Hub Dynamos in Australia

[MichaelB]

Interesting setups/solutions guys.

I have no need to charge other items, so no switches required. I have the ability to mount something on the bottom of the Wahoo mount, but looking a putting a small flasher on there as an added visibility aid/backup, so happy with where the dyno light mounts now.

The option linked by baabaa also doesn't work for me due to my positioning of the F3 mount (low & on lower stem face bolts).

Aside from the battery pack, the K-Lite Pro V2 ($285) is the best deal, then comes the E3 Triple at $240 - $330, the Revo and Sinewave are north of $500 and require extra investment in more mounts !!!

I'll stick with what I have for now ...

[Aushiker]

One thing I've noticed in the last few weeks is that the standlight capacity is now non-existant.

That is interesting. I have a Busch & Mueller taillight that has gone the same way. It does appear that the capacitor has a limited life.

[Aushiker]

This reveal is of a different light, an Edelux but it might give you some idea of what you could expect to find in a light. I cannot imagine that there is a lot of difference in brands.

I haven't looked but there might be other reveals on the website too.

[Thoglette]

That is interesting. I have a Busch & Mueller taillight that has gone the same way. It does appear that the capacitor has a limited life.

Almost by definition. Capacitors that last cost money and you can't get sales pitch spin from them. If you can get it open, anyone with half a clue with electronics (i.e. knows which end of a soldering iron to hold and can tell traditional from Pb free) should be able to replace it pretty quickly. Most likely it'll be the 1+F (not uF) "supercapacitor" (formally "Electric Double Layer Capacitors") that's dead. Looks like a small battery. Costs between $1 and $20 depending on capacity , voltage (c. 5.5V) and size/mounting style.

https://au.rs-online.com/web/c/passive- ... apacitors/ for some examples

[MichaelB]

Almost by definition. Capacitors that last cost money and you can't get sales pitch spin from them. If you can get it open, anyone with half a clue with electronics (i.e. knows which end of a soldering iron to hold and can tell traditional from Pb free) should be able to replace it pretty quickly. Most likely it'll be the 1+F (not uF) "supercapacitor" (formally "Electric Double Layer Capacitors") that's dead. Looks like a small battery. Costs between $1 and $20 depending on capacity , voltage (c. 5.5V) and size/mounting style.

https://au.rs-online.com/web/c/passive- ... apacitors/ for some examples

Whilst getting it open has been done (did it on my last E3 that suffered wire damage in a stack back in 2016), I'm not confident enough to do it on my only working (but impaired) unit.

I am investing in a small front flasher though as a visibility aid & backup (Exposure Trace and a go-pro mount that will fit under the Wahoo Bolt)

[Aushiker]

That is interesting. I have a Busch & Mueller taillight that has gone the same way. It does appear that the capacitor has a limited life.

Almost by definition. Capacitors that last cost money and you can't get sales pitch spin from them. If you can get it open, anyone with half a clue with electronics (i.e. knows which end of a soldering iron to hold and can tell traditional from Pb free) should be able to replace it pretty quickly. Most likely it'll be the 1+F (not uF) "supercapacitor" (formally "Electric Double Layer Capacitors") that's dead. Looks like a small battery. Costs between $1 and $20 depending on capacity , voltage (c. 5.5V) and size/mounting style.

https://au.rs-online.com/web/c/passive- ... apacitors/ for some examples

Thanks. Nothing to loose having a go for sure.

[find_bruce]

Almost by definition. Capacitors that last cost money and you can't get sales pitch spin from them. If you can get it open, anyone with half a clue with electronics (i.e. knows which end of a soldering iron to hold and can tell traditional from Pb free) should be able to replace it pretty quickly. Most likely it'll be the 1+F (not uF) "supercapacitor" (formally "Electric Double Layer Capacitors") that's dead. Looks like a small battery. Costs between $1 and $20 depending on capacity , voltage (c. 5.5V) and size/mounting style.

https://au.rs-online.com/web/c/passive- ... apacitors/ for some examples

Whilst getting it open has been done (did it on my last E3 that suffered wire damage in a stack back in 2016), I'm not confident enough to do it on my only working (but impaired) unit.

I am investing in a small front flasher though as a visibility aid & backup (Exposure Trace and a go-pro mount that will fit under the Wahoo Bolt)

Thoglette wins the prize- the supercapcitor is 5.5v 1.0F & if it failed due to overcharging it will look something like this

For anyone that is interested, a great guy who works in electronics wrote up his rebuild of an E3, including a reverse engineered circuit diagram.

[rifraf]

This reveal is of a different light, an Edelux but it might give you some idea of what you could expect to find in a light. I cannot imagine that there is a lot of difference in brands.

I haven't looked but there might be other reveals on the website too.

Whilst I hope I never have to utilise the info, its nice to see what's inside the Edelux.
My Mk 1 version was bought back in 2011 and still going as good as new.
I've not been overawed by anything I've seen since enough to inspire an upgrade.
Son28 still giving good service as is my original charging system (E-werk with B&M cache battery).
If any part of my system gave up the ghost, I'd likely replace it with the same due to being very happy with it.

[MichaelB]

..
Thoglette wins the prize- the supercapcitor is 5.5v 1.0F & if it failed due to overcharging it will look something like this

For anyone that is interested, a great guy who works in electronics wrote up his rebuild of an E3, including a reverse engineered circuit diagram.

Briefly flicked through it, and my brain started tpo bleed, so I'll get comfortable one night and try and wrap my non-electronic head around it.

Great link.

Thanks.

I think

[find_bruce]

Briefly flicked through it, and my brain started tpo bleed, so I'll get comfortable one night and try and wrap my non-electronic head around it.

Great link.

Thanks.

I think

I am so with you. I enjoy building led circuits including my own dynamo & head lamp systems, but when I get into a discussion with Steve it always takes a fair bit of time to digest what he says & even then I miss a fair bit.

[brokenbus]

And a warning about the Revo - the sockets are identical - DO NOT interchange the input and the output, or you'll be sending it back to Exposure..

Yes stuffed mine. I wonder how much the repair costs?

[RonK]

And a warning about the Revo - the sockets are identical - DO NOT interchange the input and the output, or you'll be sending it back to Exposure..

Yes stuffed mine. I wonder how much the repair costs?

In June 2017 it cost £20.50 including parts, labour, packaging and postage.

Not including postage to the UK.

There is a service request form to complete on the Exposure web site before posting the Revo.

[brokenbus]

Thanks RonK

[queequeg]

.... I am therefore looking to redo the light rig and move to the k-Lite dyno lights, which are actually Australian. Most of the Ultra Endurance riders use the K-Lite lights and they are some of the brightest lights you can get. I have also heard good things about the Sinewave beacon light. It uses a cache battery so the stand light runs for ages.

..

Had a look at the K-Lite page, and whilst I'd be happy to shop there and get their Pro V2 (on sale), there are two things that don't suit my application - the standby battery (too big and bulky for normal road riding), and the lack of mounting options.

And the Ultra V2 (out of stock) is just overkill.

There doesn't appear to be many dyno lights similar in style/mounting to the E3's (and don't look like a bug eyed meerkat seeking attention).

So, my fork upgrade finally showed up and I am now looking into this again. Seems I can get an E3 Triple 2 for around $350 shipped, and this would be an easy swap for my current one because I already did the E3 Taillight through the frame. I really like the clean lines of the E3 front light, but the one thing I don't want is another expensive mistake with a light that is not suitable for the job. I'd perfectly happy putting the E3 Pro 2 onto my commuter bike, just as soon as I can order another 36H Dyno Hub, rim & spokes and build myself a new front wheel, but that is not something I need to do right now because with the Covid situation going on, our office has effectively moved to a "don't come into the office unless you need to" type arrangement, and some changes with my kids schooling means I have to do drop-off and pick-up a few times a week now anyway.

I'm not too fussed about USB charging from the Dyno. If I am adding frame bags and top tube bags, I'll have space for a compact power bank in there for charging the phone or GPS. My new Garmin 530 battery will last over 20 hours on one charge as well, instead of having to charge it four times on one ride. At this point in time, I'm only doing

I did see the K-Lite Ultra Light has a mount to hang it off the Supernova fork crown mount. It looks pretty awful though. Maybe I am just overthinking the whole thing and should just stick with the Pro 2 light and run my Ay-Ups or another light for descending. I know some people get snarky about dazzling other road users with bright lights. It would great if Dyno lights came with a "high beam" switch like cars.

[MichaelB]

I hear you !! My E3 tail light is the same, but not yet ready to get a new E3 Triple whilst only the stand light isn’t working.

[gsxrboy]

I've taken the plunge on a Klite Ultra V2 and SP hub (which seems to have been taken of his site now) combo. Getting the hub laced up this week and then I'll demo set it up on the bike for the week after commuting. Probably end up with a fork mount rather than the try it all out first handle bar (gopro under Garmin) mounting. Looking forward to Kerrys goodness, coming from a Cateye Volt 700 that I only ever ran on the lowest setting for battery life, should be a mite different!

p.s. Anyone got a good front of fork mount idea? A few Busch & Muller ones on eBay, (one diecast another alloy wire type one), and I can't seem to find the Jtek type one locally.

[MichaelB]

My E3 Triple mounts using the fork crown bolt hole.

Works brilliantly

[queequeg]

I've taken the plunge on a Klite Ultra V2 and SP hub (which seems to have been taken of his site now) combo. Getting the hub laced up this week and then I'll demo set it up on the bike for the week after commuting. Probably end up with a fork mount rather than the try it all out first handle bar (gopro under Garmin) mounting. Looking forward to Kerrys goodness, coming from a Cateye Volt 700 that I only ever ran on the lowest setting for battery life, should be a mite different!

p.s. Anyone got a good front of fork mount idea? A few Busch & Muller ones on eBay, (one diecast another alloy wire type one), and I can't seem to find the Jtek type one locally.

I'm using the Supernova E3 Pro 2 with the fork crown mount. I was looking at the Klite Ultra V2, and I noticed it has an adapter that lets it use the same mount as my Supernova. I have been bouncing back and forth on what to do about my lighting setup as I was somewhat underwhelmed by the Pro 2 in the pitch dark because I couldn't see far enough ahead on descents, which makes the light useless. So, I'm probably going to the E3 Triple 2 because I already wired in the rear E3 Tailight and it's a nice elegant looking light.

https://shop.supernova-design.com/shop/ ... -29/page/2

[MichaelB]

I'm with you queequeg - the Klite Ultra V2 looks bulky, and the Pro V2 has the packaging form like the E3, but it's that additional box on the Pro V2 and lack of mounting capability that makes the E3 a really nice package.

I'd love to see the difference between the E3 Triple and the Pro V2, as if the mounting was bettrer on the Pro V2, I'd probably go for that

[Aushiker]

It would great if Dyno lights came with a "high beam" switch like cars.

One of the high-end Busch & Mueller models has a "high-beam" switch.

[queequeg]

It would great if Dyno lights came with a "high beam" switch like cars.

One of the high-end Busch & Mueller models has a "high-beam" switch.

Do you know which one? I looked at a lot of Dyno lights and didn't come across this feature. At this stage, for off-road or riding dark country roads with no street lighting, you need to go for the "Not Legal for Road Use in Germany" type of lights. I will either get that from the Dyno, or I'll have to run my Ay-Ups hanging underneath the Garmin with a bag holding the batteries..which of course defeats the entire purpose of having the Dyno light in the first place.

[ironhanglider]

It would great if Dyno lights came with a "high beam" switch like cars.

One of the high-end Busch & Mueller models has a "high-beam" switch.

Do you know which one? I looked at a lot of Dyno lights and didn't come across this feature. At this stage, for off-road or riding dark country roads with no street lighting, you need to go for the "Not Legal for Road Use in Germany" type of lights. I will either get that from the Dyno, or I'll have to run my Ay-Ups hanging underneath the Garmin with a bag holding the batteries..which of course defeats the entire purpose of having the Dyno light in the first place.

My Luxos U has a ‘High Beam’ switch, but it doesn’t have the same effect as high beam in a car. It mostly adds a bit of light in the foreground.

Cheers,

Cameron

[baabaa]

At this stage, for off-road or riding dark country roads with no street lighting, you need to go for the "Not Legal for Road Use in Germany" type of lights.

Need?
Not sure how fast people think they can ride at night and could be just me, but on long (slower) rides find very white light tiring on the eyes in of tar and on dark country roads. Prefer the yellowish or amber beam from halogens.
With the basic 60 lux dyno B&M Lumotec I use, on clear dark nights and even more so on most brownish dirt roads I find it too white and prefer the old halogen colour. To me some yellow shows up the corrys, rocks and potholes way better than just a flood of white light so bright you do not see any shadows?
I still use a pair of aircraft landing / sealed beam pencil driving lights vs very white led driving lights in the car as find I can see "deeper" (for big grey and red things that hop) and after a long trip my eyes are not nearly as sore or weary
Would be happy if B&M had clip on filters to get more yellow in.
Another thing is, do you wear prescription glasses when riding at night?

[queequeg]

At this stage, for off-road or riding dark country roads with no street lighting, you need to go for the "Not Legal for Road Use in Germany" type of lights.

Need?
Not sure how fast people think they can ride at night and could be just me, but on long (slower) rides find very white light tiring on the eyes in of tar and on dark country roads. Prefer the yellowish or amber beam from halogens.
With the basic 60 lux dyno B&M Lumotec I use, on clear dark nights and even more so on most brownish dirt roads I find it too white and prefer the old halogen colour. To me some yellow shows up the corrys, rocks and potholes way better than just a flood of white light so bright you do not see any shadows?
I still use a pair of aircraft landing / sealed beam pencil driving lights vs very white led driving lights in the car as find I can see "deeper" (for big grey and red things that hop) and after a long trip my eyes are not nearly as sore or weary
Would be happy if B&M had clip on filters to get more yellow in.
Another thing is, do you wear prescription glasses when riding at night?

Let me put it this way. I took my bike with the E3 Pro 2 Light out at 4am in the pitch black, riding on a road I have ridden on dozens of times before. It's a descent with 6 hairpin turns and there isn't a shred of light coming from anywhere. With the "road legal" Dyno light, I could see at most 20m in front of me. None of the road signs were visible, nor were the guard rails with the reflectors on them. I could not see the turns until I was right on top of them. This is on a descent where you freewheel at 50km/h without trying.
The road directly in front of me was nicely lit up by the light, but it was not throwing any light where it needed to be to show roadside signs, so it was like riding in a void where nothing was visible in the peripheral vision.
I think this light is designed for riding in traffic on roads lit with street lights. It's not designed for riding in "dark country", exactly the same as when you go driving in the country late at night and need to use your high beam.

I don't wear prescription glasses. At night I wear clear lenses, usually my photochromatic Oakley's, just for eye protection from flying bugs etc. I am doing some experimenting with the light position to raise it a bit higher (fork crown mounted) before I go to any extra expense. The bikepacker/endurance riders/Audax riders I know are using K-Lite lights which have dual lens setup for road and off-road in the one unit. My Ay-Ups are similar. I have multiple head units, with narrow, intermediate and wide beam optics for diffrent usages.

I will most likely move the E3 Pro 2 to my commuter bike because it is actally a good commuter light, but in the dark I need to both see where I am going, as well as showing where I am.

[baabaa]

Ah understand now. Yes the urban design thing. I think my B&M notes 300% brighter than German laws or requirements?
Why not just go the good average flood with a solid long life dyno light that stays on the bike and then a really good clip on when you need it, battery light that will give you that punch on the nights you need it. Not that much extra weight or volume and maybe even carry a power bank? Can go bike to bike as well. Maybe just use your Ayups( I do this with a too bright for me most of the time aldi rechargeable) For me the whole dyno light thing is that they are always on the bike plus the day light running. Not so sure anyone needs high put out lights for day time running.
Who knows lights seem to change every year to bigger, brighter, but are they really any better? I should try some riding glasses with a slight amber tint