Charging on the move.

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andrew_s

Legendary Member
Location
Gloucester
especially as each extra drawback (facing the wrong way, overcast, and so on) loses a few more watts.
It's not so much a few watts that you lose, as a proportion of your watts.
for example...
overcast --> -50%
panel on back of bike pointing the wrong way --> -50%
sun within 15° of horizon --> -50%
which would leave 1/8 of your initial 20 watts, 2.5 W.
 
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mjr

Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
It's not so much a few watts that you lose, as a proportion of your watts.
for example...
overcast --> -50%
panel on back of bike pointing the wrong way --> -50%
sun within 15° of horizon --> -50%
which would leave 1/8 of your initial 20 watts, 2.5 W.
Yes, but that makes little difference to the basic point and which order you apply the reductions is arbitrary anyway.
 

steveindenmark

Legendary Member
I have SON28 dynamos on my bikes. They have never gone wrong.

The dynamo constantly power my front and rear lights. I also piggy back my Igaro D1 off the dynamo.

By using the Igaro I can charge everything I need to.

Wahoo, Garmin, phone, Powerpack, camera, spare usb rear lights, exposure joystick light.

I charge them from the powerpack. But also direcrly from the dynamo via the Igaro.

I do not need to stop at cafes to charge things up. Im self sufficient when it comes to electrical power.

However. If I drop into a cafe and something needs topping up. I will take it in with me. Usually the powerpack as that takes longest to charge.

But as I found out this year in France. It makes no difference what system you have if you forget to plug your things in to charge. They will die on you.

Apart from human error. My set up works well.
 
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andrew_s

Legendary Member
Location
Gloucester
Yes, but that makes little difference to the basic point and which order you apply the reductions is arbitrary anyway.
I was more emphasising that it's not a case of "5 W for cloudy, 5 W for mis-pointing, and 5 W for late in the day/season, so if you buy a 30 W panel that'll give you 15 W for charging with".
 
Location
España
Thanks for the advice, I have had my wheel rebuilt with the Shimano Alfine hub. The e-works has just arrived so I have the fun of wiring that up. I’m looking at ways to keep the USB part dry, looking at adapting a weatherproof cable connector box and fixing it to my bar bag attachment. I will chargecto a through and through battery pack.
Does the actual e-work and connectors to this need weatherproofing?
Once again I appreciate your advice

I can't advise on the weatherproofing of the E-werks. To be honest, they would be the people to ask directly on the best/safest way of setting it up.

I'd suggest upgrading the plastic Shimano connector using something like these
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/lightin...mm-female-with-piggyback-connector-pack-of-2/
 

Heltor Chasca

Out-riding the Black Dog
I have a question related to this if that’s ok.

I use a Schmidt hub which my Edulux2 is connected to. I have fitted piggy back connectors to the cable as in the future I plan to hook up a USB charging device. (Not purchased yet) In the interim, the piggy back connectors have been useful in that they are easier to clip on/off the hub.

With my plan to connect a USB charger to the set up, a friend has suggested the following:

Rather than connect the wires from the USB charger to the piggy back connectors at the hub ; somehow ‘T off’ a piggy back connector above the fork crown/near the steerer tube. This sounds great as I won’t have two lots of wires traveling up the fork from the hub. Tidy, less chance of snags damage and I can easily clip the USB charger onto the system only when I need it.

How would I 1/ ‘T off’ from the main hub/light cable and 2/ What type of connectors would I use?

Alternatively I guess I could have a ‘fork length’ extension heat shrunk together to the hub/light cable. One end would be permanently attached to the piggy back connectors by the hub; the other end would have exposed connectors near the fork crown/steerer that I can clip the USB cable to when I needed it.

What do you think?

Many thanks.
 
I've a son dynamo on the shelf awaiting a rim and spokes. In general I'm against the idea of turning my bike upside down. It's just bad form. However it crossed my mind that with the addition of two or more clip-on vanes of some sort I could turn my forthcoming new dyno front wheel into a wind turbine to charge a power bank or power a campsite discotheque. Can anyone think of a reason this wouldn't work?
 
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Location
España
I have a question related to this if that’s ok.

I use a Schmidt hub which my Edulux2 is connected to. I have fitted piggy back connectors to the cable as in the future I plan to hook up a USB charging device. (Not purchased yet) In the interim, the piggy back connectors have been useful in that they are easier to clip on/off the hub.

With my plan to connect a USB charger to the set up, a friend has suggested the following:

Rather than connect the wires from the USB charger to the piggy back connectors at the hub ; somehow ‘T off’ a piggy back connector above the fork crown/near the steerer tube. This sounds great as I won’t have two lots of wires traveling up the fork from the hub. Tidy, less chance of snags damage and I can easily clip the USB charger onto the system only when I need it.

How would I 1/ ‘T off’ from the main hub/light cable and 2/ What type of connectors would I use?

Alternatively I guess I could have a ‘fork length’ extension heat shrunk together to the hub/light cable. One end would be permanently attached to the piggy back connectors by the hub; the other end would have exposed connectors near the fork crown/steerer that I can clip the USB cable to when I needed it.

What do you think?

Many thanks.

Let me start off by saying that I am not an electrician or a mechanic.
My normal approach is KISS, because I'm generally all the Ss, so my first reaction is to think that you're over complicating the matter.
If your light has an on/off switch there is no need to plug in or out the charging device. I'd just connect the cabling for the charger to the hub on the piggybacks (that's what they are for). And that is what I do.

I can't imagine leaving loose connectors flopping about exposed to whatever the road and nature throws at them to be a good idea.

In theory you could do as you describe, but I imagine the issue would be weatherproofing whatever splitter you use at the steering tube.
I just wonder if it wouldn't open up more issues such as the afore mentioned weatherproofing and exposed connectors as well as what happens if the cable at the fork gets damaged? At least with 2 separate cables running from piggybacks, if one is damaged, hopefully the other is still good.

As for what Splitter to use? Sorry - no idea. Ask an expert ^_^

Your second option would be more straightforward. Male/female connectors coming together, but again increasing the risk of failure due to exposure (2 loose sets of connectors).

The question is why do you want to plug the charger in or out?
 
Location
España
I've a son dynamo on the shelf awaiting a rim and spokes. In general I'm against the idea of turning my bike upside down. It's just bad form. However it crossed my mind that with the addition of two or more clip-on vanes of some sort I could turn my forthcoming new dyno front wheel into a wind turbine. Can anyone think of a reason this wouldn't work?
How would you ride your bike? ^_^
 
Location
España
I've a son dynamo on the shelf awaiting a rim and spokes. In general I'm against the idea of turning my bike upside down. It's just bad form. However it crossed my mind that with the addition of two or more clip-on vanes of some sort I could turn my forthcoming new dyno front wheel into a wind turbine. Can anyone think of a reason this wouldn't work?
Hang on. do you actually mean in the wild at the end of the day?
That is not a bad idea. Ample flexibility in terms of how you can position the wheel. Whatever vane(s) must be inside the wheel so as not to interfere with the fork.

Very interesting!
And if you have a non gps computer, a great way to bump your mileage!
 

Ming the Merciless

There is no mercy
Location
Inside my skull
I have a question related to this if that’s ok.

I use a Schmidt hub which my Edulux2 is connected to. I have fitted piggy back connectors to the cable as in the future I plan to hook up a USB charging device. (Not purchased yet) In the interim, the piggy back connectors have been useful in that they are easier to clip on/off the hub.

With my plan to connect a USB charger to the set up, a friend has suggested the following:

Rather than connect the wires from the USB charger to the piggy back connectors at the hub ; somehow ‘T off’ a piggy back connector above the fork crown/near the steerer tube. This sounds great as I won’t have two lots of wires traveling up the fork from the hub. Tidy, less chance of snags damage and I can easily clip the USB charger onto the system only when I need it.

How would I 1/ ‘T off’ from the main hub/light cable and 2/ What type of connectors would I use?

Alternatively I guess I could have a ‘fork length’ extension heat shrunk together to the hub/light cable. One end would be permanently attached to the piggy back connectors by the hub; the other end would have exposed connectors near the fork crown/steerer that I can clip the USB cable to when I needed it.

What do you think?

Many thanks.

I just heatshrink the cables on the inside of the fork. Nice and tidy with nothing to snag. I do not unplug the charger, just leave it there.
 

Ming the Merciless

There is no mercy
Location
Inside my skull
I've a son dynamo on the shelf awaiting a rim and spokes. In general I'm against the idea of turning my bike upside down. It's just bad form. However it crossed my mind that with the addition of two or more clip-on vanes of some sort I could turn my forthcoming new dyno front wheel into a wind turbine to charge a power bank or power a campsite discotheque. Can anyone think of a reason this wouldn't work?

Vanes catching on fork unless you have a cannondale lefty fork.
 
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