Electronics, Lighting, & Gadgets - My Blackburn Mars 3.0 is dead. What to replace it with?

My 5 year old commandeered my Mars 3.0 to mount on the handlebars of his Trek Trikester tricycle. I now need a replacement.

It looks like the candidates are the venerable Super Flash, another Mars 3.0, or the newer Mars 4.0. I'm leaning towards a Super Flash which can be mail ordered for $16-17. I use this on the seat stay of my 'bent and will also be adding a red xenon strobe once I get around to a rear rack.

Are there any other good LED flashers I should take a look at, or should I just get the Super Flash and be happy?

I'm pretty happy with my assortment of PB stuff: SF Stealth (seatstay), Blinky 7(saddlebag) and Blinky 3H(helmet).

However, I have been quite intrigued by the Princeton Tec Swerve.

Not many reviews on the Mars 4.0, though it is intriguing, what with it's side LEDs. Definitely get the SF.

I just purchased a Planet Bike Superflash stealth, but after having seen the new Blackburn Mars 4.0 I wish that I had waited. The Mars 4.0 is brighter and a deeper red color that, in my opinion, is more noticeable.

I think I'm just going to go with a Superflash Stealth since they're cheap-yet-effective. The xenon strobe will be effective too. Hmm, red or amber xenon?

Aren't both SF versions (original or stealth) red LEDs?

Aren't both SF versions (original or stealth) red LEDs?

Yes. It's just a choice of red or clear plastic over it.

I bought the mars 4.0 same price as the superflash but the yellow side LEDS are a very good idea and it only uses two aaa batteries.

Yes. It's just a choice of red or clear plastic over it.

Yup, and the lens of the main LED is clear on both versions.

Get both a PBSF and a Mars 4. Or one of those plus a Dinotte.

I tend to think it's best to not get two identical lights or even two lights from the same maker, on the thinking that at least you'll have a different set of design flaws and thus they probably won't fail in the same way at the same time.....

Of course, the biggest thing I've learned so far is just to not buy any Performance Bike store-brand lights. :P

A friend gave me Blackburn Flea in return for a MTB frame and some parts. I hate that its a non-replaceable, proprietary battery but its basically weather sealed. The charger attachment is pretty neat, usable with any normal battery, and an even better solution if you are using rechargeable batteries.

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c374/pty/LightingPics017.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c374/pty/LightingPics019.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c374/pty/LightingPics020.jpg

The connectors are tiny magnets that snap onto the back of the light and onto the ends of the battery. Please ignore my coffee cup rings. I didn't realize they were in the picture.

I've mounted my new Stealth Super Flash lights on my bike. So far so good, I like them better than the Mars 3.0 that they replaced. I happened to be in a LBS that had the Mars 4.0 next to a SF in a display. The Mars 4.0 is brighter (1 watt LED) but just has a plain blink-blink pattern. It has decent side visibility. The SF in comparison isn't quite as bright but the blink pattern is more attention-grabbing, and the SF is poorer off to the side compared with the Mars 4.0

I've got both Superflashes, and like 'em both. A 140L would be nice, but I'm still waiting to see if DX starts selling high-powered red LED flashlights in the coming year, as that's basically what a Dinotte tail light is. Those handy with solder can put together a powerful taillight from the Cree emitters sold @ DX, but I'm not nearly as savvy, so I'm waiting for someone to do the work in mass-production.

the pattern is better but thats not really an issue. but the sides blinkies is a very good thing. that should be on more lights.

My suggestions....

1st choice .. Dinotte 140L
2nd Choice .. PB superflash
3rd choice .. PT swerve
4th choice .. Cateye LD1000 (or is it a 1100 now?)

^ For first choice, I'd go with the Dinotte 400L. That's the brightest bike taillight (300 lumens) you can buy, to my knowledge.

Gotta say I love my PBSF and Cateye LD1100. Big improvement over my Mars 3.0 which has been moved to backup status.