Hub Dynamos in Australia

[rifraf]

I have a Revolution. It's works well and has been reliable. Used in conjunction with a Xiaomi 16000mAh battery with pass-through charging it has been quite adequate to keep my devices charged on tour.

If you are going to use a light as well, then you may want to consider a Sinewave Beacon. I have ordered one and it's scheduled for delivery any time now.

And if you want extract even more power, the Dynamo Harvester might be worth a look.

Good to see technology still moving forward with regards keeping the toys charged in-between campgrounds and wall socket.
Has your Sinewave Beacon arrived yet? Thoughts on it?

[RonK]

Xiaomi 16000mAh battery with pass-through charging it has been quite adequate to keep my devices charged on tour.

Do you recall where you got your battery from? Mushtato don't list the 16000 mah battery.

I got mine from GearDo, but looks like they are out of stock now.
They do have stocks of the Xiaomi 20000mHa Powerbank 2. Cheap too.

[RonK]

I have a Revolution. It's works well and has been reliable. Used in conjunction with a Xiaomi 16000mAh battery with pass-through charging it has been quite adequate to keep my devices charged on tour.

If you are going to use a light as well, then you may want to consider a Sinewave Beacon. I have ordered one and it's scheduled for delivery any time now.

And if you want extract even more power, the Dynamo Harvester might be worth a look.

Good to see technology still moving forward with regards keeping the toys charged in-between campgrounds and wall socket.
Has your Sinewave Beacon arrived yet? Thoughts on it?

Not here yet. Expecting it to ship any time now.

[avolve]

I completely missed these newish SP hubs but now I have discovered them, I am very interested in the PD-8X-150 for my Salsa Mukluk. Anyone have any experience with them and/or now of a good source? It looks like K-Lite are no longer importing SP hubs or did I get that wrong?

EDIT: Touched based with Kerry at K-Lite and noted that his no longer distributing Shutter Precision due to many problems with them, so may well go with the SON 28 15 150 instead. More dollars but

I have the SON 28 15 150 on my recently built Jones Plus. Not currently hooked up to anything, as I am going back and forth about which lights and USB charging to get.

I want these to be small, clean-seamless and out of the way (not on or around the bars). I am leaning towards
— Supernova E3 Triple
— Supernova Plug
— considering a taillight as well, seat stay mount. Ideally one I can switch off (i.e. when on trail, solo)

Mounting the light on the Truss fork (below my Revelate Harness) might prove challenging. There is a Schmidt mount option (used by Jones Bikes for Edelux lights — http://blog.jonesbikes.com/recent-build ... jones-148/) I am considering.

For context, I had a Supernova E3 Pro on a Kona commuter a couple years back, and was happy with it (Shimano dynamo). I do currently have a Supernova Airstream (and E3 taillight) on another bike. Battery life could be longer (need to do more testing).

[RonK]

Mounting the light on the Truss fork (below my Revelate Harness) might prove challenging.

That is the challenge I also faced. The carbon Fargo fork does not have the usual bridge mounting point, and anyway a light mounted there would be in the way of a handlebar roll.

I opted for an Exposure Revo, which is supplied with a handlebar mount. But the Revo doesn't have an on/off switch, so I had to add a switch from K-Lite to divert power to a Sinewave Revolution charger.

Combined with Wahoo Elemnt bike computer this created a lot of clutter on the bars so I shifted the lot onto a small accessory bar.

It's still too fussy for me so I've ordered a Sinewave Beacon, which integrates the switch and charger. I'm going to mount it along with the Elemnt on a K-Edge combo mount.

[Trevtassie]

I still reckon the Forumslader is the gold standard in hub power supplies...
The Igaro isn't anything special, despite what the manufacturer says, as best as I can work out it's a voltage sensitive switch, that switches the USB as the voltage rises from the hub, allowing the connected device charge at a higher rate, since most devices continue to charge at the rate they started at (ie if the hub can only put out 500mA when the phone starts charging, then it'll continue to charge at that rate, even if more amps are available, switch the charge off then on again and it'll charge at the higher rate) It doesn't do anything to boost output at low speeds. The Dynamo Harvester copies most of the circuitry of the Forumslader, but looks a bit more commericially built. The Forumslader has more options in terms of outputs and form factors, including an inside the steerer option for stealth.

[queequeg]

I've ordered myself a pair of the Hunt SupaDura Dyno Disc wheels, which has the SON 28 Hub in it.

I'm undecided on the setup for lights and USB until I actually get them, and even then it may not matter as I am also in the process of ordering a new frameset (a Mason Bokeh), which comes with a fork that has a specific Dyno light mount on the fork crown. The frame won't be ready till early 2018, so it's all a project at the moment. I'm still off the bike after my DVT, so plenty of time to tinker while I continue treatment.

I've considered the Revo, but it's designed as a handlebar mount. Will look what else is out there once I have all the bits sorted for the build.

[hamishm]

Not here yet. Expecting it to ship any time now.

Got your Beacon yet RonK? Any review you want to share?

Missing the light and USB charging facility of my Luxos U. The E3 Pro2 is not cutting it and it's a pain to carry extra battery banks to charge the Garmin on all day epics.

[RonK]

Not here yet. Expecting it to ship any time now.

Got your Beacon yet RonK? Any review you want to share?

Missing the light and USB charging facility of my Luxos U. The E3 Pro2 is not cutting it and it's a pain to carry extra battery banks to charge the Garmin on all day epics.

Yes, it arrived late last week and I have mounted it on the bike, but since then it has rained pretty much non-stop here, so I haven't tried it yet And it looks like another rainy weekend coming up.

However my new setup is very tidy compared to the previous arrangement and I'm delighted with the results from that perspective.

I'll post some pics and my first impressions as soon as I can get out.

However, one thing is immediately obvious, compared to the Exposure Revo which only powers two of its four LED's at lower speeds - the Beacon is immediately on full power so will give much better illumination on winding trails where bike speed is low.

[hamishm]

I'll post some pics and my first impressions as soon as I can get out.

Thanks that'd be good.

I notice Commuter Cycles in Melbourne has them for $450 - which is almost exactly the same as US$350 direct from Sinewave, with all the advantage of a local shop if it goes wrong.

[RonK]

I'll post some pics and my first impressions as soon as I can get out.

Thanks that'd be good.

I notice Commuter Cycles in Melbourne has them for $450 - which is almost exactly the same as US$350 direct from Sinewave, with all the advantage of a local shop if it goes wrong.

Excellent value compared to the local prices for a Sinewave Revolution charger, Exposure Revo light and a KLite switch to toggle between the two.

[hamishm]

Excellent value compared to the local prices for a Sinewave Revolution charger, Exposure Revo light and a KLite switch to toggle between the two.

But a bit of a shock compared to the Luxos U, which is $290 locally or under $200 from Europe.

[RonK]

Excellent value compared to the local prices for a Sinewave Revolution charger, Exposure Revo light and a KLite switch to toggle between the two.

But a bit of a shock compared to the Luxos U, which is $290 locally or under $200 from Europe.

Yeah, a quality metal housing made by a boutique manufacturer is a little more expensive than a cheap plastic case which breaks.

[WhingingPom]

I'm looking for a dynamo setup (15mm thru axle roadie). Would need to support both long (16+hr) single day as well as multi-day rides.

Looking to run a light (thinking of a klite) as well as charge cache batteries or directly charge phone/wahoo element. Prefer an easily removable setup as I wouldn't want to use it for commuting (60km/day) or bunch rides.

Would ideally like to buy in person in Melbourne so that if/when it breaks I've got somebody I can throw it at in person.

Any recommendations/suggestions would be very welcome. Thanks in advance!

[wqlava1]

I've got a PD-8x for sale, but I'd not like it thrown at me! I've had a good run with the couple of other SP dynohubs I've got, and only need to get rid of this because my plan changed to a 12mm front axle. Unused. Dunno what price was in the ad, but PM me and it'll be cheaper than any online new source.

Andrew

[rifraf]

I'll post some pics and my first impressions as soon as I can get out.

Thanks that'd be good.

I notice Commuter Cycles in Melbourne has them for $450 - which is almost exactly the same as US$350 direct from Sinewave, with all the advantage of a local shop if it goes wrong.

They have bumped the price up now.

I've not seen them before.

Do they offer discount codes from time to time?

[RonK]

I'll post some pics and my first impressions as soon as I can get out.

Thanks that'd be good.

I notice Commuter Cycles in Melbourne has them for $450 - which is almost exactly the same as US$350 direct from Sinewave, with all the advantage of a local shop if it goes wrong.

They have bumped the price up now.

I've not seen them before.

Do they offer discount codes from time to time?

They are a new product and only started shipping recently. I waited months for mine.

There has been a lot of chat about them on the Facebook bikepacking groups. They are in high demand so discounts are unlikely.

I believe Commuter Cycles have sold out, but I've also heard that Omafiets is expecting stock next week.

[rifraf]

Thanks that'd be good.

I notice Commuter Cycles in Melbourne has them for $450 - which is almost exactly the same as US$350 direct from Sinewave, with all the advantage of a local shop if it goes wrong.

They have bumped the price up now.

I've not seen them before.

Do they offer discount codes from time to time?

They are a new product and only started shipping recently. I waited months for mine.

There has been a lot of chat about them on the Facebook bikepacking groups. They are in high demand so discounts are unlikely.

I believe Commuter Cycles have sold out, but I've also heard that Omafiets is expecting stock next week.

Hi RonK
Sorry for being unclear.

It was Commuter Cycles I'd not seen come up before.

Due to the apparent sudden price hike from the mentioned $450 to $499 I wondered had their perhaps been discount codes offered.

Yes it appears my refusal to join or take part in Facebook means I'm occasionally behind the eight ball with regards to certain things.
Hopefully enough interest will be piqued in "mainstream" websites like this one that the info will begin to flow and curmudgeons like myself can begin to catch up.

How are you enjoying it?

Will you need a cache battery set up in order to charge your iPhone and/or computer?

Oh and how are you getting on with your new gps?

I shouldn't even ask about these new headlights really as the wallet has already been suffering after getting some new toys.

I did see however that your headlight came in polished silver as a "colour" choice and having an inner magpie, it did catch my eye.

[RonK]

They have bumped the price up now.

I've not seen them before.

Do they offer discount codes from time to time?

They are a new product and only started shipping recently. I waited months for mine.

There has been a lot of chat about them on the Facebook bikepacking groups. They are in high demand so discounts are unlikely.

I believe Commuter Cycles have sold out, but I've also heard that Omafiets is expecting stock next week.

Hi RonK
Sorry for being unclear.

It was Commuter Cycles I'd not seen come up before.

Due to the apparent sudden price hike from the mentioned $450 to $499 I wondered had their perhaps been discount codes offered.

Yes it appears my refusal to join or take part in Facebook means I'm occasionally behind the eight ball with regards to certain things.
Hopefully enough interest will be piqued in "mainstream" websites like this one that the info will begin to flow and curmudgeons like myself can begin to catch up.

How are you enjoying it?

Will you need a cache battery set up in order to charge your iPhone and/or computer?

Oh and how are you getting on with your new gps?

I shouldn't even ask about these new headlights really as the wallet has already been suffering after getting some new toys.

I did see however that your headlight came in polished silver as a "colour" choice and having an inner magpie, it did catch my eye.

Commuter Cycles is a well-know Oz shop for touring gear, as are Omafiets and Abbottsford Cycles.

I dunno about Commuter Cycles pricing, but the Sinewave web site still has them at $USD350 + $USD15 shipping, so I daresay Commuter Cycles have adjusted the price of the latest shipment according to the current exchange rate.

I'm very happy with my Beacon. It's an amazing piece of gear. You really need to read up on the Beacon features and FAQ to appreciate it fully. And it comes in 4 colours or you can mix and match if you order direct.

One of the features of the Beacon is that it can both charge a powerbank or be powered by a powerbank. This is especially useful at low speed when dynamo lights tend to flicker. The light is powered by the powerbank until speed increases enough then it switches over to charging the powerbank.

I always charge via a Xiaomi 16000 mAh powerbank which has a pass-through circuit. This ensures any device I'm charging receives a continuously stable current which is not dependent on speed.

The Wahoo Elemnt takes a very different approach to other bike computers. It's very easy to set up and use. Wahoo responds promptly when issues are reported. Updates are delivered regularly and are painless to install, as is uploading rides to the web or downloading tracks to navigate.

Best of all the screen is very easy to read and can be zoom to display more or less fields at the press of an up or down button.

What's not to like?

[rifraf]

Commuter Cycles is a well-know Oz shop for touring gear, as are Omafiets and Abbottsford Cycles.

I dunno about Commuter Cycles pricing, but the Sinewave web site still has them at $USD350 + $USD15 shipping, so I daresay Commuter Cycles have adjusted the price of the latest shipment according to the current exchange rate.

I'm very happy with my Beacon. It's an amazing piece of gear. You really need to read up on the Beacon features and FAQ to appreciate it fully. And it comes in 4 colours or you can mix and match if you order direct.

One of the features of the Beacon is that it can both charge a powerbank or be powered by a powerbank. This is especially useful at low speed when dynamo lights tend to flicker. The light is powered by the powerbank until speed increases enough then it switches over to charging the powerbank.

I always charge via a Xiaomi 16000 mAh powerbank which has a pass-through circuit. This ensures any device I'm charging receives a continuously stable current which is not dependent on speed.

I shall try to find a quiet relaxed time to peruse your features and FAQ link - thank you for that.

Its not a good sign that I'm already imagining the possibilities of colour combinations.
I like the polished silver but like the thought of black highlights.

The Xioami battery option is one I intend to explore with my current setup now my E-werks cache battery has become toasted with age.

I bought it for the same reason of the pass through circuit.

I'll post some pics and my first impressions as soon as I can get out.

I'm looking forward to eyeballing your setup.
I was trying to imagine where you might be keeping your battery amongst your varied options of "gas tank" type bag, chaff or frame bag.

Thanks for the Omafiets site too, as that also is a new one on me.
Great to see some local stores starting to cater to local trade.
I hope my pipe-dream of international like customer service comes to fruition unlike my last local purchase .

Oh and where are you hosting your pics
I'd given up for a while after a certain sites attempt at extortion.

[Aushiker]

I need to upgrade the battery I take bikepacking/touring and my in town charging setup to handle my latest phone/tablet which prefers a "fast charge" method.

I am looking at a XIAOMI 10000MAH POWER BANK PRO (TYPE-C & QUICK CHARGE) from GearDo which has the fast charge features I seek and they seem to have a good reputation as batteries. This will be topped up each day using my dynamo.

The wall charger is a bit more a problem. The best option I have found so far is a Anker PowerPort Speed 4 Ports which will require an adapter and is limited to one fast charge port.



The alternative and probably much heavier option is an Anker PowerPort Speed 5-Port / 63W USB Charger with Dual QC 3.0 [AU Stock]. Two quick charge ports but otherwise overkill for my needs.



Any other options/thoughts on my choices so far?

[RonK]

I have used a Xiaomi 16000 mAh battery for the past couple of tours and it has been fine. I favour it because it supports pass-through charging.
I also have an Anker 5 port (non-QC) charger. It's not heavy or bulky and I think it's the best choice. There is no reason to think the form factor of the QC version would be any larger. Mind you there are any number of QC capable chargers available.

[Aushiker]

I have used a Xiaomi 16000 mAh battery for the past couple of tours and it has been fine. I favour it because it supports pass-through charging.

The one I am looking does have pass-through charging apparently but quick charge is disable in such a situation.

I also have an Anker 5 port (non-QC) charger. It's not heavy or bulky and I think it's the best choice.

I also have one of these. The QC 5 port is reported to weigh in at 235 grams plus a power cord whereas the 4 port direct plug in version comes in at 137 grams plus adapter. My biggest concern is that sometimes the position of the wall plugs may mean it cannot be plugged in.

[RonK]

Pass through charging is really only of value if you are using a dynamo hub.

I would not even consider the direct plug in charger. I have been in many places where the power point has been too close to the bench top to use this type of charger.
I have carried my Anker charger and cord on three tours and have not found it any inconvenience. Rather, the capabilty to charge my battery, phone, ipad, bike computer and camera all at the same time is a real boon.

[rifraf]

I need to upgrade the battery I take bikepacking/touring and my in town charging setup to handle my latest phone/tablet which prefers a "fast charge" method.

I am looking at a XIAOMI 10000MAH POWER BANK PRO (TYPE-C & QUICK CHARGE) from GearDo which has the fast charge features I seek and they seem to have a good reputation as batteries. This will be topped up each day using my dynamo.

Any other options/thoughts on my choices so far?

A couple of thoughts....

Be aware I've been coming across more and more anecdotal evidence of batteries arriving in Aus but being sent back by customs.

I'm unsure why but funnily enough it makes a mention in an Ozbargain ad less than an hour old here:
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/35031 ... nt-5429810

So yeah, if possible, I'd recommend you look for local stock.

I rate the Xiaomi batteries and now own three of them though I've yet to experiment with charging them via the dyno-hub.

Given that WA has been very blustery for weeks now (at least up where I am) has anyone done any experimentation with adding "vanes" (as I've heard of them being described) to their dynamo hub wheels to take advantage of the wind whilst sleeping?

We saw in an earlier thread/posting Danneaux, a Thorn rider, with an Extra-wheel trailer having adding fabric "vanes" to said wheel to catch the night breezes.

I've been thinking about trying with some cardboard ones given my lack of sewing skills.

Found it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwGvKlMBftc