Joined
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242 Posts
Just got one of these,and it works out really well for night rides and XC skiing. It has an excellent beam size.
Check out http://www.danolite.com/
Check out http://www.danolite.com/
new headlight!
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Plain - simple - neat - light.
Can't go wrong. I wouldn't be using one of these as a primary light on the bike, but for commuting, or paired with another light it would be sweet. I guess XC skiing would be a little slower, so it would probably be a little better suited. Nice price too.
Do you have some closer pics of your own that you could share??
Let us know how it goes out on the trail.
Cheers, Dave.
Can't go wrong. I wouldn't be using one of these as a primary light on the bike, but for commuting, or paired with another light it would be sweet. I guess XC skiing would be a little slower, so it would probably be a little better suited. Nice price too.
Do you have some closer pics of your own that you could share??
Let us know how it goes out on the trail.
Cheers, Dave.
Joined
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242 Posts
Been using the Danolite for a few months now on mountain bike rides and my commute to work. Nice, very lightweight setup......great burn time....battery charger works well. The website was recently updated also with a pic of the beam. They also acccept credit cards for payment. Check it out!
www.danolite.com
www.danolite.com
I was looking for a product review on the Danolite but didn't find one. After my friend brought his Danolite, along with his bike out to SLO this past week, I felt like posting this:
The Danolite is very very light, but that's where it starts...and ends. It didn't power up like other LED lights so we decided to really check it out. An xray revealed NO efficient circuits or any power converter whatsoever. Disappointing especially since the website makes this claim. Although the output was adequate for a 3W LED, it is nowhere near as bright in my REAL WORLD conditions as my 10W Halogen, even in the 6W mode! The automatic cameras will make the Danolite look as bright as an aircraft landing light. Again, a very disappointing claim. My last ding on the Danolite is that it can't operate with standard AA batteries since it has no power converter. Put 6V on it (instead of a rechargeable's 4.8) and look quickly because the LED WILL burn out...so be careful.
OK, so I'm down on this light because of the deceptive claims. It really isn't a finished product, like the Dinotte. For about $15 more in finishing, the Danolite would be THE LIGHT. Right now, it is a $30 or $40 accessory!
Ride safely,
Dave, SLO, CA
The Danolite is very very light, but that's where it starts...and ends. It didn't power up like other LED lights so we decided to really check it out. An xray revealed NO efficient circuits or any power converter whatsoever. Disappointing especially since the website makes this claim. Although the output was adequate for a 3W LED, it is nowhere near as bright in my REAL WORLD conditions as my 10W Halogen, even in the 6W mode! The automatic cameras will make the Danolite look as bright as an aircraft landing light. Again, a very disappointing claim. My last ding on the Danolite is that it can't operate with standard AA batteries since it has no power converter. Put 6V on it (instead of a rechargeable's 4.8) and look quickly because the LED WILL burn out...so be careful.
OK, so I'm down on this light because of the deceptive claims. It really isn't a finished product, like the Dinotte. For about $15 more in finishing, the Danolite would be THE LIGHT. Right now, it is a $30 or $40 accessory!
Ride safely,
Dave, SLO, CA
I don't see any mention on the Danolite website claiming that this light features any additional circuitry. :skep:anavig8or said:
It has been proved on many occasions that halogen lights in fact appear brighter then LED based lights on digital cameras, as they emit more light in the infra-red spectrum, which the camera picks up and represents as light. Using a digital camera in an "automatic" setting is foolish (read useless) for making comparisons between lights anyway.anavig8or said:
However I do agree that a single 3 watt won't be as bright as a 10 watt halogen, although with a suitable optic choice, I'm sure it could illuminate an area just as well. The higher colour temperature of LED based lights often gives the perception on a brighter light.
While not ideal, it is quite possible to use single 3 watt Luxeon with a BIN that shows a reasonable forward voltage and direct drive it off 4 AA NiMh cells. As you mention, alkaline cells would not be a good idea, however with a carefully considered resistor choice for the BIN Luxeon being used, it is still quite doable without a regulator.anavig8or said:
The beauty of using NiMh cells for direct driving a Luxeon is that their discharge curve settles very quickly, and remains reasonably flat for most of the discharge. This means constant light output for most of the lights burn time.
Most don't have the luxury, but with a careful choice of BIN and a suitable resistor choice it its just possible to build a light that can be run off both NiMh and Alkaline AA cells. Neither situation would be ideal in terms of drive current, but well within the specification of the 3 watt Luxeon all the same. Have a read of the relevant datasheets, and have a play around with the LED Pro program.
You keep implying that a lack of regulation is a bad thing. Depending on the intended application, cell choice and Luxeon BIN, it isn't such a bad way to go at all. However there is no denying that for a wider range of cell choice and constant light output throughout the run time, a buck or boost topology regulator is usually a better choice.
As far as the Danolite is concerned, I sent an email to Dan which was promptly replied to. He was reluctant to go into the technical details of his light, which is understandable. However he did stress that only 1.2v NiMh cells can be used with his light. He also stressed that his light keeps an even intensity over the battery discharge.
Again, I don't see how Dan is making "deceptive claims"?anavig8or said:
From my point of view the Danolite looks to be very much "finished". If you insist on blowing a fortune on "throw away" alkaline cells and have a sound knowledge of electronics and know for sure what you're working on, it would be very easy to make a simple constant current regulator for a just a couple of dollars.anavig8or said:
Alternatively there are heaps or more advanced regulator designs out there, and if circuit design is not your thing there are plenty of regulators being sold within the modified flashlight scene that would work very well.
I understand that performancebike.com had the DiNotte going cheap recently. Not sure if that is still the case or not.CDtofer said:
Happy trails, Dave.
Joined
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332 Posts
I got the dinotte from performancebike.com use the 10% off cupon code and the .99$ shiping and its like 153$ total.
the codes should be posted up on the cupon section of bikeforums.net or here I forget wich forum has them.
Im very happy with performance, they are the only place I have got bike stuff from so far. My first order came in today actually with my 53$ mallet C's and my awsome marine corps jersy!
the codes should be posted up on the cupon section of bikeforums.net or here I forget wich forum has them.
Im very happy with performance, they are the only place I have got bike stuff from so far. My first order came in today actually with my 53$ mallet C's and my awsome marine corps jersy!
Correction
I stand corrected. The website for the Danolite has been changed. It no longer makes reference to "efficient" circuits. So we're down to one deceptive claim. Lowrider has confirmed my observations with respect to the comparison between this LED (and any other LED that is being used in bicycle lighting) and a 10W halogen lamp.
In my opinion, the "bar" for a light is versatility. Making something that will only work with a specific type of battery isn't very versatile.
You be the judge.
Ride safely,
Dave, SLO, CA
I stand corrected. The website for the Danolite has been changed. It no longer makes reference to "efficient" circuits. So we're down to one deceptive claim. Lowrider has confirmed my observations with respect to the comparison between this LED (and any other LED that is being used in bicycle lighting) and a 10W halogen lamp.
In my opinion, the "bar" for a light is versatility. Making something that will only work with a specific type of battery isn't very versatile.
You be the judge.
Ride safely,
Dave, SLO, CA
No not exactly. I think I stated that a single 3 watt LED might not quite compare in brightness to a 10 watt halogen. I also stated that the higher colour temperature of LED's gives the perception of a brighter light. With the right optic or reflector choice you could illuminate an area just as well as a 10 watt halogen.
For serious riding off road I would want more light then what a single 3 watt LED could provide. However on the same token, a 10 watt halogen would be the bare minimum that I would use too. The DiNotte, Vega, and other smaller LED based lights are in this same category in my opinion. They are great lights, and they work off road very well when used with another primary light on the bike.
You might be interested in the reviews here and here.
From your comments I get the feel that you don't think any LED light can be used as a primary light off road. In general I think any LED based light that features at least a pair or more of 3 watt or 5 watt LED's can easily be used as a primary light off road. I personally ride with an array of three 3 watt LED's, and it compares very favourably with an overvolted 20 watt halogen once both battery packs have settled. While the halogen may be just a little brighter, the higher colour temperature and better optics of the LED based light really does illuminate a lot better then the halogen.
If you haven't already, have a look at lights like the Nightlightning Endurenz, or the Cateye Double Shot or Triple Shot. There are many other decent LED based lights out there, these are just the first two that come to mind.
The semiconductor technology behind the LED's is steadily improving; the lumen per watt ratio just keeps on getting better and better. Another few years and HID will be a thing of the past. :thumbsup:
Dave.
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