buckpuck driver (3023-D-E-1000.) At 5 volts for the supply voltage, it's rated 95% efficient. And, it has a dimmer, so you can adjust the light output to fit the need.