Yet Another Cycling Forum

General Category => The Knowledge => Topic started by: LEE on 14 September, 2012, 02:31:06 pm

Title: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: LEE on 14 September, 2012, 02:31:06 pm
We may as well start "Umming and Ahhhing" about the new B&M Luxos

HERE (http://www.bumm.de/produkte/dynamo-scheinwerfer/lumotec-iq2-luxos.html)

Personally I'm looking forward to hear how bright it seems compared to my CYO & how well the switched beam works (from spotlight to "dipped" near-field) as the one thing that I think is missing on my CYO is near-field/wide-angle light (I turn into some "black holes" occasionally and trust to luck).

The integrated USB charger could be a boon to tourists/campers. 

Anyone definitely going to buy one?

Translation from Google:
Quote
The first LUMOTEC with IQ2 technology. Gigantic achievement. New features. Never has the desire to light was so great.
IQ2 technology
With the new light and reflector design puts Busch & Müller the bar for Dynamo LED headlight higher than ever: 70 lux (e-bike version 140 lux) light box twice as wide as before, by a multiple of large, homogeneous maximum. Dynamo Generated light penetrates into a new dimension - so wide, so wide, so spotlessly bright
Panorama near beam
Excellent, the light field and wide like never before. Immediately before the bike, and even next to the bike over to the side of the road beyond Technology: additional special LEDs, electronically controlled.
Floodlight
The full power of all light sources. Ideal for difficult sections in deep darkness. Be activated by pressing a button. Function in bright light: headlight flasher. In darkness, in as full light.
USB charging option
USB socket integrated in the handlebar switch. Loading USB mobile devices (mobile phone, GPS, MP3 player) with USB power. In the headlights integrated backup battery (see below) ensures constant charging current.
Handlebar switch
Now you can control your light directly. Because all important light functions can be switched on the handlebars: ON / OFF, flood light, flash light, etc.
Built-in lithium backup battery
The additional current memory is used for peak loads and the charging current. Loading constantly on when driving. The charging status is indicated by LEDs on the handlebar switch.
Licht24. The daytime running lights
Front-firing signal LEDs. The automatic sensor turns on automatically in daylight maximum daytime running lights in the dark to maximum.
Sidelights
Automatically. The special LEDs are targeted at security perception. Can switch on the handlebars are turned off.
Taillight Monitor
A control LED lights on constantly shows whether an attached tail light is working properly.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: andrew_s on 14 September, 2012, 02:42:23 pm
Some previous discussion here
http://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=63049.msg1310912#msg1310912
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 14 September, 2012, 02:46:14 pm
I request that this thread be deleted before I bankrupt myself. Hey, I don't even have a dynamo!
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Oscar's dad on 14 September, 2012, 02:48:20 pm
Oh pi55, I've just bought a Cyo  ::-)
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: LEE on 14 September, 2012, 02:49:06 pm
Oh pi55, I've just bought a Cyo  ::-)

And I doubt you'll regret it.  The Luxos needs to be (very) noticeably better for me to consider it.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Oscar's dad on 14 September, 2012, 02:49:58 pm
Oh pi55, I've just bought a Cyo  ::-)

And I doubt you'll regret it.

Probably not but the new one looks amazing!
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: LEE on 14 September, 2012, 02:51:36 pm
Yes.

A switchable "Dipped Beam" would be very useful for the dark lanes I ride on.

Price-wise however...it may be more economical to use a secondary, battery, LED light for near-field light (but that involved being disciplined about battery charging)
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Oscar's dad on 14 September, 2012, 02:52:37 pm
Yes.

A switchable "Dipped Beam" would be very useful for the dark lanes I ride on.

Not to mention the USB charging facility.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: LEE on 14 September, 2012, 02:54:16 pm
You said not to mention the USB charging facility
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Oscar's dad on 14 September, 2012, 02:56:24 pm
 ;D
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Manotea on 14 September, 2012, 02:57:34 pm
If you consider it as a USB charger with a built in light, it doesn't seem so expensive.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Kim on 14 September, 2012, 02:58:11 pm
Personally I'm looking forward to hear how bright it seems compared to my CYO & how well the switched beam works (from spotlight to "dipped" near-field) as the one thing that I think is missing on my CYO is near-field/wide-angle light (I turn into some "black holes" occasionally and trust to luck).

I'm interested, but only in a vague lighting-for-theoretical-n+1 sense.  It doesn't seem worth upgrading from a Cyo for, unless you really want the USB charging.

Given the non-linearity of human vision, I'm not expecting any miracles brightness wise (if you've got two identical lights, you can easily demonstrate that doubling the Lux does very little for apparent brightness, but can usefully be employed to cover more area), but I'm interested in how well the switchable wider beam works in practice.  As a recumbent rider, with the light fixed to the bike's axis rather than the steering axis, turning into darkness can be a real problem at times.  I normally use a head-torch to avoid this problem on night rides, but a wide-angle mode would reduce it on the odd occasion where it's not worth bothering with the full kit.

(I already use the Cyo R, so the nearfield dark spot isn't an issue.  Not that it's an issue on a 'bent anyway, as most of it's full of feet and chainset.)
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Oscar's dad on 14 September, 2012, 02:58:16 pm
If you consider it as a USB charger with a built in light, it doesn't seem so expensive.

You're not helping.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: L CC on 14 September, 2012, 03:00:06 pm
I need a new dynamo light.
I've just received a tax refund.

There may be trouble ahead.

Quote
Dynamo Generated light penetrates into a new dimension - so wide, so wide, so spotlessly bright
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 14 September, 2012, 03:00:37 pm
I'd like to see a width of illumination comparison between the Cyo, Cyo R and Luxos.

Not that I'm reading this thread, of course.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: L CC on 14 September, 2012, 03:06:50 pm
We bought a fugly light Clicky (http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.axa-nano.com%2F&act=url) which is on the tandem. I think it's not as good as the Cyo, light-wise.
If I get a Luxos we'll shuffle lights around.

('If'. Who am I trying to kid?  :facepalm:)
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: chillmoister on 14 September, 2012, 03:10:39 pm
I'd like to see a width of illumination comparison between the Cyo, Cyo R and Luxos.

Not that I'm reading this thread, of course.

sounds like need to Charlotte out in the park on the rollers again  ;D
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: marcusjb on 14 September, 2012, 03:12:52 pm
I'd like to see a width of illumination comparison between the Cyo, Cyo R and Luxos.

Not that I'm reading this thread, of course.

sounds like need to Charlotte out in the park on the rollers again  ;D

All on here I think

http://www.bumm.de/innovation-original/lichtvergleich-scheinwerfer.html (http://www.bumm.de/innovation-original/lichtvergleich-scheinwerfer.html)
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Oscar's dad on 14 September, 2012, 03:38:38 pm
^^^ That's interesting.  It looks like the main difference is near field visibility.   

I'm still getting used to my Cyo T, it's light field is quite different from the Hope 1 I'm used to.  In my experience the Hope gives you a bullet of bright light but not much round the edges.  Providing you've got the bullet aimed in the right place you're OK.  The Cyo gives a much broader light field which doesn't feel as bright to me so it's sapping my confidence a bit; I worry it's not bright enough to show up the pot hole I'm about to crash into.  I quite like the broader light field but would like a brighter bullet down the middle too.  I wondered if the new light with it's extra 10 lux would deliver what I want.  From the photos it would appear not.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: L CC on 14 September, 2012, 03:54:42 pm
I've ridden with both a Cyo & the Hope you mention and my experience is the opposite- the Hope has such a narrow beam I ride slower for fear of accidentally deviating from the bullet line and hitting something unseen.
Having the bullet in the right place is impossible when you're turning round sharp corners.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Oscar's dad on 14 September, 2012, 03:59:56 pm
I've ridden with both a Cyo & the Hope you mention and my experience is the opposite- the Hope has such a narrow beam I ride slower for fear of accidentally deviating from the bullet line and hitting something unseen.
Having the bullet in the right place is impossible when you're turning round sharp corners.

Yep, I get your point.  I'm sure its all about what you're used to.  I've ridden with a Hope for a few years now so what it does is very familar.  I'm sure I'll get used to the Cyo very soon.  Of course the main problem with the Hope is the batteries run out, which is why I went for the Cyo and dynohud - I need to remember this.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Manotea on 14 September, 2012, 04:06:07 pm
"Never mind the quality, feel the width"

To my eyes, the 70 Lux, LED IQ2-TEC in panoramic mode most resembles that of the Solidlight, albeit with the top half missing, i.e., all the light is on the ground, which I guess is a good thing.

Now, mebbe it's because I'm a fixer but my first priority, especially when descending winding lanes, is to be able to see *all* of the road, because I take corners wider and nearer the verge than a geared bike, and discovering I cannot see the road immediately in front, especially that bit where the potholes live, is *bad*. Spotting potholes in the middle of the road isn't generally a problem at 40-50kmph which is where I spin out.

Those descending at 70kmph+ probably have different priorities, though it's always struck me that doing so at night, even on good, well lit  roads is a bit daft.

Edit: X-post with FBOAB (welcome back, F!)
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: LEE on 14 September, 2012, 04:20:09 pm
I need a new dynamo light.
I've just received a tax refund.

There may be trouble ahead.


That's the best justification for buying a nice bright light I can think of.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: TimO on 14 September, 2012, 04:35:16 pm
It's interesting that they've got the USB charging facility on it, somewhere I've seen the suggestion that you can plug the Exposure USB Smart Boost Cable into the Smart Port Technology Plus (SPT+) on the Revo dynamo light, and get the same functionality (although it doesn't seem to have been on the Exposure website, or if it is, I can't find it!)

USB power seems to be one of the new "must have" features.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Kim on 14 September, 2012, 05:00:18 pm
I'd like to see a width of illumination comparison between the Cyo, Cyo R

I've got a couple of Cyo R's, a 60Lux Cyo and an Ixon IQ to hand.  All things being equal, they're all the same width.  From a standard mounting height the Cyo R's give much more even illumination of the road (the problem with the 60 Lux Cyo isn't so much the nearfield dark patch, so much as the hotspot in the middle of the beam making everything else appear dim).

It's all consistent with the B&M photos.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Kim on 14 September, 2012, 05:03:22 pm
USB power seems to be one of the new "must have" features.

It makes sense, of course - it's pretty straightforward to add to a light that's already rectifying the AC and charging a capacitor to reduce flicker / provide a standlight.  Hardest bit is waterproof connectors.  As this thread proves, people are likely to consider spending more on a light that fulfils both functions.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: LEE on 14 September, 2012, 05:13:15 pm
The beam pattern from the 70lux Luxos seems exactly what I was looking for.

Damn It!
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 14 September, 2012, 06:24:32 pm
I'd like to see a width of illumination comparison between the Cyo, Cyo R and Luxos.

Not that I'm reading this thread, of course.

sounds like need to Charlotte out in the park on the rollers again  ;D

All on here I think

http://www.bumm.de/innovation-original/lichtvergleich-scheinwerfer.html (http://www.bumm.de/innovation-original/lichtvergleich-scheinwerfer.html)
Yes, I'd seen the photos already but I wasn't sure how much to trust them. A narrow corrugated iron tunnel isn't exactly a typical riding situation, it restricts the width of the widest beams, reflects light back from walls and roof and the end of the tunnel provides a artificial cut off point for distance. However, Kim says they're pretty realistic. What they do show is that the 40-Lux Cyo with nearfield beam is a more even beam than its 60-Lux sister* (which also lights up a spot of the roof). And there's no mention of the Cyo R there, only the Cyo T - it gets confusing all these variants!

However, the Luxos does have a very good beam with its panorama nearfield. Can't make out if this is something you can switch into/out of while riding though or a variant you purchase, as with Cyo and Cyo T.

Actually doesn't the T with Cyo mean Tageslicht = DRL? So nothing to do with beam shape or brightness at all.

*Lamps being feminine.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Kim on 14 September, 2012, 06:34:41 pm
What they do show is that the 40-Lux Cyo with nearfield beam is a more even beam than its 60-Lux sister* (which also lights up a spot of the roof). And there's no mention of the Cyo R there, only the Cyo T - it gets confusing all these variants!

The Cyo R *is* the 40 Lux version, the difference being the shape of the optics and that the 'R' has an integrated retroreflector (pointless, other than for legal compliance in countries that require it - it adds nothing to visibility while the light is on), which is where the 'R' comes from.  A 60 Lux Cyo is inherently non-'R'.

'T' is indeed the daylight running lights, and has nothing to do with the main optics, other than them not being used for the standlight function.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 14 September, 2012, 07:30:56 pm
R! I mean, ah! I had actually worked that out at some past perusal of the B&M catalogue, but then it slipped my mind. Ta for the R, K, OK!

I'm lukewarm at best on the Daytime light. I'm opposed to the concept of DRLs in principle, as they merely provide distraction IMO. If it's dull enough to require lighting, turn your lights on!

Reflectors I can see some point in. If you have no standlight they're obviously v imp for waiting at a junction - but do B&M still make lights without standlight? Does anyone? Apart from that, maybe they could possibly perhaps be useful when parked in a campsite or similar to prevent errant persons driving into or stepping on your bike. But I'd certainly rather have a standlight.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Kim on 14 September, 2012, 08:14:25 pm
I'm lukewarm at best on the Daytime light. I'm opposed to the concept of DRLs in principle, as they merely provide distraction IMO. If it's dull enough to require lighting, turn your lights on!

Agreed.  In all fairness to B&M, the DRLs stem from an attempt to improve the off-axis visibility of the light (which is fairly poor, as most of the light from the main beam goes on the road).  An additional set of diffused LEDs for 180-degree visibility is a good idea for things like rain and fog, and the standlight functionality, where the objective is being seen.

Where they disappoint is that the DRL LEDs are small point light sources, which are relatively hard to see in daylight.


Quote
Reflectors I can see some point in. If you have no standlight they're obviously v imp for waiting at a junction - but do B&M still make lights without standlight?

Reflectors make sense on the Cyo for complying with a legal requirement to have reflectors.

A legal requirement to have reflectors makes some sense in the real world, where most bike lights are nowhere near B&M's quality / reliability, most cyclists can't be arsed to maintain their lighting system, and most law enforcement authorities have better things to do with their time.  The basic shop-fitted reflectors are often the most visible part of a BSOist.

So fair enough, I reckon.  I don't think front reflectors are anywhere near as useful as rear ones (because when you need to see the front of a cyclist, you're much less likely to be shining a light at them).
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: campagman on 14 September, 2012, 08:18:49 pm
Could you plug a battery into the USB to turn the hub into a motor?
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Kim on 14 September, 2012, 08:26:11 pm
Could you plug a battery into the USB to turn the hub into a motor?

You could, but you'd have to mod the light to fit Dark Emitting Diodes for it to work.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 14 September, 2012, 08:30:59 pm
I'm lukewarm at best on the Daytime light. I'm opposed to the concept of DRLs in principle, as they merely provide distraction IMO. If it's dull enough to require lighting, turn your lights on!

Agreed.  In all fairness to B&M, the DRLs stem from an attempt to improve the off-axis visibility of the light (which is fairly poor, as most of the light from the main beam goes on the road).  An additional set of diffused LEDs for 180-degree visibility is a good idea for things like rain and fog, and the standlight functionality, where the objective is being seen.

Where they disappoint is that the DRL LEDs are small point light sources, which are relatively hard to see in daylight.

What I can't work out from the catalogue is whether B&M's T-lights are switchable - can you turn everything off, or do you have a choice only between day and night lighting?
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Kim on 14 September, 2012, 08:37:47 pm
What I can't work out from the catalogue is whether B&M's T-lights are switchable - can you turn everything off, or do you have a choice only between day and night lighting?


I believe it has '0' 'T' and 'S' settings.  '0' is fully off, 'T' runs the DRLs and main beam at low intensity for "be seen" purposes and 'S' switches automatically between "be seen" and "see where you're going" mode according to ambient brightness and whether the dynamo's running.

So you can turn it off when parking the bike / on a railway platform / powering a USB charger / it's broad daylight
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: tom_e on 14 September, 2012, 08:42:16 pm
Could you plug a battery into the USB to turn the hub into a motor?

No.  In principle a dynamo could be driven this way, but it would be subject to a few things:

1) The power electronics need to be designed to do it.  They won't be in this case, so no chance.

2) The USB socket will be an "A" type, which means it is supposed to put power out, and definitely not ever take power in the other direction.  Part of the USB specification.

3) The dynamo is nominally designed to take convert 3W of mechanical power into electrical.  Its capacity to convert in the other direction will be pretty much the same.  That's not a lot of power.  To put it another way, lots of people apparently scarcely notice the drag when it is turned on.  Imagine this converted into raw forward thrust instead.  Not impressive.

And obviously it would turn the front light red and the rear white, and the daytime running lights get all nocturnal on yo' ass.  ::-)
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: david rand on 05 October, 2012, 10:55:30 am
I currently have two Cyo lights on my bent trike and it's my intention to replace the off side light with a Luxos.
I'm just a sucker for new hub dynamo lights.

Rand.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Kim on 05 October, 2012, 03:36:38 pm
I currently have two Cyo lights on my bent trike

Interesting.  Two dynamos, or something cleverer?
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: LEE on 05 October, 2012, 04:20:07 pm
Could you plug a battery into the USB to turn the hub into a motor?

You could, but you'd have to mod the light to fit Dark Emitting Diodes for it to work.

I'm fairly certain my old Cateye has one of those fitted, either that or it was emitting light in a part of the spectrum I'm not all that sensitive to.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: coll_coll on 05 October, 2012, 08:19:33 pm
hub dynamo and http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/article/b--m-headlight-lumotec-iq2-luxos-u-senso-plus-with-usb-connector/aid:620049 (9 weeks to go)

if I have the cash is there any reason not to....

Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: hbunnet on 05 October, 2012, 08:50:54 pm
hub dynamo and http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/article/b--m-headlight-lumotec-iq2-luxos-u-senso-plus-with-usb-connector/aid:620049 (9 weeks to go)

if I have the cash is there any reason not to....

+1
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Hot Flatus on 05 October, 2012, 08:58:38 pm
hub dynamo and http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/article/b--m-headlight-lumotec-iq2-luxos-u-senso-plus-with-usb-connector/aid:620049 (9 weeks to go)

if I have the cash is there any reason not to....

Yep... if it has the same standard of build quality as the Cyo.

It's a lot of cash, I'd be waiting until it is tried and tested.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: L CC on 07 October, 2012, 06:09:11 pm
Between us, Chris and I have had 3 cyos. Not one of them has had any problems in the many thousands of kms of use. I appreciate your point about early adoption, but I'm not even remotely concerned.
We'll be getting a luxos when they're out. Mostly because the Axa we have is fuglier.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Hot Flatus on 07 October, 2012, 06:20:43 pm
I had one fail in a matter of  two months. I will be waiting a while.

(besides, I've got a Supernova E3 Triple  ;D.  )
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: red marley on 07 October, 2012, 06:26:58 pm
Although my Solidlights is still going strong,  I'm rather taken with the convenience of a handlebar USB charger, a more dispersed but oncoming vehicle-friendly beam pattern and bright standlight.

A word of warning though - if you buy through Rose, you will receive regular telephone directory sized bike bits catalogues from here to eternity.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Hot Flatus on 07 October, 2012, 06:37:01 pm
.....and if you are really lucky, a drab green bowl.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Deano on 07 October, 2012, 09:01:12 pm
I got a lightweight bag from Rose which I used as a daybag while travelling. I even had it repaired in Nepal. Lightweight and packs down to nowt. Unlike the catalogue.

I'm tempted by the USB-charging thing, but I'm still happy with my Fly, so I'll probably wait until that claps out, or the price drops.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: valkyrie on 07 October, 2012, 10:38:08 pm
What I can't work out from the catalogue is whether B&M's T-lights are switchable - can you turn everything off, or do you have a choice only between day and night lighting?


I believe it has '0' 'T' and 'S' settings.  '0' is fully off, 'T' runs the DRLs and main beam at low intensity for "be seen" purposes and 'S' switches automatically between "be seen" and "see where you're going" mode according to ambient brightness and whether the dynamo's running.

So you can turn it off when parking the bike / on a railway platform / powering a USB charger / it's broad daylight

I've tried moving the switch on mine between T and S at various speeds and in varying levels of darkness and I've never been able to discern a difference. I think the DRLs take very little power so much above walking pace they're always on. I like them - a few people have commented that they're very noticeable.
Title: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: PeeJay on 08 October, 2012, 11:34:43 am
Starbike are indicating that the USB charger version will be available from the 10 Dec.

http://www.starbike.com/p/Busch-M%FCller-LUMOTEC-IQ2-LUXOS-5251-en

Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Hot Flatus on 08 October, 2012, 11:42:09 am
If it proves reliable, it'll be on my Xmas list
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: PeeJay on 08 October, 2012, 12:02:32 pm
If it proves reliable, it'll be on my Xmas list

That's only about 15 days to test reliability then :)

I'm basing reliability on my Cyo, which, touch wood, has been fine for 2+ years of all weather use.

Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Auntie Helen on 08 October, 2012, 12:16:54 pm
What I can't work out from the catalogue is whether B&M's T-lights are switchable - can you turn everything off, or do you have a choice only between day and night lighting?


I believe it has '0' 'T' and 'S' settings.  '0' is fully off, 'T' runs the DRLs and main beam at low intensity for "be seen" purposes and 'S' switches automatically between "be seen" and "see where you're going" mode according to ambient brightness and whether the dynamo's running.

So you can turn it off when parking the bike / on a railway platform / powering a USB charger / it's broad daylight

I've tried moving the switch on mine between T and S at various speeds and in varying levels of darkness and I've never been able to discern a difference. I think the DRLs take very little power so much above walking pace they're always on. I like them - a few people have commented that they're very noticeable.
I did a test when I got mine last year and I did notice a difference - something to do with how much light was thrown down on the road vs ahead. Can't remember exactly but I concluded it was best to leave it on S for my kind of riding.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: GraemeMcC on 08 October, 2012, 01:06:09 pm
Gnarr!

Just recently bought another eDelux (red case) for the commute bike this time. If only I'd know earlier that 140 lux and daylight flashing was on offer... and for about the same cash.  ::-)

Anyone found any comparisons to the eDelux 80 lux output yet?
Title: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: PeeJay on 08 October, 2012, 01:24:01 pm
140lux is just for the ebike version. The dynamo option gives a 60/90lux output AFAIK

Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Kim on 08 October, 2012, 01:32:24 pm
That said, it wouldn't be entirely unreasonable to molish a battery pack for the 140lux version, if you're happy with batteries...
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: andrew_s on 08 October, 2012, 03:19:32 pm
The B+M Big Bang entry on their beam shot page (http://www.bumm.de/innovation-original/lichtvergleich-scheinwerfer.html) shows what 140 lux looks like (lots).
They did suggest running the Big Bang off an e-Werk at one point (with a cache battery), so perhaps you could do the same with the e_Bike version of the Luxos
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Bledlow on 08 October, 2012, 06:38:59 pm
That said, it wouldn't be entirely unreasonable to molish a battery pack for the 140lux version, if you're happy with batteries...
Hmmm. I wonder how many amps it draws.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Kim on 08 October, 2012, 06:44:33 pm
That said, it wouldn't be entirely unreasonable to molish a battery pack for the 140lux version, if you're happy with batteries...
Hmmm. I wonder how many amps it draws.

Not very much at quite a high voltage, I suspect.  As that's usually how e-bike flatteries are molished.  I expect the manual will reveal all in due course.

I'd guess the power consumption isn't going to be too ludicrous.  Maybe double that of the dynamo version?
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Andrew Br on 09 October, 2012, 01:15:30 pm

They did suggest running the Big Bang off an e-Werk at one point (with a cache battery), ..............

Do you think this would work with the IQ Speeds ?
The reason for asking is that mine wouldn't work on "Hi" when I was coming down the Cat and Fiddle on Saturday's Audax. That's usually a symptom that the battery is low but they weren't. After a break at the finish, they worked OK on the way home and then remained on for ~40 hours as I tried to fully drain and recharge them.
I'm guessing that the cold got to them.

The battery consists of 5 round cells shrink-wrapped together.
Nominal Voltage; 6V, Nominal capacity; 4.1Ah, Max charge current; 1.2A, max discharge current; 4.1A.
The charger says 9V !

Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Bledlow on 09 October, 2012, 07:22:11 pm
I have a collection of 6V batteries of 2.2 to 4 4 Ah, & a couple of lights which work happily on that voltage but have battery indicators which don't understand that 6V does not mean 'going to die soon'. A little annoying. A BRIGHT (effective: doesn't have to be blinding overall, just puts plenty of light where it's needed) light which worked off 6V batteries without confusion would be nice.

I've wondered about the IQ Speed. But I'd like to see it in action before splashing out. And I'd like to see it fitted over fat handlebars, like the carbon ones on my Enigma.
Title: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: trickedem on 09 November, 2012, 11:49:18 am
Looks like these are finally becoming available. Star bike has the U model due in stock from Dec 10. I already have a new wheel, just waiting for a light now. Hopefully this will be my Christmas present :)
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: red marley on 11 January, 2013, 11:04:38 pm
Has anyone actually got hold of one of these yet? I ordered one in October from Rose, but still haven't received it (predicted time was mid Jan I think).
Title: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: trickedem on 12 January, 2013, 12:50:09 am
Mine is on back order now til mid feb
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Aushiker on 12 January, 2013, 08:26:27 am
I believe that the 179B has shipped to some people and one forum member at the Australian Cycling Forums (http://www.bicycles.net.au/forums/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=55986&p=905808#p905203) apparently has a 179 U en-route to him.

Andrew
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: PloddinPedro on 13 January, 2013, 12:01:15 pm
Has anyone actually got hold of one of these yet? I ordered one in October from Rose, but still haven't received it (predicted time was mid Jan I think).
Ditto for the first part - I ordered one in Oct from Rose - it arrived on Thursday.

All I've been able to do so far is to unbox it and read the instructions* The unit itself seems pretty good quality, a bit plasticky and not in the Supernova league, but I guess it'll be the weather resistance and the internal clever bits that count. The instructions describe it as changing the emphasis of the power usage according to road speed so that the LEDs which light up the road closer to the bike get more energy than the ones which throw light up the road when you drop below 15kph. It also has a boost facility which fires up the cache battery for extra light when you press the button; this apparently will give extra glow for about 15 minutes before the cache battery is drained. I guess the idea is to use it sparingly and allow the cache battery to regenerate in the meantime.

(Why do so many corporations save peanuts money on not getting native English speakers to proof read their translations of instructions? These aren't as bad as some Far East ones I've seen but they're not as clear as they should be, at least to my pedantic mindset.)
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: interested on 13 January, 2013, 02:51:10 pm
(Why do so many corporations save peanuts money on not getting native English speakers to proof read their translations of instructions? These aren't as bad as some Far East ones I've seen but they're not as clear as they should be, at least to my pedantic mindset.)

B&M is a rather small family owned business doing the almost impossible by manufacturing and developing in Europe. They must operate on a really tight budget, so it must be tempting to save money by doing the translation "in house".

Besides, it often very difficult for non-native English speakers who hasn't studied the language in depth, to discover their own faults. I am not talking about just grammatical errors or spelling mistakes, but about the "tone" of the language, like using the appropriate word: Rosebike once translated the wheel building tool "Spoke key" /"Spoke Wrench" as a "Screwing up key".

The native language syntax and idioms also easily creep into translations. Here in Denmark it is common to see such "in house" translations from small companies. Such translations often results in "Denglish", something that is not quite unlike English, where all the words are spelled right and without screaming grammatical errors, but where syntax, idioms, and tone are Danish in English disguise. I often see the same phenomenon in German-to-English translations from small companies making low profit things like bicycle equipment.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: PloddinPedro on 13 January, 2013, 03:52:52 pm
Well I take your point to a degree if B&M is actually a small company - because they are so well known, I had assumed they were quite a sizeable concern - and I fully understand how it happens but what baffles me is why it happens.

Don’t any of these companies have anyone who buys things from abroad and despairs at the instructions? Whenever I encounter this, I automatically think “OK, so you care so little for my custom that you can’t be bothered just to ask a customer in the UK “are our instructions OK?” To me, this kind of sloppy attention to detail goes with the mentality of “I don’t give a toss if we never build a relationship of trust with you; we’ve got your money now and we don’t care if you’re satisfied with our product or not." This fits with “we know our stuff is crap and you’ll never buy anything from us again so it doesn’t matter; there’s plenty more suckers out there we can foist our garbage on.” **

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying the B&M stuff is bad in any way, just speaking generally that rubbish instructions risk giving a bad impression and are poor marketing.

** Ooooh, that feels better. Daily Mail rant over now!   ;D
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Kim on 13 January, 2013, 04:35:52 pm
I suspect it's a case of if your product's good enough or cheap enough, poor instructions aren't actually a problem.  Especially when people don't bother to read them anyway.

Look at pretty much every piece of consumer electronics produced in the far east over the last 20 years.


To pick a B&M example, there are, I think, about three actually important factoids in the IQ Cyo manual: The polarity of the wiring; the specification for running on DC and the correct behaviour of the Senso mode.  Most people are only going to be interested in one or two of these, and none are rendered unclear as a result of sloppy translation or bad typesetting.  The Cyo manual is Good Enough for something you only need to refer to during installation, and its inadequacies are overshadowed by an otherwise excellent product.

We have pretty low expectations for documentation, and I for one am delighted if it contains the information I'm looking for, whatever the language.


I'd also wonder what proportion of B&Ms sales are international.  I suspect the vast majority are domestic, or to the Netherlands (where presumably overly germanic English isn't a problem).
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Somnolent on 13 January, 2013, 06:16:14 pm
To get a really good technical translation you need, as a minimum, two people who are both subject matter experts, one of whom is a native speaker in the source language, and at least fluent enough in the target language to understand the finer nuances of idiom; the other a native speaker of the target language who is at least fluent enough in the source language to understand the finer nuances of idiom.   
And enough time to bounce each paragraph back and forwards between the two of them two or three times. 
Having worked in such a team I can tell you it is enormously satisfying when you get it right, but it is very very costly.

Equally, whilst technically competent, professional translation agencies are invariably not subject matter experts and the results they produce are IME quite poor.

Anyway, PloddinPedros detailed review awaited with interest....
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: TimO on 13 January, 2013, 06:21:34 pm
... Rosebike once translated the wheel building tool "Spoke key" /"Spoke Wrench" as a "Screwing up key". ...

That could be seen as being entirely appropriate. ;D
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: L CC on 13 January, 2013, 09:13:01 pm
Also awaiting Pedros review...

(Before I press 'buy now')
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 13 January, 2013, 09:29:22 pm
I expect these translations have been produced by professional translation agencies, but their translators are German (or Danish, etc) and although they can produce something grammatically correct, they don't have an ear for the style or, to use interested's word, the "tone" of English. Some translation agencies will employ proofreaders who are native speakers of the target language (I have done this) but obviously there remains the problem of not being familiar with the subject. It has to be said that sometimes the firms needing the translations don't help themselves, for instance asking for captions to be translated without supplying the illustrations they relate to, and translation agency practices are often geared to speed (largely because that is what customers demand) rather than quality, such as splitting chapters between translators.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Ashaman42 on 13 January, 2013, 09:50:02 pm
Was just going to get another Cyo but might hold my horses and see how this turns out. Looks like it could be a good 'un.

Then again I don't currently charge things so maybe I don't need that feature, I'm sure I could find a reason to charge things though to justify getting one  :-\

The boost mode and the chaining beam of light based on speed look pretty nifty.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: red marley on 16 January, 2013, 09:36:34 pm
OK, the good news is that mine has arrived today.

The bad news that I am having trouble fitting it to my bike. The following is going to show up my ignorance of these things, but here goes anyway...

The light comes with a fork crown mounting bracket which needs to sit between the front brake and the fork being pinned by the bolt that normally attaches the brake to the fork. The problem I have is that this bolt is currently exactly the correct length to make contact with the threaded recessed nut that sits 'in' the rear side of the fork. If I add the 5mm or so of the mounting bracket, the bolt can no longer reach. Worse still, the ring that sits between the fork and frame would interfere with the mounting bracket unless I added about 4mm of spacers to hold the bracket away from the frame. There are currently no spacers in my setup to remove to give me any extra length. So the bolt is upwards of 1cm short of its ideal length if I want to use the supplied mounting bracket.

So what options do I have? Do front brakes come with different bolt lengths? Would it be too dangerous to remove the gnarled nut that holds the spring in place? Are there alternative mounting brackets that are used to avoid this problem? Googling doesn't turn up anything obvious to me other than scary things like drilling into forks.

Apologies for the awkward explanation, but it strikes me this must be quite a common problem and I would have thought one that have an obvious solution I have missed.

BTW, the light itself looks great so far.

Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: LittleWheelsandBig on 16 January, 2013, 09:40:19 pm
The Allen nut comes in different lengths. It is unlikely that you are using the longest.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: red marley on 16 January, 2013, 09:43:58 pm
Ah, that sounds promising. My current one is 15mm.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Polar Bear on 16 January, 2013, 09:45:36 pm
SJS Cycles sell longer ones.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Sergeant Pluck on 16 January, 2013, 09:50:57 pm
These are handy - not only a longer bolt so that you get a decent amount of brake bolt thread in, but it acts as a nut for an additional smaller bolt to go in the end, in case you want your mudguard bracket on that side of the forks.

http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/problem-solvers-sheldon-fender-nuts-per-pair-prod18687/

There is a longer version of this - I should know, because I invented it  :smug: in a way, by writing to Problem Solvers asking them to make it.

http://harriscyclery.net/product/problem-solvers-sheldon-fender-nuts-set-includes-32mm-front-and-10mm-rear-sku-bo1506-qc49.htm

Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Christophe on 17 January, 2013, 12:08:16 pm
Ok so which model have people gone for? I was looking at getting another Cyo but might splash out. Looks like the U option is the one to go for?
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Andrew on 17 January, 2013, 12:49:30 pm
If my Cyo wasn't adequate (which it is, and more so) then I might be looking at the U model purely for the USB charger option.

As a rule, I don't like combined functionality but there's often an argument for it, and I can see one in this case. There's a practicality to the combination here that could out weigh problems/compromise.

Still, for that money you can get a Cyo and an USB e-werk so maybe one ought look at any advantages offered by the light itself, or your intended purpose/set up...
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Christophe on 17 January, 2013, 01:55:50 pm
Actually, thinking about it the Cyo is more than adequate for my needs. I could also buy two Cyos fro the price of the cheapest Luxos...
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: PloddinPedro on 17 January, 2013, 03:55:59 pm
OK, the good news is that mine has arrived today.

The bad news that I am having trouble fitting it to my bike. The following is going to show up my ignorance of these things, but here goes anyway...

The light comes with a fork crown mounting bracket which needs to sit between the front brake and the fork being pinned by the bolt that normally attaches the brake to the fork. The problem I have is that this bolt is currently exactly the correct length to make contact with the threaded recessed nut that sits 'in' the rear side of the fork. If I add the 5mm or so of the mounting bracket, the bolt can no longer reach. Worse still, the ring that sits between the fork and frame would interfere with the mounting bracket unless I added about 4mm of spacers to hold the bracket away from the frame. There are currently no spacers in my setup to remove to give me any extra length. So the bolt is upwards of 1cm short of its ideal length if I want to use the supplied mounting bracket.

So what options do I have? Do front brakes come with different bolt lengths? Would it be too dangerous to remove the gnarled nut that holds the spring in place? Are there alternative mounting brackets that are used to avoid this problem? Googling doesn't turn up anything obvious to me other than scary things like drilling into forks.

Apologies for the awkward explanation, but it strikes me this must be quite a common problem and I would have thought one that have an obvious solution I have missed.

BTW, the light itself looks great so far.

Jo - in case you haven't sorted it yet, this page may help: http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/brake-spares-other-dept356_pg1/#page= (http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/brake-spares-other-dept356_pg1/#page=)

If you scroll down to the Wheels Manufacturing bolts GBP3.99 each, you'll see they are the usual brake bolt nut but in different longer lengths. They reach further through the fork crown to get to the brake bolt, which is not so far into the fork crown once you've put the lamp bracket on. They don't have a thread in the back though, so you can't fasten your mudguard bracket on the back of the fork crown, but then I'm guessing you don't want to.to

One point to note, if you've not already discovered it - depending on exactly which type of headset you have fitted, the lamp bracket can sometimes foul the bottom race cap if you try and fit it right up hard against the fork crown. You may need to pack it out a bit, which will mean the brake bolt will need to be even longer still.

Apologies if I'm pointing out the bleeding obvious! :facepalm:


Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: MattH on 17 January, 2013, 09:55:19 pm
One other thing to watch out for on the "problem solvers" type brake nuts - your forks may limit the maximum length that you can fit. The Carbon forks on my Roubaix have a shoulder recessed into them for the nut to rest against. If you use a nut that is too long, it clamps against the front face of the fork leaving the nut's shoulder in free space, rather than clamping where it should do - and potentially giving a nasty failure mode on the road as you're putting all the strain onto the very narrow leading edge of the nut.

I used the depth rod on a vernier to measure how long a nut I could fit, after initially buying one that was too long (but realising after fitting it, and before riding). The one I needed wasn't a stupidly long length (ISTR that the SRAM Red brakes came with 18mm, I needed 22mm or something like that).
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: zigzag on 17 January, 2013, 10:14:05 pm
it's best to cut the brake nut that's too long that it would almost touch the inner front face of the fork - for maximum engagement. also, if the brake nut is not enclosed in a fork (as is usually the case with steel forks), don't use alloy brake nuts for obvious reasons.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: PeeJay on 21 January, 2013, 01:13:18 pm
Star bike have the U version in now,
http://www.starbike.com/p/Busch-M%FCller-LUMOTEC-IQ2-LUXOS-5251-en

Might have to wait for pay day tho
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Christophe on 22 January, 2013, 09:26:54 am
Morning all

Do we have any users of this light yet? Am ordering stuff from bike discount today and am torn between another Cyo and the cheap Luxos.
Decisions, decisions.................
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: red marley on 22 January, 2013, 12:04:26 pm
My Luxos U is fitted on the bike and ready to go. Unfortunately snow and ice are preventing me from riding with it so far. I'll post a review as soon as I get some dark riding in...


P.S. Thanks for the advice on brake bolts etc. My ignorance knows no bounds when it comes to fettling.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Panoramix on 22 January, 2013, 12:10:27 pm
My Luxos U is fitted on the bike and ready to go. Unfortunately snow and ice are preventing me from riding with it so far. I'll post a review as soon as I get some dark riding in...


P.S. Thanks for the advice on brake bolts etc. My ignorance knows no bounds when it comes to fettling.

I am waiting for the review with interest as I should probably stock them.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: interested on 22 January, 2013, 12:45:13 pm
A user on bikeforums has a mini review/first impression of a Luxos B here:
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/868117-B-amp-M-Luxos-B-First-commute

Says it is better than the Cyo R when it comes to near field illumination (especially to the sides) and long distance throw.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Kim on 22 January, 2013, 01:26:31 pm
A user on bikeforums has a mini review/first impression of a Luxos B here:
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/868117-B-amp-M-Luxos-B-First-commute

Says it is better than the Cyo R when it comes to near field illumination (especially to the sides) and long distance throw.

Sounds excellent.

Slightly obscure request to whoever writes a review, on behalf of the darksiders:  Could someone post details/photos of the connection between the handlebar switch and the light.  I'm assuming the cable is going to be far too short to reach the handlebars on most recumbents, so it'll be useful to know if it's a standard connector...
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Aushiker on 24 January, 2013, 04:14:09 am

Slightly obscure request to whoever writes a review, on behalf of the darksiders:  Could someone post details/photos of the connection between the handlebar switch and the light.  I'm assuming the cable is going to be far too short to reach the handlebars on most recumbents, so it'll be useful to know if it's a standard connector...

Good point. I had been thinking of this and did wonder if one could extend the wiring.  The cyclist I know who has a 179U coming also rides a trike so will ask him about the possible fit on this Greenspeed.

Andrew
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Arn0 on 04 February, 2013, 11:13:34 pm
So, no reviews yet?

According to this, it would be a fantastic replacement for the Cyo:
http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/headlights.asp (search for "luxos U" towards the middle of the page)

However this review is a bit more cautious (it's not the USB model though):
http://swhs.home.xs4all.nl/fiets/tests/verlichting/koplampen/BM_luxos/index_en.html
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: red marley on 04 February, 2013, 11:30:29 pm
Sorry - been a bit busy, but will try to add a full review soon. So far I've only used mine for commuting so haven't had a chance to test it on proper dark lanes. But initial impressions are very positive. It has a good spreading beam which is exactly what I was hoping for as I much prefer broad solidlights type patterns over brighter spots common in more recent lights. It appears ~much~ brighter than the SolidLights while having an even broader beam, but I really must test it away from street lamps before commenting further...
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: johnckirk on 06 February, 2013, 02:00:15 am
Quick question for anyone who has one: do you know the dimensions? I'd like to get one for my Brompton, but space is quite tight there (to fit around the front carrier block when unfolded and under the tube when folded). I know that new Bromptons now offer some version of B&M Cyo, so if the Luxos is about the same size then hopefully it will fit too.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: PeeJay on 06 February, 2013, 08:09:42 am
Dimensions of the Luxos are listed in the second review posted by Arn0 above
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: LEE on 06 February, 2013, 09:39:22 am
So, no reviews yet?

According to this, it would be a fantastic replacement for the Cyo:
http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/headlights.asp (search for "luxos U" towards the middle of the page)

However this review is a bit more cautious (it's not the USB model though):
http://swhs.home.xs4all.nl/fiets/tests/verlichting/koplampen/BM_luxos/index_en.html

The two reviews prove it's important to see these things for real.

The Peter White images are very impressive.  It seems perfect for the sort of pitch-black, crumbling, country lanes I ride on (where tight corners are a bit of a black-hole gamble).  However I take the point that the human eye reacts differently to light intensity than a camera.

The thing I liked about the Solidlights was the superb "bubble of light" you were riding in, from hedgerow to hedgerow on either side. Peter White's images seem to imply the Luxus will give the same experience, with the benefit of a cut-off for oncoming drivers.

The USB charging version seems to make it a no-brainer for tourists.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Oscar's dad on 06 February, 2013, 09:43:17 am
 :hand:   >:(

Last year I spent good money on the previous version of this lamp.  I was hoping you'd all conclude the new version was rubbish and therefore I'd be perfectly happy with the old version.  That doesn't look likely.  Have you no respect for my fiscal integrity?
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: LEE on 06 February, 2013, 10:00:03 am
:hand:   >:(

Last year I spent good money on the previous version of this lamp.  I was hoping you'd all conclude the new version was rubbish and therefore I'd be perfectly happy with the old version.  That doesn't look likely.  Have you no respect for my fiscal integrity?

There are a few of us, all perfectly happy with our CYOs, wishing we hadn't seen this LUXOS beam pattern.

Really, it seems to solve some of the issues of descending steep, twisty, Dorset lanes at night.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Oscar's dad on 06 February, 2013, 10:39:16 am
I could move my current light onto another of my bikes and then get the Luxos for my Ribble.  But that means getting the front wheel of the other bike rebuilt with a dyno-hub which is yet more money!  It's just not fair.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Andrew on 06 February, 2013, 12:23:40 pm
I know what you mean OD.

I've already 'handed down' my previous headlight to another bike.  If I buy another headlight, I'm going to need another bike to make the hand down chain longer!
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Kim on 06 February, 2013, 01:26:13 pm
There are a few of us, all perfectly happy with our CYOs, wishing we hadn't seen this LUXOS beam pattern.

Really, it seems to solve some of the issues of descending steep, twisty, Dorset lanes at night.

Or going round corners on recumbents (or anything else with the light mounted on the frame axis rather than the steering axis).

Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: phil d on 06 February, 2013, 01:36:08 pm
I'm carefully not looking!  I have several CYOs on different bikes which I'm currently perfectly happy with.  I suppose the USB output would be nice to have, but at that price?
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: LittleWheelsandBig on 06 February, 2013, 03:42:22 pm
A couple of days ago, HK and I compared various headlights at Veloplus in Switzerland (they have a dark booth with alignment marks on the opposite wall. The Luxos is very tempting but it is significantly bigger than a Cyo and very unlikely to fit under a Brompton block. We'll get at least one of them but Veloplus only had the non-USB version.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Wowbagger on 08 February, 2013, 12:02:50 pm
I'm on the hunt for a new front light: I have three bikes in regular use, all with hub dynamos, but only two suitable front lights, both Solidlights. I'm very tempted by the sheer elegance of the Supernova and the solidity of the SON Edelux, but even though the Luxos doesn't look so lovely as those others, having a USB port whilst away camping would be exceedingly helpful.

The Luxos seems to be out of stock pretty well everywhere, though.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: dasmoth on 08 February, 2013, 12:05:03 pm
Rose have the B model in stock.

Guess everyone -- or at least all the early adopters -- wants the USB port...
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Wowbagger on 08 February, 2013, 12:09:31 pm
Rose have the B model in stock.

Guess everyone -- or at least all the early adopters -- wants the USB port...

Which probably means that, in the near future, Schmidt or Supernova will produce something with an USB port.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: mcshroom on 08 February, 2013, 02:01:45 pm
Axa have already, so I'd expect the others to follow suit.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Wowbagger on 08 February, 2013, 02:23:58 pm
Axa have already, so I'd expect the others to follow suit.

Again, it just doesn't carry with it the elegance of the Schmidt or the Supernova.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Kim on 08 February, 2013, 02:42:29 pm
Axa have already, so I'd expect the others to follow suit.

Again, it just doesn't carry with it the elegance bling of the Schmidt or the Supernova.

FTFY  :)


But yes, given Schmidt's habit of blinging-up B&M's designs (the real elegance is of course in the optics), I wouldn't be surprised to see their version of the Luxos soon.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 08 February, 2013, 02:46:41 pm
Bling?  :o Are you suggesting Wowbagger is a Chav?
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Wowbagger on 08 February, 2013, 02:49:10 pm
I am an aesthete.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: red marley on 09 February, 2013, 08:37:20 pm
Luxos IQ2 U Review - Initial Impressions
   
Summary: Great beam pattern - broad without too much of a hotspot. Good visibility from the sides too. The battery powered standlight is excellent - capable of full floodlighting for 10 minutes or so at a standstill. Style may not suit racier machines but could be perfect for audaxing. No quick release so I'd be cautious about leaving this out in a public place for too long. USB charging potentially really useful although not quite a neat as I'd hoped.

(http://staff.city.ac.uk/~jwo/acf/frontView.jpg)

Fitting

The Luxos comes with a bracket for mounting on the fork crown. This was the first time I've had a light fitted there so it did involve a bit of faffing in order to get a brake bolt long enough to hold the additional width of the bracket and the spacers required to clear the crown race cap (see previous posts on this thread).

(http://staff.city.ac.uk/~jwo/acf/sideView.jpg)

The bracket attaches to the light via a couple of star-shaped allen bolts, I assume for added security. Thankfully the light comes with the allen key required to turn them. The lack of quick release mechanism means that this light is going to be staying on the bike if you leave it outside for cafe-stops etc. I'd much rather have a quick release than these non-standard bolts. It's just another allen key waiting to get lost, and more worryingly in terms of preventing theft, all an opportunist thief has to do is undo the brake bolt with a regular allen key to be off with your new pride and joy (if you are a thief, please don't read that last sentence).

I guess you could probably find a bracket to mount this on handlebars but I think it would look a little out of place there given its shape. The lighting geometry means you certaintly could not mount it upside down hanging from the bars. But now that I have it fitted on the crown it's great to have the space back on my bars. It really does feel like a 'fit and forget' light.

The light can be operated directly from the controls on the rear. Alternatively you can use the wired remote  control designed to be mounted on the handlebars or stem. The cable connecting light to the remote is 60cm, which may not be ideal for recumbents, but may put the control at least within arm's reach. For a typical setup on an upright bike, the cable is a little too long, so I ended up having to wrap it round the top tube a few times to take up the slack. The outer surface is quite a grippy rubber so it pretty much stays in place. This turns out to be quite important because there would be some danger of the cable interfering with the brake operation if it moved. The cable plugs into the light with a headphone type jack socket with an 'L' shaped connector. It seems that it has to be pointing down for the remote to work correctly as the moulding around the socket forces the plug outwards slightly when not pointing downwards. I found that I had to wrap the grippy cable around the brake cable to keep it in place securely (see photo above). A bit fiddly, but once set up it has all remained in place over the last few weeks without any problems.

The remote is a single button with a covered socket for full sized USB plug. It is attached using supplied strengthened 'rubber bands' much as the newer smaller Garmin GPS brackets attach. This gives you the flexibility to attach it pretty much to any tubular bit of bike within reach. The bracket can only be attached in one direction, so if want the USB socket pointing in a particular direction (e.g. facing backwards away from rain), your mounting options are slightly limited. When not using the USB, I found mounting directly above the head tube most convenient:
 
(http://staff.city.ac.uk/~jwo/acf/withoutCharging.jpg)

Mounting the remote so that it could charge though the USB port limited options further. Most handlebar stems are not going to be long enough to mount a GPS and the remote together. You could mount it on the bars but I found it led to the cable interfering with my hands when riding. In the end I went for mounting the remote on the top tube. Not very pretty, but it appears to work. There is no USB cable provided with the light so you will need your own - perhaps there are better cables out there that would give a neater solution than mine.

(http://staff.city.ac.uk/~jwo/acf/gpsCharging.jpg)


Size and visibility

The light somehow feels quite bulky although its comparatively thin plastic shell means it is not as heavy as it looks. Its somewhat bulbous shape and dimensions along with the fork crown mounting mean that it would probably look a little out of place on a carbon racing machine, but it suits my Flying Gate perfectly. In comparison to the Ixon IQ it is considerably shorter and a little wider.

(http://staff.city.ac.uk/~jwo/acf/iqComparison1.jpg)

(http://staff.city.ac.uk/~jwo/acf/iqComparison2.jpg)

It is a little larger than the SolidLights, but the light-emitting area is much greater making this a definite improvement.

(http://staff.city.ac.uk/~jwo/acf/solidLightsComparison.jpg)

It does not feel as robust as a Solidlights (but then what would?), but neither does it feel 'cheap'. Not sure it would survive an accident on the road. I've so far only tested it on my daily commute, which has included some pretty heavy prolonged rain. No problem with waterproofing so far.

Lighting

The important question is how well does it light? I've not had a chance to test it on proper pitch black lanes audax stylee to will have to reserve judgement. But so far in an urban setting, the light has been working really well. It has very broad beam pattern covering the full road width, visible even under street lighting. This is exactly what I was looking for in a light. If you like the Solidlights beam pattern, you're going to like this one even more.
 
(http://staff.city.ac.uk/~jwo/acf/obliqueView.jpg)

Something very clever goes on with the beam pattern as you change speed. I thought this might just be hype from B&M, but as you increase speed, the beam moves forward lighting up a longer strip in front of you. As you slow down it becomes brighter and more downward facing. Under street lighting the effect is quite subtle but noticeable. It will be interesting to see how this works on a full through-the-night Audax. It could prove very useful on those steep nighttime climbs and descents.

Side visibility of the light is excellent making it particularly suitable for a 'be seen' light at junctions and corners.
 
(http://staff.city.ac.uk/~jwo/acf/sidelight.jpg)
 
What I particularly like is that because the dynamo charges the internal battery and not the light directly, you get full brightness when stopped (e.g. at traffic lights or when fixing a nightime puncture). This is a huge improvement over my Solidlights 'standlight' which was pretty feeble in comparison.

I was worried that the brightness of the light might be too dazzling for oncoming traffic, but as far as I can tell the design is such that no-one facing the light gets a direct beam from the LEDs, but rather the slightly more diffuse reflected light.
 
The light does have an extra 'flood' setting that can be used for a limited time for tricky descents and pothole detection. It certainly feels very bright. The manual suggests that under the flood setting, the internal battery will drain faster than it can be recharged via the dynamo, so this is for short bursts rather than default setting. The flood is provided by an extra set of LEDs at the top of the light:
 
(http://staff.city.ac.uk/~jwo/acf/floodlights.jpg)

So, overall, the lighting properties of the Luxos are excellent. An improvement over my Solidlights, and certainly over the Ixon IQ without escalating the lighting arms race too much. The USB charging was certainly an attraction for me, and while this works, it's not quite as elegant as I hoped for. I'll post some further thoughts once I've tried it out on a few nightime audaxes when I've seen it working in true dark and with other riders.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Kim on 09 February, 2013, 09:08:30 pm
Excellent review, thanks  :thumbsup:

Good to hear the connector is a standard headphone jack - shouldn't be too hard to extend or shorten the cable if needed (I suppose "typical upright bike" varies - I can imagine there'd be a bit less spare cable on a flat-barred German style city or trekking bike).  Looks like a right-angled USB cable might make things neater, though USB A connectors are always going to be quite bulky.

Not sure I like the shiny plastic shell, but I'm prepared to overlook that sort of thing in light of all the other desirable features.  Glad they've improved the side visibility, it's a bit lacking in the Cyo.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Arn0 on 10 February, 2013, 11:16:42 pm
Thanks for the review Jo!

Does the external switch need to be connected to operate the light?

For my commute I don't really need the USB charging functionality but the panorama mode seems tempting (the B model doesn't have it apparently).
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: red marley on 11 February, 2013, 05:53:12 am
No the external switch does not need to be connected. If you are not using the USB charging, the only reason for it I could foresee would be to switch between normal and flood lighting while riding.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: marcusjb on 11 February, 2013, 08:09:04 am
Great review Jo.

I have a Cyo and e-werk, but I am considering changing to be of these and moving the Cyo to the commuting bike for a more elegant all round solution.

Lot of money though!
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Wowbagger on 11 February, 2013, 09:50:54 am
Excellent review, thanks  :thumbsup:

Good to hear the connector is a standard headphone jack - shouldn't be too hard to extend or shorten the cable if needed (I suppose "typical upright bike" varies - I can imagine there'd be a bit less spare cable on a flat-barred German style city or trekking bike).  Looks like a right-angled USB cable might make things neater, though USB A connectors are always going to be quite bulky.

Not sure I like the shiny plastic shell, but I'm prepared to overlook that sort of thing in light of all the other desirable features.  Glad they've improved the side visibility, it's a bit lacking in the Cyo.

Isn't the shiny top anodised aluminium? I thought I read that it was used as a heat sink for the LEDs.

Thanks for the review, Jo. I think, when the retailers have restocked, I might well buy one,
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: TimO on 11 February, 2013, 10:30:07 am
... The bracket attaches to the light via a couple of star-shaped allen bolts, I assume for added security ...

That sounds a lot like a Torx fitting.  They weren't designed for security reasons, but because the tools don't "cam out" when being assembled by machines, with torque limiting drivers.  They are sometimes used in a sort of security fashion, because tools are rarer than things like Allen keys, Pozi, Phillips and slot screwdrivers.  However, they're far from uncommon, I have a couple of sets, and we have sets at work (electronics kit reasonably often uses them).
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: dasmoth on 11 February, 2013, 10:40:10 am
... The bracket attaches to the light via a couple of star-shaped allen bolts, I assume for added security ...

That sounds a lot like a Torx fitting.

Yep, it is a Torx T20.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: mcshroom on 11 February, 2013, 10:48:40 am
If it's the same as on the Cyo, then a 3mm allen key will operate them, but I wouldn't expect it to do so for long (I just did this to fit a new Cyo to a canti bracket without having the right torx tool)
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Wowbagger on 11 February, 2013, 01:09:16 pm
... The bracket attaches to the light via a couple of star-shaped allen bolts, I assume for added security ...

That sounds a lot like a Torx fitting.

Yep, it is a Torx T20.

I have a driver for these: it's the same fitting that Rohloff use for most of the bolts in the hub itself and the gear changer.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: LEE on 11 February, 2013, 04:06:01 pm
Quote
An improvement over my Solidlights, and certainly over the Ixon IQ

Since I really rate my Ixon IQ this is impressive.

The short-term "flood" feature sounds VERY useful for the occasional "gnarly" descents I encounter.

Awaiting your dark country lane review.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: L CC on 13 February, 2013, 11:14:32 am
I pressed buy now. Expect (tandem based) review in the next few weeks.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Kathy on 13 February, 2013, 11:43:40 am
I hadn't seen this thread before I asked about a replacement for my IQ Fly which died this morning. This could be an answer...
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: L CC on 13 February, 2013, 11:46:25 am
Spendy though. Was there anything up with your Fly apart from its sudden death? It's easy to get carried away with light wars. We'll (I think, I may have lost count) have a spare Cyo when this arrives, and there's nothing wrong with the Cyo, or the Axa we also have.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Manotea on 13 February, 2013, 12:15:13 pm
Quote
What I particularly like is that because the dynamo charges the internal battery and not the light directly, you get full brightness when stopped (e.g. at traffic lights or when fixing a nightime puncture). This is a huge improvement over my Solidlights 'standlight' which was pretty feeble in comparison.

This is a very big deal when climbing steep stuff in the dark. It's more than disconcerting when you stall/hit a trackstand and the lights go out...
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Kim on 13 February, 2013, 12:17:44 pm
Spendy though. Was there anything up with your Fly apart from its sudden death? It's easy to get carried away with light wars. We'll (I think, I may have lost count) have a spare Cyo when this arrives, and there's nothing wrong with the Cyo, or the Axa we also have.

Yeah, I certainly won't be upgrading my existing Cyos.  If I ever get an N+1, I'd get a Luxos for it, though, because the wider beam ought to make cornering onna 'bent without the aid of a headtorch less risky.

USB charging is nice, but I've already solved that problem.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Kim on 13 February, 2013, 12:21:01 pm
Quote
What I particularly like is that because the dynamo charges the internal battery and not the light directly, you get full brightness when stopped (e.g. at traffic lights or when fixing a nightime puncture). This is a huge improvement over my Solidlights 'standlight' which was pretty feeble in comparison.

This is a very big deal when climbing steep stuff in the dark. It's more than disconcerting when you stall/hit a trackstand and the lights go out...

The pre-'T' Cyo standlight isn't quite so bad, in that it keeps the light going at reduced power (roughly equivalent to an IxonIQ on low) which is sufficient for seeing where you're going when riding slowly.  The problem comes not on the really steep climbs, but the long, slow ones.  After a few minutes the standlight capacitor is discharged, and the output becomes properly feeble.  Then the badgers come...
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Kathy on 13 February, 2013, 01:10:44 pm
Spendy though. Was there anything up with your Fly apart from its sudden death?

I've been finding it not as bright as I'd like for descending dark country lanes in the Surrey Hills at night - this winter I've been wearing out a lot of brake pads because I daren't go any faster.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: damerell on 13 February, 2013, 02:37:20 pm
Won't the lithium battery in these gradually wear out, in the way that conventional standlight capacitors don't?
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 13 February, 2013, 03:40:28 pm
Excellent review, thanks  :thumbsup:

Good to hear the connector is a standard headphone jack - shouldn't be too hard to extend or shorten the cable if needed (I suppose "typical upright bike" varies - I can imagine there'd be a bit less spare cable on a flat-barred German style city or trekking bike).  Looks like a right-angled USB cable might make things neater, though USB A connectors are always going to be quite bulky.

Not sure I like the shiny plastic shell, but I'm prepared to overlook that sort of thing in light of all the other desirable features.  Glad they've improved the side visibility, it's a bit lacking in the Cyo.
Your coat, madam!

 ;D
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Kathy on 13 February, 2013, 05:25:05 pm
Can anyone find anywhere which has the Luxos U in stock (as opposed to the Luxos B). All the shops I've looked at have only got the cheaper "B" version, which doesn't have the USB port or the laser-beams-of-DETH mode.  :(
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: L CC on 13 February, 2013, 09:41:53 pm
No. I asked Bike24 to keep my order till they've got it in.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Wowbagger on 13 February, 2013, 09:47:08 pm
I can't find one either. It doesn't matter from my point of view because I'm not going on any lengthy camping trips in the near future or, in all probablility, until July. I'm OK for Solidlights (2 sets amongst 3 bikes) but I'll want the Luxos eventualy, I think - at least, until a blingier more elegant version from Schmidt or Supernova emerges. :P
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: davelodwig on 15 February, 2013, 07:37:14 am
I've ordered one from Rose Versand, sightly more expensive I think than starbike, but I've used them before for low value things and am therefore confident it will turn up.

They've confirmed my order and the account page tells me it will ship to me on the 19th Feb, which is pretty good going considering the stock level widget says two weeks.

Title: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: trickedem on 26 February, 2013, 11:04:53 am
I ordered the U version from Rose Bikes in December. Customer communication has been dreadful, with no information available on the continuing delays to the shipping date. Last time I looked, it said it would be shipped on 19th Feb. today I visited the site and they have pushed the date out to mid May. I have now cancelled the order as I have no confidence in them ever delivering it. I will now try elsewhere.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: davelodwig on 26 February, 2013, 11:33:16 am
Yes I've just noticed mines changed to mid May.

Am of a mind of cancelling it and ordering something else from somewhere else.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: L CC on 26 February, 2013, 11:34:10 am
Good luck finding somewhere.
I don't think they're actually available anywhere at the moment (happy to be proved wrong, especially if I can get my hands on one).
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: davelodwig on 26 February, 2013, 01:23:13 pm
I've cancelled my order now, while I'd really like one I actually need a light now.

Having a light in May is no use to me when it's dark and wet now, I'm giving serious thought to the edelux.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: andrew_s on 26 February, 2013, 02:25:40 pm
The Luxos models seem to have been getting supplied in very small batches, which either all go to queued pre-orders or sell out almost immediately. The non-USB version may be easier to find (bike-discount.de had stock when I looked recently.
I would guess that the bulk of production is currently going to bike manufacturers rather than retail.

The Edelux is functionally much the same as the Cyo 60, but in a much better housing. The only problem I've had with mine is someone turning it off whilst parked, and me spending quite a while checking the wiring before I remembered the switch (I use it in senso mode all the time).
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: davelodwig on 26 February, 2013, 02:44:04 pm
Rose sent me an email, but the message was contained in a PDF in German (which as they are a German company I suppose is OK).

>>>

Dear David Lodwig,
vielen Dank für Ihre Bestellung.
Aufgrund technischer Probleme kommt es lt. Hersteller B+M zu weiteren Verschiebungen des
Artikels
1886805 B+M Frontscheinwerfers Lumotec IQ2
Wir bedauern Ihnen keine positive Mitteilung machen zu können.
Der neue Liefertermin wurde uns für die 19 KW angekündigt.
Demnach dürfen wir davon ausgehen, dass wir bis Mitte Mai den von Ihnen bestellten Artikel
ausliefern können.
Sollten Sie noch Fragen dazu haben oder nicht mehr auf den Artikel warten möchten teilen Sie uns
dies bitte mit.

>>>

I believe the jist is B&M are having technical problems.
Title: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: trickedem on 26 February, 2013, 04:55:07 pm
Spendy though. Was there anything up with your Fly apart from its sudden death? It's easy to get carried away with light wars. We'll (I think, I may have lost count) have a spare Cyo when this arrives, and there's nothing wrong with the Cyo, or the Axa we also have.


USB charging is nice, but I've already solved that problem.
Kim are you able to share with us all what you believe to be the best way of USB charging. Have you made something yourself? Could you share the plans. This was one of my main reasons for buying this light, so I am now looking for an alternative. I need this for longer Audax rides to charge mobile and garmin 800. Thanks
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Auntie Helen on 26 February, 2013, 05:07:02 pm
Rose sent me an email, but the message was contained in a PDF in German (which as they are a German company I suppose is OK).

>>>

Dear David Lodwig,
vielen Dank für Ihre Bestellung.
Aufgrund technischer Probleme kommt es lt. Hersteller B+M zu weiteren Verschiebungen des
Artikels
1886805 B+M Frontscheinwerfers Lumotec IQ2
Wir bedauern Ihnen keine positive Mitteilung machen zu können.
Der neue Liefertermin wurde uns für die 19 KW angekündigt.
Demnach dürfen wir davon ausgehen, dass wir bis Mitte Mai den von Ihnen bestellten Artikel
ausliefern können.
Sollten Sie noch Fragen dazu haben oder nicht mehr auf den Artikel warten möchten teilen Sie uns
dies bitte mit.

>>>

I believe the jist is B&M are having technical problems.
Dear David Lodwig,

Thanks for your query.

Because of technical problems there will be further delays on the item.

We're sorry we can't give you more positive news.

The new delivery date has been announced for the 19KW [version]??

Therefore we expect that we will be able to send you the item around the middle of May.

If you have any further questions or if you don't want to wait for the item, please let us know.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Kim on 26 February, 2013, 05:16:58 pm
USB charging is nice, but I've already solved that problem.
Kim are you able to share with us all what you believe to be the best way of USB charging. Have you made something yourself? Could you share the plans. This was one of my main reasons for buying this light, so I am now looking for an alternative. I need this for longer Audax rides to charge mobile and garmin 800. Thanks

Yes, I have something I designed myself, which works reasonably well and is very efficient.  Unfortunately, it's bulky (I'm using through-hole components on veroboard at present), not remotely waterproof (I can do circuits, but good plastic boxes are beyond my skill level) and doesn't incorporate a cache battery (my old phone didn't care about intermittent charging power, but my new one does, so I'm currently using a naff no-name battery pack).  And perhaps more critically, due to the usual problems of obtaining niche components in small quantities, it doesn't work out all that much cheaper than a B&M e-Werk.  Designs are currently scribbled on the back of an envelope couple of datasheets and in my head.  Drawing something coherent for publication is somewhere way down my to-do list, so realistically don't hold your breath.

If I were starting from scratch now, I'd probably go for a light with charger built-in.  It really does seem like the most elegant approach, given that the lights will contain most of the required electronics already.  Failing that, the e-Werk seems to be the best of the current crop of dedicated chargers.  Actively avoid the Dahon ReeCharge, and any DIY instructions that don't take proper off-load voltage limiting precautions - they're going to cook their own regulator eventually.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: davelodwig on 26 February, 2013, 05:35:37 pm
Rose sent me an email, but the message was contained in a PDF in German (which as they are a German company I suppose is OK).

>>>

Dear David Lodwig,
vielen Dank für Ihre Bestellung.
Aufgrund technischer Probleme kommt es lt. Hersteller B+M zu weiteren Verschiebungen des
Artikels
1886805 B+M Frontscheinwerfers Lumotec IQ2
Wir bedauern Ihnen keine positive Mitteilung machen zu können.
Der neue Liefertermin wurde uns für die 19 KW angekündigt.
Demnach dürfen wir davon ausgehen, dass wir bis Mitte Mai den von Ihnen bestellten Artikel
ausliefern können.
Sollten Sie noch Fragen dazu haben oder nicht mehr auf den Artikel warten möchten teilen Sie uns
dies bitte mit.

>>>

I believe the jist is B&M are having technical problems.
Dear David Lodwig,

Thanks for your query.

Because of technical problems there will be further delays on the item.

We're sorry we can't give you more positive news.

The new delivery date has been announced for the 19KW [version]??

Therefore we expect that we will be able to send you the item around the middle of May.

If you have any further questions or if you don't want to wait for the item, please let us know.

Thank you, my German is what might be described as ropey.

I've now ordered the Edilux which is what I probably should have done in the first place.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: L CC on 26 February, 2013, 08:50:25 pm
Kim are you able to share with us all what you believe to be the best way of USB charging. Have you made something yourself? Could you share the plans. This was one of my main reasons for buying this light, so I am now looking for an alternative. I need this for longer Audax rides to charge mobile and garmin 800. Thanks

The Axa does a good job, and may be neater than the Luxos. We swapped ours back for a Cyo- Chris didn't like the light very much. The Luxos would appear to be a better light, but this (http://www.bike-discount.de/shop/a70819/nano-50-plus-steady-auto-led-front-light.html?lg=en&cr=GBP&cn=gb&gclid=CIOE16bs1LUCFaLHtAodUk8AeQ) is cheaper (uglier) and does work.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: urban_biker on 28 February, 2013, 04:16:58 pm
Kim are you able to share with us all what you believe to be the best way of USB charging. Have you made something yourself? Could you share the plans. This was one of my main reasons for buying this light, so I am now looking for an alternative. I need this for longer Audax rides to charge mobile and garmin 800. Thanks

The Axa does a good job, and may be neater than the Luxos. We swapped ours back for a Cyo- Chris didn't like the light very much. The Luxos would appear to be a better light, but this (http://www.bike-discount.de/shop/a70819/nano-50-plus-steady-auto-led-front-light.html?lg=en&cr=GBP&cn=gb&gclid=CIOE16bs1LUCFaLHtAodUk8AeQ) is cheaper (uglier) and does work.

That looks like an interesting budget option for someone just interested in the USB charging function. What was the problem with the light? And was the USB charger any good?

I notice there is also this 70 lux version: http://www.bike-discount.de/shop/k1004/a86942/luxx-70-plus-steady-auto-led-headlamp.html which according to the picture also has a USB socket and has a removable reflector.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Chris S on 28 February, 2013, 04:40:14 pm
Kim are you able to share with us all what you believe to be the best way of USB charging. Have you made something yourself? Could you share the plans. This was one of my main reasons for buying this light, so I am now looking for an alternative. I need this for longer Audax rides to charge mobile and garmin 800. Thanks

The Axa does a good job, and may be neater than the Luxos. We swapped ours back for a Cyo- Chris didn't like the light very much. The Luxos would appear to be a better light, but this (http://www.bike-discount.de/shop/a70819/nano-50-plus-steady-auto-led-front-light.html?lg=en&cr=GBP&cn=gb&gclid=CIOE16bs1LUCFaLHtAodUk8AeQ) is cheaper (uglier) and does work.

That looks like an interesting budget option for someone just interested in the USB charging function. What was the problem with the light? And was the USB charger any good?

I notice there is also this 70 lux version: http://www.bike-discount.de/shop/k1004/a86942/luxx-70-plus-steady-auto-led-headlamp.html which according to the picture also has a USB socket and has a removable reflector.

The USB charger seemed at least as good as the e-werk; we only ever use the dyno to charge a cache battery, and it did as good a job as charging off a mains USB input.

I don't like the beam pattern of the light. There are a lot more artifacts - bright spots, and dimmer spots - the Cyo has a much more even spread, which in turn was always harsher than the lovely soft illumination of Solidlights that I always loved (as long as the road was dry, on a wet road, Solidlights were crapola).

The cabling of the new light looks a bit clumsy - the Axa has a simple, no-fuss USB port that you can plug whatever you need into. I never tested it in the wet, mind - it could be useless when wet, and the e-werk has much better weather-proofing on its connections.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: simonp on 28 February, 2013, 04:42:16 pm
The Philips twin-LED battery light gives a wider, brighter beam than the EDelux, and runs for 8 hours on 4 AA NiMH batteries. It costs less, too, and you don't need a dynamo to power it.

The EDelux is perfectly adequate for night riding, though. The bright spot in the middle covers the entire width of a country lane.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: urban_biker on 28 February, 2013, 04:49:13 pm
Kim are you able to share with us all what you believe to be the best way of USB charging. Have you made something yourself? Could you share the plans. This was one of my main reasons for buying this light, so I am now looking for an alternative. I need this for longer Audax rides to charge mobile and garmin 800. Thanks

The Axa does a good job, and may be neater than the Luxos. We swapped ours back for a Cyo- Chris didn't like the light very much. The Luxos would appear to be a better light, but this (http://www.bike-discount.de/shop/a70819/nano-50-plus-steady-auto-led-front-light.html?lg=en&cr=GBP&cn=gb&gclid=CIOE16bs1LUCFaLHtAodUk8AeQ) is cheaper (uglier) and does work.

That looks like an interesting budget option for someone just interested in the USB charging function. What was the problem with the light? And was the USB charger any good?

I notice there is also this 70 lux version: http://www.bike-discount.de/shop/k1004/a86942/luxx-70-plus-steady-auto-led-headlamp.html which according to the picture also has a USB socket and has a removable reflector.

The USB charger seemed at least as good as the e-werk; we only ever use the dyno to charge a cache battery, and it did as good a job as charging off a mains USB input.

I don't like the beam pattern of the light. There are a lot more artifacts - bright spots, and dimmer spots - the Cyo has a much more even spread, which in turn was always harsher than the lovely soft illumination of Solidlights that I always loved (as long as the road was dry, on a wet road, Solidlights were crapola).

The cabling of the new light looks a bit clumsy - the Axa has a simple, no-fuss USB port that you can plug whatever you need into. I never tested it in the wet, mind - it could be useless when wet, and the e-werk has much better weather-proofing on its connections.

Thanks Chris - did you have the 40 lux or the 70 lux model? I'm almost tempted to go for this as I'd be happy with an almost as good as Cyo light with charging capability at that kind of price.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: L CC on 28 February, 2013, 10:12:38 pm
Thanks Chris - did you have the 40 lux or the 70 lux model? I'm almost tempted to go for this as I'd be happy with an almost as good as Cyo light with charging capability at that kind of price.
It changes beam pattern when you go too slowly. I hate that.
I don't know whether it's the 40 or 70. I'd guess 40 as 70 sounds like DETH LASERS and it aint that.
Previous discussion here (http://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=55583.msg1235068#msg1235068)
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Kim on 28 February, 2013, 10:42:08 pm
Eyes are non-linear.  All else being equal, you probably wouldn't be able to easily tell the difference between 40 lux and 70 lux unless you compared them side by side.
Title: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: trickedem on 01 March, 2013, 11:26:40 am
Well I've taken the plunge and bought an Axa 70 plus.  Total cost of £65, so much cheaper than the imaginary b+m product or any light plus some of the other charging combinations.
I will let you know how I get on.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Quint on 10 March, 2013, 03:46:04 pm
I'd like to see a width of illumination comparison between the Cyo, Cyo R and Luxos.

Not that I'm reading this thread, of course.

     http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/b&m-hl.asp     This link has light output comparisons for the new light

                              Father Christmas (yes yes I know it's a long way away  :P)  will hear me asking (pleading) for one of these to complement my already brilliant (I know  ;) Lumicycle set up,

Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: trickedem on 25 March, 2013, 10:18:16 am
Well I've taken the plunge and bought an Axa 70 plus.  Total cost of £65, so much cheaper than the imaginary b+m product or any light plus some of the other charging combinations.
I will let you know how I get on.
First chance to ride this last night and it seems fine. The beam is definitely bright enough for fast night riding. I have also briefly used the USB output, bu won't get a chance to really try this out until Spring properly arrives.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Viking on 28 March, 2013, 09:00:20 am
The Luxos U version is now £130 from Rose.  Perhaps the price will come down even further when it finally starts shipping in any quantity
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: terryb on 02 April, 2013, 10:57:52 pm
checking the Rose site last week I had a look again at the reviews for this light, 3 now
Something may have been lost/gained in the translation (by Bing Translator on the PC)
but it seems one German was not too happy with the performance, or not, of the light when it rained :o
I am beginning to think it might be a good idea to cancel my order, which is a replacement for the 1st one which was dead out of the box, because.....
I had a similar experience with their 12v system(now discontinued). Brilliant in the dry, first seriously wet ride and `poof` no friggin` light  >:(
Could the degree of waterproofing be B+Ms Achilles heel
Besides, getting attached to the E-werk now :-*
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Aushiker on 03 April, 2013, 01:46:47 am
The Luxos U version is now £130 from Rose.  Perhaps the price will come down even further when it finally starts shipping in any quantity

XXCycle.com (http://www.xxcycle.com/front-light-iq-2-luxos-u-usb-charger-179u-70-90-lux,,en.php) have them listed for £107.99 (+ VAT?) but no stock :(

Andrew
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: jsabine on 03 April, 2013, 02:10:55 am
The Luxos U version is now £130 from Rose.  Perhaps the price will come down even further when it finally starts shipping in any quantity

XXCycle.com (http://www.xxcycle.com/front-light-iq-2-luxos-u-usb-charger-179u-70-90-lux,,en.php) have them listed for £107.99 (+ VAT?) but no stock :(

Change your country to UK, and the price becomes £128.59 (plus 8 quid shipping). 19% VAT ...
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Aushiker on 03 April, 2013, 02:14:12 am
The Luxos U version is now £130 from Rose.  Perhaps the price will come down even further when it finally starts shipping in any quantity

XXCycle.com (http://www.xxcycle.com/front-light-iq-2-luxos-u-usb-charger-179u-70-90-lux,,en.php) have them listed for £107.99 (+ VAT?) but no stock :(

Change your country to UK, and the price becomes £128.59 (plus 8 quid shipping). 19% VAT ...

No VAT for me which is why I suspected it needed the VAT added :)

Andrew
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: alexb on 03 April, 2013, 06:02:55 pm
I ordered one from Bike Rose because they gave me a decent discount when I asked for one. It won't be here for a while though...
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Oscar's dad on 06 April, 2013, 08:32:50 am
It's now available from Dot Bike. £143.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Quint on 06 April, 2013, 02:30:28 pm
I had a similar experience with their 12v system(now discontinued). Brilliant in the dry, first seriously wet ride and `poof` no friggin` light  >:(
Could the degree of waterproofing be B+Ms Achilles heel
Besides, getting attached to the E-werk now :-*

     Can't speak for the dynamo lights but I have ridden (in all weathers) all year round with B&M Ixon IQ and no problem apart from when after a torrential downpour I stuffed it into my side pocket which, riding a Q-NT and being on my back the jacket was not waterproof at all, result a pocket lake which the light plopped into, after a good airing at work that night it was alright again   :P
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Kim on 06 April, 2013, 02:33:51 pm
My Cyo kept going without problems in the rain that drowned my Ixon IQ (which has only happened the once).  I think they're considered pretty robust, unless you mount them on a fork crown without a mudguard, so they get sprayed from below.

My concern with the Luxos is the connector on the side for the remote switch / USB stuff.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: andrew_s on 06 April, 2013, 07:05:24 pm
It's now available from Dot Bike. £143.
Panoramix OTP has them for €150 (~£130)
http://www.esprit-randonneur.fr/fr/lumieres/84-lumotec-iq-cyo-licht-24.html
(which is a Luxos, despite what it says in the url)
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Panoramix on 07 April, 2013, 10:20:02 pm
It's now available from Dot Bike. £143.
Panoramix OTP has them for €150 (~£130)
http://www.esprit-randonneur.fr/fr/lumieres/84-lumotec-iq-cyo-licht-24.html
(which is a Luxos, despite what it says in the url)

Confusing google with wrong URLs is frowned upon if you want to sell stuff! Thank you for telling me, I have corrected it now.

http://www.esprit-randonneur.fr/fr/lumieres/84-luxos-lumotec-iq2.html
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: marcusjb on 08 April, 2013, 03:32:40 pm
It's now available from Dot Bike. £143.

Ordered one.

I suspect they'll be my E-Werk on the classified for a bargain price within the next few weeks or so (would want to test the Luxos on a 600 at minimum for the whole charging game).
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: marcusjb on 09 April, 2013, 12:00:10 pm
Oooh - it arrived. 

It's shiny.

I will fit it at some point - I haven't any night rides planned for a couple of weeks - but I'll give it a try out before then.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: trickedem on 09 April, 2013, 10:16:31 pm
Well I've taken the plunge and bought an Axa 70 plus.  Total cost of £65, so much cheaper than the imaginary b+m product or any light plus some of the other charging combinations.
I will let you know how I get on.
First chance to ride this last night and it seems fine. The beam is definitely bright enough for fast night riding. I have also briefly used the USB output, bu won't get a chance to really try this out until Spring properly arrives.
Tried out the USB charging properly this weekend. Did about 6 hours riding, which charged up my 5500mah usb pack by over half. I need to check with another cable to see if will charge faster. But I am pleased with this and reckon it will get me through LEL. Only downside is that if you are charging you can't have the lights on.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: marcusjb on 21 April, 2013, 11:19:12 pm
First long ride with my Luxos (U version).  600km with a complete night of riding and a second night with 4 hours of riding. 

I fitted it to the bike a week or so ago.  Nothing much to say about the fitting if you are used to a Cyo (bent bit of metal to go on the fork crown).  It is quite a lot larger than a Cyo - quite huge really.

I also took the opportunity to start testing running a small rear light off the dynamo as well - I run a battery operated fibre flare as well, so I just wanted something really small that meant I don't need to stop to turn on rear lights etc. - I went for one of these http://supernova-lights.com/en/products/e3_tail_light2.html - it's tiny but very, very bright.  It doesn't have a standlight - but when combined with the battery lights, that's not an issue.

Anyway - back to the Luxos.

I'd tested the charging side a little already - as I still have a slight mistrust of it all, I don't charge my phone or GPS directly with it - so I charge a battery pack (which costs £25 rather than the many hundreds of a phone or GPS).  I run a SonDelux - which needs more speed to get enough oomph to charge things.  This is not a problem in audaxing as it all works well if you are riding along at 20kph+ - I guess it is a challenge for tourers with a lower speed (but the higher weight of the regular Son is less of an issue in touring).  The charging seems to work really well.  As I did with my E-Werk, I only charge during the day - I don't think the light and charging work together well.

So the light.  Well - it's flipping bright, well shaped and, frankly, astonishing.  End of review!

No - it's quite something.  If you're used to a Cyo R, then it has some of the same characteristics with a sharp cut-off at the top.  But it's a lot wider - see http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/headlights.asp for photos - it's just incredible.  The light fills in all the holes at the side of the road that the Cyo missed. 

There's a slight hot spot in the centre top of the beam to really see into the distance.  I didn't get flashed at by any motorists - so I think it passes the dazzle test well (assuming you mount it without pointing it upwards). 

As you slow down, the light at the top of the beam dim down and the stuff nearest to you gets brighter. It is all quite clever really.

It does get a bit flickery at very low speeds (probably again related to the SonDelux).  But nothing show stopping - if you're going slow uphill it still works.

A press on the handlebar button turns on the boost mode - this is powered by the cache battery - so doesn't last forever (I don't know how long - I should have left it on to test it).  Great for downhills.

All in all a fabulous light - it really does give me more confidence than even the mighty Cyo.  It's spendy - but when it brings USB charging into the picture as well, it's not terrible.  Well chuffed with it so far.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: LEE on 21 April, 2013, 11:24:08 pm
Damn You Marcusjb!!!!

I was hoping for a bad review.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: L CC on 22 April, 2013, 06:35:33 am
Damn You Marcusjb!!!!

I was hoping for a bad review.
Ditto. Bugger. We don't really need the charging. But better light for tandem descending? Darn it.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: marcusjb on 22 April, 2013, 07:40:54 am
Sorry.

It is really quite a step up from a Cyo, both in brightness and beam shape.

I had several moments of thinking that a car was behind me, as the way it fills the whole road and sides with light is quite amazing.

I will be interested in how I get on in Wessex in a couple of weeks with lots of grovelling up hills very slowly. I think that is the only issue with using the SonDelux.  A Cyo just goes dim, where as the luxos does get dim and flickers at the lowest speeds.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Chris S on 22 April, 2013, 07:48:52 am
Rats. Had I realised you were road testing it on the Green & Yellow Fields, we'd have made an effort to ride with you to get a demo!

I'm reasonably OK with the brightness of the Cyo 90% of the time. I suppose you can never have too many Lumens when you're belting down a dark hill at 70kph.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: PloddinPedro on 22 April, 2013, 08:15:31 am
.................  I think that is the only issue with using the SonDelux.  .....................

So just upgrade to the new SON 28 - simples, yes?  ;D :facepalm:
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Aushiker on 22 April, 2013, 01:22:04 pm
One of the forum members at the Australian Cycling Forums (http://www.bicycles.net.au/forums/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=55986&p=957282#p957264) received his Luxos U this week and it included an additional piece of paper from Busch & Muller ... maybe in response to the issues being reported.

(http://i.imgur.com/svW2cz9.jpg)

Andrew
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: alexb on 23 April, 2013, 10:34:24 am
Woohoo! Got home to find a box from Rose, containing my new Luxos. It's a shiny, handsome looking beast.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Auntie Helen on 23 April, 2013, 11:00:23 am
I must stop reading this thread, it's all getting kinda tempting. But I am perfectly happy with my Cyo and don't need USB charging. Honestly!
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: PeeJay on 23 April, 2013, 01:07:56 pm
Thanks for the review Marcus :thumbsup:
Your review + the fact that I smashed my cyo in a crash last week means that I've just ordered a Luxos from dotbike. 
Was toying with just getting another Cyo as I have a dahon reecharge that can be used for charging duties (yes it still works!).  But it was the neatness of the solution + the promise of more light output that sold it to me. 
May consider not using an external cache battery and just plugging my phone (galaxy s2) straight in for a neater and more efficient charge. If the USB output comes directly from the internal cache, then it's gonna be OK isn't it?
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 23 April, 2013, 08:29:45 pm
I must stop reading this thread, it's all getting kinda tempting. But I am perfectly happy with my Cyo and don't need USB charging. Honestly!
You must not stop reading this thread - we need you to translate Aushiker's leaflet!
I can make out that if you connect it to a rear light that needs to have double-cable earthing system, that the panorama light might come on at slower speeds with small-wheeled bikes, and clearly that you have to put a USB connector in "upside down", but what's the first one? Something to do with water getting in if you leave the bar cable connected...
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: MattH on 23 April, 2013, 09:05:35 pm
You have to have the bar cable connected, otherwise water will get in.

Also, you can program the speed at which it switches between wide and long beams by travelling at the speed you want the switchover to occur, and pressing switching the light on/off five times. This is meant to be for small wheeled bikes, but obviously could be used to tweak for personal preference on a bike belonging to a grown up  :)
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Wowbagger on 24 April, 2013, 08:51:44 am
I was tempted to buy myself one of these but the reviews here

http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/article/b--m-headlight-lumotec-iq2-luxos-u-senso-plus-with-usb-connector/aid:620049#product_detail_info_tabs

have put me off rather. Two out of four lamps buggered by water ingress. How reliable is a push-fit cable connection? I would imagine it is the sort of thing that might get dislodged without you noticing.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: terryb on 24 April, 2013, 11:52:11 am
got my REPLACEMENT B+M Luxos USB light on Monday.
Fitted it yesterday and right from the start I had lights + it was saying battery had enuff charge to recharge items
Totally different from the DEAD light they first sent
Re: comments about water ingress, I did not notice on the 1st set of instructions any mention of water ingress....could/probably didn`t read it all thru`
But on this set of instructions there is a clear message about water getting in via the bar switch/usb and recommends not using it in the wet, and if you must, then cover the switch unit with `plastic` ::-)
Looking at the h/bar switch there appears to be a joint in the casing which could be a way in, so.........a neat bead of clear silicon will will soon be drying in that  ;)
also as mentioned the Rose site has at least one review of the light which slates it for use in the wet
As I have posted before, this appears to be a chink in the B+M armour. It happened with their 12v system I used a few years back
I look forward, or not, to testing it in the rain
last but not least, noticed 2 tiny white dots of paint/tippexy type stuff on the underside of the light and the bar switch. mmmmmmmmmmmmmm ???
latest new inspection, or have they sent me my 1st light back repaired ???
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Chris S on 24 April, 2013, 12:10:18 pm
But on this set of instructions there is a clear message about water getting in via the bar switch/usb and recommends not using it in the wet, and if you must, then cover the switch unit with `plastic` ::-)

Oh dear. That sounds a bit rubbish. The chances of one of these surviving a wet Bryan Chapman or LEL2009 seems remote  :-\.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: marcusjb on 24 April, 2013, 12:14:08 pm
You have to have the bar cable connected, otherwise water will get in.

But on this set of instructions there is a clear message about water getting in via the bar switch/usb and recommends not using it in the wet, and if you must, then cover the switch unit with `plastic` ::-)

Two contradicting translations! 

I understood the instructions that if you don't have the bar cable plugged in, you must make sure the rubber flap is closed properly, and also to ensure that you don't charge things when it's raining and make sure the flap on the handlebar switch is closed when it is raining.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 24 April, 2013, 12:24:26 pm
I thought the German said water can get in when the cable is plugged in (...und Wasser eindringen konnte!), but I really don't know it well enough to be sure.  :(
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: MattH on 24 April, 2013, 12:26:57 pm
I could be wrong, my German isn't fantastic.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Greenbank on 24 April, 2013, 12:31:32 pm
It's not an ideal design anyway. I'll wait for a revised model of the cable to come out before I'd upgrade.

Ideally the switch should be separate from the USB charging port. The switch can then be completely waterproof and sit out in the rain. The USB charging port can then be buried in a bag (top tube, front pannier, bar bag) or just wrapped in plastic to keep it safe from water ingress.

Mind you, if you ignore the BEAMS OF DETH mode that the switch gives you then you can just hide the switch/connector away from the rain all the time anyway.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Auntie Helen on 24 April, 2013, 01:14:05 pm
From what I can make out, the first column is saying that the handlebar connection thingie must always be firmly fitted into the headlight when using so that water can't get in and that it functions properly. It then offers a solution (but doesn't really specify the problem!) which is to make sure the connector cable is routed through the headlamp bracket so that it doesn't unexpectedly get pulled out.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: LEE on 24 April, 2013, 01:18:53 pm
Sounds like a job for a zip-tie and some silicon sealant (93% of all issues can be fixed with these 2 items)
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: marcusjb on 24 April, 2013, 01:26:52 pm
Add gaffa tape and you've solved close to 100%.

WD40 and a hammer and you're there.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: terryb on 24 April, 2013, 03:17:00 pm
whatever way you look at it/ translate it, its a poor way to submit an expensive bit of kit to the peasantry
not thought through IMO
So much for German superior equipment ::-)
At least the plug jack is at the bottom of the light so not too difficult to arrange an unobtrusive rain flap/cover
As for the switch, the idea for getting this unit was to get rid of the E-Werk, done that, and the Tri type bag on the top tube with a cache battery and all the extra cabling.
Think the bag can stay, somewhere to keep the jelly babies, and the switch can sit under the waterproof cover along with whatever I am charging at the time
Rig it so that it can be easily accessed by `feel` without removing cover or stopping
What a way to run an army ;D ::-)
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Chris S on 24 April, 2013, 04:34:35 pm
All of which has served to nudge me firmly toward bag-drop cache batteries for LEL.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: interested on 24 April, 2013, 06:45:44 pm
One of the forum members at the Australian Cycling Forums (http://www.bicycles.net.au/forums/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=55986&p=957282#p957264) received his Luxos U this week and it included an additional piece of paper from Busch & Muller ... maybe in response to the issues being reported.

(http://i.imgur.com/svW2cz9.jpg)

Andrew

Here is my take on translating /paraphrasing the pamphlet:
First paragraph (starting with "Lenkertaster...")
"The the wire and plug to the Handlebar-control unit/button, must, if used, always be firmly connected to the head lamp, or else it is possible that the functionality (of the lamp) is disturbed, or that water can ingress!
Solution: The connection cable should run through the head lamp holder, to protect it from accidental unplugging."

To me it just look like a simple suggestion to how to run the connection wire, so it doesn't accidentally snag something. Just basic cabling technique really.
The bit about water ingress is just stating the rather obvious fact, that when unplugged, water may enter through the hole.

Paragraph 2. (USB-Stecker...)
I will just paraphrase this: " To correctly plug the USB-plug into the the handlebar-control unit/button, the USB symbol on the plug should face downwards".


Paragraph 3 (Bei Anschluss...)
I will just paraphrase this: "It will give functionality problems, if you connect the Luxos U to a rear lamp that uses the frame as grounding (single wire). The solution is to isolate the rear light from the frame, and use a double wire to connect it with the Luxos."

Paragraph 4 (Panorama...)
Just the essence: The Panorama light is turned on depending on speed (or rather power input from the hub). So bicycles with small wheels may experience that the Panorama near light doesn't function optimally for them. The solution is to re-program the Luxos as to when the Panorama light turns on. This is done by riding at the desired speed, while holding down the handlebar-button for at least 10 seconds. During that the time the lamp will switch on and off five times, and the average speed of the 10 second run will be calculated and used for making the new speed limit for when the Panorama near light is turned on. The calculated average speed is used as a the middle of the speed range in which the Panorama near light function. I must say that this is hard to translate since I don't know how the Luxos Panorama light functions normally, but the gist is that one can re-program when the Panorama near light is turned on, by holding down the button for 10 seconds while riding.


Paragraph 5 (Die Rücklicht...)
I will just paraphrase this: "The rear light monitor only function correctly when the correct polarity connection is observed. If the polarity is wrong, the rear light monitor LED may be light up, even if the rear light is turned off, because of the cache-battery.

Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 25 April, 2013, 04:44:57 pm
That makes sense... thanks. :thumbsup:
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Kim on 25 April, 2013, 06:10:51 pm
But on this set of instructions there is a clear message about water getting in via the bar switch/usb and recommends not using it in the wet, and if you must, then cover the switch unit with `plastic` ::-)

Oh dear. That sounds a bit rubbish. The chances of one of these surviving a wet Bryan Chapman or LEL2009 seems remote  :-\.

Hardly unexpected though, is it?  USB connectors are many things, and waterproof simply isn't one of them[1].  B&M did this properly on the e-Werk, and it meant an assortment of adaptor cables.  A better solution IMHO would have been for the Handlebar switch and USB power to be separate, so the wiring could live in some waterproof luggage.


[1] I believe Neutrik have a ruggedised version, along the lines of their ruggedised RJ45 connectors.  But those are heavy, and only IP rated when mated with each other.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: TimO on 25 April, 2013, 06:33:03 pm
Hardly unexpected though, is it?  USB connectors are many things, and waterproof simply isn't one of them[1].  B&M did this properly on the e-Werk, and it meant an assortment of adaptor cables.  A better solution IMHO would have been for the Handlebar switch and USB power to be separate, so the wiring could live in some waterproof luggage.

[1] I believe Neutrik have a ruggedised version, along the lines of their ruggedised RJ45 connectors.  But those are heavy, and only IP rated when mated with each other.

Indeed, you're never really going to have a waterproof link with a USB connector, and the best approach is probably to not use that facility when the weather is inclement.  The Neutrik connector is a bit like a USB connector inside a USB shell, so as you say is only going to achieve any sort of IP rating when mated to the matching component.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: ERROR on 25 April, 2013, 08:45:04 pm
Hi. I've been observing some forums and responses about LUXOS U. Thanks for your shares and thoughts here!

I don't have this product, but I'm interested in this solution too, as it solves (or should?) main problems for bicycle tourer's concerns: USB (out: 5 V, min 500 mA), stable current (GPS with no battery), good lamp in one bundle. It's obvious, that specs may be reached only by using cache accumulator and it's clear, that this component will not last long (especially for tourers, running device for a long time/distance).

Rechargeable batteries (http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/everyday-tech/lithium-ion-battery2.htm) have a limited life time (age) due technology they use. They degrade and  need a replacement after some (~2-3+) years (it depends on battery type, capacity, cycles,  temperatures, how it's used & etc...). It's true, as those accumulators, that are Li-Ion, LiFePO4 and other  Li+something are more advanced, but – dangerous and usually in that case – non standard, need a dedicated controller/charger, and most important – they can easily get into the flames and even may burst on wrong usage or  damage (we know a lot stories about smartphones and laptops on fire). So, it's nothing unusual,  that manufacturers use non replaceable (or not easy replaceable) batteries of this type, out of reach for inexperienced customers.

There's no information about it's life time on web and BUMM support do not reveal it. I've wrote 7 emails to them to find out, how long I should expect this thing to be functional, or any technical data about battery they use, to predict it's death or even replace by myself or local electronics specialist. Finally, I understood, that support may been  instructed not to give answers about that at all: "I do really understand your misgivings, but I do not  have other information for you."

Owners: is it possible to open it and look inside – any markings on  battery or it's welded „black box“? But I don't recommend to do this, as warranty may be void after that :)

All I've got useful was: "you can load the cache battery about minimum 500 full  cycles (e.g., 10x with 10% of the capacity loaded and unloaded)", or their service can replace dead battery: „You have a warranty period of 2 year by your dealer. But if there is a malfunction on the cache battery, we can replace it for sure free of charge. We cannot give you the exact name of the cache battery..." and "if there would be a malfunction of the cache battery or of the light, it doesn't matter to us, how old the light is. We would replace it for free." Doesn't look convincing, does it?

Maybe there are more notes on paper in product box about battery and life time? I can't find even working temperatures of it in web-PDFs. All it's said: "lithium cache battery" (it's obvious, that it's not only lithium, but lithium + something as "pure" lithium batteries  usually are not rechargeable) and "Please note: Never dispose of worn-out rechargeable batteries or  electronic parts with your domestic waste but discard as hazardous waste!". That's all we get in  PDF online manual :)

It's obvious that some electronics manufacturers deliberately hide this information, as they plan to offer new products after about warranty time ends and keep business running. There's no interest to make a long lasting thing nowadays. Sure, there are fair manufacturers, that say to a customer: yes, it's not only a warranty time, but it's near  about the same product's life time, as battery is inbuilt, it gets worn and non replaceable; after of 2-3 years (?) of use, you should know, that this item is going to a trash bin. It's justice then. But  BUMM tell me nothing about that.


Easy replaceable accumulator (like in mobile phones) for this kit may be good thing, but it may rise product size and price too. I hope, It's another step in product development, as sealing it from water ingress too (but it should be vented, as it's large and may create condensate in it). Most of us want this thing to be used outdoor in harsh conditions (rain, sun and frost) and predicting it's life time in order not to stuck with it in remote areas.


BTW, I'll add another report (http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.teufelsmoor.eu%2Fleitartikel%2Flumotec-luxos) about strange light behaviour.

Quote from: Translation by Google
When driving in daylight and greater speed (approx.> 20 km / h) can no longer turn off the headlights. Under the pressure of the spotlight 3s goes for about a few hundredths of a second and immediately back on.

Comments to a picture above: wire loop down and up, prevents water main stream running straight to the lamp's connector, and wiring it through mount, should keep it tight connected.

P. S. Sorry for my poor English.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: rogerzilla on 25 April, 2013, 09:20:21 pm
If it's lithium-ion, it may have a reasonable service life on a bike; they hate getting too hot and being left on a constant charge.  I have a battery in a Motorola V3 phone that has apparently not deteriorated at all in 5 years; the phone is only charged when it needs to be and the power draw is sufficiently low that (unlike a smartphone battery) it doesn't get hot.  Standby time is still about a week.

If the electronics are kind to the B&M cell, it could last a long time; it's not enclosed in a plastic case and plugged into a transformer for almost all its existence.

NiMH batteries deteriorate very quickly; I have to buy a new set every year for my Hope Vision 1 light, because the previous year's set won't last more than 2-3 days when they used to last 5.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: ERROR on 25 April, 2013, 09:36:34 pm
Dear, rogerzilla, don't forget it's just a small accumulator (cache) and it may be constantly charging and discharging on long rides with electronics gadgets on (GPS, smartphone or camera, AA/AAA charger). I'm not a professional electronics specialist, but I won't hope to be it alive more than 2-3 years.

BTW, BUMM's answer to my question about numerous product returns and reports coming into forums and feedback about water ingress, failing battery and strange light behaviour was: "Please do not put too much stock in internet hysteria. If you use our product as we described, there won't be any malfunction :-)".

Some other experiences (http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.life-on-bike.de%2F2013%2F04%2Fzubehoer%2Ftest-erfahrungen-mit-dem-lumotec-iq2-luxos-u-von-bm%2F) and by other users in comments under it too.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Greenbank on 25 April, 2013, 11:50:33 pm
Comments to a picture above: wire loop down and up, prevents water main stream running straight to the lamp's connector, and wiring it through mount, should keep it tight connected.

Yes, I was going to say that it looked like they were just advising to wire it in with a kind of "drip loop" to prevent water running down the wire and straight in to the connectors.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: interested on 26 April, 2013, 01:14:21 am
Dear, rogerzilla, don't forget it's just a small accumulator (cache) and it may be constantly charging and discharging on long rides with electronics gadgets on (GPS, smartphone or camera, AA/AAA charger). I'm not a professional electronics specialist, but I won't hope to be it alive more than 2-3 years.

How long the battery will last depends of course on a lot of different things, but probably mainly the amount of charge cycles. But as I understand it, it is strictly a battery cache, not an extra battery pack. So its main function, when i comes to charging, is to deliver a continuous amount of power at a steady voltage. So I don't think any connected USB device is allowed to discharge it fully.

If the connected USB device, on average, can be charged by the dynamo's output, the cache battery will only discharge very little. Lets assume a 20%* discharge per trip when charging a smartphone. With 2 trips per day, 250 days per year, the battery will then have had what amounts to 500 full discharges after 5 years before it goes below specification. Even then, it will probably function for quite a while after its 500 charge cycles, it will just provide "buffer" power for a shorter time slots when charging a USB device.

* a 20% discharge is of course simply a guess, maybe its is more, maybe it is less. But remember, the above scenario assumes daily USB charging most days of the year. I think it is safe to assume that the discharge pattern is way less when it comes to daily use (standlight and even flood light). My point here is mainly to illustrate that you can't necessarily compare a cache-battery's lifetime to that of a normal battery pack in eg. a Smartphone.



BTW, BUMM's answer to my question about numerous product returns and reports coming into forums and feedback about water ingress, failing battery and strange light behaviour was: "Please do not put too much stock in internet hysteria. If you use our product as we described, there won't be any malfunction :-)".

I think it is general very good advice not to be overly concerned with any random product trashing on the Internet. I own and have owned superb products that some have given extremely unfavourably  reviews of, sometimes because their expectations where different, sometimes because they didn't have the technical knowledge to use the product.
There is also extreme selection bias in most product reviews that gives a really distorted perspective.


Some other experiences (http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.life-on-bike.de%2F2013%2F04%2Fzubehoer%2Ftest-erfahrungen-mit-dem-lumotec-iq2-luxos-u-von-bm%2F) and by other users in comments under it too.

This is unlikely to be a problem with the Luxos. Let me explain; there will never be any guarantee that any random USB product can be charged by a "dumb/dedicated" charger like a hub dynamo, especially when using any random USB cable. The main reason for this is that the original USB specification didn't allow for enough current to charge Smartphones, so Smartphone producers made up their own different standards for USB charging.

Gradually the original USB specification got changed to allow for high current charging, so things are less insane now. But there are still potential major problems. The present USB spec allows for two different ways of charging; intelligent charging (CDP) that also allows data transfer, and dedicated charging (DCP). The connected USB device can discern between what kind of charger it is connected to, because USB-cables connected to dedicated chargers have shorted the D+ and D- pins. (this is fairytale simplification, reality is much more complicated with many different deviating "standards").

So if you use a standard USB cable in a dedicated charger like a hub dynamo, the connected device can get very confused. Per standard the device will accept 100 mA and will then try to communicate with the charger, trying to negotiate a higher load. Since it gets no answer, it assumes there is an error are therefore likely to drop the connection after a while. I think this what happened to the guy in the linked story.

So always use a dedicated charger USB cable when connected to dedicated charger like a hub dynamo, not a random standard USB cable. Sometimes it work using a standard USB cable, though it sometimes mean an artificial limit on how much current that can be drawn, but don't count on it.

Also note that there are many different dedicated charging cables and standards, some may adhere to the simple shorted D+ D- pins standard, others don't or have extra inserted resistors etc. www.dx.com usually have a wide selection of dedicated USB charging cables for those obscure variations that exist out there.

Finally, it may sometimes be necessary to change the configuration of the connected device. Some devices will eg. turn off the screen when connected to a USB cable with power, because they assume that this means they are connected to a pc, or that they aren't meant to be used while charging. Such behaviour can sometimes be changed in the firmware /software setup.

Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: ERROR on 26 April, 2013, 12:40:26 pm
Thanks, Interested, for a detailed explanation. BUMM should hire you to add some more leaflets in English :) That will save them a lot money and returns on fake problems. Anyway, I'll hope they will make a replaceable battery in future :thumbsup:

BTW, regards to the picture above about USB section illustration. There is an USB sign on connector shown on the top in light's manual (or web PDF (http://www.bumm.de/fileadmin/user_upload/179/179_LUXOS_B_U_Anleitung.pdf)), but, I guess, it should be opposite way, to connect it properly. Some users may fail to connect due a wrong drawing :) So they just changed a drawing to a good one.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Quint on 26 April, 2013, 01:16:47 pm
After reading all the comments I am going to stick to my English Lumicycle LED 3Si (52 battery) I have had it approx 3 years riding through our lovely wet summers and all other weathers, it provides more than enough light output, takes any weather that is thrown at it and the battery lasts for so long it is amazing. I love the idea of a fit and forget light like the B&M but from all the posts on here it aint going to let you forget it
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: ERROR on 26 April, 2013, 01:34:43 pm
Yes, Quint, I think, that looping wire down and up, can't solve a problem completely, but only confirms a design flaw – bad wire/contact/lamp box sealing from water. Despite looping down, it may be affected by a strong side rain too. It's not about mudguards on, they – must have on touring bike, especially with those "hot" lamps, that need venting from the bottom :)
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: interested on 26 April, 2013, 05:17:52 pm
Yes, Quint, I think, that looping wire down and up, can't solve a problem completely, but only confirms a design flaw – bad wire/contact/lamp box sealing from water. Despite looping down, it may be affected by a strong side rain too. It's not about mudguards on, they – must have on touring bike, especially with those "hot" lamps, that need venting from the bottom :)

Is there any reports at all that mentions that water can ingress the lamp when the plug and wire is correctly connected? I have a really hard time believing that the connector isn't IP64 certified at least. The reports I have seen have all lacked basic information like whether the Luxos was charging while it rained etc.

I think it is much more likely that any water ingress came through handlebar plug, perhaps because it was unprotected or a device was plugged in.  This is a problem with all hub dynamo chargers, since standard USB ports aren't waterproof. The solution to hub charging in the rain is to place the USB handlebar plug in the bar bag.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Quint on 26 April, 2013, 08:46:21 pm
Yes, Quint, I think, that looping wire down and up, can't solve a problem completely, but only confirms a design flaw – bad wire/contact/lamp box sealing from water. Despite looping down, it may be affected by a strong side rain too. It's not about mudguards on, they – must have on touring bike, especially with those "hot" lamps, that need venting from the bottom :)

Is there any reports at all that mentions that water can ingress the lamp when the plug and wire is correctly connected? I have a really hard time believing that the connector isn't IP64 certified at least. The reports I have seen have all lacked basic information like whether the Luxos was charging while it rained etc.

I think it is much more likely that any water ingress came through handlebar plug, perhaps because it was unprotected or a device was plugged in.  This is a problem with all hub dynamo chargers, since standard USB ports aren't waterproof. The solution to hub charging in the rain is to place the USB handlebar plug in the bar bag.

        With the greatest respect this is designed for a bicycle/tricycle (etc) so should not need any private modification not even moving it to a bar bag to protect it, it should be able to stand a deluge, fine/heavy snow and so on, with B&Ms resources surely it is not beyond them to create something to their normally very high standards.
         Personally I would resort to good old vaseline but do not see why I should have to on what is/should be a quality bit of kit.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: ERROR on 26 April, 2013, 08:51:21 pm
Yes, it's hard to be justice, when You don't know exact details, but in my point of view:
– There are some reports about problems in the rain. It may be, but it's unlikely, that all of them used USB port in the rain. It's instructed not to do this in manual (OK, who reads it? :-)
– This new leaflet shows how to place a wire and something about water ingress (I don't speak German too), but it's not about that USB port on a "button" at all.

I see three ways water to get in:
1. Not properly closed USB port or used in the rain (put it under plastic (may BUMM include it in kit?) or in waterproof top tube/handlebar bags (looping wires down too), if you do so). It may be done.
2. Use mudguards, to prevent water getting from the bottom (don't mount it's top facing down too, don't use water jet to wash it :-) It may be done to.
3. Connector plug not properly connected to the lamp (use new BUMM advise – loop down and keep it tight). Well, it may be hard to achieve, unless you check it all time to be tight or "glue" it somehow – vibration does it's job. BUMM should place this connector under the lamp in a cave shaped cut (or face it down), water should run down, not up or along it then. That's why I call it design flaw. Maybe it's a good idea to close this jack in rain at all and put this wire to a safe bag (solves both: 1 and 3).

Let's wait for more "happy" users reports and more details :)
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: fixillated on 26 April, 2013, 09:09:27 pm
You have to have the bar cable connected, otherwise water will get in.

But on this set of instructions there is a clear message about water getting in via the bar switch/usb and recommends not using it in the wet, and if you must, then cover the switch unit with `plastic` ::-)

Two contradicting translations! 

I understood the instructions that if you don't have the bar cable plugged in, you must make sure the rubber flap is closed properly, and also to ensure that you don't charge things when it's raining and make sure the flap on the handlebar switch is closed when it is raining.

Those instructions deal with different cases. The first concern the handlebar button and how to make sure that no water gets into the light through the hole for its jack, e.g. by closing it properly when the jack isn't plugged in.

The English translation of the part about the USB socket left out one sentence. Before the recommendation not to charge in the rain the German version warns that mobile devices generally don't have a waterproof USB socket and that's the reason not to use the USB interface in the rain.

I'm about 15km from the B+M HQ at the moment and could visit them but am afraid not even German engineers will work tomorrow :-)
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: fixillated on 26 April, 2013, 09:26:38 pm

Paragraph 5 (Die Rücklicht...)
I will just paraphrase this: "The rear light monitor only function correctly when the correct polarity connection is observed. If the polarity is wrong, the rear light monitor LED may be light up, even if the rear light is turned off, because of the cache-battery.

To clarify, the two situations where the rear light monitor may fail are independent. When the polarity is wrong it may not work and I read that to mean it could fail in either way.
If the rear light has standlight functionality the monitor may detect a current and show the light as on even if it's switched off when the capacitor is charging.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: interested on 26 April, 2013, 11:57:03 pm

        With the greatest respect this is designed for a bicycle/tricycle (etc) so should not need any private modification not even moving it to a bar bag to protect it, it should be able to stand a deluge, fine/heavy snow and so on, with B&Ms resources surely it is not beyond them to create something to their normally very high standards.
         Personally I would resort to good old vaseline but do not see why I should have to on what is/should be a quality bit of kit.

I think you misunderstand me. Let us assume that the B&M Luxos is watertight when correctly mounted and and all cables and plug covers are plugged in. We are in agreement here, that in this situation, the Luxos ought to be watertight. But I have yet to see a single report of water ingress where the reporter explicitly said that the Luxos had its cable securely installed and the handlebar button plugged with the cover.

Where you are wrong is to assume the impossible, namely that a plugged in standard USB plug can be made watertight enough, like IP64 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IP_Code)
AFAIK, it can't be done with the present USB standards. There will be water ingress if it rains hard enough with any USB connection, so even if B&M magically made their USB connection waterproof, the connected device would take in water, leading to potential shorts and corrosion. Notice that all so called waterproof Smartphones only remain waterproof when the USB port is covered up.

That was my point, no matter what charging device one uses, it should be physically protected from rain by eg. a bar bag when charging USB devices, or else you risk water ingress at either the charger or the connected device.


(edit: corrected a potential misunderstanding)
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: interested on 27 April, 2013, 12:54:32 am
Yes, it's hard to be justice, when You don't know exact details, but in my point of view:
– There are some reports about problems in the rain. It may be, but it's unlikely, that all of them used USB port in the rain. It's instructed not to do this in manual (OK, who reads it? :-)

If they left the USB port on the handlebar button open, they would experience problems too.
The quality of the reports I have seen until now have been really low, with very few details about what actually happened. This is probably because that the people reporting didn't have much technical insight into the subject. So personally I think that "user errors" are a much more likely, than the USB port plug isn't waterproof.



– This new leaflet shows how to place a wire and something about water ingress (I don't speak German too), but it's not about that USB port on a "button" at all.

I have translated /paraphrased that leaflet previous in this thread. The section you are thinking of, recommend running the wire through the lamp bracket. The point is that the connection to the lamp is placed asymmetrical to the right side. If the user isn't careful when running the wire, it is possible that it may snag the lamp while the handlebar is turned to the left, this may put so much tension in the wire that the it may become unplugged. One should always install such wires so that there as little tension and bending as possible. The B&M's recommendation is one such solution, but zip-ties and careful installation may yield the same results even though the wire runs differently.
The mentioning of water ingress just concerns the obvious fact, that when the wire is unplugged at the lamp, it is possible that water may ingress.


[snip]
3. Connector plug not properly connected to the lamp (use new BUMM advise – loop down and keep it tight). Well, it may be hard to achieve, unless you check it all time to be tight or "glue" it somehow – vibration does it's job. BUMM should place this connector under the lamp in a cave shaped cut (or face it down), water should run down, not up or along it then. That's why I call it design flaw. Maybe it's a good idea to close this jack in rain at all and put this wire to safe bag (solves both: 1 and 3).

I don't think water running slowly along a wire when the bike is stopped should have any chance of entering a properly made waterproof plug. If the bike is moving at speed, the water on the wire will be pressed backwards, even if it loops downwards. Such slow drips are nothing compared to a large rain drop hitting the connection directly at 50 km/h. It is possible to make a plug that can resist even a jet wash of water when installed correctly, whether this is the case with the B&M Luxos U, I don't know, but I haven't seen any indication of water ingress at the lamp plug when the wire was correctly plugged in.

(edited: replaced "right" with "left")
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Quint on 27 April, 2013, 11:15:12 am
As (I believe) someone else mentioned here, why not make the USB connection with a sealed cable exiting the light to be connected when/if needed, the problem I would worry about is ingress into the light and this would solve it.
      I must admit to deciding not to buy this as a fit and forget supplement to my Lumicycle (can't have to much light)
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: interested on 27 April, 2013, 01:27:27 pm
As (I believe) someone else mentioned here, why not make the USB connection with a sealed cable exiting the light to be connected when/if needed, the problem I would worry about is ingress into the light and this would solve it.
      I must admit to deciding not to buy this as a fit and forget supplement to my Lumicycle (can't have to much light)

No, an extra cable wouldn't solve the fundamental problem about standard USB ports and plugs not being waterproof. You would still have to charge the device inside a eg. bar bag or similar when it rained.
And there would still be a socket that needed a cover when unused, but instead of being on the handlebar, it would be on the lamp.

Besides that, a separate cable would introduce several new problems. The cable would have to use a proprietary waterproof connection where it is attached to the lamp, so either it would necessary to supply several different cables, each with a different USB plug like Micro USB, Mini B etc (a la E-Werks), or it could be terminated in a female USB plug so one could attach the USB charging cable that could connect with the device. Having several different proprietary cables is a really bad solution when attached to a stationary lamp, since they would invariable always be too short or too long. It works with the E-Werks because the unit itself can be moved to compensate for cable length.

So a separate cable would actually mean two cables, and if you forget either, you can't charge your devices. Besides, such loose cables tend to disappear when not in use. And if you wish to leave the proprietary attached to the lamp when not in use, you would have to plug it with a cover too, just like the present solution.

All in all I would say that the present B&M design of the Luxos is quite smart and a very good compromise.
The charging socket is always available (no  proprietary cable to forget, no expensive proprietary cables that may disappear)
The USB plug is facing rearwards something that really helps against water ingress: The speed of the water is the major factor when it comes to make a connection waterproof. If you descend at 50 km/h in the rain, the rain drops will hit with +50 km/h. so by shielding the port by making it face rearwards is a smart move.
Much simpler cable routing and fewer cables and connections.

No other solution I can think of will reduce the amount of sockets that needs to be covered when not in use.
No other solution I can think of will remove the need for physically protecting the connected USB device from the rain by eg. placing it in a bar bag.

It also look quite easy to remove the handlebar USB port since it is attached by a rubber band, and I quite can't see a pressing need for having the button available when charging in the rain.

Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Kim on 27 April, 2013, 03:35:16 pm
I can imagine adequate waterproofing of an arbitrary USB plug connection by completely enclosing it in a case, with a flexible rubber seal (possibly more than one) that closes around the cable.  That is however going to be awkward, bulky and prone to fatigue failure.

And still doesn't make the connection at the other end waterproof.


Having the button available is presumably desirable to put the light into boost mode for technical surfaces and fast descents.  That's going to be just as useful in the rain as in the dry (possibly more so).
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: interested on 27 April, 2013, 05:20:53 pm
I can imagine adequate waterproofing of an arbitrary USB plug connection by completely enclosing it in a case, with a flexible rubber seal (possibly more than one) that closes around the cable.  That is however going to be awkward, bulky and prone to fatigue failure.

And still doesn't make the connection at the other end waterproof.

Sure, you could eg. place some kind outer casing on the cable that could be screwed into the lamp, making it very waterproof, but that again would for all practical purposes make it at proprietary cable, so why use a USB plug at all as connection, since you would have all the drawbacks of using a properiatary cable, but only one of the advantages (waterproof at one end).

I think any contraption that could be clamped around a standard USB cable would be utterly impractical, and as you point out, prone to failure. But I also think it couldn't be made waterproof enough. A rubber boot pressing against a surface isn't much defence against water ingress, especially when wind resistance puts a lot a pressure on.


Having the button available is presumably desirable to put the light into boost mode for technical surfaces and fast descents.  That's going to be just as useful in the rain as in the dry (possibly more so).

The B&M Luxos U only charge with 100 mA if the lights are on, so why even bother charging when doing fast descents at night when it rains. No matter what brand of hub dynamo and charger, there will be inherent limitations like this. They can't deliver both maximum light output and charge a power hungry USB device at the same time.

There will always be design compromises, but I think for the vast majority of user cases, the B&M Luxos U solution is the best. Sure one could design it with a edge user case like; "the need to use floodlight while doing fast descents in the rain, and at the same time needing to charge a device". But as I tried to explain earlier, such an optimization (like a separate charging cable) would introduce other problems, and be much more bothersome to use in the much more common user cases.

Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Kim on 27 April, 2013, 05:29:33 pm
Having the button available is presumably desirable to put the light into boost mode for technical surfaces and fast descents.  That's going to be just as useful in the rain as in the dry (possibly more so).

The B&M Luxos U only charge with 100 mA if the lights are on, so why even bother charging when doing fast descents at night when it rains. No matter what brand of hub dynamo and charger, there will be inherent limitations like this. They can't deliver both maximum light output and charge a power hungry USB device at the same time.

Who said anything about charging?  I was giving a reason for wanting the button accessible in the rain...


Agreed about charging while running the lights.  I can see it being useful for keeping an eTrex ticking over on an Audax, but that's about it.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: interested on 27 April, 2013, 05:34:43 pm
Having the button available is presumably desirable to put the light into boost mode for technical surfaces and fast descents.  That's going to be just as useful in the rain as in the dry (possibly more so).

The B&M Luxos U only charge with 100 mA if the lights are on, so why even bother charging when doing fast descents at night when it rains. No matter what brand of hub dynamo and charger, there will be inherent limitations like this. They can't deliver both maximum light output and charge a power hungry USB device at the same time.

Who said anything about charging?  I was giving a reason for wanting the button accessible in the rain...

I thought that was implied, because there is no need to place the handlebar button in a bar bag unless the USB cover is off while it charge a device. The handlebar button ought to be waterproof enough to used in even extreme rain while descending as long as the cover is on the USB socket.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Quint on 27 April, 2013, 07:43:24 pm
I give up  :P   I (as stated before) will stick to my no water ingress problem, no run time problem (unless artic or Scottish winter (same thing)  )  Lumicycle, made in England, Led 3Si light, as for charging I shall visit every damnded pub along the way with my charger (no change there then  ;D)
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: ERROR on 19 May, 2013, 02:24:52 pm
From comments: http://aushiker.com/busch-muller-lumotec-iq2/

Quote from: David L. May 19, 2013 at 12:33 PM
I also had my Luxos U fail after using it in the first significant rain. 12 hours off and on rain during a 400km Audax Brevet in Japan. I was using fenders, and did NOT open up the USB charger port during the entire event …

Some more info:
http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=de&tl=en&prev=_t&ie=UTF-8&eotf=1&u=http://www.teltarif.de/lumotec-iq2-luxos-u-test-usb-handy-laden/news/50760.htm
http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=de&tl=en&prev=_t&ie=UTF-8&eotf=1&u=http://www.rad-forum.de/showflat/Number/900170/page/7
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: 321up on 23 May, 2013, 04:41:59 pm
 :thumbsup:

Fitted this week, so far so good.  Using with Schmidtt Son 28 (new 2012 model).  I noticed the electronics (?) occasionally make a whine noise at low speed (~7 mph), seems to be at about the point where it switches from battery to dynamo power.  I guess it's working hard to boost the voltage until it's got sufficient speed.  Has anyone else noticed this?  Just used on one ride so far.  Seems to charge my Samsung S3 ok, fairly well with the headlight off, and the phone even indicated that the battery had charged a bit even whilst I had the headlight on (no rear light connected yet).  The USB charging continues for a short while from the internal battery after stopping, but not as long as I had expected.  Need a longer ride to test it properly...
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: ERROR on 18 June, 2013, 10:56:09 am
Safety notice: Got both Luxos U and Toplight Line Plus brake lights? Read this.
http://www.joe-bike.com/2013/06/12/safety-notice-got-both-luxos-u-and-toplight-line-plus-brake-lights-read-this/
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: tubbycyclist on 18 June, 2013, 12:12:00 pm
Safety notice: Got both Luxos U and Toplight Line Plus brake lights? Read this.
http://www.joe-bike.com/2013/06/12/safety-notice-got-both-luxos-u-and-toplight-line-plus-brake-lights-read-this/ (http://www.joe-bike.com/2013/06/12/safety-notice-got-both-luxos-u-and-toplight-line-plus-brake-lights-read-this/)


That is my setup, bugger  - and I see Peter White has updated his page  (http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/b&m-hl.asp)with a compatibility chart for tail lights that suggests no grounded tail lights and definitely not the Toplight Line Plus.


Mine has been problem free over 300-600km audax events this year so I will have to decide whether to fret or not...
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Kim on 18 June, 2013, 12:19:44 pm
Interesting.

It's probably worth noting that with a bit of wiring-fu (or perhaps nylon fixings), it's possible to make some grounded rear lights float wrt the frame.  Disconnect the wiring from the mounting bolt, make a hole for the cable and make a proper insulated connection internally.  I did this on one of my lights as a side-effect of having to drill new mounting holes to make it fit the rack.

It's not clear whether the problem with grounded rear lights is simply that the tally doesn't operate correctly, or something more serious.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: ERROR on 02 August, 2013, 11:17:43 am
BUMM's answers to my questions:

1. Q: Incompatible with some rear lights?
A: The problem of compatibility between Luxos U and Toplight Brake Tec rear light was due to a particular component in a small quantity of Brake Tec lights. It had nothing to do with the functionality of the Luxos U itself. The Toplight brake tec has since been released in a revised version where this problem no longer occurs. (It only occurred in a very small number anyway).

2. Q: Water ingress into plug problem?
A: Although this problem only occurred in very few Luxos U headlights our ambition is to have the best quality possible, so the new version of Luxos U has no plug, but the cable enters the light directly through a sealing ring, making water intake at this point impossible.

Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: LEE on 02 August, 2013, 11:57:58 am
Can I ask owners of the new light to rate it, in terms of pure light output, beam pattern ..etc (I'm not interested in the charging aspect , that may be a bonus in future).

Let's say that the existing B&M Cyo were 5/10 (it's the dyno light which has stood me in good stead for the last few years and plenty of night riding on pitch-black country lanes), how would you rate the new one?

The Peter White image look very impressive.

Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: marcusjb on 02 August, 2013, 05:51:10 pm
10/10

It's a huge step up from the Cyo both in terms of output and beam shape.

I have now ridden in some very challenging conditions, and, touch wood, no issues with water ingress.  Interesting that they've now replaced it being a plug in lead (which always struck me as odd anyway).
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: tubbycyclist on 02 August, 2013, 07:43:44 pm
I think it is a great light, it has been through heavy rain and performed faultlessly. The beam shape in particular, with its wide shape and high beam function is excellent and it has been road tested in the dark on twisty descents and think it does an excellent job. I had the IQ Fly before this and it is a much better lamp in my opinion
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Aushiker on 03 August, 2013, 04:41:35 pm
I found Peter White's comments on charging iPads amusing .... my dynamo/PedalPower+ Super-I-Cable setup charges my iPad 2 okay, it just does not show it is charging even though it actually does it. 

Regards
Andrew
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: oysters on 18 August, 2013, 04:09:50 pm
Hi All.

Just wondering if anyone yet has run the Luxos off a battery pack? I think I saw a thread somewhere on YACF where someone ran a CYO quite successfully off a battery pack of 6xAAs. I'm thinking given its also designed to run off the same dynamos that it will probably also run at similar voltages.

I can't afford a dynamo wheel yet and don't really want to as I love my dura ace front hub wheel. Just spins forever, and I don't want to replace something that works...yet.

Cheers,

Adam
 
*first post on YACF, Yay!
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: interested on 20 August, 2013, 01:23:51 am
It looks like B&M will release a "Mini Me" version of the Luxos called "Lumotec IQ2 Eyc":

The release slogan seems to be "50 euro for 50 Lux":
http://www.bumm.de/news/detail/article/klein-und-kraeftig-der-lumotec-iq2-eyc.html

There will be three versions:
Lumotec IQ2 Eyc N plus (With stand light)
Lumotec IQ2 Eyc plus (for bottle dynamos)
Lumotec IQ2 Eyc T senso plus (Stand light and day light LED's)

With a suggested price of 50 euro, it will probably sell for even less after some months. Logically it ought to obsolete the IQ2 Cyo RN (40 lux near field) and similar, since it has better specs and are cheaper, but B&M never seem to retire older models though they sometimes tweak them a bit. They still sell their halogen bulb front lights like the "Round" or "Oval", so maybe the IQ Cyo will fall in price, or get "tweaked" with another LED or similar.

Here is a press release with a photo of the "IQ2 Eyc" compared to a euro note:
http://www.pd-f.de/wp-content/uploads/kalins-pdf/singles/130722_fs13_03_50-lux_eyc.pdf

Here is a "Mini Me" comparison between the "Luxos" and the "Eyc":
(http://www.bumm.de/uploads/RTEmagicC_961f2593f7.jpg.jpg)

Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Kim on 20 August, 2013, 12:09:41 pm
Interesting.  Looks like they've removed the battery and related features (hopefully preserving the beam shape), so it should have the reliability of the Cyos.  A good choice for non-touring/audax bikes.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: simonp on 20 August, 2013, 05:32:58 pm
A good choice for audax bikes too. Reliability trumps charging for me.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: zigzag on 20 August, 2013, 09:36:51 pm
It looks like B&M will release a "Mini Me" version of the Luxos called "Lumotec IQ2 Eyc"

this is the first dynamo light that looks appealing - particularly size and shape. might give it a go when it's released.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 21 August, 2013, 04:27:30 pm
I would have thought charging was mostly of interest to tourers, not audaxers, commuters or anyone else. My wonder is whether the mini-Luxos will have the same beam shape as its big daddy - it looks taller and narrower in comparison to its overall size. Looking forward to beam pics!
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: fuaran on 21 August, 2013, 04:37:13 pm
If you want something simple/reliable without USB charging, the Luxos B is already available. I think that's probably the best choice for audax.

The mini version is probably more suited for a city bike, where you don't need as much brightness. Would also be good on a folding bike.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: PeeJay on 10 September, 2013, 09:59:56 am
It looks like B&M will release a "Mini Me" version of the Luxos called "Lumotec IQ2 Eyc"

this is the first dynamo light that looks appealing - particularly size and shape. might give it a go when it's released.

Available in 3 weeks from Rose

http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/article/b--m-lumotec-eyc-t-senso-plus-dynamo-headlight/aid:683823

Looks perfect for my commuter, I'm hovering over the "add to basket button"
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: tiermat on 10 September, 2013, 04:28:04 pm
The reflector on that Eyc looks like a total afterthought.

If it didn't have that (presumably for German compliance) I'd have one.  Wonder if it is just screwed in place?
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: tubbycyclist on 10 September, 2013, 04:40:16 pm
The reflector on that Eyc looks like a total afterthought.

If it didn't have that (presumably for German compliance) I'd have one.  Wonder if it is just screwed in place?


I think it is the same kind of fitting as on the Luxos, in which case it is on a plastic slide that connects to the bottom of the lamp and you don't have to install it. Peter White's image  (http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/b&m-hl.asp)shows it without the reflector and it looks very similar
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: PeeJay on 23 September, 2013, 11:46:18 am
Just clicked buy on the eyc. Was gonna wait till payday but excitement took over! And that the need to get a light for my commuter soonish as a few more weeks and I'll be setting off for work in the dark. 

I'll report back on what I think of it.

And I won't be fitting the fugly reflector, just like I didn't fit the reflector on my Luxos on my Audax bike. 
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: LEE on 24 September, 2013, 10:00:16 am
The Eyc doesn't interest me but I'm getting very tempted by the Luxus as a Winter upgrade.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: bikenrrd on 24 September, 2013, 10:05:29 am
I've bought a Luxos B and moved the Cyo R to my wife's commuter.

No report yet as I have to build a wheel for the new dynohub with disc brake.  I can't decide on which rim to use yet, though!
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: PeeJay on 01 October, 2013, 10:08:45 am
Change of plan,  rose are now saying 5 weeks availability for the Eyc .  So I've changed my order for a Luxos B. More £££, but a better lamp and, more importantly, avaliable now.   
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Manotea on 30 November, 2013, 11:36:00 pm
I may be up for one of these (translation, the wiring on my solidlights has died).

Rose has 'B + M headlight Lumotec IQ2 Luxos U senso plus with USB connector' at £112 which looks a keen pprice.

Question: as its the senso model, can I run it without the USB charger/switch being fitted? I'm thinking about leaving it off most of the time as I'll only need it when in touring mode, though doubtless once it's fitted it will likely stay that way.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Aushiker on 01 December, 2013, 05:47:42 am

Rose has 'B + M headlight Lumotec IQ2 Luxos U senso plus with USB connector' at £112 which looks a keen pprice.

I found http://starbike.com a little more competitive for me, but being in a Australia may make a difference (shipping and removal of VAT).

Andrew
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: fixillated on 01 December, 2013, 11:55:25 am
Rose has 'B + M headlight Lumotec IQ2 Luxos U senso plus with USB connector' at £112 which looks a keen pprice.

But currently out of stock. Expected back in three weeks, so tight for Santa.

Question: as its the senso model, can I run it without the USB charger/switch being fitted? I'm thinking about leaving it off most of the time as I'll only need it when in touring mode, though doubtless once it's fitted it will likely stay that way.

It depends, details in an announcement from early November:
http://www.bumm.de/news/detail/article/luxos-u-lieferbar-mit-neuem-tasteranschluss.html

"Leider war unser helles Multitalent aufgrund eines fehlenden Bauteils bei einem unserer Lieferanten seit einiger Zeit nur eingeschränkt erhältlich. Dieser Engpass ist beseitigt und wir können nun erfreut vermelden: Ab sofort ist der Luxos U wieder vollends lieferbar." 
"Unfortunately one of our suppliers had limited supplies of a component, the bottle-neck has been resolved and the Luxos U is available again."

Text about using the Luxos U as Christmas tree illumination skipped.

"Der Luxos U wird ab sofort mit fest verbautem Lenkertaster ausgeliefert. Im Einzelfall ist es bei der herkömmlichen Klinkenstecker-Variante zum Eindringen von Feuchtigkeit gekommen. Wird der Klinkenstecker wie in der Bedienungsanleitung beschrieben (pdf-Link) eingerastet, besteht dieses Problem nicht. Um Feuchtigkeitsprobleme bei nicht korrekt montiertem Klinkenstecker zu vermeiden, haben wir uns für die Direktverkabelung entschieden."
"The Luxos U now ships with a fixed connection to the handlebar button. In some cases the version with a plug allowed water to get into the light (that wouldn't have happened if the instructions had been followed correctly). To avoid problems with moisture due to incorrectly plugged cables the cable is now pemanently attached."

The change is pretty obvious in the picture.

So it depends on whether you get old or new stock. As Rose are currently out of stock I expect them to get the new version.


Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Manotea on 06 December, 2013, 04:50:37 pm
All my birthdays have come at once. On Monday I ordered a Luxos from Rose who said it was out of stock with a two week wait, so I bought a Chinese Cree light from a UKsupplier on ebay as a  short term stop gap as my Cateye 530 had also gone missing probably dead.

The Chinese Cree was delivered by post first thing but I had also received a txt from Rose announcing the start of their christmas special (this weekend only) which is free delivery (£7.95 in my case). However before I could cancel my current order and place a new one, the doorbell rang and a courior handed over my Luxos!

I'm going to take the cree for a spin in the park and show those deer who's boss.

p.s., yes, a new version Luxos with integral switch lead. The USB is a bit OTT right now but hopefully it will come good next year. I'm thinking I'll coil the lead and park the switch on my top tube or some such.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: MAC on 11 December, 2013, 06:07:33 pm
I've been running a Luxos B from an SP PV8 dynohub in a 700cc wheel for a few weeks now. I have an Edulux running from a SON in a 26" on another bike. The light output is comparable but the beam shape is superior from the Luxos and it also has the benefit of much better side visibilty. The B model standlight is very much dimmer than the Edelux standlight (I believe the U version runs on its battery for a while). I think it is a great light and certainly ticks all the boxes for me.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Manotea on 13 February, 2014, 10:53:32 am
Good news and Bad news,

I'd been using the Chineese Cree which is megabright but the battery performance pathetic. I don't seem to get more than an hour or so from full charge even on the lower setting so I invariably end up coming homing from Richmond Park in the dark, which means its rather useless.

The up side is the other day I wanted to go for a ride and had forgotten to charge the Cree so in desperation I fitted the Luxos which had been sitting on a shelf for two months. And was I pleased I did, because its fab. A nice bright, shaped long and wide beam pattern with only minor 'artefacts from the lens (I hated that aspect of the Cyo). My version has the daytime running LEDs to annoy other road users, so that's great to.

What I really like though is the way the light is powered through the integral battery, which means I get a bright light at low speed. That makes a huge difference for fixers when climbing. I had been resigned to buying a battery light for climbing, because when thing get gnarly and you near stall on a climb its really unhelpful if the lights go out at that point. Same goes really for the power boost button. I think the designers had in mind this would be used on descents but for fixers its on the climbs you need more light. Well, I do anyway, mebbe that's because I'm a scaredy cat descender. I simply dont go down hills at 50km+ very often, even in the day time.

So right now I'm really pleased. Twice as much light at near half the cost of my old solidlights (adjusted for inflation) with a free USB charging facility thrown in. What's not to like?
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: wooliferkins on 26 February, 2014, 12:12:49 pm
The comparison pictures for the the differing B&M lights beam patterns are now up on the website  (http://www.bumm.de/innovation-original/lichtvergleich-scheinwerfer.html).  I had a look at the Eyc a couple of weeks ago it really is a punchy little bugger. I was almost set on a Luxos for the tourer but now I'm head scratching mode again.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Aushiker on 26 February, 2014, 12:49:09 pm
The comparison pictures for the the differing B&M lights beam patterns are now up on the website  (http://www.bumm.de/innovation-original/lichtvergleich-scheinwerfer.html). 

Thanks for the link.

Andrew
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Greenbank on 26 February, 2014, 05:20:08 pm
If only the Luxos had separated the switch and the USB port. That way I'd keep the switch on the bars and the USB port would be buried in a tribag to keep it safe from the elements.

I have no need to purchase one now (no plans on doing anything more than a 200 this year) so I'll hold out for an improved version in the future.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Hot Flatus on 26 February, 2014, 05:45:14 pm
Not used the USB function yet, but I'll be trialling it ready for the Scot 1300
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: wilkyboy on 24 March, 2014, 09:15:54 pm
If only the Luxos had separated the switch and the USB port. That way I'd keep the switch on the bars and the USB port would be buried in a tribag to keep it safe from the elements.

I have no need to purchase one now (no plans on doing anything more than a 200 this year) so I'll hold out for an improved version in the future.

If you had one of the original ones and were good with a soldering iron, I am sure this is eminently possible: it's a four-pole 3.5mm jack, which could be got from Maplin probably, and you could manufacture your own.

TBH I used USB charging extensively all last year with an ultra-short USB cable to my Garmin: I could charge all night even running the light at the same time, so I could keep the backlight on for as long as I wanted.  Really very very good!  I just moved to a bike with different sized wheels (so I can't use the old dyno-hub front) and I miss the simplicity of this solution, and instead have to trail a metre long USB cable from a battery pack in my Carradice along the frame, which isn't nearly as simple, especially as USB isn't a waterproof solution to anything.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Oscar's dad on 12 June, 2014, 06:53:52 am
Has anyone tried charging an iPhone with one of these lights? I ask cos my 5S only seems to like being charged with genuine Apple kit.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Mike Conway on 15 June, 2014, 05:05:02 pm
According to Peter White cycles it will: http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/b&m-hl.asp
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: hellymedic on 15 June, 2014, 05:24:41 pm
David's iPhone appears to charge on his light.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Oscar's dad on 16 June, 2014, 09:31:20 pm
I have just discoverd that a Power Gen Mobile Juice Pack 9000 charges my iPhone so I might get one and charge that from the light and then charge me phone from the Juice Pack. Apparently that's a better way to do it cos it protects your phone from power spikes. But this might be nonsense.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: alotronic on 16 June, 2014, 10:50:52 pm
If only the Luxos had separated the switch and the USB port. That way I'd keep the switch on the bars and the USB port would be buried in a tribag to keep it safe from the elements.

Errr, couldn't you run a USB cable from the USB port to the tribag and power your goodies in there? I run an Ewerk with exposed USB cables and with a wrap of gaffer tape they remain functional in rain :-)
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Oscar's dad on 21 July, 2014, 09:46:42 am
I have decided to upgrade my lighting system.  I already have a SHIMANO DH-3N80 hub dynamo (http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/article/shimano-hub-dynamo-dh-3n80/aid:489153) powering a  B + M Lumotec IQ Cyo T senso plus 60 lux (http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/article/b--m-lumotec-iq-cyo-t-senso-plus-60-lux/aid:457434) and it all works fine. 

But I fancy  (37)
B + M Lumotec IQ2 Luxos U senso plus front headlamp with USB connectionurl] for the USB charging and the extra power at the touch of a button. I'd also like a dynamo powered rear light and spotted [url=http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/article/b--m-toplight-view-brake-plus-dynamo-back-light/aid:703648]this beauty! (http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/article/b--m-lumotec-iq2-luxos-u-senso-plus--front-headlamp-with-usb-connection/aid:620049)

My questions to the panel are:

1. Are the new front and rear lights I have selected compatible with my hub dynamo and with each other?  I suspect the answer to both questions is "yes"
2. What wiring do I need to connect everything up?  Rose Bikes offer a confusing selection

Thanks in advance as always  :-*
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: jsabine on 21 July, 2014, 10:20:02 am
Yes, they'll work together - I've got a Luxos and a Line Plus (http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/article/b--m-toplight-line-plus-back-light/aid:378502) rear, and they're very happy with each other. They don't care which (decent) dynamo they're connected to, and I'm 99% sure1 the Luxos comes with a cable and connectors to power a rear light as well as to hook up to the hub, so you shouldn't need to buy anything else.

The light is better than my previous Cyo, though not really a step change, the USB charging is very nice, but I still haven't quite worked out how to cycle through all the lighting modes and make it do exactly what I want - it still works just fine, and the issue is that I prefer to stab buttons frantically and dismiss the light as having a mind of its own rather than actually read the manual.

I'm not convinced that the brake light function is terribly useful though - drivers don't expect you to have one, and the difference in brightness if the lights are already on isn't that noticeable.





1: I bought it S/H, so although I got packaging and (I think) all the bits, I didn't see it as it came from the factory.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Oscar's dad on 21 July, 2014, 11:44:24 am
I'm not convinced that the brake light function is terribly useful though - drivers don't expect you to have one, and the difference in brightness if the lights are already on isn't that noticeable.

Thanks for the useful info.  I'm not sure the brake light function is particularly useful either but as it's available I don't see any harm in having it  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Kim on 21 July, 2014, 12:07:35 pm
I'm not convinced that the brake light function is terribly useful though - drivers don't expect you to have one, and the difference in brightness if the lights are already on isn't that noticeable.

Thanks for the useful info.  I'm not sure the brake light function is particularly useful either but as it's available I don't see any harm in having it  :thumbsup:

+1

I have a brake light that I molished as a quick afternoon programming project on one of my bikes.  I've ridden with people using these B&M lights.

The lights function well enough - although with a deceleration sensor there's always going to be a point where it flickers on and off at pedalling cadence (usually on moderately slow climbs).

Motorists don't seem to notice it.

Cyclists tend to point out that there seems to be a fault with your rear light, and then think it's cool when you explain what it's doing.  Theoretically, it could be useful in a group if the person behind knew to expect it, but they'd notice the gap changing if they were paying attention anyway.

It seems harmless.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Oscar's dad on 21 July, 2014, 12:16:27 pm
I have ridden with a couple of people who have the Toplight and had to assure both the brake light actually works as of course you'd never know unless you can come up with a clever static test rig. 

The brake light didn't seem to be that noticeable but Toplight View Brake Plus blurb says:

Quote
If the speed is reduced significantly and suddenly, the luminous power increases and both light strips begin to pulsate

Which I am hoping makes the brake light function more noticeable.

The new lighting system is part of an upgrade package that will be implemented over the winter so I will let you all know once all the new stuff is fitted.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: f1uid5 on 03 April, 2015, 09:49:14 pm
I just fitted (last week) a Luxos U Senso and  Toplight Line Brake Tec to the Pashley. Lovely Lights spent hours making sure the wiring loom was tip top presentation wise and of course correctly connected.
No green indicator. Bugger, what's going on 'ere then?
Check the connections. All good. out with the multi metre, check the runs of my lovingly created loom. All wires good.
Get front wheel off the ground and give it a spin checking for voltage at the rear light terminals of the Luxos. None. FFS gonna have to rip it all off after this weekends 200k and send it back to Germany

Thanks for that Busch&Muller
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Quint on 04 April, 2015, 09:39:45 pm
I am going to get the English made Lumicycle brake light, from all reports it is bright (as their other back light, I have one) and works well as a stop light, game on.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: alexb on 07 April, 2015, 04:43:00 pm
I have the model U light and the extra power front setting is frankly a waste of time.
At low speed the U has a strip of LEDs at the top of the light (facing down) at low speed these light up (and the main beam dims) and enhance the lighting around your front wheel. It works really well and "fades" into the front light as power is transferred from the low speed lights to the main beam.

The power boost simply switches on the low speed lights. So rather than dump the contents of the standlight battery into the main beam to give you a brighter main beam, you just get an additional wash of light around the front wheel.

Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Oscar's dad on 07 April, 2015, 04:58:08 pm
I have the model U light and the extra power front setting is frankly a waste of time.
At low speed the U has a strip of LEDs at the top of the light (facing down) at low speed these light up (and the main beam dims) and enhance the lighting around your front wheel. It works really well and "fades" into the front light as power is transferred from the low speed lights to the main beam.

The power boost simply switches on the low speed lights. So rather than dump the contents of the standlight battery into the main beam to give you a brighter main beam, you just get an additional wash of light around the front wheel.

Aha!  It's not just me then!  I think we have the same light, this is mine ...

(http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l160/stevenr_01/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_1689_zps86b817be.jpg)

I never managed to notice the low speed thing.  I agree, the boost function is a waste of time and I have exactly the same experience as you so I don't bother using it.

But, compared with my previous light, a B + M Lumotec IQ Cyo T senso plus 60 lux, the Luxos is much better.  The beam pattern is much more usable and the USB charging capability is extremely handy.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: PloddinPedro on 08 April, 2015, 10:28:04 am
I've been using the Luxos U for a while now. The first one I had failed quite quickly - it was the original type with the unpluggable USB lead - Rosebikes replaced it promptly without fuss. The replacement has the cable permanently attached so water ingress at the joint shouldn't be an issue.

However, recently, it has started to behave a bit erratically. The function which causes it to change from near-field illumination to 'up the road', which I understand from the 'Germ-lish' instructions is speed related, seems now to operate at random. I suppose it's a subjective thing but I find that when the eyebrow LEDs (which light up the near-field) go out the effect is to make it seem that the light has dimmed. Consequently, just when I need the light the most, when I speed up (which I grant you, doesn't happen that often!) it goes dim.

I know that there is some kind of option to adjust the speed at which the transition occurs - I haven't tried it yet - but I'm wondering if the Luxos is just a bit too clever. I really appreciate the USB power function, which runs my Garmin ad infinitum but if it wasn't for that, I'd be tempted to revert to my Lumicycle which JUST WORKS and which I carry as backup anyway.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Butterfly on 08 April, 2015, 10:57:15 pm
I'm quite interested in a luxos U. We are one cyo down at the moment, since clarion killed his, with some help from me so we could either pinch one from my orbit, which is laid off at the moment or buy one of us a new light. Do the panel think that it's worth getting a Luxos, or would it be better to get a cyo and some other method of charging the equipment? I like the idea of an all in one unit, but will it manage to do the job?
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Von Broad on 08 April, 2015, 11:06:17 pm
I'm quite interested in a luxos U. We are one cyo down at the moment, since clarion killed his, with some help from me so we could either pinch one from my orbit, which is laid off at the moment or buy one of us a new light. Do the panel think that it's worth getting a Luxos, or would it be better to get a cyo and some other method of charging the equipment? I like the idea of an all in one unit, but will it manage to do the job?

I can't offer much as regards charging - I don't charge anything, but I will readily recommend the Cyo Premium.
I'm running it off a bog standard bottle dynamo at the moment, and although the old BD's are not great, I think the light is excellent.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Kim on 08 April, 2015, 11:12:31 pm
I'd go for the Luxos.  I'm tempted to upgrade to one on the recumbent on the basis of the improved beam width alone (makes a difference when the light doesn't pivot with the steering), and the USB charging would be a good excuse not to actually finish that charger I've half designed.  But the Cyo I've got at the moment works, as does the bulky prototype charger...

I think it comes down to whatever the price differential vs a Cyo Premium currently is getting you a much wider beam and USB charging.  If you want the charging it's a no-brainer.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: L CC on 10 April, 2015, 01:16:17 pm
If you don't *need* Super Luxos Beams then why not get an AXA (http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/article/axa-luxx-70-plus-steady-auto-front-light/aid:642351)- much cheaper and does charging.
Fugly as sin, but Just Works, with none of the reliability problems Luxos users report.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Butterfly on 10 April, 2015, 02:54:55 pm
If you don't *need* Super Luxos Beams then why not get an AXA (http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/article/axa-luxx-70-plus-steady-auto-front-light/aid:642351)- much cheaper and does charging.
Fugly as sin, but Just Works, with none of the reliability problems Luxos users report.

Ooh, that's a good tip, thanks boab. I might go for that, we have enough bikes that I can always move it on and upgrade if I feel the need. With the Passenger we're not doing a lot of country dark miles at the moment so the Luxos may be overkill, even if it does appeal to my light fetish.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Oscar's dad on 10 April, 2015, 04:20:32 pm
If you don't *need* Super Luxos Beams then why not get an AXA (http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/article/axa-luxx-70-plus-steady-auto-front-light/aid:642351)- much cheaper and does charging.
Fugly as sin, but Just Works, with none of the reliability problems Luxos users report.

Ooh, that's a good tip, thanks boab. I might go for that, we have enough bikes that I can always move it on and upgrade if I feel the need. With the Passenger we're not doing a lot of country dark miles at the moment so the Luxos may be overkill, even if it does appeal to my light fetish.

I would still go for the Luxos as the beam pattern is excellent.  That said, there are still occasions where it isn't quite good enough to inspire confidence - descending on narrow lanes and rubbish surfaces etc.   Which is why I also have a Cree T6 XML eBay special ready to turn the night into day.  But, as you say, you're not doing dark country miles at the moment.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: L CC on 10 April, 2015, 04:34:12 pm
The Axa is half the price. The Luxos (I've ridden alongside several) is not twice as good.
If money was no object I might go for a Luxos... but it seems you're quite likely to have to send it back...?
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Oscar's dad on 10 April, 2015, 04:39:03 pm
... but it seems you're quite likely to have to send it back...?

I've had mine for awhile now and it's been fine [fingers crossed, I hope it doesn't go pfffft tonight]
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: pieeater on 15 April, 2015, 04:11:31 pm
Quite late addition to the discussion. FWIW, I've run an AXA since LEL 2013, where it was brilliant (and reliable) and kept me, and various electricals (Garmin, phone etc.) running very well.
However, it's recently been less reliable, with (in particular) the charging being intermittent.
So, I upgraded to a Luxos U, which has a brilliant beam-pattern, but I seem unable to get the hang of the switching or, FTM, the charging, where I've yet to get the "charging available" light come on at all !
Now, I've not give it a good "shake-down" ride, where all may become clear..........but I'm tempted to carry the AXA as a (mostly) reliable spare,........seeming to defeat the object of upgrading (doh !).
"the only constant is inconstancy"
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: marcusjb on 14 May, 2015, 09:22:30 pm
Well, my new one on the fixed appears to have gone puff after 500km.

It was wet tonight, really wet.

I got home and it wouldn't turn off. I was so cold and wet, I really couldn't have cared less.

Anyway - it now won't turn on from either the handlebar switch or the back of the light.

Damnit. The other one (with detachable lead) has done many, many km and in some grim conditions.

I will have to dig out receipts and look at getting it sorted.

Half of me is tempted not to have a luxos as I don't use the USB charging, but the light is very good.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: PloddinPedro on 15 May, 2015, 09:28:38 am
I'm sure there are many satisfied owners out there that we don't hear from but Audaxing tests stuff pretty thoroughly and we seem to be hearing of a steady number of failures of the Luxos. I do use the USB charging function though and would be reluctant to lose it; perhaps it's time to fire up the Google-fu and start looking for alternatives?
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Somnolent on 15 May, 2015, 01:14:48 pm
I'm sure there are many satisfied owners out there that we don't hear from but Audaxing tests stuff pretty thoroughly ...
Mine was showing water droplets under the translucent cover of the handlebar switch after the BC400 but, so far - touch wood,  still carries on working for both lighting and USB output.
I tend to run the Etrex HCx off it permanently now (with AA for back-up) as it is quite happy even at night with front & back illumination.
Chinese Cree XML torch on lockblock mount is there as a back up/ and for throwing a beam a long way down the road.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: vorsprung on 15 May, 2015, 01:52:44 pm
My brand new Luxos also survived the BC400

It's got quite a lot of parts to it to go wrong as well as the light 1) the cache battery 2) the switch 3) the USB charger

I am not expecting it to last as well as previous, simpler B&M lights.  But all it has to do is get through the BCM, some training rides and PBP.  I don't think that is too much to ask
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Oscar's dad on 06 October, 2015, 05:24:46 pm
... but it seems you're quite likely to have to send it back...?

I've had  mine for awhile now and it's been fine [fingers crossed, I hope it doesn't go pfffft tonight]

Bottoms!

I now have two of these.  The first must be well over a year old and never given any trouble.  The second is just a few months old and fitted to my new Surly.

The weekend before last I noticed the red LED built into the handlebar switch of the newer light was glowing much brighter than I remember.  The same was true last Wednesday evening.  Then the light started flashing and wouldn't switch off.  I disconnected it from the hub but still the flashing continued, obviously powered by the cache battery.

I contacted Rose and have just sent it back to them.  Thus far their returns system seems very smooth and I sent it back for free.  We'll wait to see what happens next.

In the meantime I have taken the older light off the Ribble and it seems quite happy on the Surly.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Kevina9 on 06 October, 2015, 10:43:05 pm
My Luxos-U from Rose Bikes was purchased in Nov 2013. It recently lost its main beam, and then seemed to lose USB charging power. The Rose returns procedure seems to be working well and smoothly so far for me as well - I posted it back to them for free using a PDF returns label, and they have emailed me saying the replacement is on its way. Let's hope this one lasts longer than the first!
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Quint on 07 October, 2015, 01:30:39 pm
I have just bought a B&M light although not a Luxos, tis a IQ Premium to replace the much abused original (40 lux ?) IQ which had started to switch itself off at odd times, with what I have read on this thread about the unreliability problems with B&M lights I am wondering if I have made the right decision.
       My main light a Lumicycle (I am belt and braces and like two lights both front and rear) although more expensive has been excellent, I always understood B&M to be really good but the failure/problem rate seems quite high.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: epa611 on 07 October, 2015, 01:34:06 pm
Had a IQ Cyo Premium (http://www.bike-discount.de/en/buy/busch-mueller-lumotec-iq-cyo-premium-senso-plus-137975/wg_id-808) for about an year now - no problems and excellent beam shape.  Just bought another with DRL (http://www.bike-discount.de/en/buy/busch-mueller-lumotec-iq-cyo-premium-t-senso-plus-140907/wg_id-808) for the wife - we'll see how it goes!
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: oldstrath on 07 October, 2015, 05:42:47 pm
I have just bought a B&M light although not a Luxos, tis a IQ Premium to replace the much abused original (40 lux ?) IQ which had started to switch itself off at odd times, with what I have read on this thread about the unreliability problems with B&M lights I am wondering if I have made the right decision.
       My main light a Lumicycle (I am belt and braces and like two lights both front and rear) although more expensive has been excellent, I always understood B&M to be really good but the failure/problem rate seems quite high.

I do struggle with the idea that BuM lights are 'really good'. Sure, they are optically clever, but the battery cover on the Ixon  premium  is dire and the bar mounting is poor. The best bit though is the Blue Peter sticky backed plastic  bodge to fix the 'light in the eyes' problem.  Hardly what  you  might  expect from well thought through  design.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Kim on 07 October, 2015, 06:41:17 pm
I do struggle with the idea that BuM lights are 'really good'. Sure, they are optically clever, but the battery cover on the Ixon  premium  is dire and the bar mounting is poor. The best bit though is the Blue Peter sticky backed plastic  bodge to fix the 'light in the eyes' problem.  Hardly what  you  might  expect from well thought through  design.

That's because when they finished designing the IQ Fly, they passed the designs to the work experience kid who knocked up a battery version on a Friday afternoon, and called it the Ixon IQ.

The Fly and Cyo - in their various forms - have proven to be extremely reliable, as this forum of hardcore dynamo light users will testify.  Being dynamo lights, they avoid the bracket and battery compartment issues, and the de rigueur fork crown mounting makes light in your eyes a non-problem.

Similarly, the thing that tends to go wrong on B&M rear lights is the switch.  Pure dynamo lights don't have one, so are reliable.

The Luxos appears to be a more fragile beast.  External connectors and a rechargeable battery were always going to introduce new points of failure.   :-\


Disclaimer:  This household has 1 Cyo, 2 Cyo Rs and a Cyo Premium, all of which work flawlessly.  And the remains of an IxonIQ that I eventually gave up bodging back to life after the battery compartment self-destructed and water ingress killed the electronics.  I'd quite like a Luxos U on my tourer, but I have to wait for either its Cyo to fail, or an n+1 opportunity first.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: damerell on 08 October, 2015, 11:34:57 am
I have just bought a B&M light although not a Luxos, tis a IQ Premium to replace the much abused original (40 lux ?) IQ which had started to switch itself off at odd times, with what I have read on this thread about the unreliability problems with B&M lights I am wondering if I have made the right decision.

Some B&M light models are solid as rocks (eg the Cyo), some are not. The Luxos seems to be in the "not" category.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: jsabine on 08 October, 2015, 02:58:31 pm
I have just bought a B&M light although not a Luxos, tis a IQ Premium to replace the much abused original (40 lux ?) IQ which had started to switch itself off at odd times, with what I have read on this thread about the unreliability problems with B&M lights I am wondering if I have made the right decision.

Some B&M light models are solid as rocks (eg the Cyo), some are not. The Luxos seems to be in the "not" category.

I've got an original Cyo (Senso Plus model) where the switch has failed to always on. Not really a problem, in the scheme of things.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: PeeJay on 03 November, 2015, 01:37:48 pm
Just catching up with this thread.   
My original 2013 Luxos U with the plug in switch/charger worked fine for most of that year before giving up the ghost and refusing to accept any power from the hub,  a bit inconvenient as I had just set off I'm the early morning December blackness to ECE the Tinsel and Lanes Audax.   I relied on a couple of blinkies to get me round before sending the light back to dotbike for a no quibble swap to the newer wired in switch version which I've had ever since.   
This newer one hasn't been problem free though.   On the Pendle this year in that dampness it decided to go into flashing mode - (didn't know it had a flashing mode - it has now!).   Turns out moisture was getting into the remote switch /USB charge port.   As I only ever charge stuff via a micro USB This has now been fixed and weatherproofed by plugging in a short micro USB lead and sealing the lead/charge port interface with sugru.   This lead is now there semi permanently.   

I also have a 2013 vintage Luxos B which has done sterling service in all weathers on my commuter.   I'll have to check, but I think it's done more miles too.   Never had an issue with this lamp at all (*tempts fate before tonight's commute home *)
I prefer it's light output to the U version too,  seems better at low speeds, though that might be down to the Shimano hub rather than the SON Delux on the other bike.   No gimmicky slow speed light jiggery-pokery either.   

A lot of the issues with the Luxos U seem to be to do with the remote switch /charger, So If you just want a light I would recommend the Luxos B version.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Dom T on 11 November, 2015, 12:38:00 pm
Think the handlebar switch is faulty on mine. The red LED no longer works and it's only a month old. I'll send it back. What's the e-werk (USB one) like for reliability? I may ask to part exchange for that and a reliable headlight.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: jiberjaber on 11 November, 2015, 10:34:39 pm
I had similar with mine after I allowed it to remain charging my garmin and drained the internal battery. Took a good 3 miles or so before it would operate properly again.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Dom T on 15 November, 2015, 10:47:36 pm
I had similar with mine after I allowed it to remain charging my garmin and drained the internal battery. Took a good 3 miles or so before it would operate properly again.

Had another look at it tonight. The red light took a whole hour (at 24km/hr) of continuous riding to light up, is that normal?

Also occasionally at low speed it would flicker then blast out a bright white flash of light (bit like a camera flash) then continue with normal beam brightness.

The switch is incredibly hard to switch on and off too. God help anyone with arthritis!

Does any of this sound familiar? Wished I'd spotted this thread sooner as I probably would have gone for a Cyo and e-werk instead!

Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Oscar's dad on 16 November, 2015, 06:51:37 am
^^^  Sorry to inform you but no that isn't normal.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: jiberjaber on 16 November, 2015, 08:03:25 am
Agree with OD
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Polar Bear on 16 November, 2015, 08:23:41 am
I have found IQ Fly and Cyo variants utterly reliable and am yet to have a failure.   I also recently acquired a B&M usb-werk for charging on the move.   I'm a fan of keeping systems separate as a failure in one doesn't affect anything else.

Where I have had a B&M failure is on a 4D Toplight rear light.   The Switch has become rather slack and could do with a genius opening it up and fettling it.   
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Dom T on 16 November, 2015, 10:58:02 am
Thanks guys, I thought it wasn't normal. I'll send it back to Germany. It's a shame as I love the beam pattern (wide and bright without dazzling oncoming traffic). Think I'll go for the Cyo or possibly try the Luxos B or Eyc - with my fingers crossed!
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Bobby on 19 November, 2015, 01:13:55 pm
I've got my nice SON Delux wheel from Mike Conway & now need a light to venture into dynamo lighting for the first time (I'll ignore that tyre-driven dynamo light I had as a kid).

I'm coming from bight battery lights (Exposure Toro) though with a symmetrical beam it's been angled down a lot to avoid blinding the cars.  I plan to keep that for mountain biking for which it's better suited IMHO.

I'm still torn between the Luxos U , or the Edelux II.  Both look great, I really wanted USB charging, but give the concerns about reliability of the Luxos I guess the edelux may have to win :/
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: tom_e on 19 November, 2015, 01:54:20 pm
I'm still torn between the Luxos U , or the Edelux II.  Both look great, I really wanted USB charging, but give the concerns about reliability of the Luxos I guess the edelux may have to win :/

You know B&M have just started doing something called an IQ-X (http://www.bumm.de/produkte/dynamo-scheinwerfer/lumotec-iq-x.html)?  Looks like a higher quality construction variant of the Cyo, similar to an Edelux.  Don't know where that puts their relationship with SON, who buy the B&M reflector to produce the Edelux.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: andrew_s on 19 November, 2015, 02:02:18 pm
I was just about to post that...

The IQ-X is much the same price as an Edelux II, and is an pretty much an unknown quantity as far as reliability and beam pattern is concerned (other than on the B+M page (http://www.bumm.de/innovation-original/lichtvergleich-scheinwerfer.html)).
The Edelux II is known bombproof, and the same as the Cyo Premium in beam pattern.

10 or 20 lux difference isn't going to be noticeable without direct flip-flop comparison
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Bobby on 19 November, 2015, 04:57:15 pm
Though nobody has a IQ-X yet? (just pre-orders I think?)
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Veloman on 19 November, 2015, 05:35:02 pm
Very happy with my Edelux II and has seen me well in some very dark places and fast descents!

Also run mine from SON Delux on wheel built by Mike Conway (as one of three) and very happy with the wheels too.

I thought long and hard about the USB charging option, but decided that reliability was paramount.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: andrew_s on 19 November, 2015, 07:51:24 pm
Though nobody has a IQ-X yet? (just pre-orders I think?)
Yes, "article in 4 weeks available" at Rose.

According to another German seller (who doesn't give a date) "The lamp can be rotated by 180 ° in the holder, as well as a hanging assembly is possible". This would probably be of interest to some people.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Bobby on 22 November, 2015, 09:16:36 pm
Very happy with my Edelux II and has seen me well in some very dark places and fast descents!

Also run mine from SON Delux on wheel built by Mike Conway (as one of three) and very happy with the wheels too.

I thought long and hard about the USB charging option, but decided that reliability was paramount.

Thanks Veloman & the others in this thread, just ordered the edelux II - guess i'll get a cache battrey for any USB charging.  Reliability has to win on Audax <crosses fingers>  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: dasmi on 01 January, 2016, 08:40:47 am
Bottoms!

I now have two of these.  The first must be well over a year old and never given any trouble.  The second is just a few months old and fitted to my new Surly.

The weekend before last I noticed the red LED built into the handlebar switch of the newer light was glowing much brighter than I remember.  The same was true last Wednesday evening.  Then the light started flashing and wouldn't switch off.  I disconnected it from the hub but still the flashing continued, obviously powered by the cache battery.

I contacted Rose and have just sent it back to them.  Thus far their returns system seems very smooth and I sent it back for free.  We'll wait to see what happens next.

In the meantime I have taken the older light off the Ribble and it seems quite happy on the Surly.

Had similar problem on wife's bike yesterday.......disappointing as this light has rarely seen rain.....back to rose it goes

dave
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: vorsprung on 22 May, 2016, 07:47:35 pm
My Luxos failed yesterday. It was bought Apri 2015 and was used for about a dozen rides in 2015, the bike was in storage over winter and it's done just over 1000km this year including the one it just failed on. The power input connectors seem loose. Some power is getting to it as the standlight is fine but not enough to make it operate correctly. Have reinstalled the old Cyo. Will try for a warrantee return - from Star Bike in .de
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: chrisbainbridge on 23 May, 2016, 01:15:30 pm
I have 2 lights and one of them failed. I returned it to a well known store who sent me an ex demo which also didn't work. Eventually I emailed headquarters and got a new one. 
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Panoramix on 23 May, 2016, 05:59:26 pm
My Luxos failed yesterday. It was bought Apri 2015 and was used for about a dozen rides in 2015, the bike was in storage over winter and it's done just over 1000km this year including the one it just failed on. The power input connectors seem loose. Some power is getting to it as the standlight is fine but not enough to make it operate correctly. Have reinstalled the old Cyo. Will try for a warrantee return - from Star Bike in .de

My bet would be on water ingress in the switch. I've sold some (in France) and had to deal with angry cyclists who had been let down by their light in the middle of nowhere. I am cautiously optimist about the newer ones which seem to work.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Oscar's dad on 23 May, 2016, 06:30:19 pm
If you have one of these lights and you turn your bike upside down to clean it and slosh lots of water about you could end up in a world of regret.  No need to ask how I know this  >:( :hand:
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Fab Foodie on 31 May, 2016, 09:43:34 pm
If you have one of these lights and you turn your bike upside down to clean it and slosh lots of water about you could end up in a world of regret.  No need to ask how I know this  >:( :hand:
.... this is how I killed my Phillips Saferide .....
Now have a Luxos B.  Trying to be more careful.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: dim on 02 June, 2016, 08:41:21 pm
I'm looking at dynamo lights for my Surly LHT (I will be getting a Son 28 hub).... I may be touring on very dark roads

I've been trying to decide, and from initial research, I have 3 front lights in mind ...

The new Luxos, Supernova E3 triple 2, or the Exposure Revo.

I will most probably get a rear light from the same supplier and I'm not too concerned about the rear light, as I will be getting a Dinotte rear light aswell.

If I decide on the Luxos, can I still connect an E-werk charger?

I need advice? i.e,. is there anything better than the 3 mentioned? .... this is all new to me

I'm not worried about price.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Kim on 02 June, 2016, 08:47:03 pm
Why not the IQ-X?

https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=92607.0
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: dim on 02 June, 2016, 09:06:42 pm
Why not the IQ-X?

https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=92607.0

nice.... thanks ... I will have a close look at this  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: jsabine on 03 June, 2016, 01:43:03 am
If you connect a Luxos, why would you want an E-Werk as well?

(Yes, you can connect both, subject only to availability of piggyback spade connectors, but if you're happy with a USB output, I genuinely don't see a reason to.)
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Oscar's dad on 03 June, 2016, 07:53:43 am
I have replaced the Luxos I drowned with another one as I need and USB output.

But I'd be interested to understand how you could use a e-work with a light that didn't have a USB output. Does it require complicated wiring and soldering?
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: jsabine on 03 June, 2016, 12:12:38 pm
The E-Werk connects to the dynamo output in parallel with the light, and gives you a power supply for devices or a cache battery. It doesn't connect to the USB output from (eg) a Luxos.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Kim on 03 June, 2016, 12:27:47 pm
But I'd be interested to understand how you could use a e-work with a light that didn't have a USB output. Does it require complicated wiring and soldering?

It connects directly to the dynamo, in parallel with any lights you may or may not have.

This doesn't fall under my definition of complicated wiring, though I accept I have a fairly high tolerance for such things.

Soldering probably.  Or crimping.  Or both.  Probably some heatshrink too.  I've solved this problem by fitting a Tamiya socket in line with the dynamo supply to the lighting in a convenient position, which I can then plug a e-werk equivalent device into.  The textbook approach seems to involve piggyback spade connectors at the dynamo terminals, which strikes me as favouring installation simplicity over practicality, but does I suppose mean you can easily bypass all the charging related wiring at the roadside if something goes wrong.  I suppose you have to get creative if the dynamo terminals are a Shimano-type connector.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Oscar's dad on 03 June, 2016, 12:42:13 pm
That sounds complicated, I thought it might do. And I have Shimano dynohubs.

Some clever person needs to provide a kit of bits which allows you to connect any light and an e-work into a dynohub. I'd buy such a kit.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Kim on 03 June, 2016, 12:49:35 pm
*ponders*

Kits of bits are easy enough, but the tricky bit is making the connection to what's going to be some dangling bare wires at the light (and possibly the charger, too).  That's going to require something that needs a tool, be it solder and heatshrink, spade connectors or whatever.  I suppose a choc-block could work with a simple screwdriver, but it's going to be fugly...
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Oscar's dad on 03 June, 2016, 01:19:29 pm
I can crimp spade connectors onto bare wire and do the heat shrink thing. Anything else is beyond me and I also need Janet and John instructions for what to connect to what and in which order.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: vorsprung on 03 June, 2016, 02:31:18 pm
But I'd be interested to understand how you could use a e-work with a light that didn't have a USB output. Does it require complicated wiring and soldering?

It connects directly to the dynamo, in parallel with any lights you may or may not have.
Like this
(https://hpscott.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/ewerk_connection.jpg)
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Oscar's dad on 03 June, 2016, 02:33:34 pm
Really, it's that simple???  Even I could do that!
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Kim on 03 June, 2016, 02:42:20 pm
Like this
(https://hpscott.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/ewerk_connection.jpg)

Eew, but on the other hand, if you don't mind leaving that wiring in place, why not?
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Oscar's dad on 03 June, 2016, 03:20:30 pm
So what's your solution Kim?  I'll need pictures!
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Kim on 03 June, 2016, 03:31:54 pm
So what's your solution Kim?  I'll need pictures!

Female Tamiya connector on the front luggage rack, spliced into the cable between the hub dynamo and the front light:

(http://www.ductilebiscuit.net/gallery_albums/SMGT/IMG_2209.sized.jpg)


Equivalent on the Dawes upwrong:

(http://www.ductilebiscuit.net/gallery_albums/kitchen_pr0n/IMG_2573.sized.jpg)


The charger has a matching plug on its trailing lead.  You just plug it in when needed.  Only pic I have to hand is of testing this prototype, which doesn't show the connector very well:

(http://www.ductilebiscuit.net/gallery_albums/rectifier/IMG_20110410_162348.sized.jpg)

Obviously the homebrew regulator can be substituted with a e-Werk or equivalent.  (My design works, but the USB-Werk is now cheaper and neater due to economies of scale and having its own custom plastic case.)

The idea behind using Tamiya connectors (rather than something waterproof) is that they're open to the elements in a way that doesn't short the contacts when wet, and they dry off easily.  Waterproof connectors tend not to be waterproof when disconnected, and most of the time I'm not using the charger.

Unfortunately, Tamiya connectors do require soldering to make the connection.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: hubner on 03 June, 2016, 05:24:42 pm
I'm looking at dynamo lights for my Surly LHT (I will be getting a Son 28 hub).... I may be touring on very dark roads

I've been trying to decide, and from initial research, I have 3 front lights in mind ...

The new Luxos, Supernova E3 triple 2, or the Exposure Revo.

I will most probably get a rear light from the same supplier and I'm not too concerned about the rear light, as I will be getting a Dinotte rear light aswell.

If I decide on the Luxos, can I still connect an E-werk charger?

I need advice? i.e,. is there anything better than the 3 mentioned? .... this is all new to me

I'm not worried about price.

I wouldn't bother with the Exposure Revo, at £180 with just a circular torch-like beam??!
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: dim on 04 June, 2016, 09:35:43 am
thanks guys  :thumbsup:....

I had a chat with my LBS yesterday, and he is working out a quote for the following:

Schmidt Son 28 polished dynamo hub
Busch & Muller Lumotec IQ-X
Busch & Muller "Toplight Line Brake Plus" rear light
E-Werk with cache battery and adaptor cable
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: jsabine on 05 June, 2016, 11:16:48 am
I don't think I'd bother with the Line Brake Plus - people don't expect to see a brake light, so don't twig what it is, and just think your rear light is flickering because you've got a bad connection.

I am very happy with the plain Line Plus so would suggest that instead - admittedly, I suspect the fact it's a fiver cheaper probably won't be a priority for you.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: dim on 05 June, 2016, 06:44:05 pm
I don't think I'd bother with the Line Brake Plus - people don't expect to see a brake light, so don't twig what it is, and just think your rear light is flickering because you've got a bad connection.

I am very happy with the plain Line Plus so would suggest that instead - admittedly, I suspect the fact it's a fiver cheaper probably won't be a priority for you.

thanks .... the brake line plus does not look too bad according to this video:
http://4-seasons.tv/film/b-m-brake-plus-das-bremslicht-fuers-fahrrad-0

I'm not too concerned about the back light, as I will be getting a Dinotte aswell.

On my daily commuter, I have a Cygolite Hotshot which is excellent for the price paid (During winter, I leave home early and get home late, and cycle on very dark busy roads).... The battery only lasts approx 7hrs on flashmode though, (and a lot less on constant mode)

 the Dinotte is a better option, but a lot more expensive, but buy it once, and it will last for a very long time (I hope)

Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Russell on 06 June, 2016, 11:39:56 am

Schmidt Son 28 polished dynamo hub


I'm led to believe that they are not polished any more but a matt finish.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: vorsprung on 06 June, 2016, 01:58:10 pm
thanks guys  :thumbsup:....

I had a chat with my LBS yesterday, and he is working out a quote for the following:

Schmidt Son 28 polished dynamo hub
Busch & Muller Lumotec IQ-X
Busch & Muller "Toplight Line Brake Plus" rear light
E-Werk with cache battery and adaptor cable

I have a USB rechargable Lezenye rear light. No trailing wires to the back end of the bike and... you can see where I am going here
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: vorsprung on 06 June, 2016, 01:58:37 pm

Schmidt Son 28 polished dynamo hub


I'm led to believe that they are not polished any more but a matt finish.

my new one is black and shiney
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: dim on 06 June, 2016, 10:46:26 pm

Schmidt Son 28 polished dynamo hub


I'm led to believe that they are not polished any more but a matt finish.



my new one is black and shiney

here's a polished one:
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/dynamos/32-schmidt-son-28-dynamo-front-hub-polished/
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: Fab Foodie on 24 June, 2016, 09:12:35 pm
I can crimp spade connectors onto bare wire and do the heat shrink thing. Anything else is beyond me and I also need Janet and John instructions for what to connect to what and in which order.

Not just me then ....
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: alexb on 08 August, 2016, 11:35:12 am
My Luxos U failed this weekend. I'm not sure what happened, but I have no light output from the lamp. I tested it with another dynamo hub, which has a functional light, and it didn't work, so I can rule out the hub.

I'll have a colleague at work check the cables, but if not, it goes back to Rose bikes.
One good thing about buying through them is that they offer a five year guarantee on the lamp.

I'll let you know how I get on. It was the original 1st generation lamp and I never could get it to charge anything, so perhaps it's a good thing that I'm replacing it.
Title: Re: NEW - Busch & Muller Luxos Front Light
Post by: vorsprung on 19 November, 2016, 12:32:21 pm
It took 4 months for starbike to sort it out and then they sent the wrong light but finally, earlier this month I have a new Luxos mk2

Not fitted on a bike yet