Anybody using the DiNotte Ultralight?

[Gooserider]

<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> Gooserider wrote:
>> "David L. Johnson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> news[email protected]...
>> > On Wed, 09 Nov 2005 22:32:18 +0000, Gooserider wrote:
>> >
>> >> Performance has this on sale for Team P members, and it looks like a
>> >> well
>> >> made light with a very small footprint. Anybody have any experience
>> >> with
>> >> it?
>> >
>> > I've been commuting with it since just before the time change. I'm
>> > quite
>> > happy with it.
>> >
>> David--
>>
>> Thanks for the information. I am looking forward to getting this
>> light. I have a fairly dark commute, but I think this light plus my LED
>> vest, two blinkies, reflective ankle strap, and maybe a helmet light
>> should
>> have me covered.
>>
>> Mike
>
> Mike: Have you had a chance to try it out yet? Nashbar has them on
> sale now, so I'm contemplating a purchase. Does anyone know anything
> about cost and availability of replacement bulbs?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Bruce

Bruce--

When I ordered from Performance the website didn't show the item being
on backorder, but it was. Fed Ex has it and should deliver tomorrow, so I
will be able to test it over the Thanksgiving weekend. As for bulbs, it was
my understanding that LEDs don't burn out. Am I mistaken?

Mike

 

[[email protected]]

Mike: My understanding is that they last a long time, but eventually
burn out. I did get a response from Dinotte that the light is under
warranty for two years, which includes the bulb. If it burns out after
that you have to return the light to them for bulb replacement (it is
not user servicable). Current bulb replacement cost is $40, but they
expected better and cheaper bulbs in two years.

I'm looking forward to hearing your opinion of the light. Hope you
like it.

Bruce

 

[Gooserider]

<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Mike: My understanding is that they last a long time, but eventually
> burn out. I did get a response from Dinotte that the light is under
> warranty for two years, which includes the bulb. If it burns out after
> that you have to return the light to them for bulb replacement (it is
> not user servicable). Current bulb replacement cost is $40, but they
> expected better and cheaper bulbs in two years.
>
> I'm looking forward to hearing your opinion of the light. Hope you
> like it.
>
> Bruce

Bruce--

I got the light today, and managed to take it out for a short
nighttime cruise. Much brighter than the Hong Kong 21 LED eBay special I
have on my town bike, but the HK light was 10 bucks, too. My first
impression was disbelief that a light so small could possibly be very
bright. I was mistaken. The light is so bright that glancing at it directly
for more than a second is almost painful. The beam is not very tightly
focused, but that is a good thing. I found my entire lane illuminated, plus
some. I was only able to get out for a half hour, but the light didn't get
really hot. I'm sure it would after a couple of hours, but I don't intend to
take it out that long.
The mounting setup is pretty ingenious, and very simple. The light
itself is machined from a piece of aluminum, and it's about the size of a
roll of Life Savers, except a bit fatter. There's a scalloped cutout on the
bottom of the light that matches up with your bar, and the light is held in
place with a big O-ring. It doesn't look like a proprietary part, it kind of
looks like a vacuum cleaner belt. Should be easy to find another if/when it
breaks. The battery pack velcroes under the stem, and a separate strap is
included to secure the power cord. Total installation time is less than a
minute. Simple and elegant.
I will have more time to ride with the light and will post a followup
once I commute a few times with it. So far, it seems like a winner. If
you're considering one, Performance has them on sale, and their price is
better than Nashbar(but I think Nashbar will price match).

Mike

 

[[email protected]]

Mike: Thanks for the review, your comments are very helpful. From
what I understand from David Johnson's earlier post, the batteries are
just conventional AAs in some kind of holder. So it would be easy to
carry spares and swap them out if needed. Is that correct? The
Dinotte website doesn't describe the battery pack.

Bruce

 

[David L. Johnson]

On Wed, 23 Nov 2005 19:01:16 -0800, kayrideout wrote:

> Mike: Thanks for the review, your comments are very helpful. From
> what I understand from David Johnson's earlier post, the batteries are
> just conventional AAs in some kind of holder. So it would be easy to
> carry spares and swap them out if needed. Is that correct?

No, that is not correct. It comes supplied with AA-sized rechargeable
1.3V NiMH batteries, along with the charger. They say you can use
standard AAs in a pinch, but these NiMH batteries are available cheaply.
I'd get more of them, and keep them charged. The holder is also pretty
standard; I'd bet there are some at Radio Shack. A spare holder full of
freshly-charged batteries would be the best bet for spares, and I plan to
do that as soon as I get around to it.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | I believe that the motion picture is destined to revolutionize
_`\(,_ | our educational system and that in a few years it will supplant
(_)/ (_) | largely, if not entirely, the use of textbooks -- Thomas
Edison, 1922

 

[Marty]

David L. Johnson wrote:
> On Wed, 23 Nov 2005 19:01:16 -0800, kayrideout wrote:
>
>
>>Mike: Thanks for the review, your comments are very helpful. From
>>what I understand from David Johnson's earlier post, the batteries are
>>just conventional AAs in some kind of holder. So it would be easy to
>>carry spares and swap them out if needed. Is that correct?
>
>
> No, that is not correct. It comes supplied with AA-sized rechargeable
> 1.3V NiMH batteries, along with the charger. They say you can use
> standard AAs in a pinch, but these NiMH batteries are available cheaply.
> I'd get more of them, and keep them charged. The holder is also pretty
> standard; I'd bet there are some at Radio Shack. A spare holder full of
> freshly-charged batteries would be the best bet for spares, and I plan to
> do that as soon as I get around to it.
>

Be aware that NiMH batterys are 1.2 volts whilst conventional dry cells
are 1.5 volts. Power increases with the square of the voltage so you
should see a difference in brightness between the two types of batterys.
If the light is designed with NiMH batterys in mind then you may risk
burning out the bulb with dry cells.

Marty

 

[Gooserider]

<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Mike: Thanks for the review, your comments are very helpful. From
> what I understand from David Johnson's earlier post, the batteries are
> just conventional AAs in some kind of holder. So it would be easy to
> carry spares and swap them out if needed. Is that correct? The
> Dinotte website doesn't describe the battery pack.
>
> Bruce

Yep. The batter holder is just a plastic rectangle that holds the 4
batteries and fits inside the nylon case. DiNotte even includes a plastic
clamshell type case for spare batteries. Very considerate of them.

 

[Gooserider]

<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Mike: Thanks for the review, your comments are very helpful. From
> what I understand from David Johnson's earlier post, the batteries are
> just conventional AAs in some kind of holder. So it would be easy to
> carry spares and swap them out if needed. Is that correct? The
> Dinotte website doesn't describe the battery pack.
>
> Bruce

Second reply. The batteries are rechargeable AAs, but those are readily
available. The ideal plan would be to have two sets of batteries or more,
and always carry spares. The manufacturer gives a three hour run time on the
low setting, and their idea of low is very bright. Running out of juice
shouldn't be a problem.

 

[Jasper Janssen]

On Thu, 24 Nov 2005 11:47:39 +0800, Marty <[email protected]> wrote:

>David L. Johnson wrote:
>Be aware that NiMH batterys are 1.2 volts whilst conventional dry cells
>are 1.5 volts. Power increases with the square of the voltage so you
>should see a difference in brightness between the two types of batterys.
>If the light is designed with NiMH batterys in mind then you may risk
>burning out the bulb with dry cells.

If they say you can use alkalines in a pinch, presumably the light
includes a regulator. If it's a led light, that's doubly likely.

Jasper

 

[Mark Janeba]

Jasper Janssen wrote:
> On Thu, 24 Nov 2005 11:47:39 +0800, Marty <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>>David L. Johnson wrote:
>>Be aware that NiMH batterys are 1.2 volts whilst conventional dry cells
>>are 1.5 volts. Power increases with the square of the voltage so you
>>should see a difference in brightness between the two types of batterys.
>>If the light is designed with NiMH batterys in mind then you may risk
>>burning out the bulb with dry cells.
>
>
> If they say you can use alkalines in a pinch, presumably the light
> includes a regulator. If it's a led light, that's doubly likely.

If the light draws very much current, then alkalines will suffer a
voltage drop (relatively high internal resistance), even when new.
Can't say if the DiNotte's 1-3 hour burn time would constitute a high
enough current for AA alkalines to drop the voltage to ~1.2 volts, but
it's a possibility.

Maybe somebody with a DiNotte wants to put some alkalines in and put a
voltmeter across them while the light is turned on.

Mark

 

[[email protected]]

A couple notes on the DiNotte Lighing systems that I learned. (my
background/experience is both as a user and as a formere buyer for the
bike side of a small specialty shop) I have been using this light for
about 1 month now.

First off, I concur that the lights work great. very bright. the
other night while on an evening ride here in Seattle with my girlfriend
we decided to let hers run down and see how long it would put out light
beyond the low battery warning. (after low battery indication) we ran
it for the better part of an hour--with diminishing brightness, but
still if I rode ahead and looked back at here it was very visible which
for driver visibilty/safety standpoint is awesome--although it was too
dim to count as a legit headlight after that much time it was still
visible as a safety light.

the snap in battery pack holders are easy to find at radioshack, so
carrying two or more for a longer jaunt is cheap and accesssible.
also, there is the option to get a C cell battery pack which will
extend the burntime significantly (not sure on how long), or you could
make your own.

when researching these for our store, I learned a couple things about
the voltage, etc that has been previously discussed. first, the light
is protected from over voltage, so using 1.5V AA's will not burn out
the LED. secondly, the internal circutry in the housing to regulate
voltage also maintains the correct output so that the light does not
gradually lose brightness right from the get-go (like you would see in
an old halogen flashlight), but will only reduce in light output when
the batteries are signifcantly drained.

I have used/tested several other systems including the Cygolite 3W LED
systems, Planet Bike Insight and Alias, Vistalight, Nite Rider, and
probably a couple others. I really like this system and would
encourage you to try it out if you get the chance. If you have an
established Local Bike Shop, they can get these for you also. DiNotte
is very friendly with small dealers.

my 2 cents on possible improvements/additions are perhaps a way to
house the batteries in a more watertight housing...I have not had any
problems here in rainy old seattle, but it could be possible for rain
to penetrate and short the battries (not the light housing, only the
battery pack) and create problems. not an issue for fair weather
riders, but a nice idea for 24 hour racers or the "hard core" or those
that get cought in a massive downpour. like I said, I have not had a
moisture problem yet, but it is a pretty open battery system and it
could happen. secondly, I think it would be cool it if it had a lower
output flashing mode (like planet bike) so that if you were riding in
enough light you could flip it to blinky headlight mode on the way to
work so you don't get run over and still have almost your entire
battery charge for a full on lit up ride home.

KC

 

[[email protected]]

[email protected] wrote:
> A couple notes on the DiNotte Lighing systems that I learned....
>
> First off, I concur that the lights work great. very bright. the
> other night while on an evening ride here in Seattle with my girlfriend
> we decided to let hers run down and see how long it would put out light
> beyond the low battery warning. (after low battery indication) we ran
> it for the better part of an hour--with diminishing brightness, but
> still if I rode ahead and looked back at here it was very visible which
> for driver visibilty/safety standpoint is awesome--although it was too
> dim to count as a legit headlight after that much time it was still
> visible as a safety light....
>
> my 2 cents on possible improvements/additions are perhaps a way to
> house the batteries in a more watertight housing...
> secondly, I think it would be cool it if it had a lower
> output flashing mode....

I suppose this light, like most high-powered bike lights, has a "round"
beam, instead of one shaped to put the light on the road. Is that
correct?

- Frank Krygowski

 

[David L. Johnson]

On Thu, 24 Nov 2005 11:41:20 -0800, k.cottingham wrote:

> the snap in battery pack holders are easy to find at radioshack, so
> carrying two or more for a longer jaunt is cheap and accesssible.

I think that is the way to go.

> also, there is the option to get a C cell battery pack which will
> extend the burntime significantly (not sure on how long), or you could
> make your own.

Buying theirs would not seem to be cost-efficient, since the C battery
pack is about $100. They say it gives you 4 hours on high, but you could
do that with a couple of spare AA-size packs.

> my 2 cents on possible improvements/additions are perhaps a way to house
> the batteries in a more watertight housing...

I wonder whether the open housing might be better than a more-or-less
watertight one. This at least would not accumulate water, and would dry
out in a short time after the ride.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not
_`\(,_ | certain, and as far as they are certain, they do not refer to
(_)/ (_) | reality. -- Albert Einstein

 

[[email protected]]

I am using the Dinotte light. Purchased it from Performance about a
week ago.

So far, it is an excellent light, and I am happy with the purchase. I
bought it to replace a NiteRider RoadRat, after getting fed up with the
battery situation (I bought it new last season, used it about 20 times,
and then charged it fully, for storage. Took it out, and recharged it,
and it refuses to light for more than 5 minutes-I have gone through
numerous charge/discharge cycles per their recommendation to revive it,
without success). I even bought a used replacement battery on eBay for
the system, which ended up being slightly better, but decided to cut my
losses and buy the Dinotte.

Setup is easy. I had a set of rechargeable batteries (2300mAh) and used
them. I was unhappy to get only about 5 minutes run time on the high
setting, but it turned out to be my batteries-the included batteries,
once charged, delivered exactly the runtime advertised by the
manufacturer, if not a bit more. I ran them in my condo to test the
duration, and the light got warm, but not too hot. It ran on high for 1
hr, 50 minutes, and still had reserve time left, were I to need it to
run on lower power to finish a ride.

The light is super-bright, and well designed. I would prefer a
waterproof housing for the batteries, but the convenience and small
size of the nylon pouch is great.

I highly recommend this light, and feel it's well worth the price (on
sale at Performance)

Chris

 

[Road Rider]

[email protected] wrote:
> A couple notes on the DiNotte Lighing systems that I learned. (my
> background/experience is both as a user and as a formere buyer for the
> bike side of a small specialty shop) I have been using this light for
> about 1 month now.
>
> First off, I concur that the lights work great. very bright. the
> other night while on an evening ride here in Seattle with my girlfriend
> we decided to let hers run down and see how long it would put out light
> beyond the low battery warning. (after low battery indication) we ran
> it for the better part of an hour--with diminishing brightness, but
> still if I rode ahead and looked back at here it was very visible which
> for driver visibilty/safety standpoint is awesome--although it was too
> dim to count as a legit headlight after that much time it was still
> visible as a safety light.
>
> the snap in battery pack holders are easy to find at radioshack, so
> carrying two or more for a longer jaunt is cheap and accesssible.
> also, there is the option to get a C cell battery pack which will
> extend the burntime significantly (not sure on how long), or you could
> make your own.
>
> when researching these for our store, I learned a couple things about
> the voltage, etc that has been previously discussed. first, the light
> is protected from over voltage, so using 1.5V AA's will not burn out
> the LED. secondly, the internal circutry in the housing to regulate
> voltage also maintains the correct output so that the light does not
> gradually lose brightness right from the get-go (like you would see in
> an old halogen flashlight), but will only reduce in light output when
> the batteries are signifcantly drained.
>
> I have used/tested several other systems including the Cygolite 3W LED
> systems, Planet Bike Insight and Alias, Vistalight, Nite Rider, and
> probably a couple others. I really like this system and would
> encourage you to try it out if you get the chance. If you have an
> established Local Bike Shop, they can get these for you also. DiNotte
> is very friendly with small dealers.
>
> my 2 cents on possible improvements/additions are perhaps a way to
> house the batteries in a more watertight housing...I have not had any
> problems here in rainy old seattle, but it could be possible for rain
> to penetrate and short the battries (not the light housing, only the
> battery pack) and create problems. not an issue for fair weather
> riders, but a nice idea for 24 hour racers or the "hard core" or those
> that get cought in a massive downpour. like I said, I have not had a
> moisture problem yet, but it is a pretty open battery system and it
> could happen. secondly, I think it would be cool it if it had a lower
> output flashing mode (like planet bike) so that if you were riding in
> enough light you could flip it to blinky headlight mode on the way to
> work so you don't get run over and still have almost your entire
> battery charge for a full on lit up ride home.
>
> KC

Just thought I would add my opinion/experience to the discussion. I
run 2 of the DiNotte Ultralights, I also have the L&M Solo Logic MV,
and the Cygo Lite Hi-Flux LED light. The DiNotte light seemed a little
brighter than the L&M Solo in 10W mode but not 13W, using both DiNotte
lights appeared brighter than the Solo 13W mode but it was hard for me
to tell how much brighter. Because the L&M Solo can easily be aimed on
the fly it did give a much better long range but the downside is the
heat and power consumption not to mention the bulb cost (3 in the last
2 years). The Cygo Lite was no match even with the Ultrlight in low
mode but the "be seen" aspect was greater with both the Solo and the
Cygo Lite based on a single light. I believe this is because of the
larger reflectors of those lights, which really pays off for this
aspect; the DiNotte uses a lens but is still very bright as a "be
seen" light.

The DiNotte has a better cheaper battery solution since AA batteries
are cheap and plentiful. You can make a cable by using (removing) the
top connector of a cheap 9V battery and using 9-volt battery connectors
from Radio Shack (solder the leads to the connector) to run 2 packs of
AA cells in parallel to get better run time. Tenergy batteries are only
about $1 each (+ shipping) on ebay when you purchase 16 or more. BTW
don't use Radio Shack battery holders, they are really cheap and
don't work well with the high current drain of the light.

You can also change the lens with any good Luxeon 3W or 5W lens for
different beam spreads, DiNotte recommended Fraen lenses
http://www.luxeonstar.com/item.php?id=741&link_str=121::123&partno=FHS-HMB1-LB01-0
is just one source.

You might just wrap the battery pack in a lunch sandwich bag (not the
Zip Lock kind), which basically waterproofs it from rain.

Overall the light is easy to open to change lenses and if you have good
soldering skills you can easily change the LED later on when better
ones are available provided they have the same electrical
characteristics. BTW the light has a voltage boosting circuit to get
the higher voltage needed from a 4.8V battery pack so it does draw
about 1250 milliamps (measured) in high mode. Which works out to
2300/1250 = 1 hr 50 min. using the supplied batteries.

Over a 2-year period I believe the light will be cheaper to operate
than the L&M Solo Logic, which BTW is a great light.

RR

 

[Jasper Janssen]

On 24 Nov 2005 11:41:20 -0800, [email protected] wrote:

>my 2 cents on possible improvements/additions are perhaps a way to
>house the batteries in a more watertight housing...I have not had any
>problems here in rainy old seattle, but it could be possible for rain
>to penetrate and short the battries (not the light housing, only the
>battery pack) and create problems. not an issue for fair weather
>riders, but a nice idea for 24 hour racers or the "hard core" or those
>that get cought in a massive downpour. like I said, I have not had a
>moisture problem yet, but it is a pretty open battery system and it
>could happen. secondly, I think it would be cool it if it had a lower
>output flashing mode (like planet bike) so that if you were riding in
>enough light you could flip it to blinky headlight mode on the way to
>work so you don't get run over and still have almost your entire
>battery charge for a full on lit up ride home.

At the voltages we're talking, you could submerge the battery pack in the
river without shorting it out. Corrosion problems on the batteries, yes,
electrical shorting, not significantly. Sea water might be different,
since it's something like several hundred or a thousand times more
conductive, but even there the water would be unlikely to provide a better
path than the light.

Jasper