Dynamo lights

[EuanB]

So with a slack as day at work I got to finding out what Audax was al
about and the lighting requirements. Audax appeals to me, probabl
'cause it's non-competitive which I like. Competitiveness brings ou
the dark side in me :-

My current lighting set up for the front is a Cat Eye OptiCube as th
``Helloooo, I'm here!'' light and a NightFlux 10W Halogen so I can se
where I'm going. It works well but the NightFlux has a 80-90 minut
burn time which isn't so hot for an Audax. Which got me thinking abou
dynamos

Anyone on the list have experience with recent dynamo setups? Give
that I'm be cycling at 05:30 for half the year and 23:00 for the othe
half lighting is a year round thing for me
--
Cheer
Eua

--
EuanB

[[email protected]]

EuanB wrote:
>

> Anyone on the list have experience with recent dynamo setups? Given
> that I'm be cycling at 05:30 for half the year and 23:00 for the other
> half lighting is a year round thing for me.
> --

I've got a hub dynamo on my commuting/training bike. It's a Shimano
Shimano DH-3N71 which is a new model this year, better than the old one
apparently. My LBS Ridgways in Brisbane ordered it in for me for $140.
I bought a rim and spokes and built the wheel myself. It's running a
standard Lumotec 6V 3W with switch I ordered from
www.stkildacycles.com.au it all works nicely. Quite bright and you
don't really notice the extra drag. I get full light from about 12km/h.

Bruce.

[Peter McCallum]

> wrote:
> My LBS Ridgways in Brisbane ordered it in for me

Great bike shop.

--
Peter McCallum
Mackay Qld AUSTRALIA

[Ray]

In article >,
says...
>
> So with a slack as day at work I got to finding out what Audax was all
> about and the lighting requirements. Audax appeals to me, probably
> 'cause it's non-competitive which I like. Competitiveness brings out
> the dark side in me :-S
>
> My current lighting set up for the front is a Cat Eye OptiCube as the
> ``Helloooo, I'm here!'' light and a NightFlux 10W Halogen so I can see
> where I'm going. It works well but the NightFlux has a 80-90 minute
> burn time which isn't so hot for an Audax. Which got me thinking about
> dynamos.
>
> Anyone on the list have experience with recent dynamo setups? Given
> that I'm be cycling at 05:30 for half the year and 23:00 for the other
> half lighting is a year round thing for me.
> --
> Cheers
> Euan
>
>
> --
> EuanB
>
>

I bought a Schmidt SON dynamo when I was in Germany earlier this year.
I have rectified it's output and then feed straight into a pair of 3W
luxeon LED's in series.
The hub is self current limiting @ 500-600mA - well within the max
current of the LED's.

Works a treat, bright white light.
I used to lug around a kilo+ of SLA battery which I'd occasionally
forget to charge :(

I have not noticed any extra drag and now have the lights running all
the time.

Get on the bike, get above a riducoulsy slow speed and you have light!

Cheers Ray

[suzyj]

EawnB wrote:

> Anyone on the list have experience with recent dynamo setups?

I built a wheel for a friend a couple of months ago, using the ne
Shimano hub dynamo (DH-3N70), and a pair of 3W Lumotec lights (wired i
series).

I gotta say, it's an impressive setup. Practically no drag at all whe
the lights are switched off, and it's difficult to tell (when riding
that the lights are on. Plenty of light from the Lumotecs, too.

Just the ticket for Audax, I reckon.

I'm thinking of going the hub dynamo route myself at some stage, an
might give the Schmidt hub a go. Everything I've heard about the
would indicate that you can't get better.

Cheers,

Suz

--
suzyj

[Flying Echidna]

On Wed, 22 Jun 2005 10:50:42 +1000, suzyj
> wrote in aus.bicycle:


>
>I'm thinking of going the hub dynamo route myself at some stage, and
>might give the Schmidt hub a go. Everything I've heard about them
>would indicate that you can't get better.

I had a hub dynamo on a Raleigh bike in the 50's it even had a tube on
the down tube in which D cells were installed to take over the
lighting when you were stationary. The rest of the bike was crap, full
chain guard, brakes operated by metal rods... oh a brooks saddle.

But you are right I never noticed the dynamo even when it was
generating unlike those things which clamped on to side wall of the
tyre and made every journey an uphill slog.

Its a pity they are so expensive.


Regards
Prickles

[Euan]

>>>>> "Flying Echidna" == Flying Echidna > writes:

Flying Echidna> Its a pity they are so expensive.

Working on the car driving CFO for that. Given that rego's due this
month and last month saw a $400 service I'm confident I can push it
through...
--
Cheers | ~~ __@
Euan | ~~ _-\<,
Melbourne, Australia | ~ (*)/ (*)