Electronics, Lighting, & Gadgets - Brightest Tail Light for Day Use?

I'm looking for a bright tail light for day use on a multi-day tour. I have a road bike without a rack, so it would probably best mount on the seat post, with internal batteries or a small battery pack. I have a DiNotte headlight, so am familiar with that brand and am thinking about a DiNotte 300R tail light. Does anyone have any experience with it? How do you like it? It's very expensive. Any others out there that I should look into or that you'd recommend over the DiNotte? Thanks!

From the specifications IIRC not enough run time for continuous daytime use on a tour. The 400R with multiple large battery packs would be needed IMO if you want continuous daytime taillight operation on high.

Personally I am not sure a taillight, even a bright one, adds that much to daytime visibility in sunny conditions.

I have a Dinotte 140R-AA and love it. It's is extremely visible during the daytime and I use it on ALL solo rides. It is too bright for group rides and can blind someone drafting behind me. A single 4AA battery back will last for at least four hours with rechargeables.

Dinotte.

For your planned use, get the 140R with the 4-cell lithium-ion battery pack and you'll be good for several days at a time in 5-pulse mode. The 140R also has higher intensity at the center of its beam than the 300R.

6.5 hours on 5 pluse / pause
12 hours on slow blink

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh187/10wheels/Lights/ChainaFlats024.jpg

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh187/10wheels/Lights/seatpostLight002.jpg

Has anybody used a flashlight as a taillight? How is it mounted?
There are some red flashlights, but I notice they only come
with an on/off mode:

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.20333

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.14414

Has anybody used a flashlight as a taillight? How is it mounted?
There are some red flashlights, but I notice they only come
with an on/off mode:

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.20333

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.14414
Someone here used the 501 body with a p-60 drop-in with modes.

I have been behind Ten Wheels and other friends who have the 140 tail light. They are visible up to 1/2 mile in broad daylight and brighter than a cars tail lights or brake lights.

I have a D 140 and it's fine for night use. It's visible in daylight, but you're fighting a losing battle against all the light from Mr. Sun.

If I were expressly looking for a day-use taillight and had the funds, I'd spring for the "double 140", the 400 2-led model, IIRC. That's your best chance of being seen. Supplement with a helluvalot of hi-vis yellow/green apparel/bags etc.

Has anybody used a flashlight as a taillight? How is it mounted?
There are some red flashlights, but I notice they only come
with an on/off mode:

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.20333

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.14414

Solarforce-sales.com in Hong Kong has a 5 mode red P60 drop-in listed. In fact I have it on order and supposedly on the way. They charged $2.00 US for shipping of the order of two drop-ins and a flashlight body. It can fit their P60 drop-in compatible light bodies or many others from Surefire and other vendors. Until I have it in hand I have no idea of beam width, intensity etc. They also list green and blue 5 mode drop-ins too but the blue is illegal for vehicle use except for police in most states. Single mode P60 drop-ins are listed as available in these colors plus UV, IR, yellow and orange.

Thanks for all the info on the do-it-yourself light.
I'm going to look into getting a body and drop-in(or ins) :D

PB superflash is all you'll need. Get 2 of 'em if you want. But as long as you have batts that aren't dying, PBSF or MARS 3.0 is hella bright at night. I see them a lot around here, and I never fail to be impressed by their flash.

I've got an 18530 powered light (Magischine) which is much brighter than PBSF, but it's frankly overkill, IMO. PBSF is more than enough from what I've seen around here, even in traffic (and there are a lot of night commuting cyclists in Norcal.)

OOPS - edit - forgot you were talking DAY use. That's different. Dinotte.

Has anybody used a flashlight as a taillight? How is it mounted?
There are some red flashlights, but I notice they only come
with an on/off mode:

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.20333


I use this flashlight on two of my bikes. I attached one using the Universal Nylon Mount (http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.12000)under the left chainstay. The other I mounted using the Universal metal Flashlight Mount (http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.10761) also in the same location. You might want to put something over the chainstay to not scratch the finish.

With the above light I only get about an hours time which is fine for my commute.

6.5 hours on 5 pluse / pause
12 hours on slow blink

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh187/10wheels/Lights/ChainaFlats024.jpg

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh187/10wheels/Lights/seatpostLight002.jpg

I have the same set up it is the only way to go

I have a DiNotte 400 taillight, definitely worth looking into if you are looking for a serious daytime taillight. I shelved mine since it was overkill in medium steady or strobe mode at night in an urban setting.

Thanks, everyone, for the information. The DiNotte 140 sounds good, but has anyone here used the 300R? The fact that the battery is internal is an attractive feature. Thanks, again.

Thanks, everyone, for the information. The DiNotte 140 sounds good, but has anyone here used the 300R? The fact that the battery is internal is an attractive feature. Thanks, again.

I have a 300R, here's some info on it: http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/681942-DiNotte-300R-taillight-pics-amp-remarks

Hi Mech, Thanks for the reference to your excellent review of the Dinotte 300R. :thumb: Since you've had it now for a few months, 1) how do you like the light? 2) would you recommend it over the 140 or 400 for daylight use? Thanks, again.

Hi Mech, Thanks for the reference to your excellent review of the Dinotte 300R. :thumb: Since you've had it now for a few months, 1) how do you like the light? 2) would you recommend it over the 140 or 400 for daylight use? Thanks, again.

1. the light has its ups and downs.

downs: It's one more thing I feel uncomfortable leaving on the bike when I'm at the grocery store, so I have to take it in with me. I sometimes worry about the nylon bracket breaking if I hit a really severe pothole... no one wants to lose a $200 blinkie. It's a little blocky-looking.

ups: the USB charging feature is nice; if I feel like taking the long road home, I can make sure the battery's full before I leave. There's no cables to fatigue and lose reliability. It goes from bike to bike with less fuss than a 140. It's plenty bright, if this doesn't do the job I was just not meant to survive ;)

2. I wish I'd taken the time to do a daytime comparison test between the 140 and the 300R. I gave away the 140, so I can't say for sure which is better: the 140 with its higher intensity at the center of the beam, or the 300R with much more viewable surface area. I've never tried the 400R myself.

For your purposes, if the longest runtime is a trump card, then I think the 140 with a lithium-ion 4-cell battery wins easily, but then again you can recharge the 300R with a very lightweight cell-phone charger or a USB cable if you have access to a wall outlet or a computer at one of your stops.

Personally, what I'd like best is a self-contained 140 the size of a SuperFlash.

I have a Dinotte 140R-AA and love it. It's is extremely visible during the daytime and I use it on ALL solo rides. It is too bright for group rides and can blind someone drafting behind me. A single 4AA battery back will last for at least four hours with rechargeables.

I use the 140L-AA (uses a 4xAA battery pack). Even on "low" steady it lasts over 13 hours on a fully charged set of NiMH batteries. I use it for century rides all of the time. Replacement batteries are easily found if your rechargeable batteries run down during a very long ride.

Something in between the Dinottes and the Superflash would be a PDW Radbot 1000 or a Blackburn Mars 4.0.

I'd go with the Dinotte.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRMZNZZLWyE

PB superflash is all you'll need.

OOPS - edit - forgot you were talking DAY use. That's different. Dinotte.

Even for night use, I don't consider a PB superflash to be sufficient in all situations. Yes, it's OK on clear, dark nights with no distracting lights in the area. More than enough in those situations.

However, add in heavy rain, dense fog, or ride through a city with lots of lights all over, and I for one need more. I used to use a Dinotte 140 but I now use a Magicshine taillight. Given that I already had a Magicshine headlight anyway, for $29 the MS tail was a no-brainer. As far as I can tell, it has exactly the same emitter as the Dinotte 140R.

I have the light and motion Vis 180 and it works very well

http://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.bikelights.com/vis180.html&sa=U&ei=ttI6Tf7XDJOcgQe5t6DtCA&ved=0CEIQFjAH&sig2=lOkH-9Ndo8SpGfO9SRgcjA&usg=AFQjCNFomikfRfApIPrOB3aaRvigVSxvhg

Something in between the Dinottes and the Superflash would be a PDW Radbot 1000 or a Blackburn Mars 4.0.

The Radbot isnt bad but I am not sure it is overall more noticeable than a PBSF, even though it is brighter. OTOH, the PDW Danger Zone seems both noticeable and brighter than the PBSF with more side visibility. The Vis looks even more so but it is also 5x the cost.

Has anybody used a flashlight as a taillight? How is it mounted?
There are some red flashlights, but I notice they only come
with an on/off mode:
As someone mentioned, there are multi-mode red P60 drop-ins. In fact, there is one at DX (sku (http://www.dealextreme.com/p/cree-xlamp-xp-c-r2-5-mode-90-lumen-memory-red-light-drop-in-led-module-38mm-26mm-8-4v-max-26345)26345 (http://www.dealextreme.com/p/cree-xlamp-xp-c-r2-5-mode-90-lumen-memory-red-light-drop-in-led-module-38mm-26mm-8-4v-max-26345)). I'm going to buy a single-mode red drop-in for an L2P host and mount it with a Paul Gino (http://www.paulcomp.com/ginolightmount.html) on the rear rack mount, but I haven't done it yet. That will put the light a little low, but I think the location will be fine. Without a rack mount, you could use something like a Cronometro NOB. (http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/images/products/Lights/nob.jpg) I saw this picture (http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa131/AEObikes/LED%20lights/lights01-1.jpg) of a rear light mounted with a Minoura Space Grip, and that looks like a good way to do it. Those lights should probably be used with some type of diffuser. I'm not sure what would be best, but for lack of a better idea, I think I'm going to try DX sku 1918 (http://www.dealextreme.com/p/23-0mm-optics-light-diffusers-glass-5-pack-1918).

The W501-B is great. Love mine, got the multi-mode drop in. Here's a thread on it.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/698815-Ultrafire-W501B

As someone mentioned, there are multi-mode red P60 drop-ins. In fact, there is one at DX (sku (http://www.dealextreme.com/p/cree-xlamp-xp-c-r2-5-mode-90-lumen-memory-red-light-drop-in-led-module-38mm-26mm-8-4v-max-26345)26345 (http://www.dealextreme.com/p/cree-xlamp-xp-c-r2-5-mode-90-lumen-memory-red-light-drop-in-led-module-38mm-26mm-8-4v-max-26345)). I'm going to buy a single-mode red drop-in for an L2P host and mount it with a Paul Gino (http://www.paulcomp.com/ginolightmount.html) on the rear rack mount, but I haven't done it yet. That will put the light a little low, but I think the location will be fine. Without a rack mount, you could use something like a Cronometro NOB. (http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/images/products/Lights/nob.jpg) I saw this picture (http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa131/AEObikes/LED%20lights/lights01-1.jpg) of a rear light mounted with a Minoura Space Grip, and that looks like a good way to do it. Those lights should probably be used with some type of diffuser. I'm not sure what would be best, but for lack of a better idea, I think I'm going to try DX sku 1918 (http://www.dealextreme.com/p/23-0mm-optics-light-diffusers-glass-5-pack-1918).

Contact Tatfiend for the single mode drop-in, maybe you can make a deal. You need it and Solarforce sent him one
by mistake. The Solarforce multi mode dropin is brighter than the DX, so I'll probably experiment with that for now.

Assuming -you really mean day-light operation, then any of the name brand LED blinky head lights would work.

I use flashing lights any way I think I need them. No reason not to point them backward.

I saw this picture (http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa131/AEObikes/LED%20lights/lights01-1.jpg) of a rear light mounted with a Minoura Space Grip, and that looks like a good way to do it.

Small correction that is a SWING Grip. They are similar but the Space grip has a fixed arm whereas the Swing Grip can be adjusted almost 180 degrees.

The optic you are thinking about will probably require removing the reflector which could dim it a lot; the dome might also interfere with the crown. Mr Bubbles has a great cheapo diffuser in the thread he posted, and another diffuser option is DX sku 52511 (http://www.dealextreme.com/p/optics-light-diffusers-for-20-21-5mm-flashlight-head-52511).

It looks like the lid will be very close to the right size that it may be able to just replace the glass lens. If it is too small it might be able to be affixed to the front somehow or possibly glued to the lens (very ghetto).

Small correction that is a SWING Grip. They are similar but the Space grip has a fixed arm whereas the Swing Grip can be adjusted almost 180 degrees.
Ah, ok.


The optic you are thinking about will probably require removing the reflector which could dim it a lot; the dome might also interfere with the crown. Mr Bubbles has a great cheapo diffuser in the thread he posted, and another diffuser option is DX sku 52511 (http://www.dealextreme.com/p/optics-light-diffusers-for-20-21-5mm-flashlight-head-52511).

It looks like the lid will be very close to the right size that it may be able to just replace the glass lens. If it is too small it might be able to be affixed to the front somehow or possibly glued to the lens (very ghetto).
Here a couple comments I found from people who have used 1918.

"[With a] P60 host... take sku.1918 and remove the white holder. Put a little bit of clear silicone around the edges and mount it to the lens of the flashlight. This gives a wide angle horisontal beam."

"Take one of [sku 1918] and put them in a p60 drop in with the 'bulged' side toward the led. For a lot of DX Drop-Ins it made a perfect press fit. If to big you can sand the edges, if to small you can put a narrow strip of double sided tape around the the edges. Tested both and worked quite nice."

I thought it might be nice to use something that gives a more rectangular or elliptical (horizontal) beam. There would definitely be some light loss with something like that, but the red Cree drop-ins are pretty bright to begin with. I'm only concerned with the visibility at night, BTW.

"[With a] P60 host... take sku.1918 and remove the white holder. Put a little bit of clear silicone around the edges and mount it to the lens of the flashlight. This gives a wide angle horisontal beam."


That could work as a way to affix it and possibly the other diffuser I mentioned as well.

The second idea - bulge down - is backwards and likely not to be too satisfactory. I have an elliptical optic to make the magicshine's throw into a wider beam (see this thread) (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/708595-Magicshine-diffuser-optics). The optic is similar to that lens but with finer ridges or striations.

Using the 501B, I rested it face up then face down on the lens and did a ceiling test. Face up, it kind of works, but it is so far from the LED it doesnt create the proper pattern - like a focus problem. Face down it is worse - makes a fine horizontal line (like trying to use a telescope for a microscope). With all the light going thru all the optic, it is noticeably dimmer and has artifacts. The soft optic had similar results.

The wider striations in DX1918 may make a big difference even backwards though, who knows...

The stock 501b is definitely too spotty/beamy and needs something; and if it throws some of the light to the sides all the better.

Thanks, everyone, for the advice. I bought the pricey Dinotte 300R. It has the best combination of compactness (no external battery pack), brightness, and mounting ease on different places on the bike for my purposes. I've mounted it on the seatpost below the saddle pack. Other than the price, I'm pleased with the light. The Dinotte customer service and advice was great, too.