Dinotte 600L or Nightlightning Blaast?

[Pierce the Night]

I'm considering a bar-mounted LED light with three emitters so that I can have it flashing or strobing at the same time as it's lighting the way. Does anyone have side-by-side experience of the two makes I've named, please? Failing that, do please say if there's another make out there that I should also consider.

I had been intending to do it on the cheap, mounting various flashlights to handlebar and headstock but as I'm in the UK (for the present) choice is extremely limited and prices high. (Besides, I'm not good with my hands.) Then something happened today to make me realize I really must get better lights. I set-off on my regular five-to-six-hour off-road/country-lane route much later than normal whereupon someone took away the big yellow ball and I rediscovered the twisted joy to be had from riding into the ditch because a CatEye HL-EL500 (and a 5-LED flasher beside it) just ain't up to the job. Honestly, I would've been better-off holding out in front of me a glow-worm in a jam-jar.

Anyway, rant over: recommendations, please, if you will.

Pierce.

 

[Szemhazai]

Depends where you live... you have to calculate the customs + local tax + additional fees.

They have very similar output, but Blaast! have only one mode.

With Dinotte you will get 2 4Ah+ lipackc's and fast charger for them.

For Blaast! if you will buy only head you will have to buy some battery / battery holder / waterproof cables etc – to buy good quality components you will have to pay about 350$ so it's a bit cheaper than dinotte. If you will buy li-ion set from Nightlightning it will cost's you the same.

 

[Calina]

Depends where you live... you have to calculate the customs + local tax + additional fees.

They have very similar output, but Blaast! have only one mode.

With Dinotte you will get 2 4Ah+ lipackc's and fast charger for them.

For Blaast! if you will buy only head you will have to buy some battery / battery holder / waterproof cables etc – to buy good quality components you will have to pay about 350$ so it's a bit cheaper than dinotte. If you will buy li-ion set from Nightlightning it will cost's you the same.

At these prices you might as well consider Ktronic's MinT. Great look and great design.

 

[diesel_dad]

I'm considering a bar-mounted LED light with three emitters so that I can have it flashing or strobing at the same time as it's lighting the way. Does anyone have side-by-side experience of the two makes I've named, please? Failing that, do please say if there's another make out there that I should also consider.

I had been intending to do it on the cheap, mounting various flashlights to handlebar and headstock but as I'm in the UK (for the present) choice is extremely limited and prices high. (Besides, I'm not good with my hands.) Then something happened today to make me realize I really must get better lights. I set-off on my regular five-to-six-hour off-road/country-lane route much later than normal whereupon someone took away the big yellow ball and I rediscovered the twisted joy to be had from riding into the ditch because a CatEye HL-EL500 (and a 5-LED flasher beside it) just ain't up to the job. Honestly, I would've been better-off holding out in front of me a glow-worm in a jam-jar.

Anyway, rant over: recommendations, please, if you will.

Pierce.

I bought the Dinotte 600L over the Nightlightning. The cost was the same FOB Canada. The mounting systems were superior on the Dinotte. It seemed to be a more proven product. I also liked the taillight. I really like the modular nature of the system. And I also don't need to deal with shipping to and from NZ.

The most mickey mouse aspect of the Nightlightning mounting system was the velcro handlebar mount. It is probably fine if you mount the light on one bike and leave it there. But I have three primary bikes and two are used to commute -- so the light comes on and off frequently.

Both of the products look really good. I like the Dinotte. The Nightlightning is likely great as well.

 

[Pierce the Night]

Thanks, all. Sorry, I misled you: I'd (mis-)understood that with a one-light, triple-emitter system you can have a mixture of constant and flashing (or strobing), simultaneously. E-mails from both Dinotte and Nightlightning put me right: it's all the emitters in the same light constant, or all flashing. I suppose I'm looking for a twin-light system (so I can use one as a dedicated flasher/strobe). Calina's reference to the MinT looks interesting. Does anyone know whether the maker is selling complete systems? I'm not practical, so need to purchase something that'll be complete and work without my having to source other bits (nor any faffing-about). I just want to light-up the trail or road and, when the latter, warn the oncoming car-bound nutter round the next blind bend of my presence.

Thanks again,

Pierce.

 

[mechBgon]

I have the 600L and while it would flash all the emitters at once, it has a mode where they are all lit at low output between flashes, so you are never in the dark. You may already have discerned that from your correspondence with DiNotte, of course.

In practical terms, if you want strobe on demand, you could set the 600L head to the strobing mode of your choice, then push the high-beam button (the left button). The head will then run at maximum steady output, but pushing the other button (the right button) will recall the last mode you used before you pushed the high-beam button, namely the strobing mode.

You would want to practice a bit so you can hit the correct button at a moment's notice, so this still might not be as good an option as mounting a separate flashing light. If I were picking a small separate light to run strobing at all times, then at this point I would bypass the bicycle-specific ones and look at a Fenix L2D-series or another compact 2xAA torch which has high output and a strobe mode. Pair that up with rechargeable NiMH AA's and a TwoFish lockblock (a simple Velcro affair) and you're all set Also, such torches have enough power to make a decent backup headlight in their own right. Fenix-store.com sells the lockblocks and of course the torches, and I believe they ship overseas, so that may help overcome the limited selection you're seeing in the UK.

In the bigger picture, also consider reflective and/or self-illuminating legbands, and a neon-lime reflective vest such as highway workers use. Tires with reflective sidewalls can also help convey the right idea. All these safety measures (except lighted legbands) do require that the nutters have their headlights turned on, so there's light to reflect back to them, so they're just supplemental... but still valuable in many cases.

 

[Calina]

Calina's reference to the MinT looks interesting. Does anyone know whether the maker is selling complete systems? I'm not practical, so need to purchase something that'll be complete and work without my having to source other bits (nor any faffing-about). I just want to light-up the trail or road and, when the latter, warn the oncoming car-bound nutter round the next blind bend of my presence.

Thanks again,

Pierce.

You can PM Ktronik (or Darell), he is a member of CPF.

 

[dom]

Hi Pierce
Re: The min-T
Will be making some different rear covers this weekend -you can get a full built one.I have a few spare housings for these to go on.
Check out these threads
http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=177001
http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=172053

You can also check the site Ktronik made,below -though it needs updating.

Cheers
Dom