Hi All!
Today, I came across an announcement for the "Bike Console" add-on USB charger.
It is a dybohub-like device that can be added to your existing front hub (bolt-on or q/r) and provides a couple recharging ports and some sort of white-red, fore-aft LED lighting. The unit is geared, and has a clutch so it can be disengaged. Here's what the company's descripion says:
Fits any spoked wheel.
= Charges any USB powered device.
= All-in-one design with bike light and power generator integrated in a stylish body.
= 3W 5.0V DC output.
= Fully charges most mobile phones with 2-3 hours’ ride.
= 20% lighter than similar system driven by hub dynamo.
= Low load resistance. Zero resistance possible if not in use (by disengaging clutch).
= Starts to work at 5kmh. Full capacity at 20kmh (based on 26” wheels).
= Easy DIY installation. Tool-free for Quick Release wheels. Check video.
= 1W front LED with integrated lens optics.
= 2 S/B LED rear light.
= Beam angle adjustable.
= Remote-controlled lighting switch.
= Weatherproof
The installation video is here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uh_aq2wqttA&feature=youtu.beThe product page is here:
http://www.ibikeconsole.com/http://www.ibikeconsole.com/News.asp?SupMenuID=0&MenuID=7195&SelectedID=2The company's homepage is here:
http://www.ibikeconsole.com/The BikeCharge is designed to work with the company's core product, the BikeConsole, a smartphone mount for handlebars.
I haven't tried the product or seen one firsthand, but it appears to have some flaws. For example, in the installation video, it shows the "clutch" is a plastic, slide-on know sort of thing that engages the spokes and has to be physically attached and removed to dis/engage the unit. Also, it appears to have a great deal of drag, judging by the way the person demonstrating it has to keep fanning the front wheel with his hand to keep it spinning. Apparently the thing has some sort of step-up mechanism. My money is on a belt-drive and two pulleys under the side cover. This charger is going to be way down in the water and muck, so it had better be well sealed, and the rubber cover looks as if it wouldn't stand too many openings and closings. It appears cheap to me, but again, I can't fairly judge it without seeing it in person.
Suggested retail is USD$100.
Still, it is a clever idea, and is evidence of increasing consumer and manufacturer interest in (USB) recharging from a dynohub or dynohub-like device.
I've seen an awful lot of these add-on "dynohubs" (most attach some sort of magnets to the spokes and a field coil on the fork) come and go, and they usually suffer from not one but a number of fatal flaws that prevent them lasting very long or working very well. The most clever I've seen to date was a short-lived model that appeared briefly last year from a maker in central China. It used induction to amplify the charge through a slave field coil, but at the (sad) cost of greatly increasing drag -- the very thing it was supposed to address. There's a lot of thinking going in in the field at present, but it is still awfully hard to beat a good dynohub such as those made by Shimano and Schmidt/SON. And, if the development or execution are poor, less costly offerings are really no bargain at all.
Has anyone here tried one of these yet?
Best,
Dan.
