CloneWerks
Well-known member
Padonow "Smart" bike Tail Light with anti-theft alarm.
Purchased from Amazon.com $30 USD
Full disclosure, I'm a gadget geek and a complete sucker for "extra features" so be warned in advance (LOL).
This tail light is a fairly compact and appears to be reasonably rugged. It is powered by in internal battery that is rechargeable via Micro-USB and has the following features;
Weather resistance: The unit says it is IPX X5 waterproof. The seal for the USB charge port and the rubber button over the manual switch seem to be well designed and of quality material. I closed the USB port and sprayed this unit pretty hard with a hose (higher pressure than you'd get from riding in the rain) from various directions for about 5 minutes and saw no signs at all of water intrusion nor did it affect the functionality. [EDIT: I did forget to test the handlebar fob]. I left the unit sitting in the hot sun until the surface registered 106 degrees and also stuck it in the freezer until it got down to 30 degrees. Temperature did not seem to affect functionality though I suspect cold would reduce runtime just like any battery powered device.
Durability: I dropped this unit from 5 different angles from about 4ft height onto hard packed dirt and then did the same on blacktop. The edge of the lens got scuffed and dented but nothing cracked or broke and the unit appears to have retained it's functionality and waterproofness. I performed the same test with the fob and the only result was a slightly scratched fob.
The Alarm (and horn): Sure having a "car alarm" on your bike is a gimmick, but damn the thing is LOUD! I've seen some reviews that state their unit is not loud at all and I can only conclude that those reviewers got a faulty unit because mine is icepick-in-the-ear piercing loud. Once the alarm is set, a small bump will trigger a brief "don't touch me" alert. Continued vibrations will trigger a full blown 3 minute car alarm. The sensitivity of the alarm is adjustable so that random gusts of wind or other small vibrations don't set it off constantly. I like the electronic "bike horn" function because now I have my nice, polite, little bell on the handlebars...but then also have this loud WHAAAANK horn as well if you need something a bit more...strident.
Function and Duration: The modes are well suited to this light, the flashing is bright, even decently daylight bright and the brake light function is just plain cool (slow down and the accelerometer makes it solid and extra bright for 3 seconds). The advertising copy claims "up to 40 hrs of operation". I don't know about that but I hooked it up to something to keep it moving and left it running for 8 hours and, judging by the time it took to recharge, it still had plenty of life left. I also like that I can run a usb cable from the battery of my eBike to the tail light, and charge it in place. Handy and convenient.
Conclusion: At $30 a decently built bike light with all of these features is an absolute steal! I wish it somehow alerted the Fob if the alarm is going off, but that would probably add a lot of expense.
Recommendation: Buy it!
Purchased from Amazon.com $30 USD
Full disclosure, I'm a gadget geek and a complete sucker for "extra features" so be warned in advance (LOL).
This tail light is a fairly compact and appears to be reasonably rugged. It is powered by in internal battery that is rechargeable via Micro-USB and has the following features;
- Multiple Flashing modes including "daylight sensing" (turns off in full daylight to conserve battery) or always on.
- Multiple brightness levels
- Auto brake light (triggered by an internal accelerometer)
- Auto shut-off when stationary (triggered by an internal accelerometer)
- Auto re-activation when moved (triggered by an internal accelerometer)
- Electronic horn
- Electronic "tamper warning" and full blown "car alarm"
- Sounds also have 3 volume levels to select from
Weather resistance: The unit says it is IPX X5 waterproof. The seal for the USB charge port and the rubber button over the manual switch seem to be well designed and of quality material. I closed the USB port and sprayed this unit pretty hard with a hose (higher pressure than you'd get from riding in the rain) from various directions for about 5 minutes and saw no signs at all of water intrusion nor did it affect the functionality. [EDIT: I did forget to test the handlebar fob]. I left the unit sitting in the hot sun until the surface registered 106 degrees and also stuck it in the freezer until it got down to 30 degrees. Temperature did not seem to affect functionality though I suspect cold would reduce runtime just like any battery powered device.
Durability: I dropped this unit from 5 different angles from about 4ft height onto hard packed dirt and then did the same on blacktop. The edge of the lens got scuffed and dented but nothing cracked or broke and the unit appears to have retained it's functionality and waterproofness. I performed the same test with the fob and the only result was a slightly scratched fob.
The Alarm (and horn): Sure having a "car alarm" on your bike is a gimmick, but damn the thing is LOUD! I've seen some reviews that state their unit is not loud at all and I can only conclude that those reviewers got a faulty unit because mine is icepick-in-the-ear piercing loud. Once the alarm is set, a small bump will trigger a brief "don't touch me" alert. Continued vibrations will trigger a full blown 3 minute car alarm. The sensitivity of the alarm is adjustable so that random gusts of wind or other small vibrations don't set it off constantly. I like the electronic "bike horn" function because now I have my nice, polite, little bell on the handlebars...but then also have this loud WHAAAANK horn as well if you need something a bit more...strident.
Function and Duration: The modes are well suited to this light, the flashing is bright, even decently daylight bright and the brake light function is just plain cool (slow down and the accelerometer makes it solid and extra bright for 3 seconds). The advertising copy claims "up to 40 hrs of operation". I don't know about that but I hooked it up to something to keep it moving and left it running for 8 hours and, judging by the time it took to recharge, it still had plenty of life left. I also like that I can run a usb cable from the battery of my eBike to the tail light, and charge it in place. Handy and convenient.
Conclusion: At $30 a decently built bike light with all of these features is an absolute steal! I wish it somehow alerted the Fob if the alarm is going off, but that would probably add a lot of expense.
Recommendation: Buy it!
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