Considering Dynamo Hub - lots of questions

[Pat "5mph"]

Finally managed to put my dinamo lights to the test, they are great in an urban environment, will supplement them with "to be seen light" front and rear, plus a front cateye for rides on unlit paths.

 

[andrew_s]

Just had a call from John at SPA, wheel will arrive tomorrow. So,

B&M LUXOS U - fitted
Phillips safelight rear - fitted
SON28 wheel arriving tomorrow
Just need to cable and test.

Not doing EE this year though due to family medical stuff. Next year.

I do hope you remembered to order some Schmidt connectors. The 4.8mm female spade connectors are a bit difficult to find outside of Schmidt stockists, and most non-Schmidt lights come with the small 2.8mm spade connectors.

For spare lights I carry either a Tikka XP headtorch or an XML/18650 torch, and a Smart R1 rear light. The front light mostly gets used for puncture mending etc, and the Smart is a case of sometimes when I feel the need for a bit extra - eg daytime fog.

The great thing about dynamo lights is that they just work without any fuss. These days you don't even have to decide whether it's dark enough to turn them on as they do that themselves.
I don't think I've touched mine for the last 4 years, apart from unplugging at wheel removal, cleaning the lens and turning it back on once when some helpful soul had tried to turn off the standlight at the pub.

 

[RhythMick]

I do hope you remembered to order some Schmidt connectors. The 4.8mm female spade connectors are a bit difficult to find outside of Schmidt stockists, and most non-Schmidt lights come with the small 2.8mm spade connectors.

For spare lights I carry either a Tikka XP headtorch or an XML/18650 torch, and a Smart R1 rear light. The front light mostly gets used for puncture mending etc, and the Smart is a case of sometimes when I feel the need for a bit extra - eg daytime fog.

The great thing about dynamo lights is that they just work without any fuss. These days you don't even have to decide whether it's dark enough to turn them on as they do that themselves.
I don't think I've touched mine for the last 4 years, apart from unplugging at wheel removal, cleaning the lens and turning it back on once when some helpful soul had tried to turn off the standlight at the pub.

I hadn't ordered those connectors. Thanks. Surely any electrical place will have spades and they're easy enough to solder up?

 

[RhythMick]

I do hope you remembered to order some Schmidt connectors. The 4.8mm female spade connectors are a bit difficult to find outside of Schmidt stockists, and most non-Schmidt lights come with the small 2.8mm spade connectors.

I'm missing something. Googling "uk 4.8mm female spade connector" brought up several options ... what's special about the Schmidt connectors ? Quite happy to just order them from SPA (though I wish they'd told me) but what's stopping me from popping to Maplins ?

http://www.maplin.co.uk/intermediate-size-insulated-crimp-terminal-lucar-female-219181

 

[glasgowcyclist]

I'm missing something. Googling "uk 4.8mm female spade connector" brought up several options ... what's special about the Schmidt connectors ? Quite happy to just order them from SPA (though I wish they'd told me) but what's stopping me from popping to Maplins ?

Nothing. Buy what suits your pocket.

I don't know what connectors the Phillips light uses, it may not be the spade type. My current rear light (from Lidl) has two small metal tabs, each with a small hole, sheathed in a slider of hard plastic. The connection method is to place the relevant wire into the hole then slide the plastic sheath closed over it. It's a very secure fitting and works perfectly.


GC

 

[RhythMick]

Nothing. Buy what suits your pocket.

I don't know what connectors the Phillips light uses, it may not be the spade type. My current rear light (from Lidl) has two small metal tabs, each with a small hole, sheathed in a slider of hard plastic. The connection method is to place the relevant wire into the hole then slide the plastic sheath closed over it. It's a very secure fitting and works perfectly.


GC

Thanks. Not about cost, if I don't need "special" ones I can get them today and fit. An earlier post led me to believe they were hard to come by.

 

[RhythMick]

Maplins pack of 10 female 4.8mm spades. To the soldering iron Holmes !

 

[RhythMick]

Sorted. Front and rear working, also handlebar control and USB charging. Cables made as waterproof as I can. If you're interested, this is what I do.

- solder and crimp the spades
- small size heatshrink in place and heated to size
- larger heat shrink in place over that, hold it in place (eg clothes peg) and squeeze some silicon sealant into the cable end of the heat shrink.
- allow to cure for 30 mins or so, then heat the outer heatshrink to size

It will never be perfect but it should keep out most crap.

Not dark enough yet to either adjust the light or tell how good the beam pattern is from the Luxos. Philips Saferide rear looks great especially from the side.

 

[RhythMick]

Anyone know if the Philips rear light has an off switch?

I ask because I can switch off the Luxos but the Phillips continues to drain the cache battery. It would be better if I could switch off both and preserve the charge in the battery for the next ride. Guess I can always install a simple switch but seems a hack, and waterproofing would be an issue.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Anyone know if the Philips rear light has an off switch?

I ask because I can switch off the Luxos but the Phillips continues to drain the cache battery. It would be better if I could switch off both and preserve the charge in the battery for the next ride. Guess I can always install a simple switch but seems a hack, and waterproofing would be an issue.

I could be wrong in my recall of this but I think I read somewhere that dynamo powered rear lights that meet the German requirements must be permanently connected. Maybe one of our German speaking members could confirm...

GC

 

[ushills]

Anyone know if the Philips rear light has an off switch?

I ask because I can switch off the Luxos but the Phillips continues to drain the cache battery. It would be better if I could switch off both and preserve the charge in the battery for the next ride. Guess I can always install a simple switch but seems a hack, and waterproofing would be an issue.

Have you wired the rear light direct from the dynamo or from the luxos, with my cyo when I stop the light turn off after 6 minutes or so and turns off the rear. Turning the front light off also turns off the rear at the same time.

 

[DrLex]

I suspect that it's designed to be a slave to whatever front light it is attached; I have the Philips SafeRide dynamo front light, with stand light functionality, and the switch works for the light and whatever is attached. If your wiring is correct, you'll need an in-line switch.

 

[ushills]

Try a long press of the button after stopping to prematurely stop the stand light function, this should turn off both front and rear completely. From the full manual

 

[RhythMick]

Try a long press of the button after stopping to prematurely stop the stand light function, this should turn off both front and rear completely. From the full manual

Thanks. Did that but it only stops the front.

No big deal, but I'd like to be able to stop it if I can.

 

[ushills]

Now this is bugging me......is the rear connected to one of the two output points and does the button glow green to indicate the correct operation of the rear.