Dynamo Hub

[6thElement]

Love the look of that Ti Fargo loaded up.

[mtntraveler]

Hi all
I have been interested in Dynamo hubs for a while and just built up my shimano 3n80 hub for my cross bike.  Have not yet used it.  I am interested in seeing how all the recharge systems work so please keep the forum updated.  Noticed a switchable dynamo hub that may be of interest to some.  http://store.velo-orange.com/index.php/components/wheelsets-rims-hubs/vo-switchable-dynamo-hub.html  The problem with some of the hubs is that they are not disk compatible, but on my retro cross bike that not a problem.     

[DoctorRad]

A friend of mine has suggested a cheaper alternative to getting USB power from a dynamo. Nokia sell a bike charging unit for their phones called the DC-14 which includes a bottle dynamo. This has a Nokia power plug which can be converted to micro USB using a Nokia CA-146 adapter. These are very cheap from eBay in Europe.

Though I haven't tried it myself, my friend says that the DC-14 unit will plug into a hub dynamo.

Also, I have recently hacked a USB car charger to work from my halogen light batteries to keep my Android phone running with GPS fully charged for a day or more. Should be fairly easy to hack this into running from a dynamo too.

[trebor]

Doctor Rad - good info. I went to the Biologic website (makers of the battery sytem i'm using) snooping around and they are, it seems, about to release a device much like the Nokia DC-14. No price or date of release though.

http://www.thinkbiologic.com/products/reecharge-dynamo-kit

[DoctorRad]

Have been thinking about this a little more as I'm not sure what the maximum output of a DC-14 is. There are lots of gotchas when it comes to USB device charging, with iPhones being particularly picky as to what they'll charge 'quickly' from. Even if enough current is available, if the charger doesn't 'tell' the device that lots of current is available, the device won't go into quick charge mode.

This is an issue with my Android phone. If GPS is switched on and quick charge mode isn't, then the battery will continue to drain despite the fact that the device is plugged in. It drains slower than if it isn't plugged in at all, but it will still eventually drain down.

[trebor]

By adding a storage device to the system it seems that all that goes away, right? Biologic sells a battery as part of their kit - which I have and I'm keeping my eye out on a new-old stock Brunton Solo (larger capacity). This way you have the clean DC at the correct voltage and the option to have the source when not in motion. The Bilogic battery (called Reecharge) is only 3 oz. Such a minor penalty to pay it seems.

After reeding the Biologic website a bit more, the iPhone sytem they promote needs to sit in a speical case/cradle which has a battery in it. Thus the source of clean DC.

[DoctorRad]

In a way it goes away, yes, but adding storage will reduce the total amount of energy you get out of the system. The batteries in the storage device will not be 100% efficient, in other words, when you charge them, you get less energy out than you put in, typically around 50% depending on the type of battery in the storage device.

When you charge the battery inside a device you're going to use - such as a phone - directly from a dynamo using a device like the Nokia or Reecharge, you have to take this hit and can't avoid it. But if you effectively charge one battery - in the storage device - to then charge another, you're wasting a lot of energy.

You can, however, get devices which will recharge AA or AAA cells from a USB source, and you can then put those cells directly into a device like a camera or GPS to run the device. You could therefore go dynamo -> USB -> AA charger and transfer the cells from the charger to the device manually. Plus, if you carry a USB wall wart with you, you could top-up those cells from any power sockets you happen across on your trip.

Kent Peterson does something similar with solar chargers to keep his devices topped up on long trips. These chargers offer USB in and out modes which respectively charge the internal AA cells, and power or charge a connected device. In an emergency you can therefore charge or power your device from Alkaline AA cells you carry or pick up at supply points along the way.

Getting the right kit - read: flexible kit - will keep your options open.

[gregclimbs]

FYI for everyone else... I have a son28 hub on my big dummy (and totally LOVE it)... and if I were going to build a TD rig, it would be on the list.

One thing I found in looking to run an edge 705 non-stop (since it has a 12-15hr battery life) is a usb charger.

I saw the pedal power that Peter sells, and I really didn't like it.  Seems ugly, expensive, etc.

So I kept looking.

I found this:

http://shop.aaaa-electronic.de/epages/15164820.sf/en_GB/?ViewObjectID=92567762

@ 26euro (~$40), looks nicer, looks cleaner, cheaper and has some nice mounting tabs so you could drilll and tap your stem and mount it on the underside.

I have NO experience with it, but might eventually order one...

Hope that helps

g

[DoctorRad]

I found this:

http://shop.aaaa-electronic.de/epages/15164820.sf/en_GB/?ViewObjectID=92567762

@ 26euro (~$40), looks nicer, looks cleaner, cheaper and has some nice mounting tabs so you could drilll and tap your stem and mount it on the underside.

I have NO experience with it, but might eventually order one...

Also available on eBay: http://cgi.ebay.com/180673718384

Maximum output current of 300mA. I know from experience that this charge current would NOT prevent the battery in my HTC Desire phone from running down if the GPS was switched on. As ever, YMMV.

[orion_134]

Rob, how did you like the setup on the TDR?

[fotooutdoors]

I'll bump this because I too would like to know.  For me, a battery-based light makes more sense (multiple bikes), but if I really get into bikepacking, I could see building up a wheel for this purpose.

[intheways]

The Tout-terrain plug seems like a good out-of-the-way setup, but is not cheap.  I wonder if it would be possible to fab something similar with the eBay unit mentioned above

[trebor]

Rob, how did you like the setup on the TDR?

Sorry - haven't been following the thread. Up until the "taco incident", it was a 6 on a 1-10 scale. To the point DrRad brought up, there is loss and inefficiency with a battery. I also had a problem on day #1 with the connections vibrating lose. That was solved by taping ALL of them - but that made switching devices more time consuming.

The dynamo light, Plant Bike Blaze, worked great. Dynamo hub and a light combos are awesome. No regrets there. 10 out of 10 on that set up for the Divide. Not a great light for singletrack riding though - not quite enough light. There are other lights on the market with more output for such a task however.

[Damnitman]

I am impressed enough with my SON hubs that I am figuring out how to afford one on all my wheelsets.

[intheways]

FYI- http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/schmidt.asp

[sfuller]

Love the look of that Ti Fargo loaded up.

Agreed. Sharp sharp looking bike.

[sfuller]

I am impressed enough with my SON hubs that I am figuring out how to afford one on all my wheelsets.

I have a Schmidt (SON) built up for my Fargo. I love the freedom of having a light available all the time that I am going to build a dyno wheel for my Big Dummy as well. I think in the case of the BD, I'm going to use one of the Alfine hubs for the BD just to keep the cost down. Sure the Alfine's have more drag, but I'd rather save the money than worry about another 6W of power output from my legs when the light isn't on.

[Damnitman]

That sounds like a great plan...I've been trying to figure out how to afford a whole-nother SON (it would be #3 in my fleet) for my new Trek Transport that I should be taking delivery of in the next week or two.  The Shimano is probably the most cost effective solution...though it sure seems tough to beat the SON for reliability and durability.