Best value for a taillight
09-18-07 | 02:09 PM
#27
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 2,418
Likes: 1
What is breaking on the 2.0, the belt clip or seat post clamp? Or both? I would like to know what to watch for. Thanks.
09-18-07 | 10:59 PM
#29
The Fenix Shillboy
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 477
Likes: 0
From: League City, Texas
Bikes: Raleigh F500 mountain bike and an exceptionally old (mid-60's) Schwinn Collegiate 5-speed.
My wintergreen tin was really nasty (forgot some candy in there). More info on the light:
Its not water proof (yet).
1w Red led (luxeon) (5eu)
2x 1.2v AA cells for 2.4v direct drive.
i used arctic silver5 to create thermal contact with the tin (which i sanded with a scotch-brite pad)
And some generic luxeon lens for around 2eu.
I used a dipole switch cause thats what i had. and the batt cradle was like 30cents. probably cheaper in the states.
Its not water proof (yet).
1w Red led (luxeon) (5eu)
2x 1.2v AA cells for 2.4v direct drive.
i used arctic silver5 to create thermal contact with the tin (which i sanded with a scotch-brite pad)
And some generic luxeon lens for around 2eu.
I used a dipole switch cause thats what i had. and the batt cradle was like 30cents. probably cheaper in the states.
09-18-07 | 11:02 PM
#30
The Fenix Shillboy
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 477
Likes: 0
From: League City, Texas
Bikes: Raleigh F500 mountain bike and an exceptionally old (mid-60's) Schwinn Collegiate 5-speed.
I ride in pitch black in the winter with a group. I have both Mars for redundancy and better visibility when it is pitch dark. I got a view of our group from behind once. It was a sight to see. Everyone had their light in the brightest flashing mode and many have two tailights. You cannot believe how much visibility a group like that creates. It looks like a fire scene with all the firetruck lights and police car lights flashing. Motorists probably think they are approaching a bad accident scene!
09-19-07 | 01:17 AM
#31
King of the Ramsey Hills
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 320
Likes: 0
From: Saint Paul
It's really too bad about the Mars 3.0, because I like the concept of that light, but the execution just sucked.
I never experienced the cracked mount (I had two of them) but they would occasionally slip completely free over a bump and clatter to the ground.
The screws (an incredibly annoying idea, btw) corrode badly, so I'd recommend greasing them. But even so, you'll have to guard against stripping the threads of the light. It's a fine line between getting them tight enough to seal, and tight enough to wreck the damn thing.
Both of mine ate batteries to an alarming degree, such that I rarely finished a day of commuting (1 hr each way) without discovering that my bright rear flasher had turned into a dim rear glimmer.
[oh, and because I was changing the batteries so often, the screw heads started to get rounded off. At the end of my Mars 3.0 experiment, I had at least one screw that I would have had to replace had I not simply chosen to pitch the whole thing instead]
I replaced them with Superflashes. Long battery life, super bright and if I lost the side visibility, I've made up for it some by using three of them with one on the left chainstay pointed off axis (and slightly up) towards traffic.
I never experienced the cracked mount (I had two of them) but they would occasionally slip completely free over a bump and clatter to the ground.
The screws (an incredibly annoying idea, btw) corrode badly, so I'd recommend greasing them. But even so, you'll have to guard against stripping the threads of the light. It's a fine line between getting them tight enough to seal, and tight enough to wreck the damn thing.
Both of mine ate batteries to an alarming degree, such that I rarely finished a day of commuting (1 hr each way) without discovering that my bright rear flasher had turned into a dim rear glimmer.
[oh, and because I was changing the batteries so often, the screw heads started to get rounded off. At the end of my Mars 3.0 experiment, I had at least one screw that I would have had to replace had I not simply chosen to pitch the whole thing instead]
I replaced them with Superflashes. Long battery life, super bright and if I lost the side visibility, I've made up for it some by using three of them with one on the left chainstay pointed off axis (and slightly up) towards traffic.
Last edited by specq; 09-19-07 at 01:31 AM.
