Charging on the move.

[Heltor Chasca]

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?

Ok. Firstly thank you. Yes, your system is the obvious and simplest, but for clarity what I am trying to avoid is 1/ having two cables running up the fork and 2/ having the option to remove the USB charger when I don’t use it for shorter rides (this is my Audax bike)

My overall aim is a tidy, flexible set up.

 

[mickle]

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

A bit of gaffer tape spanning the spokes in the first instance. Won't foul the fork.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

Ok. Firstly thank you. Yes, your system is the obvious and simplist, but for clarity what I am trying to avoid is 1/ having two cables running up the fork and 2/ having the option to remove the USB charger when I don’t use it for shorter rides (this is my Audax bike)

My overall aim is a tidy, flexible set up.

That's clearer. I understood that you wanted to unplug the charger for example when you wanted to use your lights.
Do you know what charger you will go with?
For instance, mine is the Cycle2Charge, slightly larger than a bell that sits on my handlebars.
The unit is easy enough to remove and if it was cabled with that in mind, I would imagine that no more than 5 minutes would allow me to fully attach and detach it when needed. And for that scenario, I would run the cable directly from the piggyback at the hub.
But not all systems are as easy to remove or attach. So that should be a consideration in your choice of system.
That would be flexible, but tidyness is subjective

 

[Heltor Chasca]

That's clearer. I understood that you wanted to unplug the charger for example when you wanted to use your lights.
Do you know what charger you will go with?
For instance, mine is the Cycle2Charge, slightly larger than a bell that sits on my handlebars.
The unit is easy enough to remove and if it was cabled with that in mind, I would imagine that no more than 5 minutes would allow me to fully attach and detach it when needed. And for that scenario, I would run the cable directly from the piggyback at the hub.
But not all systems are as easy to remove or attach. So that should be a consideration in your choice of system.
That would be flexible, but tidyness is subjective

Thanks again. I have an idea in my head that I would go for the Igaro D1
https://www.igaro.com/d1

Looking at the images of the B&M E Werk, it looks like you can have spades connected to the piggy back at the hub, then a cable that runs up to a connection plug near the cockpit. Therefore you can remove/use the charging device when you need it. So the only thing that is permanent, is the hub (spades) to cockpit cable (B&M Plug). This I would heat shrink to the light cable and have it all nice and tidy as one entity. I would do the same for the Igaro D(2).

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Thanks again. I have an idea in my head that I would go for the Igaro D1
https://www.igaro.com/d1

D2 in the works, you may want to wait a few months.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

Thanks again. I have an idea in my head that I would go for the Igaro D1
https://www.igaro.com/d1

Looking at the images of the B&M E Werk, it looks like you can have spades connected to the piggy back at the hub, then a cable that runs up to a connection plug near the cockpit. Therefore you can remove/use the charging device when you need it. So the only thing that is permanent, is the hub (spades) to cockpit cable (B&M Plug). This I would heat shrink to the light cable and have it all nice and tidy as one entity. I would do the same for the Igaro D(2).

That Igaro looks interesting. I didn't come across it when I was researching this 3-4 years ago.
One thing I noticed from the FAQs that I haven't seen elsewhere...
Does the Igaro D1 work with power banks that require a wall charger?
Generally no. This is more power than is available until a higher speed is reached and the power bank may not recheck. The Stability Bank accessory may help with such devices but it is not guaranteed. We recommend using power banks that support charging from a computer/laptop connection.

 

[Heltor Chasca]

Something like this permanently attached from the hub to the cockpit. Then everything else is flexible. Happy to wait in the D2. I had budgeted a purchase by the summer.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

That Igaro looks interesting. I didn't come across it when I was researching this 3-4 years ago.
One thing I noticed from the FAQs that I haven't seen elsewhere...
Does the Igaro D1 work with power banks that require a wall charger?
Generally no. This is more power than is available until a higher speed is reached and the power bank may not recheck. The Stability Bank accessory may help with such devices but it is not guaranteed. We recommend using power banks that support charging from a computer/laptop connection.

This is a trade off to get a greater efficiency out of what is availble from the dynamo at various speeds.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Something like this permanently attached from the hub to the cockpit. Then everything else is flexible. Happy to wait in the D2. I had budgeted a purchase by the summer.

View attachment 444477

Yes, the non spade end is the same connector as the ewerk uses. So easy to get replacements / different connection options.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

Something like this permanently attached from the hub to the cockpit. Then everything else is flexible. Happy to wait in the D2. I had budgeted a purchase by the summer.

Well, that seems to be your solution. A fixed cable to the hub that you plug into whenever necessary. I'm assuming the connection point is weatherproof?
It almost seems specifically designed to be something that is not permanently on the bike.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I can confirm those connections are waterproof after using those on my ewerk for almost six years.

 

[Heltor Chasca]

Well, that seems to be your solution. A fixed cable to the hub that you plug into whenever necessary. I'm assuming the connection point is weatherproof?
It almost seems specifically designed to be something that is not permanently on the bike.

On my touring bike I have a similar ‘plug’ type connection from the B&M dynamo light to charge USB devices. Somewhere deep in the small print when setting it up, I read it is waterproof when not in use and the bung is over the ‘plug’. But then it goes on to recommend not charging in the rain.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

On my touring bike I have a similar ‘plug’ type connection from the B&M dynamo light to charge USB devices. Somewhere deep in the small print when setting it up, I read it is waterproof when not in use and the bung is over the ‘plug’. But then it goes on to recommend not charging in the rain.

I've an Arkel barbag that came with a flap. that flap now sits over my unit in the rain if I'm charging and if not, I just twist the top so that the usb is covered and protected from the wet. Low tech and simple. Like me.

 

[freiston]

Mine is more a permanent wiring solution and not good for disconnecting the charger. I have the Cycle2Charge unit mounted on the top of my stem/steerer (the power wires feeding the charger from the hub enter the charging unit from inside the steerer). I just cut into the wires from the hub to the front lamp near the fork crown and stripped the four ends, twisted the ends of the charger cable (coming out from the bottom of the steerer) onto the stripped ends on one side of the cut lamp cable, then twisted the other stripped ends of the lamp wire onto the naked joined wires (so the join is a "Y-shaped") - all finished off with solder and heat-shrink. I left enough length on the spliced wire to push the joints up into the steerer, so that you have a single set of wires going up into the steerer from the hub and a single set coming out from the bottom of the steerer into the front lamp.

The front lamp is a B+M Cyo Senso Plus (or something like that) and has an on/off switch; if I'm using the USB charger, I switch the lighting off. I charge a power pack rather than charge devices directly - energy-wise, this is less efficient but as said by others before, overcomes any issues of unsteady output from the charger.

I also have a nifty little AA/AAA charger that runs off a USB power supply so that I can charge my batteries too.

I have tested the setup for functionality and all is good, but as yet, I haven't had to top up the power pack with the dynamo. My objective is to have the ability to do so if required.

 

[Heltor Chasca]

Mine is more a permanent wiring solution and not good for disconnecting the charger. I have the Cycle2Charge unit mounted on the top of my stem/steerer (the power wires feeding the charger from the hub enter the charging unit from inside the steerer). I just cut into the wires from the hub to the front lamp near the fork crown and stripped the four ends, twisted the ends of the charger cable (coming out from the bottom of the steerer) onto the stripped ends on one side of the cut lamp cable, then twisted the other stripped ends of the lamp wire onto the naked joined wires (so the join is a "Y-shaped") - all finished off with solder and heat-shrink. I left enough length on the spliced wire to push the joints up into the steerer, so that you have a single set of wires going up into the steerer from the hub and a single set coming out from the bottom of the steerer into the front lamp.

The front lamp is a B+M Cyo Senso Plus (or something like that) and has an on/off switch; if I'm using the USB charger, I switch the lighting off. I charge a power pack rather than charge devices directly - energy-wise, this is less efficient but as said by others before, overcomes any issues of unsteady output from the charger.

I also have a nifty little AA/AAA charger that runs off a USB power supply so that I can charge my batteries too.

I have tested the setup for functionality and all is good, but as yet, I haven't had to top up the power pack with the dynamo. My objective is to have the ability to do so if required.

Useful information. Thank you. Have any of your cameras got enough charge in them to be able to take a photo of your set up and post here? That would be super useful.