Cygolite 150 lumen Hotspot tail light

I bought my first Cygolite Hotspot shortly after they were first introduced in 2012. It had received multiple "Best Taillight" awards and it was, at the time, the best taillight under $50. Each year, Cygolite has released an improved version. This is the latest in that evolution.

Let's start with what you get.
You get a 150 lumen (max) spot tail light with adjustable brightness in solid mode, and adjustable speed in flashing modes. The light pattern is a fairly tight spot but, unlike earlier models, this one has a different lens that throws some of that beam out the side. So although you still need to mount the light carefully so the spot is level with the ground, it is more visible from the side.

You also get a micro usb cable (prior models were mini usb), a seat stay mount and a saddle post mount. You only get one set of screws so you have to find extra screws if you want to use both mounts for some reason. Note the seat stay mount is not compatible with rear disk brakes because the cable gets in the way. It may be OK in countries that drive on the left. The whole lot comes in a reusable box, which is convenient.

The light has several modes. Solid (with variable brightness - perfect for astronomers), wave (slowly goes from bright to dim and back), triple flash with background light, fast triple flash, fast flash, alternating bright/dim flash. The triple flash with background is a new feature. I've had this on front lights for a while, but I've not seen it on a tail light before. Research shows that although a flashing light is easier to see, it is difficult to judge distance. Apparently a flashing light combined with a solid light is easy to see and easy to judge the distance to.

Another nice feature is a low battery indicator. When you turn the light on or off when the battery is low, the light will flicker. Of course, this doesn't help while you're riding but it's better than nothing.

My original Hotspot is still running fine. I'm still getting more than 24 hour run times in flashing mode from a single charge and it's still daylight visible. It's so bright that riders behind me at night ask me to switch it to solid mode. If the new ones are just as good even with all the new features, I will be very happy with them.