Red Tail light tape over LED flashlight for rear lights?
#1
Red Tail light tape over LED flashlight for rear lights?
Anyone tried it?
I'm going to pick up some red clear lens cover tape and try it. Got some of those inexpensive LED flashlights which are pretty bright. Figured they may be a good addition for a rear light on pitch black winter months.
I'm going to pick up some red clear lens cover tape and try it. Got some of those inexpensive LED flashlights which are pretty bright. Figured they may be a good addition for a rear light on pitch black winter months.
#2
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2011
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From: Oregon
Bikes: 1978 nishiki 2011 Kona Dr.Good 1996 trek 830, 1996 Iron Horse MT400, 89 Specialized Hardrock,
never tried it on a bike .. don't see any reason why it wouldn't work ... its going to diminish the brightness quite a bit though
#3
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From: Ohio
Bikes: Surly Big Dummy, Fuji World, 80ish Bianchi
crap, this brings back memories of my first tail-light - a plain old flashlight with the lens colored red by a magic marker.
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"Let us hope our weapons are never needed --but do not forget what the common people knew when they demanded the Bill of Rights: An armed citizenry is the first defense, the best defense, and the final defense against tyranny. If guns are outlawed, only the government will have guns. Only the police, the secret police, the military, the hired servants of our rulers. Only the government -- and a few outlaws. I intend to be among the outlaws" - Edward Abbey
#4
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From: Austin, Texas
Bikes: Unidentifiable CX-based franken-commuter
You'll lose a lot of output relative to your battery life. In my experience LED tail-lights last far longer than LED headlights, and I consider this a major plus. If you take a "see" LED light and put a filter on it to turn it into a "be seen" taillight, you'll still only get only a few (single-digit) hours of use out of the batteries.
#5
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2008
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From: Bay Area, Calif.
I don't see the point. There are plenty of red LED taillights that are plenty bright and very efficient. Why take a white LED (actually a blue LED and a yellow fluorescent material) and filter out most of its light with a red filter?
#6
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Joined: Apr 2011
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You will lose almost all the light output from said light. LEDs are not like incandescent or filament bulbs. A white LED puts out very little light on the red part of the spectrum. See my explanation here: https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/775220-Those-wonderful-blinking-headlights!!!?p=13370643&viewfull=1#post13370643
You want a bright red light, use red LED emitters.
You want a bright red light, use red LED emitters.
#7
^ what they said. I put a red filter on a 145-lumen Fenix L2D, and its output dropped to about the level of my Planet Bike Superflash. I do own a cheap Ultrafire flashlight with a red emitter, which is quite a monster, but highly focused. It might be a good add-on light if you routinely ride in dense fog, although it doesn't have a flashing mode.
#8
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Joined: Apr 2010
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From: San Jose, CA
Bikes: '10 Marin Lucas Valley, '13 Scott Speedster 20
I Rit boiled the dome light in my old Mazda pickup way back when. Only downside is that doing the same to anything exposed to direct sunlight will fade for sure...in your case, possibly a nice shade of pink.
#9
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Joined: Oct 2011
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Seems unnecessary, even on a tight budget you should be able to find an inexpensive tail light that will hold a much longer battery life than any standard flash light. Also, I think the blinking function would make you far more recognizable as a cyclist.
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