[quazzle]

lux-rc labs released new 240 lumens headlight in full-alloy case which can automatically adopt to most any battery.

Link to specs:
http://www.lux-rc.com/view.php?p=con...case/L30/specs

[neavissa123]

why spending so much money?! you can am extreme bright flashlight here and only spend 15 bucks!!!

http://www.dealextreme.com/products.dx/category.941

G

[quazzle]

I bet you hardly ever never buy a 240 lumens flashlight for 15 bucks. It's impossible just because it's price of a LED.
Fenix 240 flashlight has price about 80 bucks. Proved and tested 240 lumens.
As for dealextreme - I bought a few flashlights from them - they were fakes. Fenix is much brighter.

Lux-rc designed specially for rc models. It's very bright and very compact and lightweight.
And also it comes with current stabilizer which allows it connect the headlight to any battery.

[neavissa123]

Originally Posted by quazzle

I bet you hardly ever never buy a 240 lumens flashlight for 15 bucks. It's impossible just because it's price of a LED.
Fenix 240 flashlight has price about 80 bucks. Proved and tested 240 lumens.
As for dealextreme - I bought a few flashlights from them - they were fakes. Fenix is much brighter.

Lux-rc designed specially for rc models. It's very bright and very compact and lightweight.
And also it comes with current stabilizer which allows it connect the headlight to any battery.

i bought some flashlights from deal extreme and they work just fine. i also own a few surefire flashlights. the surefire's are way better when it come to quality but at least ten times the price. all i am saying is that, two $15 dollar lights from them will do the job. however, i am not here to piss on anyone's parade, you can buy a VERTU cell phone and mount it on your car, i don't care.

[quazzle]

new version has been just released - night glow effect is added. Now the headlights glow in the dark when your model is on the shelf. Also new cooler option is now available:




see more pics in another post here:
http://forums.radiocontrolzone.com/s...55&postcount=7

[fishymamba]

Very VERY over priced. I don't get the point of buying super bright lights. Who goes out in the middle of the night and runs their car. And one hit will probably kill them.

[quazzle]

Originally Posted by fishymamba

Very VERY over priced. I don't get the point of buying super bright lights. Who goes out in the middle of the night and runs their car. And one hit will probably kill them.

I guess 240 lumens cannot be cheap. For example a fenix flashlilght with the same perfomance has price 90 USD - http://cgi.ebay.ca/Fenix-TK11-Flashl...309129001r5098

L30 is more complex. It has an adaptive power circuit onboard. Unlike fenix flashlight, L30 can be connected nearly to any battery dirrectly. The voltage makes no difference. L30 automatically adopts to the supply you have on your model. The internal swithing regulator saves the power operating at very high frequiency. This is important because high-power LEDs consume alot of power. Also it features overheating protection, replaceble lenses, optional cooler, night glow effect and so on. And it's very small and lightweight. Just 12 grams.

anyway, it's up to your decision buy or not. You have an option. You can buy a fake from china. But if you need true 240 lumens and a narrow beam - you shouldn't expect it be as cheap as fake stuff at dealextreme

[neavissa123]

Originally Posted by quazzle

But if you need true 240 lumens and a narrow beam - you shouldn't expect it be as cheap as fake stuff at dealextreme

are you aware of the fact that there are classes on how to tell a fake from a real rolex? we are not talking about the space shuttle or Nuclear fission!?

if some dude, in some lab, somewhere in the world can make a 240 lumen flashlight...than some other dude, in some other lab, somewhere else in the world can make the same flashlight. its that simple...

G

[quazzle]

Originally Posted by neavissa123

if some dude, in some lab, somewhere in the world can make a 240 lumen flashlight...than some other dude, in some other lab, somewhere else in the world can make the same flashlight. its that simple...

That's right, so let's wait untill that dude will do it. I counldn't find such a year ago for my trucks that was why I started Lux-RC Labs project. After nearly one year of prototyping I have finally reached the quality and size I needed. If someone elsewhere can do the same - it's fine, I'll be wondering to see it and its price.

Just one thing in which I'm quite confident now - you'll hardly ever see something similar in deal-extreme shop. They can do so cheap flashlights because of very high production volume and fairly low quality. An R/C light isn't a mass product. It's another very clear reason why it cannot be cheap.

Just try to order a signle simple CNC part from the factory and I swear you'll be knocked out by its price. Because you'll have to pay also for production setup, tooling, engineering etc.

[quazzle]

Good news - we reduced the prices up to 30% down and kept the same superior quality!
Small but very power L30 searchlight (240 lumens, 12grams, integrated constant-current regulator, 3.8-12V DC) now available for only $65.7 (+ USPS global delivery)
Please see it updated at - http://www.lux-rc.com/view.php?p=con...case/L30/order

Just see it in action!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1OO5OVnGM0

[chilledoutuk]

honestly i thought about this concept before and i realised that having a beam of light out in front of the car is only really useful if your actually in the car as when your driving. When driving an rc car your looking much further ahead than the beam can illuminate especially with such a narrow beam.

What you really need is something that illuminates the whole area that your driving in or perhaps god no something that illuminates where you are looking not just in front of the vehicle which is pointless unless you are driving it using a remote camera.

note in the video you posted that its already illuminated with street lights.

so if you really want to drive at night i recomend that you just wait ten minutes in the dark for your eyes to adjust and then you will be fine or if your crazy get night vision.

if you cant understand that try running it through google translate a couple of times to bring it in line with your type of english.

[quazzle]

Originally Posted by chilledoutuk

honestly i thought about this concept before and i realised that having a beam of light out in front of the car is only really useful if your actually in the car as when your driving. When driving an rc car your looking much further ahead than the beam can illuminate especially with such a narrow beam..

That sounds sensible in the theory.
But I guess you didn't try to test such power lights in practice, did you?

From the practical point power and narrow lights give clear picture of the car's heading direction and its location when it's far from you. Even if you have some ambient lighting it's difficult to tell the model orientation when you gave the model too much rope. As you can see on the video such narrow bean serves as a vector poining the heading direction of the car.

It's proved by many guys who tried it. So it definetelly helps driving in the night/dusk even if the area is illuminated by street lights.

So you believe it still has no sense?

Originally Posted by chilledoutuk

if you cant understand that try running it through google translate a couple of times to bring it in line with your type of english.

understood, is my English really so bad? Did you mean the articles on my site or something?

[quazzle]

a few photos of the night drift we did a day ago

[Ihaveaxrayt2r]

I think if you made the light cost around 30-35$ each then you could make anof sell to make them that price...
Ya this is a pricy hobby but 65 to 100$ for lights...is a little out of mind...
Here in seattle its usely nice later in the day...and dark...but for me fexable lash lights work good for me...and last longer then useing my batt power from my truck..

So, I think if you can make them cheaper? Like use plastic covers the metal....

Just my 2€

[quazzle]

Originally Posted by Ihaveaxrayt2r

So, I think if you can make them cheaper? Like use plastic covers the metal....
Just my 2€

we tried all possible ways to make it cheaper, but it's all we could do for this moment. Total cost of all components we use for a light is about $32 (without assembly work, engineering, PCB production, taxes and duties). Yes, it's costy because of the perfomance it gives. Using a plastic body is not possible because each light should dissipate about 4W of heat and it's very hot when operating.

regardless a high price L30 now is cheaper than most brand flashlights of the same brightness on the market. and it makes no sence for us to sell at a price which causes losses as well as to reduce brightness/quality. there're many cheap low-brightness lights produced in china if you want to save funds.

L30 is an exceptional product. It offers very high luminous flux. And it really changes the feeling of drive in the night. It makes it safe and joyful. I'm not sure that I can express it in words. I guess it's worth trying it once and I swear you'll keep it (according to our policy you can return it in 2 weeks and get full refund simply if you didn't like it)

[Ihaveaxrayt2r]

Some way to make it cheap....maybe making some that don't use L30...see how they sell!

Because like I said I have some flexable flash lights that I can put under my truck body..and work fine going throw the window....? They cost at (costco) around 20$ each...and the use some bright a$$ leds...

Other then that, your idea is great...but just to pricey for the idea...?

[quazzle]

Originally Posted by Ihaveaxrayt2r

Because like I said I have some flexable flash lights that I can put under my truck body..and work fine going throw the window....? They cost at (costco) around 20$ each...and the use some bright a$$ leds...

ok, thanks, understood. Being focused on very high brightness and power LEDs we still offer ways to save money :-) You can order L30-PCBA-900CW which is in fact a 4W power LED together with driver/protection circuit (at ~$30 each). Believe me it hundred times more bright than any "superbright" led you used before. But you should have enough power to feed it coz two of them will dissipate almost 10 watts of power, much more than any small led can take and even more that a small motor needs. This is again very very special thing. I have attached a picture of L30-PCBA-900CW to give you an idea of its size and design.

[quazzle]

and this one will be released soon. Even more power but still small and lightweight. Great for a helicopter searchlight but still ok for a real monster truck, what do you think?

[timie1]

I think those LOOK nice, but you really haven't gotten a handle of the idea that they are overpriced for a hobby. I would never spend $200 on two lights to put on a truck that cost $200.

I'm not saying that you are charging too much for them, as they very well could cost that to produce, but seriously, come on, it's a bit steep for what they are.

If you want my advice, stop making them. You won't sell enough to justify doing them. Make a cheaper version that uses a proper reflector and a plastic case. Stop throwing your money away - they just cost too much to run on a toy that would probably be all scratched up bad, or wrecked, with one roll.

Also, what Chilledoutuk said, if you're sitting in the truck then these would work, but as you're not in the truck it's pointless. You're looking further ahead then just a few metres that these shine, so you're still looking into darkness. And what you said about the orientation of the truck - that is a valid point, but a simple $3 LED would also do the same thing to JUST show what way the truck is pointing.

[quazzle]

Originally Posted by timie1

I think those LOOK nice, but you really haven't gotten a handle of the idea that they are overpriced for a hobby. I would never spend $200 on two lights to put on a truck that cost $200.

Agree, if we're talking about a $200 truck. But my truck costs more than $1000. I frankly saying have no idea how a good truck can have a price of single 5000mah LiPo pack. In the annotation it's clearly said that these lights designed for high perfomance and thus rather expensive R/C models. Anyway, I agree that such lights makes no seinse for a $200 toy just because that toy hardly has anough power to supply 10 watts lights onboard.

Originally Posted by timie1

If you want my advice, stop making them. You won't sell enough to justify doing them. Make a cheaper version that uses a proper reflector and a plastic case.

It makes no sense to stop production now as long as people buy this product.
Yes, we're producing very limited lots. We'd love to sell more and make it cheaper but plastic case will not work in this case.
Each light dissipate about 5W of power. Normally it reaches 150F (75-80C) in a few minutes. This is important that alloy case serves as a heat accumulator and cooler for LED. Plastic body would simply melt and expose the LED to overheat.

We're working hard to optimize the process/machining which should has an impact to cost. But it will never reach a price of a regular 5mm 20mA LED optics, sorry. Don't forget that 240lumens it's 1/8 of a real car lights nominal flux, in other words 8 x L30s can replace headlights on a 1:1 truck.

[fishymamba]

Are they selling? How many? The new one looks really cool!

[quazzle]

Originally Posted by fishymamba

Are they selling? How many? The new one looks really cool!

thank you! the first positive feedback here

[timie1]

No, it's not the first positive feedback. I said they look nice.

I just couldn't justify spending that much on something that may not work to how I would expect it to work having paid that much for them. And boy would I HATE to scratch them up. They are too pretty to scratch them

Just a sidenote, ESC's get pretty hot, up to at least 80°C before they thermal. Most are plastic. They do not have major problems with heat and plastic to the degree you say.

[quazzle]

Originally Posted by timie1

I just couldn't justify spending that much on something that may not work to how I would expect it to work having paid that much for them. And boy would I HATE to scratch them up. They are too pretty to scratch them

thanks, as for this note - we're going to create a media gallery with different models. I think this will give a better idea of the light perfomance, thus you'll get exactly what you expect.
To populate the gallery we offer 20% rebate coupon to each one who sends us a video/photos of these headlights in action.

Originally Posted by timie1

Just a sidenote, ESC's get pretty hot, up to at least 80°C before they thermal. Most are plastic. They do not have major problems with heat and plastic to the degree you say.

ESC still has an alloy (cooper) cooler. L30 light dissipates even more heat than most ESCs so its body actually acts as a cooler, that's why it cannot be plastic.
Besides that I personally hate plastic parts

[quazzle]

There's a common judgment that power lights are helpful only if you have a picture from the car's cockpit and mostly useless when a remote controlled model is driven by a pilot which stays outside it. Having no real experience of using power lights, it's quite easy to come to this very obvious but generally wrong conclusion. In fact such lights break many stereotypes of night driving.

Professional pilots know what's more informative than just seeing the object's position. Recognizing of the heading direction is more important. Power lights significantly facilitate night driving making it joyful and easy because they give very clear picture of the model position and direction. Narrow and very bright beams produced by the lights vector towards the model trajectory providing the pilot with instant feedback. Never before night races were so safe and easy.

Link to full article - http://www.lux-rc.com/view.php?p=content/magazine/april