B&M IQ2 headlight: USB charging review

[ianshearin]

Hi all,

Having done some long runs on the bike now since getting the new B&M light I can report back with more info on the charging of devices.
(Sorry I cant review the actual light itself as I just have not had any night time use)

I am using an iphone connected to the USB handlebar mounted button.

Charging the iphone without any apps running is great, anything above 5mph will keep your battery full and will charge it if its low.

I use an app called mapmyride which is fantastic, I just turn it on and it tracks in real time my ride and at the end it uploads the route along with stats to a website, the site even sends me an email once a Week letting me know how my training is going....
Charging the iphone running this app is no problem and will not only keep a iphone fully charged but will also charge up a low battery, 8MPH seems to be the min required to keep the battery charged.

A few days ago I had a long ride to Manchester to see one of my apprentices, as I got nearer to my destination I turned on a Navigator app (UK & ROI) which is a free nav app to find the destination. It was at this pont that I noticed the iphone turning itself off and on as if it was not charging, then charging....
On the way back I kept both apps running and determined that I needed to do about 15MPH to keep the iphone charging, bit too much for me on a long run and therefore it is unlikely I could keep a iphone charged running a nav app and map my ride.

So far I am impressed with the B&M light charging facility albeit it does have its limits.

Hope this helps anyone considering buying one.

Ian

[Danneaux]

Hope this helps anyone considering buying one.

A big help, Ian; many thanks for the report!

I'm especially interested in the apparent on-off charging behavior when running two apps. I think this means the charging load is more than the Luxos U can supply (equivalent to the green light on The Plug2+ blinking), and the overage is draining down the cache battery, which then has to recover again (or so it would seem, looking at the behavior noted in the manual). Here's a thought: If you try running two apps again, try riding with nothing on for about three minutes to fully charge the cache battery. I'm guessing you'd then be able to ride more slowly with the two apps running...at least for awhile.

Even if the Luxos U just powered the phone with a single app running, that's great. 8mph is a really workable minimum speed, and -- yes -- going 15mph is about right for squeezing the maximum out of the system. Really encouraging on the charging end of things. I'm always really pleased when we gain yet another alternative means for on-bike charging. Rualexander had very good luck with his AXA Nano Plus as well ( http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=4121.msg24549#msg24549 ).

Really helpful having a fellow member with one of these reporting how it works in real-world service; thanks again!

All the best,

Dan.

[Andre Jute]

Thanks, Ian. I just don't make 15mph on the flat, mainly because we don't have that many flats, except for one stretch of about a mile right here in town on the way to a common meeting place for our rides, where I'm always in a hurry because I hate being late. But the automatic on-off charging control, between the phone and the lamp, seems encouraging. It would be worthless if the phone just turned off when the charge got too low, and didn't turn itself on again. The iPhone 4S, which is the model I use, appears to take a very fast charge when sucking current from the wall wart. It would be useful to have some observation when you have more experience about how fast the phone charges up a 10% segment, or 20% or whatever is easiest to observe, in mixed riding, definitely less than 15mph. I'm not planning on killing myself with unnatural high speeds to keep my phone charged!

As a general observation, I'm not surprised by your findings so far. The iPhone can be observed in everyday use to last reasonably well in standby mode but to drain the battery fast when an app is used, and much faster as more apps are used. All that processing and communications power doesn't come free.

Thanks again.

Andre jute

[jags]

i have an app on my super dooper smart phone Strava does exactly the same as Ian app,but like hobbes i wont be travelling a 15 mph just to see it working on the new charger.great to know it will charge my phone on a gentle spin i usually average 13 to 14 mph on a spin.
seems a nice bit of kit though.
thanks Ian now will you please go out tonigh when its dark and test out thos lights..

did i tell you its my 60th birthday today.

[Andre Jute]

Congratulations on making it all the way to 60, Jags. Now bite off the rest in small chunks, starting with say... 30 years!

Andre Jute

[ianshearin]

Happy birthday jags....
And NO, there are vampires out after dark.....  

Sure, soon as I get a chance I will plan a night ride and report back.

I will try to check put those observations Andre, I am off on a family weekend next Week to the Lake District, im going to cycle up there and meet with all my hard drinking scallies I call family, should get a chance for more testing...

Come to think of it, ill ask one of my brothers who will nick my bike for a joyride at 3am how the light worked...