Author Topic: Hermans H-Black Pro or Busch+Muller Lumotec IQ-X 100 Lux  (Read 9215 times)

Aushiker

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Hermans H-Black Pro or Busch+Muller Lumotec IQ-X 100 Lux
« on: June 03, 2018, 06:53:11 am »
My Busch+Muller Lumotec IQ2 Luxos U has decided to stop functioning correctly. It has developed a habit of just turning itself off. Generally a bit of switching on and off brings it back to life but this is becoming more and more difficult so it is time to move on to a new light. Temporally I have taken another Lumotec Luxos 2 from another bike but really need to get a replacement light. I don't need the USB charging feature so the replacement light just needs to be a light.

My thinking is either a Busch + Muller Lumotec IQ-X (100 LUX) or a Hermans H-Black Pro. I have a IQ-X on my Audax bike and I am pretty happy with it, but the Herman's caught my eye. Of course it is rated at 200 lumens and Busch + Muller refer to Lux so I have no idea if they are similar light outputs. Anyone?

Assuming yes, anyone have experiences or thoughts on the Herman H-Black Pro? I am also assuming it will fit my existing mounts which are Busch + Mueller compatible.

As I understand it the Herman H-Black Pro does not have daylight running lights (not sure this is a big issue but I do run the lights day and night).

Thoughts?


Danneaux

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Re: Hermans H-Black Pro or Busch+Muller Lumotec IQ-X 100 Lux
« Reply #1 on: June 04, 2018, 04:17:01 am »
Quote
...Of course it is rated at 200 lumens and Busch + Muller refer to Lux so I have no idea if they are similar light outputs. Anyone?
It is very hard to compare lumens to lux unless you know the parameters (distance, field/area of illumination, intensity) used in testing for comparison. Confused? Be sure to read the comments here: https://urbanvelo.org/candela-lumen-lux-what-do-they-mean/

Best,

Dan.

martinf

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Re: Hermans H-Black Pro or Busch+Muller Lumotec IQ-X 100 Lux
« Reply #2 on: June 04, 2018, 07:01:27 am »
Rose Bikes site gives 90 lux for the H-Black Pro:

https://www.rosebikes.com/herrmans-h-black-pro-dynamo-headlight-2666687

So the lux output of the H-Black Pro is rated as slightly less than that of the IQ-X. Price is also slightly lower.

I don't really notice small differences in lux ratings. I have an IQ-X 100 lux on one bike and it doesn't seem significantly brighter than the less expensive Cyo Premium 80 lux I have on some other bikes.

Andre Jute

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Re: Hermans H-Black Pro or Busch+Muller Lumotec IQ-X 100 Lux
« Reply #3 on: June 04, 2018, 01:55:54 pm »
Since there is an inverse square law at work here, and no industry standard for reporting the useful output of bicycle lamps (say lux at x meters distant, y meters wide, one meter high, overspill ignored), you're stuck in these comparisons until some reliable party offers side by side comparisons, and even then it is usually more persuasive to listen to the reasons behind the reviewer's own choice than to look at the photographs. The photographs are good for reporting the negatives, like hotspots and a beam shape for blinding pilots and a lack of side throw that is important in narrow ways, but not for telling much about the quality of the light (except the beam shape) because you're looking at ideal conditions which you will never meet riding.

I think it is far more useful in choosing among the IQ BUMM lamps, and near competitors like the Herrmans, to give a pretty high value to reporting by actual longterm users whose bicycling purposes and circumstances are near yours. In addition, there may be practical functional differences, for instance the BUMM lamps, even the most expensive, are notoriously not waterproof, or even well protected against water, from below; is the Herrmans waterproof? Another instance: BUMM IQ lamps are widely praised for the top cutoff, which is said not to irritate oncoming motorists; well, the hell with oncoming motorists: on my bike I'm taller than a Range Rover and I ride in Irish lanes where I want low-flying branches as thick as my arm to be lit up before they hit me in the face, and I want to see high roadsigns warning of country crossroads before a truck barrelling across the junction hits me.

I have formed a subjective opinion that the Luxos has been reported broken too often for comfort and, even though I could use the USB output, have thus not replaced my trusty first series Cyo with a Luxos despite the fact that I have no bikes without mudguards and my bikes all have stands and thus the lamps are not unduly exposed to wet.

Herrmans, by the way, is considered by the German baukasten (custom houses) to be a high-class purveyor of excellent, good-value bike components. My Utopia, for instance, came with the standard fitting of Herrmans grips, and very agreeable they were too.

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Even if the Herrmans and BUMM lamps were measured under exactly the same conditions with the same parameters, there will be no practically observable difference between 100 and 90 lux discernible with your bare eye. You can therefore choose according to other parameters important to you without later regretting the decision.

martinf

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Re: Hermans H-Black Pro or Busch+Muller Lumotec IQ-X 100 Lux
« Reply #4 on: June 04, 2018, 03:50:45 pm »
BUMM IQ lamps are widely praised for the top cutoff, which is said not to irritate oncoming motorists; well, the hell with oncoming motorists: on my bike I'm taller than a Range Rover and I ride in Irish lanes where I want low-flying branches as thick as my arm to be lit up before they hit me in the face, and I want to see high roadsigns warning of country crossroads before a truck barrelling across the junction hits me.

The Herrmans complies to the same German regulations as the B&M IQ-X and also has the top cutoff. So no difference there.

I like the top cutoff for use in northern France (and Spain, and the Netherlands).

It is very simple to tilt the lamp up a wee bit so that it is more noticeable to oncoming motorists in more hostile cycling environments such as southern England or Portugal. I'd do the same if I thought there was a risk of low-hanging vegetation, but this is very rare in places where I ride at night.

There may be practical functional differences, for instance the BUMM lamps, even the most expensive, are notoriously not waterproof, or even well protected against water, from below; is the Herrmans waterproof?

Not found any feedback for the waterproofing of the Herrmans. Would definitely be a plus if it is better than the B&M lamps in this respect.

However, I have not yet had any problems with the Cyo series of front lamps, and have been running them for several years now, sometimes in very wet conditions. The older B&M lamps did have problems, especially with switches, and the otherwise excellent B&M Line Plus rear lamp suffers from standlight failure due to vibration (repaired two of these by soldering the broken connection to the capacitor)

PH

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Re: Hermans H-Black Pro or Busch+Muller Lumotec IQ-X 100 Lux
« Reply #5 on: June 04, 2018, 10:44:17 pm »
Another instance: BUMM IQ lamps are widely praised for the top cutoff, which is said not to irritate oncoming motorists; well, the hell with oncoming motorists: on my bike I'm taller than a Range Rover and I ride in Irish lanes where I want low-flying branches as thick as my arm to be lit up before they hit me in the face, and I want to see high roadsigns warning of country crossroads before a truck barrelling across the junction hits me.
Never mind motorists, high beams along a cycle path are more than an irritant, it's become so bad that I'll use the road in winter because of them.
Best solution - and it isn't that hard or expensive - is to have both.  Dyno light for when there's others to consider and a blast everywhere mega beam for when there isn't.  A battery blast em can be cheap and cheerful, you're not relying on run times and a failure isn't going to be disastrous.
Re being able to tell the difference in lumens - my battery light has 200, 400 and 600 settings, I notice the difference when I change up, but I soon just become used to it.  When riding I can tell the difference between 200 and 600, but not 200- 400 or 400-600. The only time I move up from 200 is in heavy rain or off road, a couple of times I've run on the higher setting and not noticed until the low battery warning came on earlier than expected.
Back on topic - sorry I have no idea!  My dyno lights are Supernova and Edlux, a bit pricey but have proved long lasting and reliable, at least 9 years for the Supernova, the Edelux is younger at I think 6 years with almost everyday use.  The Mk1 Edelux is on offer in a few places (Inc SJS) for not much more than those under consideration, it's no longer cutting edge technology, it's still an excellent light.
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/lighting/36-cm-schmidt-edelux-high-power-led-headlight-polished/

Aushiker

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Re: Hermans H-Black Pro or Busch+Muller Lumotec IQ-X 100 Lux
« Reply #6 on: June 05, 2018, 12:28:39 am »
Thanks everyone. I have pretty much decided to stick with a Busch + Mueller light for now. Probably a Busch + Müller Lumotec IQ Cyo Premium Senso Plus LED Front Light - 1752QSNDI given the comments here. I think is the brightest in the Cyo range? Going with the BUMM simply for the fact that my wiring is in place. It looks like the Herman tail-light wiring will require a bit of change to my setup. Not sure I can be bothered being a lazy ...

« Last Edit: June 05, 2018, 12:33:38 am by Aushiker »

Andre Jute

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Re: Hermans H-Black Pro or Busch+Muller Lumotec IQ-X 100 Lux
« Reply #7 on: June 05, 2018, 02:49:33 am »
Everyone bitches about some aspect of B&M lamps -- yet most of us buy them.

I too have auxiliary lamps on my bike but, though the front one can be a megablaster (it was sold as a hunting lamp), I use it, pointed at the road, as blinkie, to give motorists a bike signature and a point of warning for those joining from side roads, because my BUMM lamps, Cyo front and Line Plus rear, are simply not visible enough from any angle off directly in front and behind. At the back I also have a Cateye TL LD-1100 permanently set to blink on both rows, same purpose; the -1100 has two LEDs on each side. That's actually my main problem with BUMM lamps: that they don't have a flashing mode.

il padrone

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Re: Hermans H-Black Pro or Busch+Muller Lumotec IQ-X 100 Lux
« Reply #8 on: August 02, 2018, 09:07:58 am »
it is usually more persuasive to listen to the reasons behind the reviewer's own choice than to look at the photographs. The photographs are good for reporting the negatives, like hotspots and a beam shape for blinding pilots and a lack of side throw that is important in narrow ways, but not for telling much about the quality of the light (except the beam shape) because you're looking at ideal conditions which you will never meet riding.

I love Peter White's photos of beams and the associated evaluation. I have always found them very reliable.

there may be practical functional differences, for instance the BUMM lamps, even the most expensive, are notoriously not waterproof, or even well protected against water, from below

I have been using a B&M Luxos U for about 5 years now. Never had any concerns with water ingress, despite some mighty wet riding. I do use mudguards of course, and the light is mounted up the right way. I have the old removable remote control cable, since modified by B&M, but still have not been worried by water.

il padrone

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Re: Hermans H-Black Pro or Busch+Muller Lumotec IQ-X 100 Lux
« Reply #9 on: August 02, 2018, 09:18:33 am »
That Hermanns light looks a LOT like the IQ-X. Bright forward-pointing LED using reflector technology (what B&M have had for over 10 years) and two side LEDs. That wide mounting bracket looks nice and stable, but I have never had sideways flex problems in any B&M headlight bracket. One good thing of the B&M IQ-X (and other B&M lights) is that they can all be mounted on the standard headlight mounting bracket. Interchangability is a good thing.

I have just acquired and fitted the IQ-X and it is looking excellent. I also run the Hermanns H-trak tail-light..... one of the brightest dyno tail-lights around.