Technical > Lighting and Electronics

dynamo advice please

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jags:
i can't afford a new front wheel with the son dynamo just yet, so was thinking of gethttp://www.sjscycles.co.uk/busch-and-muller-dymotec-6-sidewall-bottle-dynamo-prod1061/ting this , so what head light should i get with it and is it going to be as strong as the son28..
sorry for all the stupid questions but hey its jags here ;D ;D

Danneaux:
Hi jags!

No stupid questions here except the ones left unasked, so you're okay, Bud.

As for the bottle generator, I think you'll be fine. It will have more drag than the SON when it is running, but none at all when it isn't, so you won't notice any difference compared to your current setup in daylight.

Pair this thing with a B&M IQ Cyo R headlight and a Toplight Line Plus taillight, and you'll be set for seeing and being seen at night. Actually, pairing it with nearly any LED headlight will give you worlds better light than the earlier halogen or krypton gas-filled tungsten incandescent bulbs ever provided. This bottle generator should have no trouble lighting an LED headlight and taillight.

If you're looking to power and charge gadgets, there are better choices (like the dynohub), not so much from a standpoint of sheer power, but drag. It's not bad-bad, but bottle generators will have you working harder. I ran one of the old Union 9814 models for years back in the late 1970s and early '8os when dinosaurs roamed the earth, and I'm still here. Now, that was something. It felt like I hit a wall when it cranked against the tire. Think of it as a training regimen.  ;) Kidding aside, this bottle generator has worlds less drag than what I had in the Olden Days; you'll be fine.

Looking at the description, I see you'll need the "right-handed" model to fit the bracket on your Sherpa's fork (if I understand SJSC's definition of handedness in this case; best to check with them when ordering). It also comes without a bracket, so you'll need one that fits your fork's braze-ons. One of these would do, and SJSC could readily advise you which is best:
http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/thorn-stainless-steel-sliding-dynamo-boss-for-thorn-forks-with-boss-type-2-l-shape-prod7051/
http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/thorn-stainless-steel-sliding-dynamo-boss-for-thorn-forks-with-boss-type-1-t-shape-prod4672/
http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/thorn-stainless-steel-sliding-dynamo-boss-for-thorn-forks-with-boss-type-3-l-shape-x-long-prod19581/

Going this route makes a lot of sense, jags, and you'll still have the headlight and taillight for later if you wish to go with a dynohub of some sort.

One thing I always did with a bottle generator was make a little fender or mudguard to shield the spray from the roller when riding in wet weather. They're easy to make out of sheet aluminum, and some makers have them in plastic as well. Lots of shops seem to have something of the sort kicking around in their parts bins. They're really only needed if you consistently have dark, rainy, nighttime commutes as I did for many years. For regular use, you'd be fine with just the plain bottle gen.

Hope this helps. If you have more questions, give a shout.

Best,

Dan.

rualexander:
The Axa Nano Plus light is definitely worth considering, details on http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=4121.msg19770#msg19770
I haven't been able to test it's actual lighting capabilties yet as it hasn't been dark enough at this time of year but I used it in Ireland on holiday recently and it performed well for charging phone etc through it's built in usb port. Roughly I could charge my motorola defy phone at a rate of about 20% per 10 miles, so 40 miles would put an 80% charge into the phone. I will update my review on the other thread shortly.
I did have the light on on a really wet and dull day on a busy road, and could feel a slight resistance from it but not too bad, more noticeable when freewheeling really. I couldn't feel any resistance when the light was off and the usb port was charging the phone.

jags:
excellent Dan thanks a million.

jags:
thanks lads ;)

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