Any Dynamo users?

UndercoverElephant

AndyH01 wrote:

Are 700c wheels as efficient in light output/charge as 650b or as smaller wheels spin faster are they better option for dynmano wheels?

Probably not, since 650b wheels are the same diameter as 700c when you take the tyre into account. That said, you get almost full lighting at 5-6 mph, and a kind of flickering full below that, so it's not really a problem anyway.

AndyH01 wrote:

I also can't decide whether to go with usb charger as well was looking at top caps like plug charge 3 or senewave but not sure if need a cache battery as will be fair stop/start commute 10 mile each way, are the charges worth it?
If had charger and lights would I also need a switch to switch off charging if not using? Intend to have daytime running lights.??
Thanks Andy

Blimey, they're expensive! I guess they may be worth it to you, but a friend who has a B&M light with a charger built-in (a much better value option, BTW) doesn't use it often. The lights prioritise lighting over charging at all times and only use excess power for charging. On dark days it produces enough charge for an iPhone to not lose any charge, even if it's not actually adding to it.

wolfsbane2k

UndercoverElephant wrote:

AndyH01 wrote:

Are 700c wheels as efficient in light output/charge as 650b or as smaller wheels spin faster are they better option for dynmano wheels?

Probably not, since 650b wheels are the same diameter as 700c when you take the tyre into account. That said, you get almost full lighting at 5-6 mph, and a kind of flickering full below that, so it's not really a problem anyway.

AndyH01 wrote:

I also can't decide whether to go with usb charger as well was looking at top caps like plug charge 3 or senewave but not sure if need a cache battery as will be fair stop/start commute 10 mile each way, are the charges worth it?
If had charger and lights would I also need a switch to switch off charging if not using? Intend to have daytime running lights.??
Thanks Andy

Blimey, they're expensive! I guess they may be worth it to you, but a friend who has a B&M light with a charger built-in (a much better value option, BTW) doesn't use it often. The lights prioritise lighting over charging at all times and only use excess power for charging. On dark days it produces enough charge for an iPhone to not lose any charge, even if it's not actually adding to it.

I like the idea of the usb chargers, but understand the moment a phone is plugged in, most of them revert from battery mode to power mode, thinking they can draw loads of power and stop all the efficiency stuff, so the best thing to do is actually use a powerbank inbetween the charger and the phone - with most phones needing 2amp to charge, the dynamo's can't give that an run lights at the same time.

For commuting purposes, it's not worth It, and the idea of an 200k audax instead I think I'd just prefer to have a powerbank and save the money.

andyh01

I think when I looked at Son delux I came across the 20R as well and read conflicting info whether they're the same or different best answer I found so far;

There is no difference at all between the older SON 20R hubs and the SONdelux hubs, other than the name. Schmidt got special StVZO approval for it to be used in 700c (28") wheels, but only if certain LED lights were used. The issue is being bright enough at low speed.

Also as 650b has to travel further then should give more charge?
A 650c wheel has to turn 823 rotations to travel 1 mile, while a 700c wheel has to rotate 763 times for the same distance.

I think the charger probably waste of time on commute but future prooves it if want do a bit of weekend bikepacking I guess.

Still not sure on the cache battery the Sinewave reactor view is;
DOES THE REACTOR HAVE A BUILT-IN BATTERY?
No - and this is a good thing. Most chargers that include a "cache battery" do so because they are not efficient enough to directly charge a phone - they must slowly charge a battery, then charge the phone from the battery. This adds further inefficiency to the system, as well as a delay while the internal battery is charged. The Reactor is able to directly charge your phone, making the cache battery unnecessary.
Product lifetime. Batteries wear out. Even the highest quality lithium ion battery is rated for about 3 years from manufacturing, independent of how much you use it. There's nothing in the Reactor that wears out. When you build up a touring bike you select parts based on reliability and durability first, and everything else second. We want the Reactor to be the same way.
Efficiency. The extra steps to charge the battery, then use the battery to power the output is a significant hit on efficiency. Most users directly charge their phone, and the extra conversion steps mean wasted energy.
Flexibility. A product with an internal battery is stuck with that one battery, which may be too small for some users and too large for others. There are many USB battery packs available in all sorts of shapes and sizes and capacities. The freedom to use a battery that fits your bike and your tour is lost when an internal battery is used. This also allows the Reactor to be as small as possible.

I agree with built in battery can limit future requirements so could add an external bank with pass through charge if desired.

EKE_38BPM

It's been a while since I've looked at what new products are available and what their features are, so my knowledge may be out of date but:
Son were (are?) crazy expensive in comparison to SP for no advantage.
A light with a built in USB charger eliminates the faff of having an extra thing on your bike, which would add inefficiencies and weight.
If your set-up doesn't allow you to have a light on and power the USB at the same time (mine doesn't) then maybe you need a battery light for those dark times if you MUST have a USB charging (but it'll add a little faff and a little weight).
If you are spending a crazy amount of time in the saddle, then lights off - USB charging a battery during the day - lights on, USB battery discharging at night (but it'll add inefficiencies and a little weight).
Wheel size isn't an issue. Choose the dynamo hub for the wheel size you have. Manufacturers produce different models for different wheel sizes that still produce the same (or very similar) outputs.

As I said earlier, my set-up allows me to add at least 1% battery charge per mile to my phone whilst using sat-nav in city traffic. With sat-nav off, that increases.

You never have to worry about your lights going out/dim through lack of juice and adding USB charging opens up other opportunities to charge batteries/power stuff.
For commuting, touring and Audaxing, dynamos seem a no-brainer to me.

ugo.santalucia

EKE_38BPM wrote:

For commuting, touring and Audaxing, dynamos seem a no-brainer to me.

It is... however, if you are on the swift side, you'll struggle to find events where you really need a dynamo.

In a 400/600, if I start at 6 in the morning (most of them do) I get to the finish/night stop between 10 PM and midnight... which from May to August means you need lights for 1-3 hours.

You deffo need a dynamo at PBP and LEL and those few events that start late and go on through the night.

To recharge things, I use an Anker portable, mine is 5000 Ah, but there are 10,000 Ah available too

andyh01

Food for thought....

How do you connect power banks such as the Anker to the hub/lights and do they have pass through charging?
Is it possible to both charge phone/bike computer and have lights on at same time day time running lights?
The reason I like the top caps is looks; there's no box to strap to the bike and just gives a standard usb socket that I could plug anything into, but I guess same for the power banks.
Are the solar power and usb charges any good?
tbf it's only really what if I want/need and to future proofing but I guess I could also add on if needed at later date but as new build I thought I might as well factor it in now.

ugo.santalucia

AndyH01 wrote:

Food for thought....

How do you connect power banks such as the Anker to the hub/lights and do they have pass through charging?
Is it possible to both charge phone/bike computer and have lights on at same time day time running lights?
The reason I like the top caps is looks; there's no box to strap to the bike and just gives a standard usb socket that I could plug anything into, but I guess same for the power banks.
Are the solar power and usb charges any good?
tbf it's only really what if I want/need and to future proofing but I guess I could also add on if needed at later date but as new build I thought I might as well factor it in now.

Anker usage requires a bit of preparation and discipline.

With the right cable, you can charge a Garmin on the go, meaning it won't switch off whilst in charge. Lights will typically switch off when in charge, so you need to do it overnight, or whilst you are not moving at a control.

I am not sure that answers your question though.