Flashing headlight are annoying especially if very bright. If I use 2 headlights, putting one on steady the other flashing, what about mounting the steady one straight horizontal, and point the flashing one slightly downward so that it will not shoot directly at the drivers? The flashing one will still attract attention w/o being annoying. Opinions?

For night time or daytime, and what lights are you using?

Strobe on high powered lights should only be used during the daytime.. If you are using at night, it is best you use sos mode so as to not confuse drivers.. Strobe from a distance gives off the appearance of emergency vehicles approaching at night. There are a few lights that if they are nothing more than being seen lights have a slower paced flashing mode like the Romisen RC-C8 II R2 Flood-to-Throw LED Flashlight, it uses a variety of cells and can be adjusted from flood to tight beam, a very solid light.

https://www.shiningbeam.com/servlet/t...8-II-R2/Detail

They are regular 5-LED bike lights using 4 AAA batteries ($20~25-ish) for night use. I thought since I have two, putting one on strobe mode helps getting attention. I myself also don't like the flashing. What is "sos mode"?

I think I know what is the light you are mentioning. I had something similar but it was a four led with three AA batteries. Those are not too bad and they do work well in strobe mode along with a higher power light that's on steady. I do advice to mount the flasher away from the higher power light. Driver's does have a tendancy to stare at something strobing and if it is next to the brighter steady light, it may blind them temporary. I used to run mine on my helmet and a MS900 on my handlebar.

BTW, the mentioned SOS mode is a feature which some lights and flashlght have in the driver circuit. It allows you to select the SOS mode which will flash three short flashes then three long burst, and finally three short flashes which is the Morse Code for SOS (...---...) in English. However there are some Asian product that burst four short flash instead of three for the letter "S" (....---....) How they came to that? I really dunno.

Personally, I don't use the flashing mode on my front lights. It's too annoying and distracting, for me as well as drivers. You want to catch people's attention, not cause them to have seizures. I do use the flashing mode on tail-lights, but they are not as bright and red light is not so glaring.

I have a Planet Bike 2 W headlight (nothing special) and when running in flashing mode have had oncoming cars flash me with their highbeams while the sun was setting. Clearly, they thought it was too bright. The other day, I was traveling fast down hill and this really bright light caught my attention. I couldn't make anyting out but after a bit it flashed again. As I passed, I finally saw it was an oncoming recumbent. The slow flash rate had made it difficult for me to identify the source. I guess the lesson here is that there are intensities and flash rates that, depending on conditions, are optimum to achieve the desired effect.

Only slightly hijacking the thread, but I think that I'll end up with 3 of the above mentioned Romisens...

This light is not on par with some of the more recent leds, but puts out 200 lumens.. The strobe is very slow compared to the seizure inducing strobes that most other lights have.. The strobe is about 100-120 per minute..

Hmm, I was sorta afraid someone would say that. What would you recommend as the most current equivalent at as close to the same price point?

Of all the XML's I have bought, love this one, a little better throw than some other xmls and feels solid in your hand.. Head is slightly larger than the xmls sold in the 501B bodies but still small enough to work fine in a lockblock.. No issues with mode skipping like some of the other xml's I have bought.. I good mix would be an xml and romisen combo, one to see and other for being seen in flashing mode..

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1300-Lumen-L...item4cf7c2342b

For an inexpensive being seen light, I would give this one a try, I use them running and they put out about 60-70 lumens. The flashing mode is very steady at 100 pulses per minute / approx. You just need some velcro to attach to your helmet, at 8.00, a good deal.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/390322258314...84.m1439.l2649

It would be nice if the strobe rate of a light is adjustable by the user in a continuous way as on can sometimes brighten or dim a light. Bike makers, you hear?

Could be misinterpreting the info, but I believe that you can with certain Cygolite products. The OSP series and I think that the Hotshot tail light can be customized as well.