mechBgon

I got my DiNotte 300R yesterday.


Package contents, minus the packing materials.


The light has a quick-release receptacle that slides over the two-hole swivel tabs and locks into one of the holes. They're US-style reflector brackets, and you can get more of them at your LBS since they're not a proprietary DiNotte item. If you prefer to bolt the light on, remove the quick-release receptacle and you'll find two threaded holes so you can bolt the light on instead.



Runtime/charging info from the instruction sheet



The 300R charging from my computer's USB port







The 300R is bigger than I realized from the photos. The black part is one machined block of aluminum. It feels quite solid and hefty.



Weight comparison to a SuperFlash with NiMH AAAs. The 300R is about 100 grams lighter than my DiNotte 140 with a 2-cell Li-ion battery pack and a minimalist light mount.

Beamshots
To compare lights, right-click the links below and open them in new tabs. Then you can click from one tab to another to compare lights back-to-back.

Planet Bike BRT5

NiteRider Cherry Bomb

Planet Bike SuperFlash

PDW Radbot 1000

DiNotte 140 on LOW

DiNotte 140 on HIGH

DiNotte 300R on HIGH. It's not your imagination, the 300R has lower intensity than the 140, because the beam is more diffused.

Nova BULL powered by a DiNotte Li-ion battery pack. This is a weatherproof emergency-vehicle mini-strobe, about 120 lumens for the red model, and runs well on 9.6-15 volts. It's not made for bikes, so mounting it required creativity.

Ultrafire WF-501B flashlight with native red LED (does not have a flash mode). This could be a nice add-on if you routinely ride in very thick fog , but you'd need to aim it precisely since it's such a focused beam.

The photos were taken at f8.0, 3.2 seconds exposure, ISO 50, auto white balance. The lights were running in steady-burn mode to allow general intensity comparisons. Distance to the wall is about 6 meters.


Remarks

With most rechargeable lights, you're advised to unplug the battery pack when storing or packing the light. This prevents the light from accidentally turning on and setting your suitcase on fire ;-) and also prevents the battery from being depleted in long-term storage by lights that have "soft-off," such as DiNottes, instead of a mechanical ON/OFF switch. But since the 300R's battery can't be unplugged, (1) keep it on the charger if you aren't going to use it for a long time; and (2) if you pack the 300R, put it inside something cylindrical like an empty shampoo bottle, to prevent its power button from being bumped or held down.

Day or night, I'd feel confident on fast highways with the 300R, the 140, the Nova, or other lights that have that level of output, as long as they're running a flashing mode. They'd also help ease my mind in fog, heavy snow, heavy rain, or heavy glare (riding towards the rising or setting sun). If you want a high-output taillight like this, but $200 is too much, consider the Magicshine or the AA-powered DiNotte 140.

If properly aimed, even a smaller light like a SuperFlash will really help in overcast or twilight conditions, not to mention in darkness. So if you're sticking with your trusty SuperFlash/etc, or keeping it onboard as a secondary light, make sure it's aimed right at the overtaking traffic, because the beam is pretty directional. Make it count.

mechBgon

*reserved for additional pics and info later*

I wanted to put the light relatively low, so it's not right in the face of a person who's stopped behind me in traffic, so I drilled out two swivel tabs, linked them with a very long chainring bolt & nut, and stuck it on the lower fender-strut bracket of my SKS P35s:

hammond9705

Nice write-up, thanks for the pics. How solid does the quick release mount look? I would prefer to sue that to make it easier to charge, but would hate to lose a $200 light going over a bump.

mechBgon

I agree about the concern over the quick-release. Even though it's quite strongly spring-loaded, I'd be reluctant to have it aiming downwards, where the QR would be responsible for keeping the light on the swivel tab. Aiming upwards, where the QR just needs to keep the light from travelling upwards, I'm comfortable that it'll stay put. Yeah, no one wants to lose a $200 taillight

I also have some concern about the strength of the plastic in very cold weather, and might switch to a metal version with bolt-on mounting if it gets really cold here.

IronMac

Great write-up mech! Thanks!

Richard Cranium

Yes - a most excellent review. Too bad you didn't compare the MS tailight - the only one I in tend to use.

And one other thing, I think your camera's aperture or other light setting could have been compromised during some of the shots. I saw harsh shadows on the wall behind the bike in some shots and nothing in others. (right by tires) The shadows indicate a brighter light offer more contrast - yet the overall look in the photo the light appears dimmer.

BSB

Looks to me like it's simply a difference in the distance between the camera and the light. With the light and the camera close together, the shadow is mostly hidden by the bike; when the light is a bit further from the camera, the shadow moves so you can see it.

10 Wheels

Great Post, Thanks, Loved the photos.

mechBgon

The photo you linked to is the Nova BULL, which is bolted to the rear rack on my mountain bike, so I wasn't able to put the light in the same position as the other lights, which I held by hand on top of my computer monitor. That's also why there might be slight differences in the aim of the various lights. Overall, the main story is just that the 300R puts out a lot of light in a VERY diffused pattern. If I had the MS taillight I would've included it for sure

socalrider

Can this light be clipped onto a seatpack or does it have to be hard mounted on the frame or seatpost?

Thanks.

mechBgon

It can't be clipped on as-is. I think the easiest way to mount it to a bag would be to get an extra swivel tab from the LBS, and figure out a way to attach that to the bag permanently, then clip the light onto it.

Alternately, you could remove the four-screw QR receptacle from the light, then put a clip of your own onto the light using the two bigger bolt holes. But you'd want a pretty strong clip, since you'll have to drill holes through both parts of it. The first thing coming to mind is the metal clip from the legendary Belt Beacon that was common in the '80s.

tommyturbo

Mech,

Great review. Please help me understand how the 300r compares with the 140 and 400. Dinotte tells me that it is in between in terms of brightness, but you have said that while the 300r has a more diffused beam, the 140r is actually brighter.

I have sold my 140 and am trying to decide if I should just keep the 400, or if I should get the 300 for the cleaner installation, etc.

Bottom line--for daylight only use on a road bike, how do the 140, 300, and 400 stack up in your opinion?

Thanks!

mechBgon

I haven't done a long-range comparison between the 300R and the 140, so I'm not sure which appears brighter to the naked eye in the daytime. The 140 has higher intensity at the center of its beam, but then again the 300R is a much larger physical target. I'm giving my 140 to someone, so I won't have time to go out and get firsthand impressions.

I've seen the 400R on a customer's bike, but neglected to do a head-to-head comparison with my other lights so I'm just speculating about how the 400, 300 and 140 compare. But I'm guessing the 400 uses the same optics as the 300? So it boils down to which you want more: a self-contained light that's simple to move from bike to bike, or the additional output of the 400 over the 300, however much that might be.

If you're happy with the 400R and don't see a lot of value in the quick-release, multi-bike aspect of the 300R, then I lean towards keeping the 400R.

BarracksSi

In the bottom left of the box -- a mount for aero seat tubes? No kidding? I didn't know they were doing that now. How deep/long of a tube will that thing fit? I wish I had one on hand to see for myself.

PaulRivers

Great picture for size comparison - thanks! :-)

Is the "low" mode on the light still obnoxiously to bright for bikers behind you, do you know?

It is on my 140L. Just to be clear, what's obnoxiously to bright for a biker behind you is not the same as being to bright for a car behind you. But I've found the inability to turn down my 140L requires that I also have a 2nd regular blink on my bike when I'm doing any sort of group ride or people complain (got 3 or 4 complaints from different people before I started only using the blinky on a group ride).

BarracksSi

FWIW, one reason I haven't yet turned in my 200 and 140 setups to Dinotte for an upgrade is the instant aim-ability of the O-ring mounts. I've had a few instances where, after seeing another rider behind me, I reached down and pointed the taillight to the ground. The riders thanked me, saying stuff like, "Thanks, that's awfully bright... what is it, though? It's cool." Same with the headlight when I'm stuck on a MUP.

mechBgon

It's not big enough to fit the typical aero seatpost I see on customer's bikes. Here's a couple photos. Maybe it's supposed to fit seatstays? I dunno.





Yeah, it would still be pretty brutal at point-blank range like that. I know what you're saying... if I go on a group ride with a DiNotte, I turn it off unless I'm at the rear, and just use a SuperFlash. If conditions are dicey, like dusk on a no-shoulder road, I turn on the DiNotte and just stay in back. Honestly guys, I'm not sucking your wheel because I *want* to, it's for your own good

I'm starting to have second thoughts about the fender as a mounting location, after discovering that the metal fender clip at the brake bridge has broken (SKS P35 fenders with steel clip).

sd1986

i am sure its a great light - just looks like a prototype model - course finish and screw construction

ZippyThePinhead

I know, bad form resurrecting a dead thread, but I'm looking to buy a 400R, and this was such an excellent write-up by the OP, I just had to give kudos.

Better to ask forgiveness rather than permission, in this case.

metalheart44

Thanks for the resurrection ... you are forgiven. For daylight riding, I have been considering the 300R/400 lights or if I could get one reasonably soon, a Design Shine. I have internal cable routing to keep a very clean look on my bike, so I would prefer not to have to mount a battery on the frame. The 300R seems as if it is bright enough, but if I could sort out a way for a clean battery mount, I would get the brightest light available. The OPs original beam shots are very helpful...

unterhausen

it's not that dead. Funny when someone digs up a thread from 2003 and none of the usernames are recognizable.

At the time this thread was written, I was thinking about getting either the 400 or the 300. Apparently it takes a while for me to make up my mind

agent pombero

Since I have a rear rack installed I'm going for the 400 because the external battery can just be secured to the rack or inside the saddle bag when it is cold.

unterhausen

if you do, please post pics

budmol3

I've had this light for about a year. When you remove the light from the mount it is possible to bend the spring to the point where it doesn't engage. It can easily be bent back but this is something to check when putting the light on the mount. I also found that the light tends to rattle on the mount; it took a while to find the source of the noise but it is easily cured with a small piece of tape on the mount. I use it regularly in group rides and have had no complaints.

cehowardGS

That is a bright one I tell you that..

There are two schools of thought here. The OP recommends and does a low mount. A lot of posters with way more experience and savvy then me, recommend the higher the rear light the better. As is a rear light on a helmet is better than a rear light mounted on the seatpost. The OP has their light mounted on fender and his intentions was not to have it in people's eye.

In a neutral perspective, a rear light is there for you to be "seen"..The proponents of the higher the light the better, are on the principle that it can be seen even over top of cars, IMO, good point. Whereas, the OP wants their light to be down away from drivers eye, that, IMO, might be defeating the purpose.

Again, that was a neutral comment, and I am sure this thread is back to life and well..