These aren't necessarily production intensities, nor a production interface for choosing intensity, based upon discussions with Bernard. But they are useful for playing around with it and seeing what sort of brightness I'd actually want in a production unit.
Yes. The end product will have an interface via brake/turn signals switch to neither temporarily set a power level of your choice, or permanently flash the ROM so selected level becomes your new default level.
I'm not sure that I like the 3 setting visually all that much because of the discrete nature of the LEDs in that mode. It's obvious that there are only a handful of LEDs, and it consequently looks less refined than the SupaNova 490i. But on the 6 setting, that becomes less obvious, and the pure intensity makes me like it more overall than the 490i...I think. I still love the 490i.
Like i've said all along. The SupaNova-HSi will never be as "pretty" as the SN490i to view. However, it will out shine it due to its raw power. This was the indent of its creation. Raw power. Also i would like to add that the production version of the HSi will have a more uniform LED placement pattern then what you are seeing per Tom's vids/pics. Ver2 of the PCB will yield a more refined less dispersed look.
I'm glad to see someone using manly LED's. There is no such thing as too much dragon slaying lightpower is there?
I wonder what is next for Bernard? (Supposedly this is the last iteration of SupaNova for the older Monsters -- limited quantity only so get in line early!) And the big questions is thus: how can the taillight be improved beyond this in the future?
Thanks! Yes. This will be the LAST design for the classic Monsters and will also be a limited production run. I was planning on 200 units, but have since decided to run with 50 due to initial cost and the fact that i don't want to spend the next 5 yrs making/sustaining these. I'll look on how well these 50 go and will revisit the idea of running a 2nd batch next year. The design is 100% done. I'm currently having some major issues procuring some of the parts at a decent price and lead time. So really there is no reason why i can't take orders now. These will list for ~10% less then the SN490i.
As to what is next for Beranrd? Mark you know what we're working buddy
Shuuuu... top secret stuff which will come to light soon.
For others reading this post. Let's just say that there are a few MotoCreations/Vizi-tec ventures in the works. One of which is already complete. Our quality and functionality will be second to none.
Maybe you can use a less brighter LED. theres no point in buying poweful LEDs if you are never going to run them at a high setting.
I looked into this. The only less powerful LED that would have met my specs(dispersal angle, wavelenght, efficiency linearity, heat resistance, footprint, package) was unattainable for this production numbers. The vendor would not move on their minimum buy numbers. If i got them at the price they offered via distributors? The cost was slightly less then the more powerful LEDs. The vendor for the more powerful LEDs allowed me to buy direct with a much lower volume. It boilded down to a price point that was about the same. So i used the powerful LEDs.
Technically speaking, efficiency of any LED will degrade over time. The harder they are driven to the edge of their operating envelope the sooner this will become fact. LEDs can degrade as much as 25% of their initial light output. These bigger more powerful LEDs i'm using in the SupaNova-HSi are no where being driven near their max operation limits; Even at the brightest power level selection.
Per my design, the light level you select today, will be the light level(or very near) the output level you will get 5 years from now. If the less powerful LED were used? They would have had to be driven much harder towards their max operation limits to archive even ~20% of the powerful ones. Bottomline: I chose to build a robust system.