René, MD - Besides the quality of your product, what made me choose TurboCat over others was your willingness to answer my questions over the phone. Thank you.

Steve, TX - The TG10 is like having a small sun mounted on my helmet. I can see our trail so clearly now.

David D, CA - These lights are tried and true. Nice work!

Gary, AZ - Best product in its class on the market.

David B, CA - Coolest set up I’ve found.

Cindy, B.C. - I cannot tell you how happy I am with the lights. Rain or shine, I go. The setup is easy, quick and solid... The added dimension of riding at night is so beyond words. The times on clear full moon nights have been spiritual.

Ed, OR - Cool set up, nice instructions, cool company.

Victor, CA - Your light systems rule! I’ve had mine for about 5 years and use it 2 - 3 times per week. I never do any maintenance on my light, just recharge the battery and wash it when I wash my bike (well, I often have to use my fingers as a headlight mud wiper on the trail.)

DIRT RAG #90 November, 2001 TurboCat QRDS30

TurboCat has been in the bicycle light making business for quite some time. In fact, they were originally The Light Company ­ producing bicycle lights made of car batteries and headlights, until they produced an upgrade for the original CatEye light ­ hence the name TurboCat. My TurboCat QRDS30 (15 w flood + 15 w spot) system has come a long way since the old days. My system came with two separate lighting units; one 15-watt handlebar mounted flood light and one 15-watt helmet mounted spot light. Each unit came with one nickel metal hydride (NiMH) battery and one nickel cadmium (NiCad) battery. While a typical QR (quick release) DS (dual source) system will not come with all four batteries, Tom at TurboCat included four so that I could weigh the advantages of each battery.

The first thing I noticed about this system was that the brochure touted something called "A.L.O.", or actual light output. This measurement looks at actual light rather than just how many watts a system needs to operate. For my 30w system, the A.L.O. was the equivalent of 38w. This is accomplished by supplying 10% more voltage than the bulbs are designed for. While this slightly reduces the life of the bulb, it also increases light output of the bulb by 40%. I see it as a simple tradeoff; brighter bulbs for shorter bulb life. Granted, you have to replace the bulb sooner, but bulb life is around 200 hours and replacements aren't too expensive at $24.95.

The system is elegant and pleasing to the eye, reminiscent of something you might see spec'd on a BMW or a Porsche ­ simple, clean lines with no confusing indicators or buttons. The lighting units themselves are very light ­ something to consider since they're mounted on my helmet and bars that will inevitably be shaken and jostled on the trail.

The helmet unit weighs in at 4.4 oz. including wires and helmet mounting strap. No plastic mounting fixtures here, just some good old hook and loop fasteners with a rubber pad to keep it in place. Taking it on and off never was a problem and never once did it rattle loose during a ride. Clean, simple, light and elegant; four things I really like. The 15w spot was always right on, allowing me to look around turns and bends in the trail, all while providing me with just enough light to keep me happy between 2 and 25 mph. Anything faster and you might need a brighter light.

The bar light weighs about 0.2 oz. less, but includes a CNC-machined quick release (available as an upgrade to other TurboCat systems for $23.95). The quick release didn't have much throw, so you have to use the supplied rubber shims; just be sure to keep the shims handy.

While other companies seem to be hung up on offering gauges and multiple settings, each of these lights has only one setting and one on/off switch. Again, clean, simple, light and elegant. Less mess means less to go wrong.

Of the four batteries, I typically used two NiMH batteries and one NiCad. The NiMH didn't weigh too much (10.1 oz. and 11/5 oz) and were really small (one was the size of a deck of cards and the other the size of a couple rolls of film), offering just less than two hours of run time. The bottle-sized NiCad battery (1 lb 11.5 oz) stayed in my cage and offered just more that two hours. Between the three, I always had a backup that would pull me through the rest of the ride.

Charging batteries was fairly easy with the included two chargers. However, the 12 - 18 hour charge time required some planning ahead. Other companies offer a "turbo-charging" system that allows a full charge in just a few hours. I'd love to see something like that from TurboCat.

The only thing I had trouble with regarding charging was the "Mr. F" NiMH battery. When charging this battery, it's necessary to click the hidden on/off button on the battery into the "on" position. Finding the button is no trouble since you just press the plastic coating til you hear a click. However, it you don't have the lighting unit with you, it's difficult to tell whether it's on or off. Simple nit to pick on a simple system.

Overall, I really liked the TurboCat QRDS30. I found them to be water-resistant, even after those couple of wet night rides, plus the trip back home atop the car in pouring rain. They offered consistent performance over the life of the test and never left me in the dark during my rides. The other thing I liked about the lights is that when you buy from TurboCat, you buy from a small company. This means more attention to you as a customer, plus a wider variety of purchase options. All you have to do is ask.

While $304.95 (includes two lights, two batteries, helmet mount and two chargers) may seem like quite a bit for a lighting system, that's peanuts compared to what other companies are asking for more complicated systems. If you're an endurance or 24 hour racer, TurboCat might sponsor you. Instead of sponsoring one particular racer, they try to support as many as possible with a hefty 30% off retail. All you have to do is fill out an application and promise to use their lights. Very cool. Browne.

TURBOCAT comments: The aluminum QRs come with extra screws and shims to get perfect fit on all but oversize bars. Our current racer program provides for 60% discounts on extra batteries, etc. For details, link to ENDURANCE RACING.

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