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Dinotte Taillight

Old 12-24-08, 10:24 PM
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Dinotte Taillight

So Santa was good to me and I got a new Dinotte taillight. Which mode do you use it in? Solid or flash? What sort of battery life do you get for the AA version?
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Old 12-24-08, 10:51 PM
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Solid on low normally. But I bump it up to high if I''m on a busy road.
Google "moth effect".
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Old 12-24-08, 11:24 PM
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I run mine in the "low with a twice a second flash to bright" mode day and night.
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Old 12-25-08, 03:26 AM
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Originally Posted by hammond9705
So Santa was good to me and I got a new Dinotte taillight. Which mode do you use it in? Solid or flash? What sort of battery life do you get for the AA version?
I run in low steady when riding with others. I get over 7 hours using NiMH.
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Old 12-26-08, 04:19 AM
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I run mine on steady low, bumping it up higher in traffic or rainy conditions.
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Old 12-26-08, 04:25 AM
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Originally Posted by Shimagnolo
Solid on low normally. But I bump it up to high if I''m on a busy road.
Google "moth effect".
Also google 'urban myth' while you are at it......
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Old 12-26-08, 11:00 PM
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"Fast flash" mode...day and night.

A steady light could be mis-identified as a stationary light source near to, but not in, the roadway.

The fast flash mode is more noticeable, and more likely to be interpreted as a bicycle (if not a UFO or police car...which is OK too ).
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Old 12-26-08, 11:13 PM
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Steady light with strobe.
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Old 12-27-08, 11:14 AM
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Strobe mode (6-pulse). The "moth effect" has never been evident in my years of riding the highway while watching overtaking traffic in my helmet mirror... quite the opposite, in fact. So don't fret about that Strobe is more noticable, sends the "NOT-car" signal, and extends your battery life.
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Old 12-27-08, 11:53 AM
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I did a test on the different modes.
4 lane road, no shoulder with curbs.
Speed limit 45 mph.
I ride at 15 mph. I ride this road 12 times a week.

The Five Strobe Flash with Pause, causes traffic
to move Left Sooner and Further away from the bike.
Run Time 6.0 hours.

The One Second Flash works with less effect. Traffic moves over later and not as far.
Run time 12.0 hours.
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Old 12-28-08, 10:09 AM
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solo , blinking (but not that slow blink) 5-6 hours
group. slow blink, like one blink every few seconds, over 6 hours.

I try to swap batteries regardless about 4-5 hours to be safe.
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Old 12-28-08, 02:18 PM
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1 second flash during the day and medium steady at night.

Seems to get the right amount of attention for me.
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Old 12-28-08, 03:40 PM
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Originally Posted by 10 Wheels
I did a test on the different modes....
When I used the strobe mode at night, I found that cars were pulling over and stopping for me. I guess hey thought I was an emergency vehicle.

This seemed, perhaps, to be more attention than I wanted, so I settled on the "dim with a bright flash twice a second" mode.
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Old 12-28-08, 08:51 PM
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Say what? what are yall talking about ,excuse me for asking, i thought all i need is one of this from Walmart,made by Bell,is that good or what,it has 6 mode using 4 AAA batteries,been running for over 150 hrs .OOOPS sorry, 2 AAA batteries.
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Old 12-28-08, 09:15 PM
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Originally Posted by KungPaoSchwinn
i thought all i need is one of this from Walmart....
Here's an experiment for you. Park your car on the street tonight and turn on the headlights. Put your taillight on the hood of your car and then walk a block up the road and see if your taillight is visible over the glare of your headlights. No? Then you are invisible to overtaking cars when there is traffic approaching from the front.

Something to think about.
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Old 12-28-08, 09:43 PM
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Originally Posted by KungPaoSchwinn
Say what? what are yall talking about ,excuse me for asking, i thought all i need is one of this from Walmart,made by Bell,is that good or what,it has 6 mode using 4 AAA batteries,been running for over 150 hrs .OOOPS sorry, 2 AAA batteries.
Lowe's $16


Nice pic Turn the Light on.
Dinotte $105

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Last edited by 10 Wheels; 12-28-08 at 09:49 PM.
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Old 12-28-08, 09:47 PM
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Originally Posted by kdiehl
Here's an experiment for you. Park your car on the street tonight and turn on the headlights. Put your taillight on the hood of your car and then walk a block up the road and see if your taillight is visible over the glare of your headlights. No? Then you are invisible to overtaking cars when there is traffic approaching from the front.

Something to think about.
Good Test Thanks.
Head Light compared to cars.

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Old 12-29-08, 11:52 PM
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Originally Posted by kdiehl
When I used the strobe mode at night, I found that cars were pulling over and stopping for me. I guess hey thought I was an emergency vehicle.
It's a taillight. You're saying people behind you were pulling over and stopping for you? I don't remember seeing that effect, even with a *real* emergency-vehicle strobe aimed rearwards (Nova BULL). People don't usually pull over and stop for emergency vehicles that are ahead of them.

I did about 20 miles on the highways this morning in conditions like this (heavy snow plus fog with ~1/2 mile visibility). It was definitely a good day to be packing the Nova. The DiNotte 140 would be my second choice.

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Old 12-30-08, 02:48 AM
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Originally Posted by mechBgon
People don't usually pull over and stop for emergency vehicles that are ahead of them.
The Dinotte taillight causes a large area to be brightly illuminated with red light. Vehicles approaching head on (from the front) see the loom of the tail light and pull over. It's happened to me numerous times.

Here's some pictures I fouond on the web that may help explain. I hope the owner doesn't mind my linking to them.

https://www.pbase.com/colorchange/general&page=3

Last edited by kdiehl; 12-30-08 at 02:51 AM. Reason: clarify
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Old 12-30-08, 08:58 AM
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Originally Posted by kdiehl
The Dinotte taillight causes a large area to be brightly illuminated with red light. Vehicles approaching head on (from the front) see the loom of the tail light and pull over. It's happened to me numerous times.
For the last two winters of daily commuting I've been running a DiNotte 140L in "fast flash" mode, plus a PB Superflash in its flash mode...and I've never seen a car pull over and stop thinking that I was an emergency vehicle.

Perhaps the drunk drivers in Utah are a bit more skittish and inexperienced than drunk drivers in the rest of the country .

Or perhaps they think you're a "bike cop"?

Whichever, your experience appears to be unique to your situation.
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Old 12-30-08, 10:55 AM
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Well, whatever the reason for the behavior, that's why I don't use the strobe mode. The Dinotte light gets attention!
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Old 12-30-08, 01:22 PM
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That's a lot of info on the light for me but however, not many answers on the AA batteries, i am in need to purchase their 140L-AA-R model but i only ride about one hour each day, their website said the light will not work good with regular alkaline batteries,not sure as to why. My questions is, for the cost factor in long term,which battery options i should consider for the distance i ride each day? Thanks in advance.
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Old 12-30-08, 01:23 PM
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Originally Posted by kdiehl
The Dinotte taillight causes a large area to be brightly illuminated with red light. Vehicles approaching head on (from the front) see the loom of the tail light and pull over. It's happened to me numerous times.
I'm with SSP, never seen that effect. You can see the wake of the Nova in the second half of this video (at about 2:20)... very powerful, but oncoming traffic has never pulled over & stopped for it. The video also illustrates one reason that I value long-range detection

Last edited by mechBgon; 12-30-08 at 01:27 PM.
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Old 12-30-08, 01:26 PM
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Originally Posted by KungPaoSchwinn
That's a lot of info on the light for me but however, not many answers on the AA batteries, i am in need to purchase their 140L-AA-R model but i only ride about one hour each day, their website said the light will not work good with regular alkaline batteries,not sure as to why. My questions is, for the cost factor in long term,which battery options i should consider for the distance i ride each day? Thanks in advance.
Use rechargable NiMH AAs.
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Old 12-30-08, 01:31 PM
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Originally Posted by mechBgon
I'm with SSP, never seen that effect. You can see the wake of the Nova in the second half of this video (at about 2:20)... very powerful, but oncoming traffic has never pulled over & stopped for it. The video also illustrates one reason that I value long-range detection
Dude....that is so effing hard core!! (sorry, no hot chocolate or Irish coffee smilies).
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