83cannondale

I'm looking for a helmet light with appropriate mount for use on my cycling helmet. Because I sometimes right extended hours after dark I'd like to be able to buy additional batteries at any gas station I might run across. I thought this would be an easy find, but so far not so.

I'd like to stay away from the wrap around strap type.

Thanks
83

tagaproject6

Most helmet mounts use straps to attach a light. Unless they are built in, it will attach with some sort of strap. Lezyne sells a helmet mount on which you can attach varying types of lamps.

01 CAt Man Do

Used to be actual bike lights you could buy using AA's but I don't see those anymore. You could use a single emitter ( XM-L2 ) lamp and then DIY an AA battery using an AA battery cell holder. You could do this with a six cell holder wired in series. This would give you 9 volts and power most bike lamps. The down side is that you would really only be able to use the lowest setting on the lamp because with just AA cells the battery will drain super fast. Keep the output down to < 400 lumen and it should run at least a couple hours.

The other way to go might be to just use a torch designed to use AA cells. In your case probably best to use one designed to hold two cells. I see some on Amazon rated at 345 lumen that will run over two hours ( Nitecore....using XPG2 R5 emitter ) . Downside is that the beam pattern will be narrow but it will still have lots of throw. I own a single AA torch will will produce almost 500 lumen when used with a single AA sized 14500 Li-ion cell. Mine was designed to run with the 14500 but will also run with a single standard AA cell. With standard AA it will only output about 150 lumen. Hope this helps.

Tourist in MSN

I assume you want one for looking forward with white light, not aiming backwards with red lens.

On one of my helmets I have mounted a camping style headlamp that was intended to strap around my head, but instead of that strap I used a short piece of two sided velcro and looped that velcro through some of the ventilation holes to strap the headlamp to my helmet. Most of those headlamps use AAA batteries that you can buy anywhere. I usually use Ikea Ladda NiMH rechargeable AA and AAA batteries, but if I had to I could stop in any store that sells AAA batteries and buy some. There is a wide variety of different price points for those headlights based on brightness and other features, so I won't suggest a specific one.

01 CAt Man Do

You might want to try and contact Rob from DiNotte. DiNotte used to sell a lamp designed for use with AA's. The original was their 200L ( which I still own ). Later the 200L was replace with something using one of the newer Cree LED's. Of course that lamp used a battery holder that would hold 4 x AA's so most likely the battery gets stowed in a jersey pocket if helmet mounted.

For helmet I would highly recommend one of these AA Zebralights. Although I don't own one myself many people swear by them. You buy the mounts from Zebralights and use them with two sided Velcro Straps ( available at any hardware store....sold in rolls ) If I was touring I'd use one of these.

BikeLite

I would look at the offerings of fenixlighting.com

01 CAt Man Do

Fenix HL50 looks interesting. Compatible with CR123 standard Lithium cells and AA ( the lamp comes with an extension for using AA's ). This means you can run this lamp with either Lithium AA's, Standard AA's or Lithium CR123's....either are generally available at the local drug stores. Of course you can also run them with standard AA's but likely standard AA's won't give you the brightest output or run as long. Once again you would have to remove the mount from the head strap and mount it to a helmet using Velcro straps or another kind of strap.

canklecat

The old Serfas SL-255 was among the best values in a AA headlight. The 255 lumen maximum output was adequate for most situations. The main problem was the beam was a bit narrow, more of a spotlight with minimal spill. However that made it ideal for the MUP at night -- adequate to see the path, but little spill to annoy oncoming cyclists and pedestrians. It had a built in sort of hood that helped confine the beam.

It took only two AA batteries, any kind. I sometimes used rechargeable NiMH, which delivered more consistent output but became exhausted very suddenly. Alkalines will dim very gradually.

However the Serfas isn't the most convenient for helmet mounted as-is. The strap is peculiar. It would be better to homebrew a helmet mount from Velcro or perhaps a small plastic ball joint type camera mount.

I gave up on the idea of helmet mounting the Serfas SL-255. Instead I use my Light & Motion Urban 500 on my helmet, handlebar, head tube, etc. The strap is versatile enough for all those. And I rigged up a homemade hood/diffuser to control the beam and enhance side visibility. Works great.

The key to getting longer run time per charge with USB rechargeable lights is to buy more light than you need and run it at lower power. So the L&M Urban 500 or brighter Urban model should last for hours on low or medium without needing to be recharged. The Urban 350 is popular but not really bright enough to use on lower settings, other than as a to-be-seen light.

Richard Cranium

01 CAt Man Do

Used to be mounting a torch to a helmet was a PITA. There are more options now. You can buy Gopro helmet mounts almost anywhere. Once you have the Gopro helmet mount you can buy a Gopro torch holder ( on Amazon..ebay..) and use it with the mount. While the adapter is designed for a typical 18650 torch it should work with an AA type torch if the user builds up something around the torch to give it more width. Then once put together, it will pivot on the Gopro mount and be easy to aim.

Nothing wrong with an AA torch that has a narrow beam pattern as long as it's for road use.

no motor?

Two fish makes a mount for helmets.

angerdan

Fenix BC21R - uses 1x 18650 cell.
https://www.fenixlighting.com/produc...ix-bike-light/

01 CAt Man Do

Did you not read the title of the thread? Guy wants something using AA's.

angerdan

Sometimes you have to be open minded.
AA for bicycle lights ist nearly dead, so looking to the successor (18650) would expand the horizon.
Still he can use an USB-powerbank for AA cells to recharge modern lights over USB.
AA Battery Powerbank
amazon.co.uk/Maxell-Power-Handes%C3%BCblichen-Batteries-800mA/dp/B01EG4LVQ2

unterhausen

I saw a helmet light on a worker's hard hat that looked like it would be a great helmet light. Had the batteries in the back. Might have been AAA size. Unfortunately, I didn't get the brand, I thought I could find it later, but failed. The fenix style light has never interested me too much, that's a lot of weight on the front..

angerdan

You can get the Cateye VOLT400 DUPLEX or DUPLEX, they are mounted on the top of the helmet so nearly no weight on the front.
https://www.cateye.com/intl/products.../HL-EL462RC-H/
https://www.cateye.com/intl/products...ghts/SL-LD400/

01 CAt Man Do

Oh I'm open minded and I agree that something using USB or 18650's is better but the OP wanted something for touring where line power ( for chargers ) is not available. Yes, you could try using an AA Powerbank for charging something via USB but that's not gonna do you any good if you are using the lamp and the power dies. Most USB type lights don't charge and operate at the same time. Not to mention a four cell AA Powerbanks would likely only recharge a single 3000mAh Li-ion cell to maybe 75% of it's capacity ( unless you use the more expensive Lithium AA's ). Nope, the OP wanted a lamp that uses AA's. I believe in giving people advise on what they want even when I know there are better options.

Summing up; For touring where you have limited recharging options, having at least one lamp the works using AA's cells makes a lot of sense. That said, if it were me I'd likely still use my good Raveman CR-900 and use the lower power settings on the lamp to get the longest possibly run times. If that died I then would carry something like an AA torch and have that for back up. For touring the idea of having a 4 cell AA Powerbank is a good idea because almost everyone has a phone that is USB rechargeable. Keeping the phone charged is always a good idea although it will take a good number of AA's to do that. ( depending on how much you are using your phone ).

Sal Bandini

Zebralight has many options, from AA to 18650. Mount either the flashlight or headlamp direct to the helmet with an extra holder.

ZebraLight, Inc. | Official Website | Flashlights & Headlamps

01 CAt Man Do

I wanted to correct something that I commented on earlier. When the subject of "AA power banks" came up I thought perhaps something like that might work. Actually I used to own a cheap 2-AA power bank and that thing didn't work worth a crap. Nevertheless I figured a 4-cell AA battery bank might be better. After looking at some of the reviews on typical 4-cell AA power banks I've come to the conclusion that using something like a 4-AA battery bank on a bike tour would not be worth rolling the dice on. Typical current output for these 4-AA setups is only in the 500-800ma range and efficiency is typically only around 75%. That means not only would you likely need 12 cells to get a full charge on your phone, it also means that the time needed to charge the phone would likely take more than 12-16 hrs. If the charger is only outputting 500ma it may even appear to the user that the charger is not working if the phone is on while charging.

With all this said I'm beginning to think that if you have no access to line power that a good solar/battery setup is something worth considering. Not saying I wouldn't still carry an AA torch/lamp for bike use because I would. What I am saying is that if you have a good Solar battery bank you have the ability to recharge not only your phone ( with 2A current output ) but also other devices like a bike lamp with self contained battery as well. Typical Solar banks have Li-Po batteries in the 24000mAh range. That's enough juice to charge your phone anywhere from 5-10 times depending on your phone's battery capacity. They also can be recharged with line power which is also great. Anyway, if you get some bright sunny days coupled with the occasional access to line power, you might get the Solar battery setup to last your entire tour. I looked at this one on Amazon and the reviews were stellar, five stars across the board. I might have to put one of these on my wish list. Could be useful in an emergency as well.

noglider 

Remember, lithium batteries also carry more energy per gram than alkaline batteries. If I were going to be away from a power outlet for a few days, I would carry a few Anker Astro E1's or something like that.

83cannondale

Thanks guys - good suggestions - I'll follow up on those I can
83

Spoonrobot 

I have a Fenix HL50. On a AA cell it's ok for slower speed riding and darker roads. Above 22 mph or in bright urban areas it does not have the throw and overall brightness to work very well. Better than nothing but not great.

it's brighter and more effective on a CR123 cell but still outclassed by other lights. My main headlight is a Rofis R1 that uses 16340 rechargable Li-Ion cells that are the same size as CR123 cells. the R1 has a ton of throw and works great in every environment I've used it in.

IMO there aren't going to be any effective lights that will work well on regular alkaline AA batteries, you're much better off carrying your own spares and using store bought batteries only in an emergency. Some headlamps may appear to meet your needs on paper but headlamp manufacturers do not adhere to any standards and vastly over-inflate runtime as well as overall brightness and throw. I would avoid buying a "normal" headlamp for this reason. The headlamps I have purchased and used are verified for output and runtime by independent testing. Zebralight is exceptionally good but requires AA NiMH batteries to work well.

01 CAt Man Do

...in keeping with the above line of thought, I too have a very good single AA torch that is designed to operate with a 4.2 volt 14500 rechargeable Li-ion cell. I carry this around with me every day. I'm still amazed at how bright it is and how great the throw is for something so small. Mine also will work with any other type of AA but when using alkaline AA;'s the output is only around 120 lumen. With the 14500 cell mine is around 500 lumen when on high. I've never used it as a bike light but in a pinch I could.

Now if I was actually looking to buy an AA torch or lamp to use on a helmet I would definitely lean toward getting the Zebralight H53w and an extra silicone mount. If the Zebralight can give me over 300 lumen from a standard AA that should be enough to ride at touring speeds ( unless going downhill....;-)

fietsbob

Summer, be seen headlight 2AA , winter see by light has 4 AA

remote battery pack as in 9th post is Ideal for a helmet mount,
takes the battery weight off your head..

01 CAt Man Do

Sorry, realized I had to edit my last post after looking at the Zebralight website. Seems the listed run times on the Zebralights are based on using the highest capacity AA sized NiMh cells. Likely using standard Alkaline cells would not run the lamp quite as long and perhaps not as brightly.

Is there some reason why you insist on using the AA lamp on the helmet rather than the bars? There are some AA options for use on the bars but some of those would not work well on the helmet. When I ride road my primary light is the light on the bars. While I do carry a torch on the helmet when riding road at night I rarely use it. I only carrying it along for momentary use if needed but on most of my rides I really don't need it.