# Good quality & performance rear LED light?



## greenLED (Jan 9, 2007)

New member, here, but long-time Convicted Flashaholic over at CPF.

I'm sick and tired of the cheap LED blinkies, and would like to find a good quality rear bike light that won't break the bank.

I've been looking around and have narrowed it down to these:

Planet Bike BRT7


> Multiple uses: arm band, leg band, dog collar & many more
> 200 hour run time on (1) CR2032 battery (included)
> Visibile up to 2000 feet
> Flashing and steady mode
> Waterproof design


Cateye TL LD-1000



> 2 AA batteries
> 10 LED's
> 3 flashing modes runs to 100 hours
> Constant mode runs to 50 hours
> ...


Planet Bike SuperFlash (no info on the manufacturer website)


> 1/2-watt power LED plus 2 red LED's for visibility up to one mile
> Unique flash pattern
> Soft-touch power switch accesses flashing or steady mode
> Up to 100 hours of run time on two AAA batteries (included)
> ...




The BRT7 seems like an improvement over other blinkers I've used in the past (cheap ones from Nashbar), especially because of the added visibility (220º visibility claim). I'm not too hot on the AAA power source, but I can live with them.

The CatEye seems to have lots of potential. I like the 10x5mm LED's (two individual strings of 5, AFAIK), and how it illuminates almost omni-directionally.

The SuperFlash is the most intriguing of all. I'm drawn to it because of it being brighter than 5mm LED's. One reason I'm hesitant to jump on this one is that it only has 2 5mm LED's, and I don't know what their angle or brightness rating is. I e-mailed the company but they seemed clueless as to technical specs of their own product.  (Bear in mind that years hanging out on CPF means I am not prone to ask "basic" questions when I'm inquiring about a product.)

With all that in mind, I'd like to pick your brains as to what are your choices in terms of rear lights. If you could share your experiences using any of the above that'd be great, and if I'm totally looking at the wrong choices I'm open to any suggestions. The only caviat is that I'm on a student budget, so no Dinotte rear light for me (yeah, I see that one coming).


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## Run1stRide2nd (Nov 4, 2005)

http://www.amazon.com/Blackburn-Mars-Flasher-Bicycle-Light/dp/B000BNZ0M4

This light is SUPER CHEAP (around $15), it has a very unique flash pattern, and I think its brighter than any of the above. All my team mates are getting them since they saw mine flashing on one of our workouts. PLUS, lifetime warranty.

The clip works very well when hanging on my saddle bag "Loop" its easy to turn on while riding, easy to change between the 2 patterns available, and has YELLOW Side lights for vehicles to see you at intersections.

The mounting bracket is very adaptable to all types and sizes of posts as well.

The only NEGATIVE I have with it, you have to use a screw driver to replace the batteries. This is the way they maintain the water resistant properties.

Outside of that, I purchased one for each of my children's bikes, and my wife as well so when they ride though the neighborhood they are highly visible.


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## Y-Wrench (Jan 9, 2007)

I'm running the new Planet Bike Superflash. I suggest seeing it in person before making up your mind, it's deceiving to read about it. The 1/2 watt led on top acts as a strobe, with an erratic pattern on the two 5mm led's. The big guy also has it's own optic lens on top, and the sides of the light were left clear red so the light can be seen well from the side as well. It's basically set up with average to weak 5mm led's to flash a little and draw on lookers attention for when the big guy hits. It's a sealed case with no external switch, it has a flex spot on the outside to push the pcb mounted switch. I would take this light over a a BRT-7 any day! I've got almost 200 miles in on this light, and I feel confident that every car behind me has seen me easily as I haven't had any of those awkward moments with drivers since running this light. ​


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## msxtr (Dec 10, 2006)

Hi, I use a sigma cuberider, is very little and very bright with 220º angle, but it use two LR1 batteries  for my is a very good light, It's put and remove without tools :thumbsup:










Too I looking for the topeak UFO I seem excellent rear light this is visible from 360º










Greetings - Saludos

msxtr


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## JZ19 (Jul 24, 2004)

I run the SuperFlash on the back of my helmet for commuting and think that it is the best buy in tailights. I also used the LD1000 for a short while but lost it during a ride after hitting a bump. Of these two I would choose the SuperFlash as it is smaller, lighter and brighter. I have not tried or seen the BRT7 so can't comment on that one but I don't see how it could be better than the SuperFlash.


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## greenLED (Jan 9, 2007)

Thanks for the feedback, guys!

Just by coincidence, this morning I realized a guy downstairs uses the BRT7. I played with it for a bit and the overall build looks sturdy enough. I can see how the LED's angled differently can enhance sideway visibility, but I wasn't too impressed by the brightness of the LED's. Maybe I'm biased towards brighter 5mm LED's (I've been using some extracted from a LED stoplight), or the daylight diffused the effect, or something. I guess I could perform an LED transplant...



Y-Wrench said:


> I'm running the new Planet Bike Superflash. I suggest seeing it in person before making up your mind ... the sides of the light were left clear red so the light can be seen well from the side as well. ... average to weak 5mm led's to flash a little and draw on lookers attention for when the big guy hits.


 Excellent! Thanks for sharing. My 2 concerns with the Superflash were the sideway visibility and the intensity of the LED's. After reading your description, I'm thinking it wasn't outside lighting making me think the BRT7 was dim. It sounds like the 0.5W LED (whatever type it is) works well together with the 5mm LED to attract attention (and I can always try a LED transplant).

I called Planet Bike yesterday and "Dan" told me the blinking went something like POW-POW-blink-blink-blink (big LED - little LED's). He didn't know what type of 0.5W LED was in there, but did mention that the light had basically the same visibility angle as the BRT7. Without LED's pointing outwards (or a wide-angle optic on the 0.5W LED) I'm not sure how that'd work.

*Run1stRide2nd*, I've seen those blinkies in action but decided to skip them because of what I considered to be a flimsy attachment (the one I used was "Trek brand" - rebadged/clone?). They are indeed beefy and an improvement over the brittle plastic that other blinkers use.

*msxtr*, saludos para tí también! I've never seen those in person. I do remember reading poor reviews on the UFO one, though.

* jz19*, after reading your comments, I'm pretty much set on the Superflash. Would you see lateral visibility on it is as good as on the LD1000?

If any of you are into DIY and stuff, we're also trying to come up with a home-built tail light on CPF. I'd love to see what you have to say there too.

_Edit to add:_
I just found these two on bikeforums:
http://www.bikeforums.net/archive/index.php/t-227770.html
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=239827

There's a link to the video on the first one. It looks to like the LD-1000 is brighter than the Superflash, but later on it's mentioned that the Superflash's beam looks brighter on a wall (and I'd expect it to be being some type of "power" LED). I think I'm hooked.


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## batvette (Dec 10, 2006)

I'll give a shoutout for the cateye, I've had the LD 1000 about 6 months. Very bright, the side led's are undeniably good and the beam pattern is wide. 
2 downsides, weak bracket (name one that's not though) I modified mine after it broke. 
Also turning it on and off while riding is a pain. I would rather not have it in 2 separate circuits with 2 switches. 

I have dropped it several times, not just on concrete but on those old asbestos tile on concrete floors, rockwell hardness 60+.... survived without a scratch, and works fine with rechargeable AA. If you are a student I hope tuition covers 2032 cells.. if you leave it on... Paid $23 on ebay. 
For a bargain the Performance bike flasher that goes on sale for 12.99 often, was damn near as bright as the Cat. Breaks on first drop though. Little bitty pieces kind of break. Little bitty pieces on the grocery store sidewalk oh **** it's friday night what are the odds of someone drinking away their paycheck and whacking me from behind kind of break.


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## greenLED (Jan 9, 2007)

As it turns out, a local bike shop has both the PB Superflash and the CE LD1000 (and cheaper than buying online). I'll be stopping by over the weekend to pick up... both. 

I'll dissect them and write a comparative review, since not a lot of people seem to have both. I don't have a video camera, but I can take beamshots quite easily. I hope to have more info for you in a week or two.

Kind of a funny related story, the owner of the bike shop I called told me he used sell quite a few LD1000's. He was driving around a neighboring large city one day when he saw this *really bright* bike light ahead of him. He was able to catch up with the biker, inquired what that light was and ordered a bunch for his shop... He now sells more Planet Bike Superflash lights than any of the other blinkers.


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## batvette (Dec 10, 2006)

(note that 4 of its 10 led's are side lighting on the Cateye when evaluating the two)

that was a large factor in my decision.


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## michaelalanjones (Jun 8, 2006)

I have the Mars 2.0 on all my bikes. They cost only $9.99 at the Dick's Sporting Goods/Galyan's around here. Once you see one flashing, you will see what I mean - very blinky, spinny and the side yellow lights also dance. Plus, it is triagular shaped, like an SMV _(slow moving vehicle, e.g., tractor, Amish buggy)_ symbol, which makes it more noticable.

Plus, the surface area of the reflectors is a lot larger than most rear lights.


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## JZ19 (Jul 24, 2004)

greenLED said:


> Thanks for the feedback, guys!
> 
> * jz19*, after reading your comments, I'm pretty much set on the Superflash. Would you see lateral visibility on it is as good as on the LD1000?
> 
> ...


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## greenLED (Jan 9, 2007)

Welp... I stopped by the bike shop on my way back home. The guys there are really cool and they let me turn all of their tail light blinkers on at the same time and walk around the store trying to assess their relative brightness, sideways visibility, etc.

Lemme tell you, the Planet Bike Superblash is _by far_ the brightest tail light blinker of the dozen or so I saw today! Keep in mind that the store was fully illuminated, and yet I could clearly see the Superflash from across the shop (around 60 feet). The flashing pattern on the 0.5W LED is very unique and there's _no way_ you'd miss it. It reminds me a little bit of the flashing pattern on emergency vehicle lights. According to the guys at the shop, you can even see it in broad daylight. If you look at it closely, you'll see "dalmatians" (spots) in your eyes. 

The LD1000 may have 10 LED's and a bunch'a different modes, but it's nothing, nothing compared to the Superflash. There were actually other tail lights that looked brighter than the LD1000 (long trasparent red casing, 7x5mm LED's - I forget the make/model).

Sorry to disappoint you, but I ditched my plans to get an LD1000 for comparison. After comparing both side-by-side, I saw no reason why I would spend $30+ in what seems a subpar blinker (in terms of visibility, at least).

Now comes the fun part where I actually get to play with the blinker and report back on how it performs in the real world.


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## Go Kart Motzart (Jan 2, 2004)

I'll put in a vote for the Superflash. This thing is ridiculous! I had never seen one until the other night when a buddy of mine showed up for a ride with his. I couldn't stand to be behind him as the "beacon" is so bright it's annoying. I ask him if he had stolen it from atop a radio tower!


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## p97z (Dec 19, 2006)

DiNotte... No tail light can compare! $$$ but worth it!
You will probably never buy another...


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## natebyrom (Apr 11, 2006)

my blakburn mars works great. i got it for like 15 and its good quality. no problems yet. ive had it for about 10 months so far. There is also a nice gap between the guy behind you becouse its blinding on the trail.


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## GEOMAN (May 30, 2006)

p97z said:


> DiNotte... No tail light can compare! $$$ but worth it!
> You will probably never buy another...


DiNotte gets my vote (that's why we sell 'em - we use them).

Incredibly expensive but worth every penny for what you get in visibility and reliability. The folks on the roadbike forums know tail lights and they buy the DiNottes like candy.

Here are the MTBR reviews.

Ride on!


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## greenLED (Jan 9, 2007)

I took some pics for y'all's enjoyment. With a hand for size comparison:










Here's the PB Superflash compared to an AAA cell:



This blinky does not use a Luxeon LED as some people have mentioned on the 'net. It's some sort of SMT, high-flux LED (check out the 4 leads around the center of the optic on this pic:



and here's a side shot for y'all to see how the optic rides directly on top of the LED. Incidentally, that is not an NX-05 optic either. The curvature on the top reminds me of an NX-01 or a FraenLP, but the optic on the Superflash doesn't have the indexing tabs present in other optics I'm familiar with. I any case, it's definitely not a Luxeon setup:



I'm a bit hesitant to open the Superflash, as the dome is sealed onto its base, and I'd probably have to break the whole thing to dissect the components. If it breaks eventually, then I'll dig into the components, etc.

Now, off to some rudimentary beamshots (this thing is hard to photograph while on!).

Sideways shot (high-flux LED set to constant on) - notice the sideways reflection; I am not as concerned now with this light having a limited angle of view:



The 2x5mm LED's (left) and the hi-flux LED (right) - I kept the camera on the same settings for both pics:
 

There is almost no comparison between the brightness of the 5mm LED's and the hi-flux beam! The strobe is bright and annoying enough that it gave me a headache as I tried to take the pics. The hi-flux LED flashes in a burst, and it does so twice at every second mark. In the mean time, the 5mm LED's are rapidly blinking on/off - I couldn't determine what the flashing rate was.

I hope to have some time in the next 2 weeks or so to fix my other 5mm LED blinkies, and I'll try to take pics side by side. Also, day- and night-time visibility assessments coming.


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## Lev (Oct 12, 2004)

Here's a decent review on the DiNotte taillight (along with others): http://www.gearreview.com/2006_led_lights.php

The writer definitely gives it big props


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## California L33 (Jul 30, 2005)

I have the DiNotte. Sorry, it breaks the bank, but after trying many, many, different blinkies and not being satisfied with any of them, I took the plunge. There's nothing, but nothing in the same league. It can attract attention in the daytime. It puts out more red lumens than an average car's brake light, and the DiNotte web site isn't joking when they say you can read by it. Actually, you can read by it on its middle setting 10 feet away. The nice thing about it is that it has three non-blinking modes- two of which can't be ignored, and there's some evidence that drunk drivers steer at blinking lights.

Previous to the DiNotte I used the Cateye TL LD-1000. I'd say it was OK for night use, not for day use. What I didn't have faith in was its ability to get the attention of the distracted driver trying to read a map, dial a cell phone, or put on makeup, and only glancing at the road every few seconds.

That said, the DiNotte isn't a shield. My closest call happened on the road at night with the DiNotte blazing. A bus decided to 'thread the needle' and missed me by about a foot. Of course it could have been worse if he didn't see me and decided to give the car a bit more room.

The only 'bad' thing I have to say about the DiNotte is that's hard on batteries. Naturally it uses rechargables, but because of the high drain in the high mode they wear out more quickly than in other applications. I ride every day, about an hour a day, and have been through 4 sets in about 9 months- admittedly, two sets of those were BatterySpace el cheapos. Energizer (NiMh) seem to last the longest. It averages out to a few cents per ride, which is more than fair for the amount of light it puts out. (Oh, and if you want to carry spare batteries in a battery carrier [the carrier is about $1.50 at Radio shack] make sure to cover the contacts with electrical tape or a dummy snap. I accidentally stuck one in a pocket with keys. The short circuit was spectacular, and I've got the scars to prove it  )


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## Speedub.Nate (Dec 31, 2003)

If you're interested in seeing a video of the Superflash in action, check out this YouTube link:






I bought a LD1000 for my commute, but plan to return it for a Superflash.


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## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

Speedub.Nate said:


> If you're interested in seeing a video of the Superflash in action, check out this YouTube link:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Now if we can get a YouTube video of the LD1000 and the DiNotte to compare. :thumbsup:

I've used a LD1000 for over a year with 1-2 night rides in the summer and 2-3 in the winter with great results, durable and reliable. That said, I live in small town that is reasonably bike friendly, and use back streets to get to the trailheads and back. My use around town is a mile or two, good bike lanes, and cars give me a wide margin with the LD1000.


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## Speedub.Nate (Dec 31, 2003)

slocaus said:


> Now if we can get a YouTube video of the LD1000 and the DiNotte to compare.


Here's another clip, of the Planet Bike Superflash vs. the Nite Rider side-by-side:

http://freepages.thesecretlabs.com/~mechbgon/SuperFlash.wmv


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## brum (Dec 19, 2004)

Speedub.Nate said:


> Here's another clip, of the Planet Bike Superflash vs. the Nite Rider side-by-side:
> 
> http://freepages.thesecretlabs.com/~mechbgon/SuperFlash.wmv


Holy ****! What's that light he's got mounted below the Superflash? Damn... :eekster:


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## Speedub.Nate (Dec 31, 2003)

brum said:


> What's that light he's got mounted below the Superflash?


In his post, he refers to it as a "Nova"... perhaps a SuperNova?

Here's the post on Bike Forums where I found the link:

http://www.bikeforums.net/archive/index.php/t-227770.html


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## onyourbike (Mar 18, 2006)

greenLED said:


> The LD1000 may have 10 LED's and a bunch'a different modes, but it's nothing, nothing compared to the Superflash. There were actually other tail lights that looked brighter than the LD1000 (long trasparent red casing, 7x5mm LED's - I forget the make/model).
> 
> Sorry to disappoint you, but I ditched my plans to get an LD1000 for comparison. After comparing both side-by-side, I saw no reason why I would spend $30+ in what seems a subpar blinker (in terms of visibility, at least).


I'd say the LD1000 you saw was probably running on old batteries  . I have the LD1000, and when I feed it 2 energizer lithiums, it's plenty bright. Even fresh alkalines work well. 
I've had it for nearly 2 years, and I'm pleased with it. I like the fact that it's made in Japan rather than China.

I also own the sigma cube mentioned here, but I agree the N size batteries are not ideal since they're expensive. I actually damaged the contacts using duracell batteries because they were slightly too long. I never buy duracell anymore, my preferred choice is energizer.

The yellow side lights on the Blackburn mars look cool. That unit seems like good value for money.

Just a thought, but wouldn't a super-powerful tail light actually be counter-productive in certain conditions? Surely it's possible to impede a driver's vision with a superbright light, and if that doesn't happen, i can imagine some drivers simply getting annoyed and thus driving _less _carefully.


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## greenLED (Jan 9, 2007)

California 33, I totally agree that the Dinotte is top of the line. For my current situation, I simply can't justify the purchase. Maybe later on when I'm more seriously into riding, as I tend to accumulate better and better tools whenever I get into a hobby.

From the video Speeddub.Nate posted makes it look like the LD1000 is almost as bright as the Superflash. I think that's an effect of the camera sensor becoming saturated and the angle the shot was taken from, though. If you took a video of the light from both lights being projected onto a wall I'm sure you'd see something entirely different (and I mention this from having taken beamshots of 5mm LED's vs Luxeon's, etc.). Or it could be that the LD1000 I saw indeed had low batts, as onyourbike suggests - I did not ask about that while at the store. 

When I fire the Superflash at night, I can see the red light reflected off a wall some 50-60 feet away (in a partially lit parking lot), whereas I wouldn't see that with the 5x5mm LED blinkers I used in the past.

I'm starting to think I should've bought the LD1000, even if it was just to take some beamshots and return it... I don't really like the idea of messing with a vendor like that, though, and the difference in brightness won me over towards the Superflash.

Does somebody have a spare LD1000 and is willing to let me borrow it for a couple of days? I can take beamshots, etc. and return the blinker promptly, and we'd have a real side-by-side comparison. Alternatively, does anybody have both blinkers and the time/ability to take and post beamshots?


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## California L33 (Jul 30, 2005)

onyourbike said:


> I'd say the LD1000 you saw was probably running on old batteries  . I have the LD1000, and when I feed it 2 energizer lithiums, it's plenty bright. Even fresh alkalines work well.
> I've had it for nearly 2 years, and I'm pleased with it. I like the fact that it's made in Japan rather than China.
> 
> I also own the sigma cube mentioned here, but I agree the N size batteries are not ideal since they're expensive. I actually damaged the contacts using duracell batteries because they were slightly too long. I never buy duracell anymore, my preferred choice is energizer.
> ...


 I don't think a superbright taillight (at least none of the models we're talking about) will impede a driver's vision. Even the DiNotte is only a bit brighter than an average new car's brake light, though in a smaller package making the point of light brighter- not blinding, and not painful unless you get a few feet away from it and stare.

Here are my experiences on a 'fun' road we've got around here. It's a 45MPH zone, no lights at night, but does have a nice wide bike lane. With a mirror attached to my helmet here's what I'd see-

With the LD1000- This would happen with about one in five to one in ten drivers. At about 100 yards away they'd see the flashing light. You could tell because they would start drifting towards the bike lane, and in some cases even crossing the line. At about 20 yards they'd realize what they were doing and jerk back into their lane. This is the "steer at what you stare" phenomena that make drunks so dangerous- they just keep coming.

With the DiNotte- With about the same proportion of drivers at about 150 yards they see the solid light. You can tell because they start drifting _away_ from the bike lane. When they pass they drift back towards the center of their lane. It's a lot less scary. I don't think it's bright enough to hurt their eyes or impede their vision, but it is bright so they look away from it, and steer away from it. I'm a whole lot happier with the DiNotte.


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## California L33 (Jul 30, 2005)

greenLED said:


> California 33, I totally agree that the Dinotte is top of the line. For my current situation, I simply can't justify the purchase. Maybe later on when I'm more seriously into riding, as I tend to accumulate better and better tools whenever I get into a hobby.
> 
> From the video Speeddub.Nate posted makes it look like the LD1000 is almost as bright as the Superflash. I think that's an effect of the camera sensor becoming saturated and the angle the shot was taken from, though. If you took a video of the light from both lights being projected onto a wall I'm sure you'd see something entirely different (and I mention this from having taken beamshots of 5mm LED's vs Luxeon's, etc.). Or it could be that the LD1000 I saw indeed had low batts, as onyourbike suggests - I did not ask about that while at the store.
> 
> ...


 I have a feeling that as soon as DiNotte gets a competitor the price will come down. There's no reason for the price to be that high. The unit price will be higher than on something like an LD, but still will only be a few dollars.

I'll try and take some pictures of the LD next to the DiNotte (I know it's out of your range, but in case others are trying to decide). I don't have a Super Flash or have any experience with it. See a previous message I just left on this thread as to why I don't like blinking lights that much. The two problems with pictures, as you've already hit on, are that if you overload the camera sensor you don't do a light justice, and the beam patterns are different- some flashies look brighter because they only have a few degrees of beam and produce a narrow cone of light- which doesn't help if the car's driver is outside that cone. (Some are so narrow that I bet you could get hit by a right fender without the left seated driver ever getting in it.)


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## greenLED (Jan 9, 2007)

I'm excited with the Superflash!

Just this morning a motorcycle friend of mine caught up with me while I was approaching an intersection. He said he could see my Superflash from over a block away! ...and this is at around 9am on a clear, sunny, winter morning and with morning traffic all around. 

I wonder if the flashing pattern on the Superflash is different enough from the regular on/off cycles that would preclude the "drunken drift". Anybody have tech details on which flashing patterns can be used to avoid that phenomenon? Constant on helps to avoid this?

California L33, if any company offered something similar to the Dinotte, for a fraction of the price, I'd definitely go for it. I think bike manufacturers are doing a disservice to us riders by not offering decent tail-light options at a reasonable price. You either have a single high-end offering (Dinotte), or crappy lights, and nothing in between (except the Superflash, and I can see there still is room for improvement there). It doesn't make sense to me.

That rationale is what prompted me to post this thread on CPF - It'd be awesome to have a low-cost, bright, and robust tail light. So, if any of you guys are into DIY electronics, lighting, and building, consider pitching in your ideas yonder (or we can start something here too).

Yeah, taking pics of lights can be a pain. What I do is lock my camera settings so the brightest light is correctly exposed and take side-by-sidepics while pointing the lights at a wall. That way I don't get sensor saturation or color aberrations from beams hitting the camera sensor directly.


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## California L33 (Jul 30, 2005)

greenLED said:


> I'm excited with the Superflash!
> 
> Just this morning a motorcycle friend of mine caught up with me while I was approaching an intersection. He said he could see my Superflash from over a block away! ...and this is at around 9am on a clear, sunny, winter morning and with morning traffic all around.
> 
> ...


I completely forgot (and it's sitting here on my desk) I actually came up with a home made light before I got DiNotte. It cost about $35, and was simplicity itself to build. I started with a AA Maglite (which I already had, not part of the cost, but most folks have one laying around), dropped in a 1 watt red LED conversion head, and added an end cap switch to make turning it on and off while attached to the bike easier. I mounted it to the seat tube the same way DiNotte is mounted, with a big O-ring from the hardware store (for both it and DiNotte a length of insulated wire is better). The entire 'build' took about 3 minutes. Since the Maglite has a focusing head its center beam was about as bright as DiNotte, but it didn't have the spread which concerned me. I'll try to take some pictures of it, too.


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## p97z (Dec 19, 2006)

You could create a 3W tail light the same way I created my helmet light. See thread http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=262507

Use an O-ring to attach it to the seat post.


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## onyourbike (Mar 18, 2006)

batvette said:


> I'll give a shoutout for the cateye, I've had the LD 1000 about 6 months. Very bright, the side led's are undeniably good and the beam pattern is wide.
> 2 downsides, weak bracket (name one that's not though) I modified mine after it broke.
> Also turning it on and off while riding is a pain. I would rather not have it in 2 separate circuits with 2 switches.
> .


I still have the original, unmodified bracket. What did you do to make yours better?
I agree the switches can a be a bit tricky, especially with gloves. Still a great light though


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## California L33 (Jul 30, 2005)

p97z said:


> You could create a 3W tail light the same way I created my helmet light. See thread http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=262507
> 
> Use an O-ring to attach it to the seat post.


Thanks for the info. With a $60 price yours is less than half the price of a DiNotte for the same power. It looks like a fair amount of engineering and construction, though. What do you use for heat sinking? Do you have a part number for the 3w red LED?

For my 1w system I just used a drop in Terra Lux TLE-5 (red) and Terra Lux TCS-1 tail cap. Like I said, about 3 minutes of work, though not as bright, about 40 lumen output.

http://www.batteryjunction.com/redledmikitw.html

http://www.batteryjunction.com/tcs-1.html

As I was hunting for what I used I found this switch cap I hadn't seen before-

http://www.batteryjunction.com/niizeiqswupy.html

-it has 3 power modes, and 2 flashing modes.


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## p97z (Dec 19, 2006)

I figure to make it red you could just put a differnt color (red or blue) lense on it...

As far as heat sink, it's just the aluminum core that is epoxied to the case. It seems to tranfer heat quite well to the outside. As long as you ar moving you shouldn't have any problems.

That tail switch looks cool! It probably wouldn't work though with a regulated light. By using a resistor instead of a regulator (ie. downboy) it could work.

I saw a cut off mini mag on the caldlepower forms that could be another alternative. Looks like another cool idea.

http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=81679


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## California L33 (Jul 30, 2005)

p97z said:


> I figure to make it red you could just put a differnt color (red or blue) lense on it...
> 
> As far as heat sink, it's just the aluminum core that is epoxied to the case. It seems to tranfer heat quite well to the outside. As long as you ar moving you shouldn't have any problems.
> 
> ...


The problem with a red filter is it absorbs most of the light. For instance, a lot of standard automotive indicator bulbs produce more than 400 lumens, but when you put the red filter on them the number of lumens drops by 2/3. The beauty of colored LEDs is they convert all that energy (within reason) into light of a narrow color band. (It was only recently that white LEDs were developed. LED technology has taken nearly unreal steps forward in recent years. Little more than a decade ago LEDs were only useful as low power indoor indicator lights.)

Hadn't thought about the voltage regulator being built into the head of LED unit. You're right, it probably wouldn't work. :nono: I'm not sure if the Terra Lux uses a regulator or a resistor.

The "sawed off" mini-mags are cool, but I think I'd rather have a slightly larger package and longer battery life. I was concerned about the length of the standard mini-mag when I was making the taillight- that maybe it would move around with the weight of the batteries in that longish tube cantilevered out on the seat tube, but I didn't have the slightest problem with it, even on bumpy roads at speed.


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## greenLED (Jan 9, 2007)

Those are awesome ideas, guys!

California, I have a couple of TLE-5's, but I've never handled one of their colored units. Definitely a posibility. You got me thinking is the Dinotte constant-on only, or does it have a flashing mode?

I bought several of those Nite-Ize IQ switches when they first came out and wasn't too happy. First of all, they wouldn't screw into all of my minimags properly (bad threads on the switch). They do "work" with lights with converters in them (sammies, ArcLS, TLE-5, Nite-Ize drop-ins, etc.), but the components on the switch have (or "had", see next paragraph) too much resistance and the light output is slashed considerably (they make a "hotwire" minimag mod look like a regular minimag with used batteries - same with Lux drop-ins and sammies). 

That said, MattK (on CPF) mentioned recently that Nite-Ize changed the components in the switch to lower the resistance to eliminate that problem. After my first experience, I'm not sure I'd want to gamble with them again, though. If somebody gets a new IQ switch and would like to have a first-gen to compare let me know and I'll send you one of mine for evaluation. If they indeed fixed the high resistance problem, the modes are OK, and the flashing rate would work fine for a bike blinker. 

p97z, that build of yours looks nice! I actually had a NexGen 500 sammie installed in a minimag and strapped to my old helmet. With a 20mm reflector, it was an awesome helmet light. I'll post more comments on your thread, but looking at those reminded me I have a couple of cut-down minimags I can work with for a tail light, a la Dinotte.  I actually have a couple of "finned" minimag heads so cooling is not a concern.

An option with those mini-minimags would be to use one of goldserve's (again, CPF'er) FluPIC boards in a cut-down minimag. FluPIC allows you to program different modes onto your converter board. The only "drawback" is that those converters can only use li-ion cells. The FluPIC boards are around $20, IIRC, and Goldserve can customize the programming for a small extra charge. If you're handy with a soldering iron and have built "sammies" before, assembling a red Lux module with a FluPIC board is easy. I'd rather use a dedicated red Luxeon than a filter, for the same reasons California referred to.

Again, *if* the new Nite-Ize IQ switches indeed have lower resistance, they'd be OK to use with a red TLE-5 and that'd be the end of it. Of course that won't stop us from trying other builds.


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## p97z (Dec 19, 2006)

Ahhh... yes! A FluPIC board... I think that's what i'm looking for! I need to do some CPF searches...

Thanks!


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## California L33 (Jul 30, 2005)

greenLED said:


> Those are awesome ideas, guys!
> 
> California, I have a couple of TLE-5's, but I've never handled one of their colored units. Definitely a posibility. You got me thinking is the Dinotte constant-on only, or does it have a flashing mode?
> 
> ...


The DiNotte has 3 constant modes, bright, really bright, and Wow. It also has a flashing Wow, which is an uneven flash, I think it's 3 rapid, pause, 3 rapid, pause, etc. If it runs low on power it flashes evenly.

As for the red TLE-5, it's rated at 40 lumens, and I see no reason to doubt it. It's bright. It's hard to make a direct comparison with the DiNotte because the DiNotte has a diffusing lens and the mini-mag is a narrower focused beam, but I'd guess they are close to the same in brightness, with the DiNotte being seen in a much broader arc. I had no problems with the mini-mag end cap switch and didn't see a decrease in brightness. I'm talking about the end cap that's a simple switch, not the one with the different modes in it, which as someone else pointed out might not work if the TLE uses a voltage regulator.

I tried to take some pictures, but my digital camera doesn't have a pure manual mode. It was dusk so both lights blew out the picture. However, the noise around the DiNotte was much more than around the homebrew. I'll try to take some more pictures in broad daylight and see if that helps.


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## p97z (Dec 19, 2006)

I agree... nothing and I mean nothing can compare to the DiNotte tail light. Sure it's expensive but in my opinion it's worth it. We can mess around with mag lights and red LED's all day. In the end we will not have a design or tail light as good as the DiNotte. 

Buy one and you will have more time to RIDE instead of messing with a do it yourself light.


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## brum (Dec 19, 2004)

p97z said:


> I agree... nothing and I mean nothing can compare to the DiNotte tail light. Sure it's expensive but in my opinion it's worth it. We can mess around with mag lights and red LED's all day. In the end we will not have a design or tail light as good as the DiNotte.
> 
> Buy one and you will have more time to RIDE instead of messing with a do it yourself light.


Check out the Supernova taillight. Serious sickness...!


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## super-fast (Sep 28, 2006)

p97z said:


> I agree... nothing and I mean nothing can compare to the DiNotte tail light. Sure it's expensive but in my opinion it's worth it. We can mess around with mag lights and red LED's all day. In the end we will not have a design or tail light as good as the DiNotte.
> 
> Buy one and you will have more time to RIDE instead of messing with a do it yourself light.


I just thought about making one myself. I will receive this week a Cree XR-E. I put it on a heatsink with some thermal glue and put that together with a 350 mA step-up converter in a cheap light. I'll also ad a switch so I can turn it of. I race to the shop again and buy another cheap rearlight where I can fit in 2 or 4 AA's. I remove the standard Leds and put in some red flex leds (70 mA is more then 3 lumen) and I make a wire to the other backlight with the Cree. I have to small lights at my seatpost that can put out an enormous amount of light for less then 25 euro. And building lights is almost as funny as riding a bike


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## Speedub.Nate (Dec 31, 2003)

brum said:


> Check out the Supernova taillight. Serious sickness...!


Can you confirm whether the Supernova is the one I in the video I linked to?


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## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

Speedub.Nate said:


> Can you confirm whether the Supernova is the one I in the video I linked to?


Yes, please. My guess is this link might be it??


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## Speedub.Nate (Dec 31, 2003)

slocaus said:


> Yes, please. My guess is this link might be it??


Yeah, I think you've got it there.

It'd be so cool to combine that housing and steady burning intensity with the attention grabbing double flash of the main SuperFlash LED plugged into just the center element. I bet it'd be a cinch to rig it up if I had a pile of parts from all three lights in front of me.

I see the Supernova is selling for around $116 at Wiggle.


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## greenLED (Jan 9, 2007)

California, it's the Nite-Ize IQ switch that I was referring to as having resistance problems and lowering the output (they do "work" with regulated lights). The TerraLux switch you are using is a "regular" clicky (no electronics), so no reduction in output would be noticed.



> The DiNotte has 3 constant modes, bright, really bright, and Wow. It also has a flashing Wow, which is an uneven flash, I think it's 3 rapid, pause, 3 rapid, pause, etc. If it runs low on power it flashes evenly.


Sweet! Sounds more and more appealing... (must... re-sist...) 

p97z, here's goldserve's FluPIC board sales thread:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=112678

...and Ledean (the other thread you linked before) can set you up with cut-down and finned minimags.

I'm primarily a light-geek, so like super-fast, I don't mind cooking my own lights.


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## baja1974 (Dec 29, 2006)

Blackburn Mars Is The Best One....

Baja1974


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## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

baja1974 said:


> Blackburn Mars Is The Best One....
> 
> Baja1974


So for you cheapest = best.

I like _"massive attention grabber so you can get out of the bike lane while applying your makeup / reading the financial news / eating you McMuffin, and miss my slow a$$"_ and will pay for it.

I'm too old to be young and immortal anymore.


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## GEOMAN (May 30, 2006)

Like slocaus, I'm too old to take any chances so I opt for _tried and true_. I do admire those who are able to build their own - but it's not for me.

I night ride with DiNotte Lithium 5W and 3W headlights (one on the bar, one on my helmet) and a DiNotte Tail Light blaring out the rear.

I wanted my wife to see how well my Tail Light worked (put her mind to ease, you know). She could not believe it. It's a "massive attention grabber".

I was so impressed I started selling the DiNottes and I have to say that the Tail Light is an especially popular item with the roadies.

Ride on!


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## greenLED (Jan 9, 2007)

slocaus said:


> So for you cheapest = best.
> 
> I like _"massive attention grabber so you can get out of the bike lane while applying your makeup / reading the financial news / eating you McMuffin, and miss my slow a$$"_ and will pay for it.
> 
> I'm too old to be young and immortal anymore.


+1. I seriously doubt the Mars can be seen more than a block away on a clear, sunny morning (the Superflash can...). 

A friend over at CPF has taken some comparison shots between the LD1000 and the Superflash. We'll work on a review and will definitely share it with y'all.


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## chrism (Jan 27, 2004)

For those in the UK, http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=16534 looks exactly the same as a Planet Bike Superflash (could somebody who has actually got one confirm my feelings?)


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## batvette (Dec 10, 2006)

onyourbike said:


> I still have the original, unmodified bracket. What did you do to make yours better?
> I agree the switches can a be a bit tricky, especially with gloves. Still a great light though


First off replaced the seat clamp with the appropriate size #16 aircraft wire bundle clamp. You know, the ones available in aluminum or SS with a rubber liner. The cateye angle clamp bolts right up to it once you cut the clamp off, and the through bolt with ss washers and aluminum anodized locknut I used to secure it ensure it holds the right angle for eternity. 
Not long after I bought a new seatbag some chump stole it and broke the clip that holds the taillight in the slide mount doing so. Doh! So to prevent vertical movement I threaded that little hole on the taillight and with epoxy secured a little 8x32 screw and mounted a o-ring to the bracket with a small wire-tie. 
The whole thing sounds fancier than it really is but it's solid. If you want I guess I can take a picture.


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## batvette (Dec 10, 2006)

Actually you can see it on my profile photo, that would be right before the bag got ripped off but you get the idea. The little clip preventing vertical movement is weak. 
I put the new seat bag on by sewing button and carpet thread all over, it ain't coming off.


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## greenLED (Jan 9, 2007)

chrism said:


> For those in the UK, http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=16534 looks exactly the same as a Planet Bike Superflash (could somebody who has actually got one confirm my feelings?)


The PB version has white battery case, but other than that, it looks exactly the same (even the specs, etc.)


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## California L33 (Jul 30, 2005)

greenLED said:


> California 33, I totally agree that the Dinotte is top of the line. For my current situation, I simply can't justify the purchase. Maybe later on when I'm more seriously into riding, as I tend to accumulate better and better tools whenever I get into a hobby.
> 
> From the video Speeddub.Nate posted makes it look like the LD1000 is almost as bright as the Superflash. I think that's an effect of the camera sensor becoming saturated and the angle the shot was taken from, though. If you took a video of the light from both lights being projected onto a wall I'm sure you'd see something entirely different (and I mention this from having taken beamshots of 5mm LED's vs Luxeon's, etc.). Or it could be that the LD1000 I saw indeed had low batts, as onyourbike suggests - I did not ask about that while at the store.
> 
> ...


 I finally got some pictures taken of the various serious taillights I have. The Dakar has an LD1000 attached to its seat post. Not mounted to it, but just sitting on its seat is my home brew 1W red LED light made from a mag lite. On the road bike next to it is the DiNotte. The pics aren't perfect. The 1W and DiNotte are clearly overloading the camera sensor even in broad daylight with the camera stopped down. They produce intense red light, but they show up as nearly white.

A few things to note-

1) The DiNotte is always at a greater angle than the others. There's no straight on back view of it because it's just not needed. You can see its field of coverage by looking at the road bike's tire. That red is DiNotte spill- yes, it's illuminating a black tire in full sun.

2) Note how quickly the LD 1000s light drops off as the angle changes. When you get around 5 degrees off center from it it's already pretty bad.

3) The home brew light fades quickly if the angle increases just a bit more. And even in the 5 degree off angle shot I can't promise that some of that brightness isn't reflected sunlight because of the highly polished reflector (neither the LD 1000 nor the DiNotte has a visible polished reflector, so it's not a factor with them.)


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## onyourbike (Mar 18, 2006)

chrism said:


> For those in the UK, http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=16534 looks exactly the same as a Planet Bike Superflash (could somebody who has actually got one confirm my feelings?)


I assume that Smart actually supply Planet Bike with several, if not all their lights. The Smart 1 watt led headlight seems to be the same model as the Planet Bike, same thing with the new 10w HID.

here's Smart's website: http://www.smart-bike.com

btw, did you read the 3 reviews posted on the chainreactioncycles site?

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Reviews.aspx?ModelID=16534

reviewer number 3 has stated that the light is not water resistant. Well, I can safely say my LD1000 has survived a few downpours without any such issues.


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## mechBgon (Jan 28, 2007)

Speedub.Nate said:


> In his post, he refers to it as a "Nova"... perhaps a SuperNova?
> 
> Here's the post on Bike Forums where I found the link:
> 
> http://www.bikeforums.net/archive/index.php/t-227770.html


It's actually one of these lights, set up home-brew fashion: http://www.bullled.com It's a small emergency-vehicle strobe with eight different modes (including steady-burn). I run it off a 9.6-volt RC-car battery.

Comparison "hotspot" pics of an LD1000 and a Nova BULL at ~4 meters (these are frames from a video):


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## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

mechBgon said:


> It's actually one of these lights, set up home-brew fashion: http://www.bullled.com It's a small emergency-vehicle strobe with eight different modes (including steady-burn). I run it off a 9.6-volt RC-car battery.
> 
> Comparison "hotspot" pics of an LD1000 and a Nova BULL at ~4 meters (these are frames from a video):
> View attachment 230236
> ...


Holy $h!t FlashMan! How do you keep them from hitting you after they are blinded and stunned by that?  :thumbsup:


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## greenLED (Jan 9, 2007)

Those are *neat* shots, California! Thanks for taking those. If you have time in the future, would you mind taking some more pics of what the beams look on a wall? You can lock the camera settings and that gives a better comparison of brightness and beam angles.

mechBgon, +1 on what slocaus said. You could use that as front light! 

onyourbike, I've been caught under a few downpours with the Superflash, and I haven't had issues with it. I haven't done this myself yet, but you can also increase the waterpoofness of waterproof seals by coating them with a bit of silicone grease (I do that with my flashlights).


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## Y-Wrench (Jan 9, 2007)

I just got my Cree XR-E headlight with BFlex up and running tonight If you're looking for an intermediate option between the dinotte and a superflash (pricewise) get a Bflex and a Cree. I've got the light running on 4 NiMH AA for a single Cree right now, and in the strobe mode even with it turned down to the 350 setting it's fairly obscene. Cranking up the wick would definitely give you miles of visibility. I think alot of people are going to be pulling over in front of me now, and with my two superflashes out back, they're gonna definitely be confused! 

On a side note; I got to follow a freind home from work the other day that has a superflash as well. From 5 blocks, in traffic with city lights on, I could clearly distinguish him due to the flash pattern and brightness of the superflash.:thumbsup:


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## mechBgon (Jan 28, 2007)

slocaus said:


> Holy $h!t FlashMan! How do you keep them from hitting you after they are blinded and stunned by that?  :thumbsup:


Jedi powerz, yo. 



> mechBgon, +1 on what slocaus said. You could use that as front light!


They do make these in white...  It would be an interesting experiment. The beam pattern is rather horizontal, but if the light were rotated 90°, it would be mostly vertical and punch quite a ways down the road. Here's a pic of the Nova on steady-burn, side-by-side with a 13W NiteRider Flamethrower HID on high. The Nova is certainly overkill in many situations during the nighttime (barring heavy city traffic and/or bad weather conditions), but it's just right for daytime visibility.









Back on the topic of the SuperFlash, I have three SuperFlashes, as well as the older and newer NiteRiders, and used to have an LD1000. They all have their strong points. The SuperFlash is nice because it's the least expensive of the three, with slightly-superior daytime-visible intensity (if the viewer is in its hotspot), and is slim and lightweight with no external cables so it doesn't (1) hit your thighs when you pedal or (2) look ugly on a fancy bike.

All of these (SuperFlash, NiteRider, LD1000) suffer from having a tight focus, unlike the DiNotte which has a huge circular hotspot, or the Nova Bull which has an intense horizontal bar for a hotspot. So if you use a SuperFlash or any other blinkie, you want to (duh) aim it precisely where the overtaking traffic is going to be.

The LD1000 is being supplanted by the LD*1100*, which reportedly has ~80% brighter LEDs, so we may see Cateye take back the intensity crown in the "stand-alone blinkie" category soon: http://cateye.com/uk/product_detail/359

In any case, if you want maximum impact from a blinkie, use lithium cells in it instead of alkaline or NiMH, because lithium will hold 1.5V+ throughout its lifespan where alkaline will sag and NiMH never gets beyond 1.2V by its nature. Voltage = intensity.


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## onyourbike (Mar 18, 2006)

mechBgon said:


> In any case, if you want maximum impact from a blinkie, use lithium cells in it instead of alkaline or NiMH, because lithium will hold 1.5V+ throughout its lifespan where alkaline will sag and NiMH never gets beyond 1.2V by its nature. Voltage = intensity.


Lithiums are also known to perform better in lower temperatures, which of course is useful in winter. I believe they also weigh about 30% less than alkalines, this might be beneficial in reducing vibration in the battery case, and so reduce the chances of internal damage to the circuit/contacts? 
Also, lithiums start their discharge curve at a higher voltage, maybe 1.75 volts, alks being closer to 1.6v. Does the 'overvolting = brighter light' principle apply to LEDs as well as incandescent bulbs? I have assumed it does, though perhaps in smaller measure.


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## mechBgon (Jan 28, 2007)

onyourbike said:


> Does the 'overvolting = brighter light' principle apply to LEDs as well as incandescent bulbs? I have assumed it does, though perhaps in smaller measure.


It sure seems like it. I wish there were 1.7-volt rechargeable AA's and AAA's, we'd be all set


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## GEOMAN (May 30, 2006)

California L33 said:


> I have a feeling that as soon as DiNotte gets a competitor the price will come down. There's no reason for the price to be that high. The unit price will be higher than on something like an LD, but still will only be a few dollars.


I've talked to the DiNotte folks about their philosophies at length. They simply will not compromise on quality. If you hold any of their light engines in your hand, you realize this. Attention to detail and durability are superior. There's lots of competition out there already - kind of. Nobody makes a better package than DiNotte. They are beautiful and they are expensive to make.

To quote them, _"Our light engine is a solid piece machined from 6061 aircraft aluminum which means our light engine takes advantage of this elements strength, weight and thermal properties. High powered LEDs require a tremendous amount of cooling if you want to ensure both performance and longevity. Although this design costs a little more to manufacture than using other materials, our customers (and we) demand this level of performance."_

I feel like they are a "buy once and forget about it" type of product. They have an almost cult or Mac type of following. I use their Tail Light, their 5W Lithium, and their 3W Lithium lights. All are of the same caliber.

Adios for now,


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## California L33 (Jul 30, 2005)

greenLED said:


> Those are *neat* shots, California! Thanks for taking those. If you have time in the future, would you mind taking some more pics of what the beams look on a wall? You can lock the camera settings and that gives a better comparison of brightness and beam angles.
> 
> mechBgon, +1 on what slocaus said. You could use that as front light!
> 
> onyourbike, I've been caught under a few downpours with the Superflash, and I haven't had issues with it. I haven't done this myself yet, but you can also increase the waterpoofness of waterproof seals by coating them with a bit of silicone grease (I do that with my flashlights).


 I've been meaning to try that. I'm not sure if my digital can be locked so that I get the same exposure in every shot. I've always used my 35mm for "serious" photography and the digital for point and shoot. I'll have to check its options.


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## California L33 (Jul 30, 2005)

GEOMAN said:


> I've talked to the DiNotte folks about their philosophies at length. They simply will not compromise on quality. If you hold any of their light engines in your hand, you realize this. Attention to detail and durability are superior. There's lots of competition out there already - kind of. Nobody makes a better package than DiNotte. They are beautiful and they are expensive to make.
> 
> To quote them, _"Our light engine is a solid piece machined from 6061 aircraft aluminum which means our light engine takes advantage of this elements strength, weight and thermal properties. High powered LEDs require a tremendous amount of cooling if you want to ensure both performance and longevity. Although this design costs a little more to manufacture than using other materials, our customers (and we) demand this level of performance."_
> 
> ...


 Yes, the DiNotte products are beautifully made, but I doubt the cost of the aluminum block and machining is more than a couple of bucks a throw, maybe less if they're really buying in bulk. That's many times more than their competitors 8 cent injection molded plastic case, but not a significant part of the total cost.


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## brum (Dec 19, 2004)

California L33 said:


> Yes, the DiNotte products are beautifully made, but I doubt the cost of the aluminum block and machining is more than a couple of bucks a throw, maybe less if they're really buying in bulk. That's many times more than their competitors 8 cent injection molded plastic case, but not a significant part of the total cost.


Plastic casing on a system that utilizes power LEDs? Those LED's better be frigging efficient then!


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## onyourbike (Mar 18, 2006)

brum said:


> Plastic casing on a system that utilizes power LEDs? Those LED's better be frigging efficient then!


Didn't Cygolite choose plastic casings to build their Dualcross LED head lights? I know some have raised this issue as a potential problem.


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## greenLED (Jan 9, 2007)

brum said:


> Plastic casing on a system that utilizes power LEDs? Those LED's better be frigging efficient then!


Yup, a plastic casing would be perfectly fine for a Cree XR-E package. With Cree's new XR-E emitters, you can get twice as much light at a fraction of the drive current than with Luxeons, which means they run cooler and you get longer runtime.

From what I'm hearing, there are even brighter and more efficient emitters in the pipeline.


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## Speedub.Nate (Dec 31, 2003)

Getting back to one of the earlier questions asking about a comparison of the LD1000 vs. the SuperFlash, I received a SuperFlash and managed to put the following video together.

Unfortunately, a lot of the detail disappears due to compression; these lights were plainly visible from 1/3 mile, but that doesn't become apparent in the video until I get a bit closer. However, as a basis of relative comparison, I think these images serve their intended purpose.

Oh, I've also thrown a LD500 in there as well. I was curious how the CPSC-approved reflector would compare to these two bright tail lights.


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## greenLED (Jan 9, 2007)

Man, Nate, that's an awesome vid! Thanks so much for taking the time to record and share it. Very nice.

I may be biased by now, but the SuperFlash looks like a pretty strong competitor. I think the flashing pattern adds to its increased visibility too.

I live in a "bike-friendly" city, and now everywhere I go I'm keeping tabs of which LED flashers people use (SuperFlash spotting is my sport now). I was driving home Saturday afternoon and I caught up with a guy on a recumbent. I first noticed his "single blinker" from about 2 blocks away (it was around 4 pm). As I got closer I realized "the" blinker I saw was a SuperFlash. I only realized he had a second, regular LED blinker, on the back of his seat when I was 40 feet away from him.

I must say maybe I was too focused on the SuperFlash, etc. so take this with a grain of salt, but the fact that I noticed a bike 2 blocks away on one of our busier streets was reassuring in terms of my own enhanced visibility at night. I can only imagine what a Dinotte looks like.


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