JDELUNA

I know that this can be really subjective, but what is everyone's opinion on the Best & Brightest battery operated Red TailLight ??? Thanks for any info. God Bless

kdiehl

Dinotte.

photoassign

https://www.bikeforums.net/electronics-lighting-gadgets/413833-dinotte-tail-light-alternative.html

10 Wheels

4 AA's run 15 hours

KrisPistofferson

Planetbike Superflash.

Gonzlobo

I'm dying to see a post titled "Worst & dimmest tail light".

ken cummings

www.northerntool.com Go to the section on strobe lights. Their red one is on page 2. If you really want the Best and Brightest be ready to shell out the cash and accept the weight penalty.

One step down but much lighter and less expensive would be www.allelectronics.com and check under strobes.

If you want something made just for bikes other posters will give the needed advice.

I once shopped for the flashing lights used at airports like LAX and SFO but would have needed a trailer to carry the power supply.

varuscelli

Hey, 10 Wheels...you gave JDELUNA a runtime but not a suggested light!

I'm pretty sure that I know which light you're using...but I'm not sure JDELUNA will.

And JDELUNA, whatever you do, DON'T try a forum search for answers. You might end up with more than you bargained for. Worst case, you might find yourself in the fist-fest of a thread suggested by photoassign.

dekindy

The Cateye TL-LD1100 is one of the brightest and is readily available at bike shops. I have the TL-LD600 (older model) and it is good also so the 610 (new model) should be even better. Also the Blackburn MARS 2.0 and 3.0 are fine and available retail. Planet Bike Superflash as already mentioned is great but you will probably have to order it over the internet since I have not seen it retail.

https://www.cateye.com/en/product_listing/57

dekindy

Unless you want it for daytime visibility and are willing to spend the bucks, I would buy two of the models that I listed so you have redundancy and better visibility. The models that I listed are not going to be as good as the Dinotte for daytime visibility. That is undeniable. But two of the others would be helpful during the day.

daredevil

The most versatile and the best bang for the buck goes to the superflash, no? A pair with one on you and one on the bike and you're in business.

MikeR

I have 6 of them.

Thirstyman

without a doubt. when I wear it cars usually slow pass slow and wide.

ClydesterD

Dinotte, although I've got to qualify that by saying that I've not used---or seen---the Superflash live. A year ago I, too, wanted the "best and brightest" taillight possible, but choked on the Dinotte's price. This spring I decided to bite the bullet and buy one, rationalizing the cost as a premium on insurance against getting rear-ended by a distracted (or oblivious) driver. After seeing it live and using it, I bought 2 more; one for each of my kids' bikes.

It's not only bright, but it casts a wide red glow on the pavement behind me. That and the point source combined make it impossible for anyone to not see me, unless they're absolutely terminally oblivious in which case nothing will help. Run times are good with the less expensive 4xAA version, and 2 to 4 times as long with a Li-ion version. Dinotte customer service has been outstanding as well.

The only downside to the Dinotte is that it's tough to figure out how to install the light on the bike if you use a saddlebag that takes up most of your seatpost, as is my case. You can't just slip it onto the rear loop of a saddlebag as you can most other lights. I've managed to come up with ways to do this, but in one case I needed to make a contraption to attach it to a rack, and in the other case I needed to attach something to a Carradice Bagman to hold the light. Both were easy to accomplish once I figured out what I wanted to do, but it is a hurdle you might have to overcome depending on your set-up. In my opinion it was worth the effort. If you have plenty of seatpost exposed then you can use an attachment that comes with the light, in which case this paragraph is moot for you.

BarracksSi

I have a couple, but I've forgotten what brands they are.

Cyclist0383

[QUOTE=10 Wheels;6997147]4 AA's run 15 hours
On what mode? DiNotte doesn't list anything with nearly such a long runtime on their spec sheet.

4 Cell AA Ni-MH
2 Hours 100%
4 Hours 50%
8 Hours 25%
12 Hours Slow Pulse
6 Hours Rapid Pulse
6 Hours Strobe

Light Output: 120 Lumens, Tail Light

https://www.dinottelighting.com/manuals/200L_INST_A.pdf

old4x4

The Cateye TL-LD1100 hands down

I've had the same set of batteries in it for 3 years, it's bright as he!! and I haven't been run over yet!

My commute is only 1.1 miles on a fairly straight road, but I do it at 10PM. My co-workers tell me they can see me the whole way!

wyeast

Without a doubt the Dinotte's the big daddy. However, under most conditions, you can be fairly well served by a couple of smaller lights. The Dinotte's strength is competing against other head and taillights on a crowded well lit road, or daylight visibility on a long high speed stretch. Under those conditions, you absolutely want as bright as possible.

However, I find that it can be hard to gauge distances against a singular point of light (esp. when it's bright enough to wash out the rest of you in the darkness) That's why I prefer multiple mid-range lights vs the Dinotte.

The Planetbike Superflash is an excellent light to run in this category. However be aware that you lose a lot of brightness when viewed off-axis, so it's not a great light to clip to a helmet or messenger bag. I'd suggest pairing it with a different light - the Superflash on the bike, and a different light on the bag.

I like the Blackburn Mars as well (the skinny newer one). Not as bright on-axis as the Superflash, but pretty bright in its own regard. The hose clamp-like clip is pretty versatile, being able to mount the light onto racks and other locations that other lights might not work as well with.

The Viewpoint Flashpoint (imho) is a sleeper, really underestimated. To me, it's easily as bright as the Superflash is (although it doesn't have the distinctive flash pattern the Planet Bike has), and has pretty good off-axis brightness by having a physically large "body" that's lit up even when the LED's aren't aimed at you. Competes decently in daylight - I've had riders come up to me and remark on being able to see me from a ways off as they approached.

My suggestion would to pair a Flashpoint on Steady + a Superflash on blink for attention grabbing.

Don't forget the retroreflective gear. Vests, belts, tape, etc. In a car's headlights, DOT-rated reflective gear can easily outshine a battery-powered light - and it works at angles you may not have lights pointed at - like in cross traffic at intersections.

Hope that helps!

10 Wheels

15 Hours Low Setting:

Peter White Dinotte Lights

DiNotte Ultra 3 Lithium includes:
DiNotte signature aluminum light engine
3 Watt super LED (SLED), 80 lumen output
Regulated power supply
Lithium-ion battery and charger
Ballistic nylon battery holder
Handle bar or helmet mount
Extension cable for helmet mounting

Key Specifications:

Light output: 80 lumens, (8-10 watt halogen equivalent)
Battery life: 15 hours low, 7.5 hours high, 40+ hours flash
Warranty: 2 years parts and labor
Weight: 320 grams

Key Features:

Double click on – Protect against accidental power on
High, low beam, low battery mode
Self test upon battery connection
Power on and low battery indicators
Low battery auto-lock to keep your light running

10 Wheels

[quote=Ziemas;7002523]Peter White DiNotte Lights: I don't have one, but ride behind one three days a week for 210 miles.

Cyclist0383

I think you've confused the AA and the lithium models.

speedlever

I'll defer to those who have Dinotte experience (and the spare cash to fund it).

I looked for more reasonably priced units last week. The models on display (with unknown battery life) that impressed me most were the Mars 3.0 and the PlanetBike SuperFlash (PBSF). I visited several bike shops, PB and REI in my search. I was unable to find the Cateye TL-LD1100 which I really wanted to see.

IMO, the Mars 2.0 did not come close to the 3.0 unit. I liked the Mars 3.0 except for reported battery replacement issues. I bought the PBSF because it was equally bright and had an effective flash pattern with an easy to replace battery. I've also heard good things about PB customer service (although for a cheap device, that's probably a moot point).

I don't ride at night, but do get into dusk at times.. and early morning too. Anyone ever use a PBSF (or equivalent) on the front of the bike for better visibility? I'm thinking of approaching intersecting roads and trying to make eye contact with the driver to make sure I've been seen.

Cyclist0383

Get a white light for the front as it won't confuse cars to which direction you are traveling in. White = front, red = rear.

speedlever

Good point about the direction of travel. But I question the value of a non-flashing white light that would likely be pretty dim for the front (for daytime use). Or maybe I have an incorrect assumption about the front white lights?

The strobe effect of the PBSF is hard to miss. Is there an equivalent in white that would be appropriate for the front?

Sorry... didn't mean to HJ this thread.

Cyclist0383

There are plenty of bright flashing white lights, and they are very visible.