Dynohub with DAU (Dry Accumulator Unit)

[Raleighman1950]

When Dynolux lights were first fitted to the Raleigh Superbe Deluxe Ca. 1946- 50 they were fitted with "dry accumulators" rated at 2 volts per cell (hence the fact that later Dry Battery and Filter switch units were only three cell units) Battery technology is now much more advanced; when I recently purchased a 1959 Raleigh Superbe Deluxe I decided to fit high end Ni- Mh cells and a rectifier to allow the FG hub generator to charge the batteries. Day charging rate is 300ma; I have fitted 0.6w bulbs front and rear; this allows a night charge rate of 100ma. See attached pictures.
My next project will involve a modern dynohub, two "wine bottle" dynamos and three rectifiers running a common rail D.C supply to a 6Ah lead acid battery. Stay tuned for that one..!

 

[peterhopkins]

When Dynolux lights were first fitted to the Raleigh Superbe Deluxe Ca. 1946- 50 they were fitted with "dry accumulators" rated at 2 volts per cell (hence the fact that later Dry Battery and Filter switch units were only three cell units) Battery technology is now much more advanced; when I recently purchased a 1959 Raleigh Superbe Deluxe I decided to fit high end Ni- Mh cells and a rectifier to allow the FG hub generator to charge the batteries. Day charging rate is 300ma; I have fitted 0.6w bulbs front and rear; this allows a night charge rate of 100ma. See attached pictures.
My next project will involve a modern dynohub, two "wine bottle" dynamos and three rectifiers running a common rail D.C supply to a 6Ah lead acid battery. Stay tuned for that one..!

Hi - I'm not very tech-savvy, so perhaps you can help. I remember a green Raleigh roadster which was very popular in the later 1940s. There was a small (sealed?) tube on the down tube which someone told me was an accumulator topped up by the dynohub. In those days, thinking of car batteries & Physics at school, I assumed there was some kind of lead-acid system sealed inside the tube, as I didn't know that dry-charging was then an option. So - WAS there a form of dry charging avalable then? (Lead-acid does sound a bit dodgy & unlikely!) I'd like to know because I'm due to give a talk about the history of the bike!
I also remember that those bikes were fitted with a steering lock built into the fork crown.