48V headlight with correct beam pattern?

I've been getting by with a large variety of very cheap, very effective LED headlights that are usable with 12-80V DC supply voltage. I like that they work with whichever battery I have and that they are cheap and bright. I don't like that the choice of beam pattern seems to be between a focused, flashlight-like round beam with a hot spot, or an unfocused wash of light. Neither one does a great job of illuminating the lane surface, but they're easy to dazzle other road users with.

Does anybody know of a headlight with a beam that conforms to some vehicular standard (like US DOT or German StVZO), but which will run directly on 48V? Ideally something small and lightweight like a normal bicycle light rather than big and heavy like an automotive sealed beam lamp.

None that I have tried, flashlights or ebike lights, gave me satisfacion. Too low, too bright, improper beam pattern... OK for low speed, but not convenient for speeding at night.

There are 2 solutions to obtain a proper headlight: Adapting a motorcycle/automotive headlight, or building one yourself. Then you can have proper light distribution and hi-low beam.

I like my Busch & Muller IQ-X E: https://www.bumm.de/en/products/e-bike-beleuchtung/parent/164/produkt/164r60ts7-01.html

It's small, it runs on 6v-60v DC, and the example picture on that page is a decent representation of its beam pattern in reality. Tons of light on the ground, with a hard cutoff. Slightly too hard for my liking, really - I can see where I'm going just fine, but I can't see street signs when there's no ambient light.

It's expensive, but if you shop around, it's pretty much always available for way below the B&M listed price.

Thank you both for the input. I'll do some research accordingly.

MadRhino, what do you use for optics when you build your own?

Look
https://www.ebikes.ca/shop/electric-bicycle-parts/lights.html

Balmorhea said:

Thank you both for the input. I'll do some research accordingly.

MadRhino, what do you use for optics when you build your own?

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For the commuter, I finally opted for a used HID motorcycle light with hi/lo beams, color temp 5000k.

On the dirt bike, I had intalled a short 70w LED worklight bar from the start, and still using it. Worklights are not suitable in trafic for they are blinding everyone ahead. For city riding I have added a flashlight mount on the handlebar.

Backlights on both bikes are recycled from recessed cabinet lights on which I have fitted red lenses. Recently I have added G sensored brake lights.

I suggest that you consider getting a 12v step down converter so you can run 12 volt lights. It just opens up so many options not just for headlights, but for tail lights and other visibility "be seen" lights..

My motorcycle light is big, but since it is made of aluminum and plastic, it isn't heavy.

That said, I recently bought this light from Grin for a future build because it was inexpensive and stVZO compliant. But at 1.5 watts of output, I'm betting it will end up being a secondary light ... and I'll probably run it at 12 volts from a converter.

https://www.ebikes.ca/shop/electric-bicycle-parts/lights/sate-lite-1-5-watt-ebike-light.html

wturber said:

I suggest that you consider getting a 12v step down converter so you can run 12 volt lights.

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I've done that before, but I'm not crazy about the voltage converters I've used before. And LED lights already contain their own voltage converters. And I've been getting 1000+ lumen lights that run on 48V for about 5 bucks, shipped. It's bothersome to yield on all those things just to get a decent beam pattern in a light of appropriate size for a bike. In the absence of a cheap and satisfactory commodity light, I guess my goal is to find a lens I can work with.

100 lumens would be fine for one of my pedal only bikes, but would bum me out on an e-bike. Even if I'm only going a little faster on the e-bike, it would be a serious underutilization of electrical resources.

I reckon that as e-bikes become more and more the norm, lights for them will become more and more independent of specific supply voltage. Given that single LEDs run on less than 4V, an LED light with integrated buck converter should be able to cover everything from 6V hub dynamos to 52V e-bikes at least. It's probably only a matter of time before that's the usual thing. But Chinese makers of such things won't give us appropriate beam shapes if we don't demand them. So far, it seems like only regulatory authorities care very much about putting the light where it's useful.

Dc/dc converters can be avoided, simply series wiring your light system. I did combine running lights with headlight and tail light, in series to match my bike battery. Many automotive lights are very tolerant for voltage, so it doesn't matter if the series is not matching exact battery voltage. The downside is that in a series, one defective light does open the whole circuit off, so you need to fix immediately to restore the light system. Bypassing a dead light is pretty quick though.

Balmorhea said:

wturber said:

I suggest that you consider getting a 12v step down converter so you can run 12 volt lights.

Click to expand...

I've done that before, but I'm not crazy about the voltage converters I've used before. And LED lights already contain their own voltage converters.

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Ya, essentially you're choosing between having the buck converter external or internal to the light(s), something I've gone back an forth with myself, in fact still deciding. I bought one of these tiny buck converters that I may eventually install, dedicated for running lights, since it's so small. I could probably fit into the housing of a 12V light with the right beam pattern, and still run the tail lights.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/DC-DC-9V-90V-84V-72V-60V-48V-36V-to-12V-5V-3A-Buck-Step-down-Power-Supply-Module/223307902110?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&var=522094739570&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

Balmorhea said:

I've done that before, but I'm not crazy about the voltage converters I've used before. And LED lights already contain their own voltage converters. And I've been getting 1000+ lumen lights that run on 48V for about 5 bucks, shipped. It's bothersome to yield on all those things just to get a decent beam pattern in a light of appropriate size for a bike. In the absence of a cheap and satisfactory commodity light, I guess my goal is to find a lens I can work with.

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I get it. I like bargains and simplicity probably more than the next guy. But from what I was able to find, bright, well controlled, and cheap is a tough combo. And as much as I like to fiddle, I still do have my limits. My $40 Wisamic LED motorcycle headlight and $20 converter seemed a good compromise between those three competing priorities. It certainly isn't for everybody, but it sure lights up the street at night and helps to make me visible.

Roxim, eBikes.ca

tomjasz said:

Roxim, eBikes.ca

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Now you're talking. I wonder why it didn't show in the previous link.

Not a bad place to spend a few shekels, either.

I have one of these - cheap, shaped beam, claims up to 60v: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/33030764871.html so far only used at 5v for a scooter, but will test at higher voltage if you like?

matmaxgeds said:

I have one of these - cheap, shaped beam, claims up to 60v: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/33030764871.html so far only used at 5v for a scooter, but will test at higher voltage if you like?

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Heck yes! More! Please review!

At that price I guess I’ll review my own...ordered, Possibly a nice find. I ot a tail light that sell for $20 at Walmart. $2.48 shipped! China does manage some surprises. (Almost true...)