Unless they can't see because they have to close their eyes due to the blinding spotlight type pattern that eminates from LEDs

Yeah because, who cares about the oncoming traffic? What do they need to see anyways?

Right, because blinding the people that are driving directly toward you while you are STOPPING, is going to protect you. Protect your self with that impenetrable shield of light. You'll get the Darwin award for sure!

Your missing the point. Think diffusion lens. Or how about floodlight vs. spotlight. Light pattern. Or how about Lumens per sq. inch at n feet away. More is not always better, just because a 6lb. sledgehammer works well doesn't mean a 50 pounder would be better.

 

I've edited my post because I was quite a bit upset at your comment Sig329...

I'd like you to consider your comments, and please have respect for other's opinions. Take a look at my project if you would, and if, and only if you have experience, and something productive to say, feel free to comment.

I find your comments personal in nature, and that's not how I would treat you, nor would I expect to be treated in return. I like this board, but I find your comments hostile, and unproductive. I've taken a LOT of time, and a LOT of thought into this project, and I don't think you gave it that much respect. Thank you. Bill

*PS* I've posted quite a good rationale for some of the things I do in the long post below. Take a look, and if you still don't agree, please make suggestions. It takes a long time to build something, please realize you're tearing something down without what I feel is a honest look at what I'm doing or where I'm coming from.

 

I passed my bike test in 1972, so I think I'm well qualified to comment on biking! - the only asshole here is YOU, riding with high beam on and dazzling the on-coming traffic. Certainly you NEED low beam on at ALL times, but high beam is illegal, and if I was a police man I'd book you for it - as a member of the public I'd give you a good kicking!!.

__________________
PIC programmer software, and PIC Tutorials at:
http://www.winpicprog.co.uk

 

Seriously... Have you ever driven in the United States? I've driven in the UK, and in the US, and it's a whole different world. There are NO bikes by comparison, and every other car is a yank-tank who is ready to bear down on you...

It's totally legal here in the states, and if it was even a slight inconvenience I'm sure I would've been flashed by now, we're not talking 2 lane roads out in the dark, this is 6 lane with divided median, and very poorly lit highways. I'm suprised a fellow biker would think they're protected enough as is with the meager illumination that bikes have... I'm a bit shocked, I regularly get almost pushed off the road by cars merging onto the highway in front of me because they "don't" see me... and you don't see having your high beam on, or at least flashing the drivers a good way for them to notice you?

Again, I came back from the UK and started driving on US roads again, and it was terrifying, the drivers never pay attention, and it's down right unsafe compared to other countries where bikes are more acceptable.

Go do the math on my project if you think my illumination is out of line, a dual 21w high beam brake light is 20lumens/watt * 21w = 420 lumens per bulb = 840 lumens total. I have 8, 50lumen 1watt LEDs = 400 lumens... Each LED is 120* width, and I figure after the filtering of the halogen light source vs. less filtering of the LEDs, I'm about on par. There's now a faster and more noticeable source of light, but certainly not blinding by any means, these are still behind a diffuser...

Can I get a little support here? I feel like I'm fishing for a little empathy, but nobody seems to either want to speak up or maybe I'm just being an asshole? If you know in your heart you've been where I've been, seen what I've seen, and I'm in the wrong, feel free to say so, but I'm yet to see any of that...

 

If a motorbike coming the other way is on high-beam and dazzles you, and you can't see what you're doing - the only safe response is to aim straight for the light - that's the only direction you KNOW you're not going to hit a pedestrian. I would also switch to high-beam to make you aware!.

As for no drivers never flashing you, if you were dazzling me I certainly would!!!.

Obviously the situation is different on large multiple carriageways, but I still see no excuse for permanent high-beam?.

__________________
PIC programmer software, and PIC Tutorials at:
http://www.winpicprog.co.uk

 

The low beam isn't going to be seen at anything other than a hundred feet away, and that is only if the drivers on either side of the highway are below grade... It's just that low beams are exactly that, aimed low so that no light escapes upwards at any appreciable distance to the left or right.

The high beam is the only light which anyone out of the path of travel of the bike is ever going to see. Just because it's aim is outwards.

If it were just a 2 way road, that's one thing, sure I'd turn it off. But we have alot of 5 lane highways, with 2 in either direction, and a middle lane which cars in either direction can use to turn into or get off of temporarily. Alot of what happens is they will swerve across the 2 oncoming lanes and start in the middle most lane, and then because they can't see a low beam on a bike with two dinky amber 5 watt bulbs, they will just veer into me. This has happened on a number of occasions where I lock up the tires and have to kind of swerve around. But it's "no big deal" to them, they feel "justified" because they could not see me. And that is the problem. Almost Everyone in America drives because they're "justified" in doing so... Whether they are stopping in the middle of a highway and putting it in reverse because they missed their exit, or just swerving across 4 lanes to get in a turn lane going the other way.

I don't drive much, but I see one or both of these at least 2-3 times on a half hour drive. It's mind numbing. I wish I could share the experience of seeing a car coming from the left right perpendicular to you, straight at you... locking up the tires to try to get away and have the driver just give a "nod" or hand wave like "sorry, didn't see you! But it's no big deal..." They seriously don't think it matters.

I've mentioned before, where it's courteous, I turn off my high beams. I'm not doing it out of spite... When driving and stopped at a red light, I ALWAYS put on my hand brake to take the beaming red lights off of people's eyes... I rarely see such favor returned.

On these 3-5 lane roads where people are overly aggressive coming into that middle lane, It's necessary to get a wide dispersion so they see my light when their head is turned looking for oncoming traffic. One headlight is not enough to make them recognize a motorcycle is coming, a bright light, albeit not blinding is usually enough for it to job their memory that something is coming... low beams are ineffectual at this because they're just aimed too low.

People don't drive motorcycles in the USA like they do in the UK... and there is no such thing as "pass on the right" like you have in the UK... people drive in any which lane they please, and this often forces people to drive erratic to get out from behind slow moving vehicles. Honestly if you set a number of American drivers out on the UK freeways, it would be like releasing lions into a pack of sheep. It would be an absolute feeding frenzy of mayhem. The brits are such good drivers, I wouldn't feel it necessary to keep my high beam on because from my experience at least they are partially alert to other vehicles around them, especially bikes. I know why they hate bikes, because bikes split lanes, and drive like they own the road there sometimes... Not so much here... well, partially, we have 90% cruisers which make a noise louder than a concord jet taking off... they think that is "safe" because it's loud. That level of noise is rude IMO... My bike is NOT loud like that. Having bright tail lights, and an obnoxious headlight is rude, but it's also effective... they wouldn't require bikes to have their low beams on at all times if it wasn't. This is just the next logical step.

The front and rear colored lights are 2x5watt bulbs... which is imperceptible by most people... it's just not enough light for someone to distinguish what these two little red lights are underneath my tail... There are no parking lights except the two 5w brake lights... that's it... totally unacceptable for a rear light.

Here in the states, so few people drive alternative vehicles it's down right dangerous... nobody expects a bike. People look down on using a bus. Gas is 2.89/gallon, that's like what, .50% a liter? And I should take a picture of my parking lot, 30-40% of the vehicles are over 5 ton gross weight, 10 times what my bike weighs, and they literally buy their vehicles so that THEY don't die. The logic is, in a wreck, the bigger it is, the more likely they are to kill someone ELSE than themselves. It's like being a cat in a human world, everything is 10x your size, 10x your weight, and half of the people hate you just because...

I don't understand it really, I save 45 minutes off my commute every day, and get 40-50mpg... But every day I merge into an 10 lane highway, and if traffic wasn't always at a standstill, it'd be a death trap... I don't know how better to describe to people who haven't had the experience, but like serving tables, everyone should have that experience to know what it's like... Putting yourself in other's shoes is a skill that most American's lack, we're so isolated and individual, we crush each other's spirit because of lack of understanding...

I try to be as respectful as possible, and when I see, or am pointed out that I am wrong, mend my ways, but I'm pretty sure I'm in the right for safety here, although it may be a bit offensive in some situations, mostly it is a life saving device.

 

Ok, one more thing before I leave this thread unattended for some time...

A 55w high beam bulb is theoretically putting out about 1100 lumens. My headlight is a clear lensed, with the reflector computer generated to be about 45% efficient. Projector lenses are about 55% efficient, and the old fluted lenses were about 35% efficient.

That means of the 1100 lumens, I'm only getting about 500 out on the road. if you look at the dispersion, half is already not going into oncoming traffic because it's on the other side of the road, we're down to 250 lumens now... if it's a 2 lane road, maybe 80% of the light may reach that person being very conservative at a very close distance. That's 200 lumens. Now 200 lumens is the equivalent of my tail lights, 2x21w halogen bulbs. Or a 40watt indoor halogen bulb. Try staring at a 40w halogen bulb at 50 feet away in the dark... Not very bright is it?

By no means am I being a degenerate, it's barely an inconvenience on a 2-lane highway, but this is suburban where there is enough ambient light to be distracting, and a single high beam putting 200 lumens in your eye at 50-100 feet is at best a warning sign...

I'm a staunch advocate against Glare and people using headlights incorrectly... Feel free to peruse http://www.cbrforum.com I'm a regular there with some firm opinions AGAINST blinding lights. Namely the HID Plug and Play kits... and I catch a ton of slack from people who are gung ho on putting out incredible amounts of light which really will blind people.

Go ahead and check out this thread:

http://www.cbrforum.com/m_207646/tm.htm

You'll see how much of a Darwinian fool I am... I always aim for people's respect, after the burn dies down of course. I hope I've come across as a reasonable person with some well reasoned arguments.

 

NastyGurl, I have to update the schematic, but here is a basic drawing for you. My apologies for getting so off topic. Hope this helps: