Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Common issues with Bike Lights and the best Remedy for them

Front lights are an essential requirement for a bike; but rear bike lights are sometimes mistaken to be less relevant in terms of visibility, many riders, mostly youngsters, go for fancy, stylish options instead. It’s a mistake to underestimate the disadvantage of poor visibility when you are sharing roads with motor vehicles. On city roads, the streetlights are good enough for bikers, but still they need to maintain visibility amidst flashes of high power car lights. So, you need to consider the best rear bike lights.

Common Issues with bike lights 

Claims of high lumen LEDs don’t always deliver in reality. While, the specifications on online stores or on bike light kit-boxes sound incredible, there are some issues that users face on buying these on mere reviews, repenting their decision later. 
A high (lumen) output is better, no doubt, but at the same time this output will empty battery quicker than low output light. This simply implies that battery-backup, of course, is one of the most crucial specifications when choosing a bike light. Many bile-light kits come with different batteries for front and rear lights. In that case, you will have to keep in mind that you charge both the batteries. To avoid that, go for a kit that has a single energy source. That’ll cut the clutter of wires and mounting of individual batteries every time you charge them. Protection for battery from weather, especially rain; it’s a common feature in almost every bike light available in the market. However, not all of them pay appropriate attention to the significance of keeping batteries away from water. You need to be sure how durable and water-resistant the protection frame is. 

The best rated option in market 

A number of bike-light manufacturers are into delivering to fulfill demands of bike-lighting. Still, fundamentally someone wears crown of being the best, and in case of rear bike lights, Magicshine enjoys good ratings from consumers. Most often, consumers seeking suggestions and reference for best rear bike lights will come across this name. Magicshine rear cycle lights are better performer on various grounds that we discussed above regarding the common issues faced by bike-light consumers. Magicshine also have issues, but such drawbacks are contained narrowly to outshine other competitors in market.

Magicshine lights operate with a lithium-ion battery pack, which is strapped to the stem with Velcro surface for easy attachment & detachment process. The lights come with a Y-splitter and extender cable that receives power from single battery. Well, that means you don’t need to deal with multiple batteries for front and rear lights. While the size and weight is lighter, the cables might need some assistance like zip-ties or VBelcro straps. A single 3W red LED at the center of the unit is surrounded by nine SMD red LEDs and delivers and output of around 85 lumen. Also, it comes with different light modes to suit the requirements of different environments. Well, with all those specifications, it doesn’t sound a bad deal at all.


Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Quick look at the very Economical iSaw A2 ACE hi-def Action Camera

In the current world scenario, action cameras have become really popular. Owing to their compact size and form factor, the action cameras are easy to use and are really handy to take along on a holiday trip or a small outing.

In addition to the size, action cameras’ weigh really light. Being lightweight the sports camera can be easily mounted on the helmet, bicycle handlebar, snowboard, skateboard, clothing etc. There are hundreds and hundreds of expansion packs and accessories that exist for these action cameras, which make these even more useful. Excitingly the cameras come with fixed, light-sensitive lens, which offer up to 170-degree viewing angle that enables them to capture everything that is happening in the foreground. The action camera market is captured majorly by GoPro cameras, but one camera that has made a mark for itself is the iSaw A2 ACE and HD camera, touting 720P waterproof action camera.

Only a newcomer in the action camera market, the iSaw A2 HD is one of the most appropriately sized sports camera. Despite its size, the camera is a great performer and really superior in terms of video quality. The camera is apt at filming 1080p Full HD videos and has a light-sensitive f/2.0 wide-angle lens with CMOS sensor that works equally well in low light conditions.

  • Captures 1080p at 30 fps, and 720p 60 fps
  • The camera can easily capture 7 photos per second
  • The camera has a 140 degree wide-angle
  • It weighs only 80 grams
  • The camera comes with a separate waterproof case
  • Has an illuminating OLED screen

Being a close competitor to the GoPro, it is interesting to pit the iSaw A2 ACE against the GoPro. Unlike the latter, iSaw A2 has a 1-inch illuminating monochrome OLED screen, which lights up so that the user can read it comfortably. Besides, the iSaw A2 is relatively cheaper in comparison with the other action cams. What makes the iSaw more exciting and worth buying is the fact that it comes with a lot of accessories including a plate for a surfboard, a headband and a steering wheel mount, which you have to purchase separately with a GoPro. Not everything is gaga about the iSaw A2 ACE, unfortunately the iSaw doesn’t come with Wi-Fi – a standard feature on most of the action cameras currently available. This means the camera cannot be controlled remotely like the GoPro.

In addition to action cameras like the GoPro and the iSaw A2; hedcams have become really popular too. One of them is hedcam 2nd generation – a cam with 135 degree recording angle, 720p recording, built-in battery for prolonged performance and 32 GB of on board storage. The hedcam comes with a lot of mounting options, which allow you to mount the device everything including helmet, motorcycle, bike, ski goggles etc. The camera is waterproof and is easily available online.

If you’re an outdoors kind of a guy, you must have an action camera handy.