Lynx, Sherman S & Patton - DIY Custom Light Mount

thingiverse

2024-02-16: The mount also fit the Lynx with some minor modifications, I have uploaded the Lynx specific version which is similar to the Patton mount.A custom light holder for the Lynx, Sherman S and the Patton.ATTENTION: This is a DIY project and not just a 3D print, it will take some tinkering like soldering and gluing and some patience, start the project if you are comfortable with that or have someone to help you with the necessary steps.I had two main goals with this project:1) Switch the stock headlamp to a lamp that doesn't blind oncoming traffic.2) Add DRL (Daylight Running Light) for visibility during the day.Choice of Lamp:I ordered and tested multiple lamps before I chose which one to use, if you disregard light characteristics and power draw the biggest challenge switching the light on the Lynx, Sherman S and the Patton are space constraints for mounting it, there's not a lot of space to work with, you have to consider access to the the charge ports and you have to consider leaving room for the motor moving up from suspension below, due to both these factors I also needed to design slightly different mounts for both wheels since they differ here. Another important thing is the balance of the lamp, if it's mounted too far in the rear for example then it will most likely not sit in place and have a tendency to angle down by itself, you could theoretically design something that completely fixes the lamp in place to combat that but then you can not adjust the lamp instead.The lamp that I chose has a pretty good light pattern, it's wide and bright, it has anti-glare lens but it doesn't just cut the whole beam abruptly like some lamps do, it has both a low (yellow) and a high (white) beam, it's a very good lamp for lighting up the road in different conditions, combined with an always-on DRL led you also get pretty good visibility near the wheel, even just using the DRL led without a beam gives some visibility in urban environment where there are street lamps. The mounting characteristics of this lamp is perfect for the Sherman S and the Patton, it has the mounting holes right in the middle of the light which conforms to space requirements and make it more balanced when mounted, it's not too heavy, the cable goes out in the bottom rear which doesn't interfere with anything, given the lights I tested this one has the best and most simple mounting characteristics which makes it a clear choice for me.2023-11-18: After having used this lamp for some time now I can say it's really really good, the choice of lamp was perfect, it gives a very bright shine, it's a big upgrade from the stock light with the option to not blind oncoming traffic, overall I am very happy with it.The lamp draws around 30W, I wouldn't recommend using both high and low beam at the same time as power draw would be too high and you would risk damaging your board so it's better to have a button to switch between the beams.The COB LED draws a tiny amount of current specially after it's cut to appropriate length.Shopping List:While you can find some of these parts from other sources (some might be easy to find locally) I bought all parts on AliExpress except for the screws which I buy from local hardware store.You also need longer screws as the stock screws are too short, you need M5x30mm screws and spacers for them, a total of 4x1mm spacers per screw (1 lock-spacer and 3 normal spacers recommended), a 30mm screw with 4 spacers will mean the screw will be 3mm longer than the the stock screw which is perfect for this lamp.Light: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003002330321.htmlOn the Lynx and the Patton mount you can reuse the stock beeper if you want since it's upside down.Waterproof Beeper (85dB, stock is 100dB): https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001456275705.htmlCOB Led for DRL Light: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005368147329.html (White, DC24V IP68, 0.5m)Button: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005387193623.html (on-off-on) https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005545807823.html (on-off-on)If you want to combine both beams buy on-off button instead of on-off-on.Mini Fuse Holder: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32996532663.htmlMini Fuse: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32996209743.html (I recommend 2A)Instead of mini fuse you can also use a self-resetable PPTC fuse as long as it has 1.5A hold current.Stereo Plug for DIY Soldering: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32890251734.htmlRed Wire Terminals: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005476275174.html (You will need an appropriate tool if you don't have one)For gluing I recommend using E6000 or alkoxy (non-corrosive) silicone, both will be soft and rubbery when cured, or just go by your glue of choice just remember there will be a lot of vibrations and weather to deal with.Printing instructions:I highly recommend printing the mounts in TPU95A, it's advantageous in multiple ways for it to be flexible and since the mounting screws goes into the light itself the mount does not need to be super rigid it just needs to hold the rest of the parts together. The flex is also needed to press fit the mount which gives us extra friction to hold the lamp in place.The Light Cap part is optional but highly recommended and shields the rider eyes from the lamp from above, it's a thin piece that is slotted in between the lamp and the mount and is held by friction, I opted making the cap a separate piece to make printing the main mount easier.I print with TPU95A and a 0.6 Nozzle:Line Width: 0.5mmWalls/Perimeters: 3Infill: 25% CubicSupports: Yes, Enable Support BrimBuild Plate Adhesion: Skirt (I don't normally use build plate adhesion, but without it Support Brim does not work)Assembly:In the photos there is a schematic how everything should be connected and some photos of the assembly, one can probably do a better job routing and hiding the cables but I just don't care they are not really visible when mounted.Since this lamp has a driver you can combine both beams if you like, that is how I use it nowadays, I just have an on-off button which turns both beams on for a taller light beam, since it has a driver the power draw is the same and brightness doesn't really change. To do this only connect one of the colored wires going into the driver and combine the two colored wires from the lamp to the one colored wire on the lamp.The high level process is:Check the length of the COB Led against the mount and cut it where appropriate to get the correct length, this will use about half of the COB LED.Glue the COB Led onto the mount, it's advantageous to have a vice or small clamps that can hold it in place while the glue is curing as it takes some time and it easily comes loose, I recommend using E6000 or Silicone which will both be soft and rubbery after curing, I recommend gluing things early since you have to wait for glue to cure and you can do the soldering etc while waiting.Glue the beeper onto the mount, on the Sherman S mount it goes on the top and on the Patton mount it goes into the pocket at the bottom, both are next to the button.Install the button onto the mount, it should click nicely into place and not feel loose.Cut the stereo plug from the original lamp or solder your own, don't use a regular audio cable those are way too thin, if you solder your own it's a good idea to waterproof it with some silicone.Check and cut wires into appropriate length, you don't want lots of long cables just make sure they are not too short and that the stereo plug can reach the wheel output.Solder everything as shown in the Schematic, I recommend putting a 2A mini fuse on the positive lead before any component for peace of mind but it's optional.For the button connectors I prefer to use wire terminals so that it can easily be detached if you need to, if you prefer you can solder these but can be difficult to reach and will have to desolder to disconnect button, optional you can put some dabs of silicone after assembly to hold them in place.Attach the LED driver that came with the lamp underneath it as seen on photo example using a thin double sided tape, leave a some space from the front as seen in the same photo, the wire from LED driver that goes to the positive lead goes on right side (same side as the button).Push the lamp (with attached LED Driver) into the mount, there are two small pieces in the rear that should click in place and hold the lamp but it will feel slightly loose overall until it's screwed onto the wheel.When assembly is done and if you want to test everything before connecting it to the wheel and you have a 24v power source you can send 24v to the tip of the stereo plug and negative to the sleeve to see that everything is working, if you put negative in the middle instead you can test if the beeper is working.Optional: Put silicone and electric tape in places where applicable, adding protection to wires or holding them in place.Mount the lamp onto the wheel, see screw recommendations earlier, the stock screws are too short.Optional but recommended: Install the light cap above the lamp to cut off line of sight from above when riding.Enjoy your new lamp!