combining xm-l tints...

[cytoe]

So I changed my head light from a cool (6000+k) to neutral (4500k) tint. I like the neutral makes me happier since things look more real and washes out less. However, I'm finding I don't like it with my bar light which is a cool tint. The difference in the beam colors draws my attention too much. Anyone else experience this? Guess it's time to build another barn burner in neutral.

The light I changed:


The cool white bar light:


It could be that the intense hot spot of the helmet light exaggerates the problem.

[Vancbiker]

There's more and more talk about neutral tints. I am really on the fence on LEDs for the helmet light I am building now. I'm going to have to make up my mind soon as one of the XPGs that I was going to initially assemble it with is toast. I want to go with neutral but your comment about not blending in with a cool bar light is concerning.

[cytoe]

When the helmet spot light was the cool tint, I had a really hard time riding with it alone; I had zero depth perception. With both the bar and helmet using the cool tint, I was fine. Using the helmet light alone with the neutral tint, the depth perception is much better. Adding in the cool tint bar light makes me track the neutral spot I as move my head. Also, I think the light from the cool tint makes the neutral look more orange...probably a result of the contrast between the two. If the cool and neutral tint emitters were both in the same housing, I'm sure the result would be better.

[ThinkBike]

I have a neutral bar light with a cool helmet light. If I angle the helmet light up so that it's throwing the beam far down the trail, it's okay. If I try to mix them by angling the helmet light down, it's not okay. Mixing the two beams is annoying and distracting. I keep seeing the cool beam moving across the neutral bar beam as I move my head.

When I replace the helmet light, it will be neutral. I find the cool blue lights to be disorienting versus the neutral tint.

Mixing two different tints in the same housing, using the same optics, should just be fine. You'll just get the average color temperature of the two lights.

[Vancbiker]

I think I have settled on a solution..... I'll go with neutral for the helmet light and I'll build another barlight with neutral. Nice justification for a new build!

[mattthemuppet]

that's going to be my approach Vanc

Cytoe - I've mixed NW and CW lights before and I didn't much care for it either. The NW looks beautiful on its own, but like a dying halogen light when the CW light is on. Yet after my first ride with the NW light I've been unhappy with my CW ones. They have more than enough power, but I miss the contrast and the "easier on the eye" tint.