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I have a request for Fenix and Dinotte owners

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I have a request for Fenix and Dinotte owners

Old 01-19-08, 10:53 AM
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I have a request for Fenix and Dinotte owners

Now that I have a Fenix myself and like it well, I have a request.

Would someone that has a Fenix flashlight and a Dinotte 200L that includes a helmet mount reverse their normal roles and place the Fenix on the bar and the Dinotte 200L on the helmet?

The reason that I would like someone to do this is that I think the combination of the Fenix on the bar and Dinotte on the helmet would be better than the Dinotte on the bar and the Fenix on the helmet. Here is my reasoning.

The Fenix is described as having a broader spill and narrower hotspot/beam. That sounds like a good description for a bar light to me. Conversely, the Dinotte has much less spill and a bigger hot spot/beam. That sounds like a description of a helmet light to me.

I made a bar mount for my Fenix using the inner tube video as a guide. I plan to test it in combination with my Princeton Tec Switchback 3 mounted on my helmet. The weather has been bad here and I have not had a chance to do any night riding since I came up with this plan.

In additon to those being more appropriate applications of the specific lights, it is more convenient for me. The Princeton Tec has a convenient release but does come off large handlebars easily or quickly. Also I wrap the wires around the brake cable to keep them in place. As a result, I just remove the light head and battery when I take it off and leave the mount. This takes up bar space and is generally undesireable from an appearance and safety standpoint for daytime riding. Plus I don't like having the large battery mounted underneath my top tube. I feel much more comfortable with it in a jacket or jersey pocket. Conversely, the Fenix flashlight and mount can be removed easily in seconds and there will be nothing left on the bike for daytime riding.

Now many of you are probably thinking that I will be stuck with the PT SW3 mounted on my helmet during daytime rides. That is true and I went to great links to route the wires and strap them to my helmet using the supplied straps. However, since I purchased a more expensive, better ventilated helmet for the summer, I just use my old helmet during the day and my helmet with the light mounted at night. Since I do not commute, just ride recreationally, that is not a problem.
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Old 01-19-08, 12:41 PM
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I have a Princeton Tec SB3, a Fenix L2D Q5 and a Dinotte 600L. I have tried them all on helmet and handlebars except for putting the SB3 on the helmet (too big and heavy).

My experience is that the extra output of the 600L is wasted on the helmet and does not provide better visibility than the L2D. In fact, if there is any rain, mist or fog, it's a lot worse since it just illuminates the water droplets.

The 600L provides more useful light on the handlebars. I mostly use it close to the top of my fork crown, where it's mounted using a Minoura "Besso" mount. The fork is better because it does not interfere with my Arkel Big Handlebar Bag and being slightly lower, it highlights terrain features like branches and potholes better.

I don't really use the SB3 much since it's so much heavier than the 600L and not nearly as bright.

I have used all three a few times and received a lot of negative feedback from motorists, pedestrians and fellow cyclists -- so unless you are the only person on the road, I wouldn't recommend it.

The "uber" combination (after lots of experimentation) is the L2D Q5 on the helmet, mounted to shine further down the road (using a wedge of wine cork to adjust altitude) and the 600L on the fork crown, shining closer in to highlight the road/path.

I also find the easy access to the L2D strobe mode useful during the day or in heavy traffic downtown to make totally sure I am seen. But I never strobe fellow cyclists or on the dark MUP.
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