Electronics, Lighting, & Gadgets - Dinotte Sale NOW ON!

Well my waiting has paid off, after putting off purchasing a 140-R tail light for 2 months waiting for them to come on sale, they are now on sale :D

Just a heads up to all who want one!

Daven

Yee haw! Soon you'll be enjoying cars giving you an extra few feet of room, or even waiting to pass you on curves!

Yep I sure hope so. Bought one as I start work next week and part of my commute is on a road with lots of lorries and fast moving traffic.

this is very tempting

Sorry, by posting this thread I guess I am going to cost people some money! It was good for me because I was going to buy at full price, but was sure there would be a sale before I needed it (next week) so I held off.

I really like my 400R tail light, and it's a considerable improvement over my PB Superflash. Though I didn't buy it on sale, but checking Dinotte's web site, it's only 20 dollars cheaper. Looks like they eliminated the spare battery in order to reduce the price, which I feel was a bad move, since my spare came in to play several times this winter.

Yeah the sale items don't have a battery or charger. I was going to buy the AA light without battery and charger anyway (since I have some).

I ordered my 140R late Monday night and received an e-mail on Tuesday saying it had shipped, USPS Priority Mail. The package was in my mailbox today (Thursday) and hopefully I will get to try it out on Saturday. This is my third light purchase and I am extremely satisfied.

Bah, international postage :( the tracking says mine should be delivered today - hope customs missed it!

You cost me $149..:D

Sorry! I am loving it though. Drivers moved over into the other lane to pass today! However I got stung by ****ing parcel force for £13.50 "handling fees". Fortunately what I saved in the sale covered that though!

Thanks guys. Just picked me up a rear light.

I ordered my rear light this Tuesday and barely Thursday it's already here. My daughter and I were testing it out and it's blinding bright. I'm still seeing red dots.

I ordered my rear light this Tuesday and barely Thursday it's already here. My daughter and I were testing it out and it's blinding bright. I'm still seeing red dots.

That's actually the problem - even on it's lowest mode, it's to bright to have someone ride immediately behind you without next to blinding them. I know - from several different people complaining, so I had to turn it off when riding with other people.

That's actually the problem - even on it's lowest mode, it's to bright to have someone ride immediately behind you without next to blinding them. I know - from several different people complaining, so I had to turn it off when riding with other people.

I agree. I've decided to point it at a slight angle toward the ground. Still high enough for cars to see me but yet at a angle to light the road red.

Thanks to the OP! Ordered the 140 tail light and the 200 front. Both under 90 bucks each. Expecting delivery today. Soon as I figure out how to mount to my rack, I will be in business!

I'm actually thinking about building a Dinotte killer taillight when I get done with a few existing projects.

Riding into the sun the last few days has convinced me that using the Dinotte in these situations is incredibly important, but even more light would be great.

I would just go for a pair of Nova BULLs but I don't want to carry a 12V power source.

Thanks to the OP! Ordered the 140 tail light and the 200 front. Both under 90 bucks each. Expecting delivery today. Soon as I figure out how to mount to my rack, I will be in business!

with regards to fitting to a rack look at this thread, 2nd post: http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?539168-Carradice-Saddlebag-Questions and this is a response from the poster when I asked him to describe it:

To mount a Dinotte light, ideally you need something tube-shaped about the size of a seatpost or handlebar (which is what they are designed to mount on). So I mounted mine to some 1" PVC pipe since my seatpost is blocked by my Carradice bag. To attach the PVC pipe, I cut a slit down the side large enough so it would fit over the tubes in my Bagman rack. After doing that, I inserted a plastic wine cork in the PVC pipe to make it solid, and also cut a slit part of the way through it. Then I slipped the PVC pipe over the back of my rack and secured it with a couple of small hose clamps. The clamps keep the PVC pipe from rotating. Then I just use an O-ring that came with the Dinotte light to attach it.

I'll see if that will fit my rack. THX

I got an email from them a few hours ago, there is a NEW sale on now! :)

The 400R Litium Ion tailight unit I was looking for is not on sale, but when I called Dionette, they gave me 15% off, shipped the next day at no frt cost.
I have been happy with their products, and their service is just as impressive.

My lights came in yesterday! Very pleased with them and what I paid for them.

If you are on the fence about buying Dinotte, consider this. I have bought LED flashlights for the front, front flashers, rear Bell blinkies, PBSFs, Cherrybombs, etc. I call it perpetual upgrade mode. I am a sucker for the next greatest thing that as "close to a Dinotte as you can get" and I have easily spent over 100 dollars in the past 4 years 20-35 dollars at a time.

I am going to spend my money on other bike things now. I will keep the PBSF and one of the flashlights for redundancy, but my kids' bikes are about to get lit up like Christmas.

My lights came in yesterday! Very pleased with them and what I paid for them.

If you are on the fence about buying Dinotte, consider this. I have bought LED flashlights for the front, front flashers, rear Bell blinkies, PBSFs, Cherrybombs, etc. I call it perpetual upgrade mode. I am a sucker for the next greatest thing that as "close to a Dinotte as you can get" and I have easily spent over 100 dollars in the past 4 years 20-35 dollars at a time.

I am going to spend my money on other bike things now. I will keep the PBSF and one of the flashlights for redundancy, but my kids' bikes are about to get lit up like Christmas.

I have to say I agree. I got some cheaper lights, then got more, then got a Dinotte and they are now useless! I do like the planet bike superflash though - that is pretty bright (was behind one today).

The 400R Litium Ion tailight unit I was looking for is not on sale, but when I called Dionette, they gave me 15% off, shipped the next day at no frt cost.
I have been happy with their products, and their service is just as impressive.

Yes it is..regular price is $229...now it's $194.65. I think that they ran two sales in succession. The first sale (for which the OP posted this thread) did not have the 400R on sale.

I do like the planet bike superflash though - that is pretty bright (was behind one today).

I run the Dinotte and a PBSF together. Not that the Dinotte isn't bright enough (it is) but just in case it should ever fail.

I run the Dinotte and a PBSF together. Not that the Dinotte isn't bright enough (it is) but just in case it should ever fail.

Yeah, I do the same thing - problem is, if the light fails, the battery dies, the connection breaks, etc etc - the light is behind you, so you don't know it.

Yeah, I do the same thing - problem is, if the light fails, the battery dies, the connection breaks, etc etc - the light is behind you, so you don't know it.

Had that problem today, as a matter of fact. The connector worked loose from the battery pack. Not sure how long I was riding without it. I think it was sliding around in my trunk bag.

Had that problem today, as a matter of fact. The connector worked loose from the battery pack. Not sure how long I was riding without it. I think it was sliding around in my trunk bag.

Well *that* is the problem with the Dinotte AA lights - to keep the batteries in the battery holder and attached, you really have to go to a ton of work. You gotta rubber band the batteries in the holder, AND rubber band the connector to the holder, or rough bumps will sometimes jar the batteries away out of the holder and you'll lose the light.

IMO, I think they haven't fixed this problem because they want to provide incentive for people to pay more for the lith-ion version which has a well designed connector. Not the end of the world, but super annoying.

IMO, I think they haven't fixed this problem because they want to provide incentive for people to pay more for the lith-ion version which has a well designed connector. Not the end of the world, but super annoying.

Their support gets really cranky when you ask them about allowable voltages to feed into the lighthead. They start going on about how there would be no protection, it's dangerous, etc. Yes, thank you. What's the allowable voltage range?

They won't say. They really want you to just buy the next model up. Which I must say is tempting right now; at $195 the 400R is really calling to me...

Their support gets really cranky when you ask them about allowable voltages to feed into the lighthead. They start going on about how there would be no protection, it's dangerous, etc. Yes, thank you. What's the allowable voltage range?

They won't say. They really want you to just buy the next model up. Which I must say is tempting right now; at $195 the 400R is really calling to me...

Yeah, on the one hand the AA holder is super annoying and I'm annoyed they haven't fixed it. On the other hand, they're the only company I know of that makes a bike light designed to go on a bike that takes AA's (the only competition I know of are those LED flashlights), at least some of which seem to be of dubious quality themselves.

I ran across this on the RadioShack site:
http://www.unicornelex.com/pictures/17/17-7060.jpg

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062254

Seems like it might work waaaaaaaaay better as it wouldn't let the batteries jostle around. The page also lists one of the 9V snap connectors the dinotte AA case uses as well...I wonder if there's some sort of bag out there that would let me attach it to my bike?

Yeah, on the one hand the AA holder is super annoying and I'm annoyed they haven't fixed it. On the other hand, they're the only company I know of that makes a bike light designed to go on a bike that takes AA's (the only competition I know of are those LED flashlights), at least some of which seem to be of dubious quality themselves.

I ran across this on the RadioShack site:
http://www.unicornelex.com/pictures/17/17-7060.jpg

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062254

Seems like it might work waaaaaaaaay better as it wouldn't let the batteries jostle around. The page also lists one of the 9V snap connectors the dinotte AA case uses as well...I wonder if there's some sort of bag out there that would let me attach it to my bike?

I was having similar thoughts. I would like to mod the tailight to have a better battery holder, and a more secure connector. A case like you have and some sort of locking connector is what I am thinking.

Yes it is..regular price is $229...now it's $194.65. I think that they ran two sales in succession. The first sale (for which the OP posted this thread) did not have the 400R on sale.

Dammit - I was hoping that wasn't going to be on sale for awhile so my wallet can recover from other upgrades! Couldn't pass it up and added an 800L headlight to boot. My wife thinks I'm saving money by commuting to work, yeah right!

I'm SOO tempted to get a 400R. A coworker told me just last week that the 140L was probably the only reason he actually saw me in time, as we were both heading into the sun and my silhouette was right next to the rising sun, yet he saw the 140L blinking.

So glad to have the 140L and the 400 is looking better...

Just received and installed my 400R tailight.
The mounting options are great. I was able to mount it on the back of the seat rail, and it sits just below the back of saddle.
This brings the light up to more visible line of sight, and the light itself has plenty of brightness to give me the visibility I want. (This is important with the early morning commutes, with sleepy car drivers I contend with.)
I had a 140L before , and it was better than the blinkys I used in the past. I am impresed how much better the 400R shines.

Just received and installed my 400R tailight.
The mounting options are great. I was able to mount it on the back of the seat rail, and it sits just below the back of saddle.
This brings the light up to more visible line of sight, and the light itself has plenty of brightness to give me the visibility I want. (This is important with the early morning commutes, with sleepy car drivers I contend with.)
I had a 140L before , and it was better than the blinkys I used in the past. I am impresed how much better the 400R shines.


The 400R is definitely bright, since I go to work at a later morning shift, and I don't have to wake up sleepy morning motorists, I use my 400 only on nightly winter commutes and even then in the steady mode and in the medium level since it is so bright and annoying in the strobe mode.

Yeah, I do the same thing - problem is, if the light fails, the battery dies, the connection breaks, etc etc - the light is behind you, so you don't know it.

On my 400R, if the battery dies at night, I can definitely tell that it's out whenever I happen to look in my rear view mirror, plus I've noticed that if the battery is getting low, my 400R when in steady mode, it will strobe very quickly a few times then go to a steady light when I turn it on, when normally it will just go straight to a steady light on a amply charged battery.

Someone complimented me on my light today and is now going to buy one! You just don't get that with other lights!

Just installed my new 400R and it saved my life at least once on the very first daylight ride. A teen driver was hot about something and wasn't paying attention so he almost rear-ended my recumbent at a corner stop. I'm sure the light is the only thing that caught his attention so he could skid to a stop just short of me. Later, another young (under 25?) driver zipped past several cars like they were standing still in a 35 MPH zone; he shied away from me and sped away. I'm not sure he'd have noticed me at that speed without the light. I think I've saved more than enough from one less trip to the ER to pay for it already!

Hi all, I have an 800L, 400L and a 400R, and just ordered another 400R (on sale) for my girlfriend who just started road riding. I can't say enough about Dinotte quality and service. Sure they cost more, but so do my bikes, and the performance of the lights are incredible. Especially the 400R, it's like my helmet, I don't ride without it. Ride safe, Dale...

I was having similar thoughts. I would like to mod the tailight to have a better battery holder, and a more secure connector. A case like you have and some sort of locking connector is what I am thinking.

If you find a way to mount this on your bike, I would *LOVE* to hear about. :-) My hesitation in getting this is figuring out how to attach it to my bike. *Please* update this thread or send me a message if you get it to work. :-) Thanks.

I really like the 400R because of its rack/seatstay mounting options, but how much work would it be to share it between bikes? Is there any kind of quick release like on many of their headlights, or do you have to unscrew it from the clamp?

I really like the 400R because of its rack/seatstay mounting options, but how much work would it be to share it between bikes? Is there any kind of quick release like on many of their headlights, or do you have to unscrew it from the clamp?

There's no QR, but mine came with a whole bag of different clamps and mounting hardware. When I swap it to a different bike, I'll leave the clamp in place and attach another clamp to the 2nd bike. I will still have to remove two screws that attach the clamp to the light. Not as convenient as other systems, but also slightly more secure and not too much of a pain unless you change very frequently. Mine will just go between winter and summer commuting bikes, so it's not a big deal.