Sorry to hijack the thread, but I see PDW's products are quite popular here. Does anyone have any experience with the PDW Spaceship (headlight)?

I use the MARS 4.0. It's also more vertical, and I had to modify the mount to get it to go on my rack in the proper direction, but it's really quite bright, seems well made, and I think it's less directional that the PBSF. I also have a PBSF on the rack support bar as a back up.

The MARS comes with a mount for the back of the rack, but on my rack (Axiom Journey) it would only clip in upside down until I modified the mounting bracket. That took about 1 minute with a knife. I have no idea why it doesn't come that way.

I found a way to put my Dinotte on my rear rack. Nothing beats a Dinotte...from my experience anyway.

btw, did I miss it or did it really take 27 posts before somebody mentioned the Dinotte? Surprises me.

If you guys look at the youtube link i posted and if you google the Radbot 1000 for reviews, it just takes the PBSF out of the running completely making it not even worth mentioning, really. Much brighter and it is held together by a screw rather than just tension, and it comes with different mounting brackets including the rack mount bracket. Only downside is it goes through batteries quicker but who cares. AND it gives the dinotte a run for it's money at just a FRACTION of the price.
I'm expecting this to be a great light. Will have it wednesday!

Here's another video.
http://vimeo.com/7730667

Dedicated PBSF user here (I have mounting brackets for it on all 3 of my bikes and my wife has a Super Flash on on hers, too) but I'm becoming more and more impressed with that Radbot 1000. I had considered upgrading to the Dinotte but the Radbot is certainly more budget-friendly.

Light and Motion Vis-180
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcAx4v5UQOE

I live here in Monterey, and have been using Light and Motion for over 10 years.
I've tried this new light, and honestly... the quality, is in a whole new category

I have the PBSF (Planet Bike Superflash) with a rear rack mount. It is sold separately, but should be available at your LBS for $5 or from Amazon for $4.50 with super-saver shipping: http://www.amazon.com/Planet-Bike-Ta.../dp/B000IQEAK2.

I've never had problems with the light coming out of the rack or coming apart, but perhaps the road conditions here are not as bad.

However, the Radbot 1000 looks like a great light, and you should probably get that instead of the PBSF if you want to mount it to a rack and you need a super-bright flasher for daytime use.

The B&M 4D Toplight has a much large reflector (which is very important if you every forget to turn on your lights) and is available in a dynamo-powered version. I think these European style rack lights look much nicer than the tiny blinkers (which are designed around seatpost mounting), but I have no idea how bright it is. I have an older model Toplight on my Breezer, powered by the hub dynamo, and it's great to have a light with no need for batteries. The wiring for the rear light is not that bad, and may be worth it in the long run. And you can always have the PBSF or Radbot as a back-up or flasher, with the dynamo light on steady.

The Radbot also integrates a reflector that complies with the rear-reflector requirement for many jurisdictions (Laws in some places don't specify that a light can replace the reflector). It's also nice to have a reflector when the batteries do occasionally go 10-toes-up.

For daytime, Ultrafire 501B with Cree dropin (~$20 + battery & charger) or DiNotte
 

The Ultrafire 501B red LED flashlight with the Cree drop-in for 3 brightness levels plus flashing is actually significantly brighter than the DiNotte at a distance behind the bike because it throws a fairly narrow beam (I have and use both):
Attachment 163134Attachment 163135
Both beams are solid red; centrally they can be so bright the camera's sensors saturate and then record as "white". You will have to get 18650 lithium batteries and a good charger plus sometimes deal with DealExtreme's less than sterling quality control.

Two threads including mounting options and supplementary optics for a wider beam and/or diffusers for side visibility:
Ultrafire WF-501 B works with flashing mode Cree XLamp dropin: Closups & beams.
Ultrafire 501B Taillight mount - version 28c

One word..

Dinotte.

Mount via a PVC cross piece on the rack.

I'm sure Dinotte is a nice light. Pics and video i've seen are impressive.
But we're talking 4x the price and 2x the batteries. I could get TWO radbots and still be way out ahead price wise.
I always thought my PBSF was bright, and in broad daylight I have gotten random comments from drivers about how far back they saw me.
So if the radbot is ANY improvement over the PBSF, I really don't understand the need to spend that much money on the Dinotte, even if it is made of better materials.

^^^^can you really put a price on safety? The biggest advantage of the Dinotte is the daytime visibility. If you don't need that though I guess, the PBSF or Radbot work great. Keep in mind the importance of redundancy also. Use two tail lights no matter what they are.

I don't disagree but can you really show me that the dinotte is 4x as safe as the Radbot 1000 or even PBSF?

I use the Blinky 5 on my rack and a Super Flash on my seat post. When commuting home in evenings, I have both of them flashing. As someone else mentioned, redundancy is good.

Cateye Tl-Ld500 Rear Light screws on in place of the reflector on the bracket for the reflector, and has a Blink and steady on function.

I put it on the rear rack of My Type 2 Brompton's rear rack , it has a round lens for the Bottle dynamo also,
which is kind of dim pedaling up hill, and in the wet as the dynamo drive slips,
so the Battery taillight, and a battery headlight come in handy for those occasions.

My Koga Miyata WTR has the B&M 4d toplight fitted on its Tubus Rack. Bright and large.

The Radbot is a very bright light but I've experienced problems with both of them that I have. One was a replacement for the first generation but they both suffer from impact induced shut-off. The first generation was worse than the second but the second one still shuts off during the ride on a too regular basis.

I regularly (every commute) go over rough cobblestones and haven't had either of my Radbots shut off. I also tried shaking and whacking them against a table and they are solid.

Have you contacted PDW about your lights? They have top notch customer service. PM me if you want a direct email address of the customer service guy.

My radbot 1000 showed up about an hour ago.
I had to wait to post because I couldn't see the freakin keyboard for a while. :twitchy: :lol:

Dinotte 400R (rack mountable) or 140R (rack mount if you kludge something together).

For me, light intensity is certainly important and there are multiple high-lumen options out there that will work (DIY solutions, radbot, Dinotte, etc., etc.). The one thing that I really like about my Dinotte setup is that it is completely bombproof in very heavy rain and that the entire system works with the same battery pack (no AAA for the rear light & AA for the fronts, etc.). I keep the battery pack on the bike & plug it into the charger when I get home. It's convenient and makes running lights very easy.

If I was buying today, I would have to carefully weigh the DIY options against the Dinotte convenience & ruggedness.

And have 1/4 of the visibility. The Dinotte is even more impressive in person.

I've been stopped and complimented by both cops and motorists. That says something. My commute starts at 3am, it's the only light I've seen that will make cars move over. I've got PBSF's on the seatstays, and they simply get lost visually.

Dinottes are way too bright for MUPs, which is the majority of my commute. People who use them there probably don't even realize how much they bother other riders. You don't really even need a taillight on a MUP. If I catch up to someone with an obnoxiously bright taillight, I can't wait to pass to end the agony, and usually let them know their light is inappropriate. If they are passing me, I slow way down until the light is at a tolerable distance. For daytime or urban riding, they are probably a worthwhile investment, but a couple PBSFs do the job just as well.

Yes, I did contact PDW. They sent me a new light to replace the first generation light but the second one still has problems and will shut off intermittently. The problem may have been corrected but it's something to be aware of when considering them. The Superflash never had a problem with shutting off. It does have problems with staying in one piece, however.

You seem to be the only one I've seen with a problem with a second generation light. All the other reports I've read say that they are solid. Maybe they accidentally sent you a first generation light. Why not try contacting them again?

If it's the only light that makes you daylight visible, yes at least 4X as safe. Not everybody needs daytime visibility though.

But it's not. Like i said, i've had random cagers stop and tell me how far back they saw me in broad daylight... with a PBSF.
So ya, not disagreeing that you may be more visible with the dinotte, I just don't see it being 4x as safe.