NiteRider Digital HeadTrip User manual

Halogen
NiMH
USER GUIDE
2006
Digital HeadTrip

NiteRider and Digital HeadTrip aretrademarks of NiteRider,Inc.
All other trademarks arethe property of their respective owners.
The information in this document is subject to change without notice.
©2005 NiteRider,Inc. All rights reserved.
DISCOVER THE NIGHT!
Thank you for choosing the Digital HeadTrip™ system
from NiteRider, the innovator in technical lighting systems.
The Digital HeadTrip mounts conveniently to any helmet and
includes:
•Halogen lamp with four brightness levels and three flash
modes for safety
•Compact, lightweight nickel metal hydride (NiMH) battery
•2.5-hour fast charger
•NiteRider’s patented “smart” battery and lamp technologies
that extend system life.
To get the most from your NiteRider light, we urge you to
familiarize yourself with the following safety and operation
instructions.

1
PROTECTING
YOUR INVESTMENT
When not in use, always disconnect the headlamp from the
battery. Tounplug, grasp the connector,not the cable.
Properly charge your battery to maximize its lifespan (see
“Battery Charging and Care” on page 10). To avoid damaging
your system, only charge your NiteRider battery with the
appropriate NiteRider charger.
The Digital HeadTrip will perform in wet weather conditions,
but submerging it in water will damage the system. If you
need a submersible light, NiteRider manufactures industrial-
grade dive light systems. For information, contact NiteRider
Dive Lights at 858.268.3850 or visit www.niteriderdive.com.
RIDING AT NIGHT
While the Digital HeadTrip will improve your control and
enjoyment of night riding, please remember that cycling at
night is an inherently dangerous activity. In addition to using
your lighting system properly and riding with extreme caution,
NiteRider urges you to:
•never ride alone
•always let someone know where you are going
•wear a helmet and reflective clothing
•carry an auxiliary light and emergency supplies.

NiteRider, Inc.
8205 Ronson Road, Suite E
San Diego, CA 92111 USA
800.466.8366
www.niterider.com
SUPPORT
If you experience difficulties during product installation
or operation, NiteRider provides free telephone support
on weekdays from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM (Pacific Time) at
800.466.8366, ext. 4. You may also e-mail us at
[e-mail].
WARRANTY
NiteRider stands behind its products with the following
warranties:
•Lifetime warranty on all mechanical components
•1year on cables and connectors, electronic components,
and printed circuit boards
•180 days on rechargeable batteries and fast chargers
•60 days on halogen bulbs
Torepair or replace your product while under warranty, return
it (postage prepaid and insured with original sales receipt) to
the address below.Out-of-warranty repair service is also
available. For complete warranty information, please refer to
the warranty cardincluded with your lighting system or
contact NiteRider.
2

3
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Parts List and Identification ......................4
Quick Start .....................................5
Mounting the Headlamp .........................6
Helmet Mount . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Inserting the Headlamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Mounting the Battery ............................7
Operation ......................................8
Flash and Walking Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Fuel Gauge and Automatic Shut Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Battery Charging and Care .....................10
Using the 2.5-hour Fast Charger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
BatteryInitialization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
SmartBattery Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Run Times .....................................12

4
F
G
D
E
H
PARTS LIST
AND IDENTIFICATION
Please verify the contents of your Digital HeadTrip system:
A. 15 Watt-6 Volt halogen headlamp
B. 4.5 Ah-6 Volt NiMH battery (pocket mount)
C. 2.5-hour fast charger
D. Charger power cord
E. Helmet mount
F. 36” helmet cord
G. Velcro cable ties
H. Storage pouch
B
A
C

5
QUICK START
1. Fully charge the battery before the first use. See “Using the
2.5-hour Fast Charger” on page 10.
2. To mount the headlamp and battery, see “Mounting the
Headlamp” on page 6 and “Mounting the Battery” on
page 7.
3. Connect the battery to the headlamp.
4. To turn the light on for normal operation, press and hold the
headlamp power button for one second. Cycle through the
three brightness levels by pressing and releasing the
power button.
5. To access the flash and walking modes, see “Flash and
Walking Modes” on page 8.
6. To turn the system off, press and hold the power button for
one second.

6
MOUNTING THE HEADLAMP
The Digital HeadTrip headlamp is conveniently mounted to
your helmet.
Helmet Mount
1. Unclamp the straps on each
side of the helmet mount and
pull them free.
2. Position the plastic mounting
plate as close to the centerline
of the helmet as possible,
orienting the parallel grooves on
the slider clip to the rear.
3. Feed each strap into and out of
two helmet vents, circling each
strap back to the upper edge of
the corresponding clamp.
4. Fasten the straps by inserting them into the clamps.
Inserting the Headlamp into
the Helmet Mount
Insertthe headlamp mount into
the helmet mount slider clip from
the rear of the slider clip forward.
Gently rocking the lamp as you
slide it may help. Do not push the
release lever when inserting the
headlamp into the slider clip; let
the lamp snap into place by itself.
To remove the headlamp, push the release lever and slide the
lamp backward.
Note :After mounting the headlamp, adjust the headlamp so
it illuminates the road properly without distracting oncoming
riders.
Headlamp mount with
release lever

7
MOUNTING THE BATTERY
The battery can be placed in a jersey pocket, hydration pack,
or fanny pack.
1. Route the helmet cord through a
helmet vent or along the outside of
the helmet using the thin Velcro tie to
secure the cord.
2. Connect the helmet cord to the
battery, making sure the cord does
not interfere with any moving parts.
3. Simply place the battery in a pocket
or pack.

8
OPERATION
1. Connect the battery cord to the helmet cord. The halogen
light and fuel gauge will flash briefly while the system
diagnoses itself.
2. To turn the halogen light on for normal night operation,
press and hold the headlamp power button for
approximately one second.
3. There are three brightness levels in normal night operation:
15, 10, and 6 watts. Cycle through the brightness levels by
pressing and releasing the power button.
4. Toturn the system off, press and hold the power button for
one second. (If you hold the button down too long, the
lamp will enter flash mode.)
Flash and Walking Modes
To increase your visibility in different situations, the Digital
HeadTrip provides four flash and walking modes: daylight,
walking, S.O.S., and strobe. To enter flash/walking mode,
press and hold the power button for approximately four
seconds. Cycle through the modes by pressing and releasing
the power button. To return to normal night operation, press
and hold the power button for one second.
•
Daylight mode pulses the beam at a rate that is highly
visible to motorists during daylight hours. For maximum
visibility, aim the light at eye or rear-view mirror level.
• Walking mode is a steady, 3-watt light that will greatly
extend your run time, allowing for a much slower pace such
as walking. This mode is not intended for riding.
• S.O.S. ,the universal distress signal in Morse code, can be
used during the day or night.
• Strobe is a single-pulse beam that can be used as a
location marker or to warncyclists or motorists of a hazard.

9
Fuel Gauge and Automatic Shut Off
The fuel (battery) gauge is a series of five indicator LEDs
within the headlamp power button, four of which are green
and one of which is red. When all green LEDs are brightly lit,
the battery is fully charged. As the battery discharges one-
fourth increments of its capacity, the green LEDs will go out
one by one. When the battery is near depletion, the red LED
will illuminate. At this time, the headlamp should be turned off
and the battery recharged.
If use continues, the halogen headlamp will automatically shut
off to avoid overly discharging the battery.

10
BATTERY CHARGING
AND CARE
Rechargeable batteries can last years with proper care. Most
importantly, fully charge your battery:
•before the first use
•after each use
•before storing
•every 45 to 60 days when not in use.
Using the 2.5-hour Fast Charger
Note :The charger will charge a fully depleted battery in
approximately 2.5 hours.
1. Plug the power cord into the charger and then the wall
socket. The charger will conduct a self-diagnosis and the
charging indicator light (located on the back, upper-left
corner of the charger) will illuminate green, then amber,
and then back to green.
2. Connect the charger cable to the battery. If the battery is
not fully charged, the indicator light will turn amber,
signifying fast-charge mode. If the light flashes when you
first plug in the battery,the charger is preparing an overly
discharged battery for fast charging.
3. When the batteryis fully charged, the indicator light will
turn green and charging will shut off automatically.
4. Unplug the charger from the battery and wall socket,
grasping the connectors rather than the cables. (Leaving
the batteryand charger connected indefinitely will not
harm the cells.)
Battery Initialization
Until the battery has been charged and discharged up to ten
times, you may experience shorter than expected run times
as well as higher than normal charger and battery
temperatures.

11
Warning :NiteRider discourages battery initialization through
“bench testing” (operating the light in stationary conditions)
because the excessive heat generated can damage the
headlamp.
Smart Battery Protection
The Digital HeadTrip’ “smart” battery incorporates thermal
protection circuitry that turns the battery off when it overheats
from charging, external heat, or a short circuit. When the
thermal protection circuit is activated, the system will lock
and the fuel gauge will become dark. To clear the system
and return it to normal operation, unplug the light from the
battery and allow the battery to cool.
Similarly, intelligent lamp technology protects the battery from
overly discharging by turning the lamp off at the appropriate
time.
Storage
Rechargeable batteries perform better and last longer if they
are brought to a complete charge before storing and every
45 to 60 days when not in use.
Disconnect the battery from the headlamp, and store the
system in a cool dryplace.

12
RUN TIMES
Setting Run Time (hours)
Normal night operation
15 watts 1:45
10 watts 2:25
6watts 3:00
Walking mode 5:00
The above run times are based on a fully
charged battery.

NiteRider,Inc.
8205 Ronson Road, Suite E
San Diego, CA 92111 USA
800.466.8366
www.niterider.com
150-20551