Looking to trick out recumbent trike with lights - Pls HELP!

I'm looking to add lights to the underneath side of my recumbent trike :
http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2259798150099633505tYPJxb

Due to the fact the trike is VERY LOW I'm looking to be VISIBLE and add light to underneath the front boom, (also for side visibility) as well as underneath the frame and looking at either Cold Cathodes (possibly 2 sets of 12" duals - 4 tubes) or 2 strips of 20" LED PIRANHA BARS.
I'm undecided and would appreciate some advice please.

I'm assuming the cold cathodes would be much brighter but also less durable.

I'm sure making up 1 0r 2 12v portable power supplies will not be all that difficult.
Possibly using 8 AA lithium batteries to make up the 12v?

Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance

Steve

Stryker48 wrote:

either Cold Cathodes (possibly 2 sets of 12" duals - 4 tubes) or 2 strips of 20" LED PIRANHA BARS.

Piranha bars -- no contest. Personally, i would go with led flex strips but the piranha bars are nice from what I hear.

Stryker48 wrote:

I'm sure making up 1 0r 2 12v portable power supplies will not be all that difficult. Possibly using 8 AA lithium batteries to make up the 12v?

Mount an atv battery or motorcycle battery somewhere. They're small and light. You'll go broke quick with the AA battery option.

If you're concerned about safety, consider the led strobe lights. They're not annoyingly bright but do draw attention. People will notice you and, hopefully, avoid hitting you.

Thanks for your recommendation.
That's not a bad idea re the motorcycle battery, however, I'm looking to go even smaller than that.
This is what gave me the idea to get more visible, however I found the cost somewhat over the top: http://www.rockthebike.com/lights/downlowglow

Ok.
How about using the rechargeable power packs that power remote controlled cars? Some (not all...never really checked) run on 12v. Rechargeable packs could keep you from wasting money and would be neat/clean/easy to install.

edit: something like this is what i'm talking about.
http://www.how2spy.com/index.php?main_page=prod...zenid=vvugts0kkbsvbd0qojef4dkde4

You can find them MUCH cheaper, though. This is simply the results of a quick google search for 12v power supply

Maybe use the SMD bars as they are more durable and waterproof as opposed to the Piranha bars.

I would recommend getting a different battery than 8 AA batteries. You're using this for safety so it would be good to know that your battery pack isn't going to go out while you're on a ride.

Thanks a LOT guys for all your GREAT suggestions.

Kevin using rechargeable RC batteries is a GREAT idea! (I had no idea they ran 12v)

The only reason I mentioned using 8 x AA's , is I have a few sets of fast charges and more rechargeable AA batteries than I would care to admit to own

Anyway going the RC rechargeable battery route is the way to go. Thanks again for the GREAT tip.

Now to make the decision, which system to go with. Either the Flexible LED strips ( 1 x 38" piece for underneath + 1 x 19" piece for under the front boom) in (Blue) or the 12" cold cathode kit.(Blue) possibly 2 kits.
(I could go for the 6ft. length of flexible LED's, however the blue is not in stock and wont be shipped before the Winter.)

Both have their advantages and disadvantages. Decision, Decisions!!

I would go LED strips on a bike. A bike is exposed and can have a rough ride w/ many bumps sense there are not really any shocks. Plus, LEDs are waterproof and don't have a transformer (since you're looking for small no transformer would be a plus).

Thanks for your recommendation.
It looks like most people are leaning towards LED over cathodes mainly due to their durability over cathodes.

The frame of my trike is VERY LOW at a mere 3" off the ground and my concern is the LED's don't have a wide enough angle to spread the light, especially from that low height. The cathodes have a 360 degree spread which will definitely give more light spread over a wider area. It's definitely a tradeoff.
Since the lights are inexpensive I might try them both.

That trike is sweet. If you don't mind, how much did that run you, and where did you get it?

Cathod'es would be a big no on something that low to the ground. While the casing itslef isn't very fragile, the cathode on the inside is very fragile. I don't see it handling the roughness of roads an your trike at all.

I would go with one of the LED bars that is waterproof and shoots out light at 120 viewing angle.

If you have 38" to spare you could do a beefy strip

You'll be a lot happier with LED strips or Piranha/SMD bars in your applications. You'd be buying new cathodes every week or so.

Stryker48 wrote:

Since the lights are inexpensive I might try them both.

I like your thinking ;P

Blazer, mine is the entry level model from KMX USA in Ohio and they cost $799 USD.
Great value for an excellent recumbent trike.

Dave Faulkner is the guy at KMX and he's super to deal with. If you speak to him, tell him Steve from Toronto Canada referred you.

blazeredsxt wrote:

That trike is sweet. If you don't mind, how much did that run you, and where did you get it?

KMX USA
They are in Ohio cost is a mere $799 and worth every penny and more IMHO

Dave Faulkner is the guy to speak to ... if you speak to him, please mention that Steve from Toronto Canada referred you. Thanks!

A-Ray wrote:

Cathod'es would be a big no on something that low to the ground. While the casing itslef isn't very fragile, the cathode on the inside is very fragile. I don't see it handling the roughness of roads an your trike at all. I would go with one of the LED bars that is waterproof and shoots out light at 120 viewing angle. If you have 38" to spare you could do a beefy strip

Thanks for your thought and recommendation.
I have 28" + to spare underneath and another 20" under the front boom.

lbjshaq2345 wrote:

You'll be a lot happier with LED strips or Piranha/SMD bars in your applications. You'd be buying new cathodes every week or so. Stryker48 wrote: Since the lights are inexpensive I might try them both. I like your thinking ;P

Thanks for your thoughts and suggestions also.
LED's looks like the way to go.

I found this 12v NiMh rechargeable battery at a fairly reasonable price, which might do the trick:
http://www.batterybuyer.com/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=YSD-12180
I wanted to check with you guys first if it will be "up to the job" before purchasing .... I'm "clueless" when it comes to electric "anything"!.
Thanks in advance.

I found this 12v NiMh rechargeable battery at a fairly reasonable price:http://www.batterybuyer.com/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=YSD-12180
and wanted to check with you guys if it will be "up to the job" .... )I'm a "little" clueless when it comes to electric anything.

That's a borderline battery(might work but not excessive). It really depends on what you choose to run, how much current it draw, and how long you plan to run it per day.

If do choose cathode kits that battery should run 2 transformers for 1 hour 15 minutes. LEDs could draw less current depending on how many you want. Also, if you're only going to run the lights for 1/2 hour it would be fine also. Do you know what you're going to try as far as lights?

I say get a trickle charger and a motorcycle battery ;)

thesull wrote:

I say get a trickle charger and a motorcycle battery ;)

Read the second post. He already said he didn't want a motorcycle battery. He's going for something smaller ;)

For the cathodes, I'm going to run 1 set of 12" dual blue cathodes. That should give more than enough light. I'm hoping to get 2.5 to 3 hours of runtime, whatever system I'm running.

For the LED's I'm thinking of using 4 x 20"(blue) waterproof surface mounted bar = one strip under the entire frame:
http://www.oznium.com/smd-bar
I have no idea which will draw more current??

I was looking at the flexible LED's as well however according to the specs they only have a narrow 35 - 45 degree viewing angle which I don't think is enough .... I could be wrong of course.

PwrRngr wrote:

That's a borderline battery(might work but not excessive). It really depends on what you choose to run, how much current it draw, and how long you plan to run it per day. If do choose cathode kits that battery should run 2 transformers for 1 hour 15 minutes. LEDs could draw less current depending on how many you want. Also, if you're only going to run the lights for 1/2 hour it would be fine also. Do you know what you're going to try as far as lights?

This setup, running dual cathodes with a smaller rechargeable battery gets 3 hours runtime, according to their claim:
http://www.rockthebike.com/node/160

I'd be happy to get that

I still don't see thodes last long at all. I could be completely wrong, but the thode inside the tube itself is very fragile and I just don't think it will hold up on a bike.

IMO you should look into the waterproof ribbon LED strips or the silicone encased strip. They should provide an even glow. I will be tones more durable, plus you don't have to find places to hide transformers.

If nothing else, then buy a couple 6" V2 tubes that are incredibly bright and will change to all colors.

Stryker48 wrote:

For the cathodes, I'm going to run 1 set of 12" dual blue cathodes. That should give more than enough light. I'm hoping to get 2.5 to 3 hours of runtime, whatever system I'm running. For the LED's I'm thinking of using 4 x 20"(blue) waterproof surface mounted bar = one strip under the entire frame: http://www.oznium.com/smd-bar I have no idea which will draw more current?? I was looking at the flexible LED's as well however according to the specs they only have a narrow 35 - 45 degree viewing angle which I don't think is enough .... I could be wrong of course. PwrRngr wrote: That's a borderline battery(might work but not excessive). It really depends on what you choose to run, how much current it draw, and how long you plan to run it per day. If do choose cathode kits that battery should run 2 transformers for 1 hour 15 minutes. LEDs could draw less current depending on how many you want. Also, if you're only going to run the lights for 1/2 hour it would be fine also. Do you know what you're going to try as far as lights?

With that setup you'll be pulling 1.5A (0.7A for the cathode kit and 0.2 for each smd-bar). If you want to run it for three hours then you'll need a battery w/ 4.5Ahr (4.5 amp hours). The one you posted was only 1800mAhr (1800 miliamp hours = 1.8 amp hours).

I found this battery online:
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/lin...240405&cm_ite=0036388018049a
which should do the job. The 1800 miliamp is definitely going to be too small for my application.

After lots of pondering and consideration on which LED system to go for, I think I'm going to go for these: ( I will need 8 to 9 feet for a single strip under the entire frame)
http://www.oznium.com/silicone-encased-led-strip

You can use a ~13v DC battery also, doesn't have to be strictly 12v. Most vehicles run over 14v anyway.

If you are going for length of around 8ft and want massive durability, then def look into the beefy strips. 6 ft length is only $50! The will be the most durable (I would think) and will provide plenty of light.

Aken wrote:

You can use a ~13v DC battery also, doesn't have to be strictly 12v. Most vehicles run over 14v anyway.

Thanks, I didn't know that. I'll also check them out

Now that my mind is made up on the lights, I'm on the lookout for a suitable battery & charger, that's going to be able to handle all the lights and give a minimum of 3 hours runtime, for a "reasonable price".
It looks like I might have to go for a larger battery than I originally planned.

I'm looking to run 9 feet of LED waterproof flexible strips (Hopefully I can figure out how to wire it all up.) ..... I'm assuming one can join 5 separate pieces of the Flexible waterproof strips together with suitable wire of different lengths in between?

My Goal: To have a single strip of flexible waterproof LED's under the entire frame. (and if the battery can handle it possibly 2 x 4" cathodes under the seat ... for that "floating feeling" )
Since the frame is basically a stick man when you look at it from underneath, with a cross bar for the arms and the back of the frame which hold the back wheel are like legs, the light strips would have to be cut and joined with different lengths of wire in between in order to cover the entire frame underneath.( 1 for the neck, 1 for the arms across, one for the spine and 2 for the legs) .. does that make sense?

I'm looking to put a 22" piece under the front boom connected to another 20" piece under the cross section connecting both front wheels, connected to another 28" strip down the center underneath, connected to another 2 x 15" pieces that run on either side of the back wheel.
The wire to connect each piece will be approximately 12" in length.

Any advice before I make my purchase would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2239703490099633505eMRwQf

A-Ray wrote:

I still don't see thodes last long at all. I could be completely wrong, but the thode inside the tube itself is very fragile and I just don't think it will hold up on a bike. IMO you should look into the waterproof ribbon LED strips or the silicone encased strip. They should provide an even glow. I will be tones more durable, plus you don't have to find places to hide transformers. If nothing else, then buy a couple 6" V2 tubes that are incredibly bright and will change to all colors.

BTW ... What are 6" V2 tubes? please excuse my ignorance!

http://www.oznium.com/6inch

Kevin_S wrote:

http://www.oznium.com/6inch

Thanks Kevin, for your very quick response and answering my question, much appreciated.

You aren't stuck with AA. you could use C or D batteries as well. They operate on the 1.5V ea like the AAs.

Another option is to use the small remote 12v batteries radioshack offers.

small remote 12v batteries are hella expensive.

What about findings some cordless tool batteries that are 12V? Could likely pick some up at a garage sale. . .

Radioflyer wrote:

You aren't stuck with AA. you could use C or D batteries as well. They operate on the 1.5V ea like the AAs. Another option is to use the small remote 12v batteries radioshack offers.

Thanks, I'm aware of that option also, however it's probably not going to be enough by the looks of it.

I have finally made up my mind, and I'm going with 4 x 20" waterproof SMD bars and 2 x 4" cathodes for under the seat. So I need a powerful enough battery to run all of the above (I'm hoping) for at least 3 hours runtime.

Kevin_S wrote:

small remote 12v batteries are hella expensive.

Kevin you have been very helpful and you seem to know what you are talking about.

I have finally made up my mind and I'm going to order 4 x 20" waterproof SMD bars, which I am going to rig up in series as follows to run under the entire frame:

piece one = 8"
piece two = 8"
piece three = 2"
piece four = 14"
piece five = 2"
piece six = 20"
piece seven = 4"
piece eight = 10"
piece nine = 2"
piece ten = 10"

Unfortunately if I want to cover the entire underside of the frame I have no option but to split the bars into 10 separate pieces.
I'm assuming connecting these together won't present too much of a problem?
Hopefully there is a thread here somewhere on cutting and connecting these bars.

Now I need to figure out what gauge of wire to use and what strength of battery to get.
Any advice and/or recommendation will be welcomed and appreciated.

Thanks again in advance for all your very kind help.

Do I need to put in a fuse as well?

thats a **** load of lighting!


Connecting these will be no problem at all, the only hard parts are hiding wires/lights so it doesnt look horribly tacky, also, silicon on all connections is your friend and you will need fuses but some other wiring buffs' in here could help you more than me!

purpleglow wrote:

thats a **** load of lighting! And I thought I was "conservative" Connecting these will be no problem at all, the only hard parts are hiding wires/lights so it doesnt look horribly tacky, also, silicon on all connections is your friend and you will need fuses but some other wiring buffs' in here could help you more than me!

Thanks, that's good to know connecting the individual pieces won't be an issue.
Thanks for the tip re the silicone.