Rear lamp: Spanninga 15
Specifications:
Mass: 58 g (with washer/nut).
Size: 45 mm width, 94 mm height (105 mm with Union label), 54 mm maximum thickness.
Light source: 0.6 W bulb.
Mounting method: On the rear fender.
Cabling/connectors: One pole via earth (for use with a steel fender and a steel frame, but you can solder a wire to the inside of the lamp as I did), the other pole goes via cable that you fasten by screwing in the bulb.
Price: ca. € 5,-
Pictures:
The SP 15 shown above is from an old Union bike from my dad. A similar version (without the Union label) is still being sold today. This lamp has a Union label, which does not refer to the German components maker, but to a Dutch high quality bike brand comparable in quality to Batavus and Gazelle, which it isn't any more after various takeovers and other stuff that's too long and too boring to dicuss here :)
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Beam shots
See the camera settings page for more on the setup and settings to make pictures of the beams of taillamps.
Corner & wallshots have been made with a 0.3 W bulb, which was also used in bicycles a lot even though 0.6 W is the standard (0.3W is the minimum allowed by StVZO), but it originally probably came with 0.6 W as that's imprinted on the taillamp so I will remake the beamshots with a 0.6 W bulb.
Out of a corner (showing how much light is cast upwards, forwards and to the sides) [ F3.9 & F1.8 ]:
Note how little light this taillamp gives, and almost nothing upward/forward as the current StVZO requires.
Wallshot (showing the beam pattern):
Visibility from various angles (0°, 45°, 90°, 135°) [ 0.5m, zoom x3, F3.5, ISO80, 1/250s & 1/60s ]:
Neutral white torch shining on the taillamp at various angles ((almost) 90°, 45°, 0°) [ new pictures will be made in August ]:
Comparing taillamps
Experiences
Annoying for following traffic until which distance?: Never annoying...
Visibility: With a 0.6 W bulb it a lamp that's very well visible, better than the Basta Ray at some angles. Though the amount of light and especially illuminated size is limited compared to LED lamps with illuminated lines, when I did a long distance visibility test it became clear that this lamp is very well visible, and sends the light there where it is needed, in contrast to most LED taillamps that produce a lot of light but throw it around in all directions, including those where it's of no use.
Visibility by reflection: To be tested.
Ease of connecting wires: Poor, old fashioned. The bolt to fix the lamp to the fender is used as mass. You can put in a wire and solder that onto the steel base of the lamp holder as I've done. There is no provision for 2.8 mm plugs.
Design- and thus review considerations for taillamps
See Theory for taillamps.
Conclusion
Even though it seems old fashioned, in real performance LED taillamps are no better.
Last modified: Fri Mar 30 03:25:20 CEST 2012
