Date: Fri, 02 Oct 1998 16:59:08 -0700
From: Kerry Kunsman <kerryk@cari.net>
Subject: Cateye CPSC Approved Flasher vs. CygoLite

After Thomas' comments and reflector comparison graph last month I had to
take a look at Cateye's TL-LD500-R (the C.P.S.C. approved one) flasher
light.  I picked one up at my local REI and mounted it on the rear rack of
my wife's bike.  For comparison I used a CygoLite 5 LED flasher (my
personal favorite) mounted on the rear rack of my commuter.  I prefer the
CygoLite over the VistaLite 300 series primarily because it has an internal
switch to select steady flashing or steady beam.  This means the switch
simply turns it on or off and you don't have to fool around with what mode
(blinking or steady) it is in.  I've found the reflector characteristics of
the CygoLite and VistaLite to be very similar.

For my admittedly unscientific test I stood both bikes side by side at one
end of a dark driveway in my backyard.  First I left both blinkers off to
compare the reflector qualities of both lights.  Standing about 45 feet
away I aimed a flashlight towards the back of the bikes.  From straight
behind the Cateye reflected only on the small vertical rectangle (7/8" X 1
5/8") in the center area only.  Both sides were dark.  The CygoLite, on the
other hand, was illuminated over its entire surface (2" X 2 1/2").  In the
reflective area the Cateye may have been slightly brighter, but my
perception of them seemed that they were about equal in brightness.
Overall, the CygoLite seemed much brighter due to its larger area.  From
about a 15 degree angle off to the sides of the bikes (limited by the area
I was in) there appeared to be no change.  The Cateye was still only
illuminated in the small center section and the CygoLite still reflected
back over the entire surface.  I realize that this angle is not very large,
but it does approximate where vehicle headlights would be (at least the
right one - USA) on a passing vehicle.

I then turned both lights on to compare them during normal operation.  I
definitely prefer CygoLites fast blink rate (approximately 5 Hz.).  Cateye
has a series of three rapid blinks (approximately 3 Hz.) followed by a 1
second pause, then repeats.  With the flashlight off I would tend to lose
mental track of where the light was.  The rapid continuous flashing of the
CygoLite did not seem to cause this problem.  BTW the CygoLite comes in 5
LED and 3 LED versions.  Although I prefer the 5 LED version the 3 LED
version is almost as good.  The lens/reflector is identical.

With the flashlight aimed at the operating flashes you no longer lost track
of the Cateye between flash series.  The reflected rectangle was visible
but the LEDs still seemed to dominate the visual information.  With the
CygoLite, although you could still see the LEDs flashing the reflective
light dominated what you saw.  To me this is the preferable situation; from
the distance the LEDs warn that you are up there, and as a vehicle with
lights on approaches the reflector takes over.

In summary, although I applaud Cateye for pioneering a CPSC reflector
approved light and I realize compromises must be made to meet the standard,
I think I will stick to my CygoLites.  However, I am thinking about
mounting the Cateye to the seatpost, or similar location, in addition to my
other lighting.

Kerry Kunsman
San Diego, CA