Hub dynamo and electronics thread.

[RonK]

Nice - I'll have to check that out. There's some pretty nice benefits over Klite's (sweet, I'll add) offerings: B+M has a great rep. and that price is pretty damn good, if I'm reading the description correctly, it includes in the unit:

Light,
Handlebar switch
Cache battery
USB charging option

So instead of buying the 3 sep. components from KLite (Light: 265.00, USB charging thingy: $120.00, Handlebar Switch: $60 (and even battery pack?!), it's all in one?

Seems like the difference of a German-flavored efficient industrial product and the handmade artisanal offering?

I'll have to do my research on that idea, that's a huge cost savings.

There are other differences which are relevant in the bikepacking context, so do your research carefully:
 - the Luxos U has a shaped beam and realistically can only be mounted on the fork crown. This may not be convenient if you want to use a handlebar roll
 - it is a largish unit and has a plastic housing - I am aware of at least two instances where the mount has snapped off
 - there are numerous reports of failure due to water entry.
My take is that the Luxos U would be a good light for commuting or road touring but probably not the best choice for bikepacking.

A better choice may be the forthcoming Sinewave Beacon:
- it can be mounted in any position or orientation
- it is compact and has a robust metal housing
- it has an integrated USB charger
- it can be powered by either a dynamo hub or an auxiliary battery or both.

I am on the cusp of ordering one to replace the current clutter of Exposure Revo, Sinewave Revolution USB charger, Klite switch and wiring all mounted on an extension bar.

[the tortoise]

There are other differences which are relevant in the bikepacking context, so do your research carefully:
 - the Luxos U has a shaped beam and realistically can only be mounted on the fork crown. This may not be convenient if you want to use a handlebar roll
 - it is a largish unit and has a plastic housing - I am aware of at least two instances where the mount has snapped off
 - there are numerous reports of failure due to water entry.
My take is that the Luxos U would be a good light for commuting or road touring but probably not the best choice for bikepacking.

A better choice may be the forthcoming Sinewave Beacon:
- it can be mounted in any position or orientation
- it is compact and has a robust metal housing
- it has an integrated USB charger
- it can be powered by either a dynamo hub or an auxiliary battery or both.

I am on the cusp of ordering one to replace the current clutter of Exposure Revo, Sinewave Revolution USB charger, Klite switch and wiring all mounted on an extension bar.

Mine has been dead reliable over 3 years and that includes doing the AZT with it. I mounted my wife's on the handlebar. The shaped beam is so that it doesn't blind oncoming road traffic which is a problem with many light systems. This can be good and bad. No doubt some other beams might be better for pure singletrack. I also believe that they have addressed the water ingress problem. I don't live in a real rainy environment so it hasn't been a problem for me.
The sinewave system looks interesting for sure but it doesn't appear to have a cache battery built in; just a capacitor.
The question I would have is how does it regulate the USB output?
Be interesting to see light beam comparisons at different speeds. The Luxos U does vary light output depending upon speed so in tech singletrack I supplement it with a helmet light.
Right now I don't see any perfect system out there but I am anxious to hear about the sinewave.

[RonK]

Right now I don't see any perfect system out there but I am anxious to hear about the sinewave.

Did you follow the link to the Beacon Headlight FAQ on the Sinewave page. There is more useful information there. In particular:

"The Beacon can be powered by a dynamo, an external USB battery pack, or both.  An external USB battery can be connected using the barrel connector on the back of the light.  A USB-to-barrel cable is available.  The external battery will maintain high brightness and steady output, even when stopped.  When you begin riding, the power from the dynamo will begin to replace the power from the battery until you reach a speed where the dynamo is able to provide all of the power, and the battery is no longer used.  When you slow down the light resumes using the battery so the beam doesn't dim or flicker."

[RonK]

Mine has been dead reliable over 3 years and that includes doing the AZT with it.

I would not trust one off the sealed road after seeing pics like this.



Here is another example:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReYXpVn5v1c

[cousinmosquito]

I am pretty sure they are still failing in watery conditions, and there is no way you want to be off-roading with something with a cut-off beam. Get an exposure or k-lite or go with batteries.

[the tortoise]

Ron,

Mine has taken a pounding including some crashes and that includes lots of "non sealed" riding.

Was this your personal unit or were you just doing a search? What percent of all the units have cracked and what caused the crack? Me thinks it wasn't just riding along! Also they have changed the design over time and earlier issues like water ingress and the cache battery not putting out a seamless output seem to have been resolved.

I can do internet searches all day and find problems with just about any product.

Not a B&M fanboy but just want to put things into perspective.

When and if mine fails I will certainly look at all other options.

Here is a review on the beacon: http://www.cyclingabout.com/sinewave-cycles-beacon-dynamo-light/

Right now the B&M is about half the cost and then with the beacon you need to buy a separate cache battery. With that said it seems like with a cache battery and given the nature of the light beam the beacon seems to be a better single track light option. However it may blind a driver on the road since it's beam is not focused down.
I would be interested in seeing a beacon in action.

[RonK]

I'm aware of this issue because both of these failures were reported by Luxos U owners on a thread in a local cycling forum to which I'm a regular participant. One owner says it happened on a rough road, the other owners says he never used it on rough roads. See for yourself. Hub Dynamos in Australia.

It's good that you have not experienced it for youself, but it is a consideration for anyone planning a light/charging system for bikepacking, particularly if going offroad.

Any light can inconvenience other road users if it is not focused correctly, even shaped beams. The Beacon is slightly less bright than my current Exposure Revo, and both have symmetrical beams. Aim them correctly and they won't bother anyone.

I find using an auxilliary battery which supports pass-through charging a better solution than direct connection to a USB charger and provides the capacity to recharge all my devices when travelling, including my phone, tablet, bike computer, camera, and bluetooth earbuds. The small Luxos U cache battery does not have this capacity.

[bmike-vt]

FWIW, as a long time dyno user - since back in the days of dual e6 halogens, where you had to turn off the secondary lamp while climbing, and the bulbs would always seem to die in the cold or rain (or both!) during a brevet, dyno power / lights are fantastic and great - especially for someone who also uses the bike for errands / commutes / general life / etc. 

That said - the LuxosU wouldn't be my first choice for a bikepacking / adventure bike. Mine has been solid on gravel and dirt roads, but I have read of too many issues. It's a good light, had been reliable for me - but I prefer the Exposure Revo for gravel / dirt road mixed use riding. I even prefer my original edeluxe over the luxos and they both have 'shaped' beams.

For battery packs - I found a limefuel that supports pass through charging. I've not needed to use it - but it's a good feature to have.

[the tortoise]

Here is a summary of some lighting USB charging options:

B&M Luxos U $150: Light, cache battery, USB port for charging

Sinewave Beacon $275: Light, USB port for charging, no cache battery

Exposure Revo, Sinewave revolution $360: Light, USB port for charging, no cache battery

Klite, Sinewave revolution $470: Light, USB port for charging, no cache battery

This doesn't go into comparing the pluses and minuses of each system just giving a rundown of prices and capability

Please add other systems left out.

[RonK]

Other lights:

Supernova E3 Pro, E3 Triple

Other chargers:
Sinewave Reactor
Supernova/Tout Terrain  The Plug
B&M USB eWerk
Forumslader

[the tortoise]

When getting a cache battery you might want to look at one that allows pass through charging. This would allow you to go from your converter (like a sinewave) to the cache battery to whatever you are charging. In other words the battery can be charged and discharged at the same time.

Here is one example: https://www.amazon.com/Jackery-10200mAh-Output-Portable-Power/dp/B00F00B9A0/ref=sr_1_10?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1497410870&sr=1-10&keywords=jackery+portable+charger

[JoePavlik]

When getting a cache battery you might want to look at one that allows pass through charging. This would allow you to go from your converter (like a sinewave) to the cache battery to whatever you are charging. In other words the battery can be charged and discharged at the same time.

Here is one example: https://www.amazon.com/Jackery-10200mAh-Output-Portable-Power/dp/B00F00B9A0/ref=sr_1_10?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1497410870&sr=1-10&keywords=jackery+portable+charger

That battery requires a 2 amp input while all the dyno hubs available only output 1 amp.

[THE LONG RANGER]

Thanks everyone for your help! I took the plunge, and am getting a SON28 hub and the B&M Luxos U light. I am looking forward to generate tiny amounts of electricity to then use to charge some of my small batteries!

* I do like the upcoming Sinewave Beacon, but it won't work with my trip looming
* The Klite was just too expensive when compared to the B&M, but the B&M is HUGE! I'll be mounting it between my arrow-dynamik bars to keep it a bit protected. 

My wheel builder talked me out of the SP 8 hub, knowing how much I ride, and after seeing how many failed hubs he's seen after say 10k miles. The SON is more expensive, but seems to have a better rep. in that regard. 

Here's a little plug the wheel builder - he's a great guy: http://www.chrismurraywheelworks.com/ I believe Chris Plesko has got a dynamo wheel built by him(?)

[the tortoise]

That battery requires a 2 amp input while all the dyno hubs available only output 1 amp.

Looking at the jackery site it appears you can charge with either a 1 am or 2 amp charger.

look at the question about providing a wall charger: http://www.jackery.com/more/jackery-support.html

[drwelby]

I know people who have had water-related Luxos failures on all three iterations of the light. They all live in Seattle, though.

I have other friends that have broken the plastic mounts on many of the B&M models. One trick to make them survive longer is to fill the pockets on the side of the mounts with JB Weld and sandwich it between two stainless washers while it dries.

For non-technical riding the beam pattern is still probably the best out there.

[THE LONG RANGER]

Thanks everyone for their help in this thread. In the end, I went with a SON 28 hub, and a Busch & Muller Lumotec IQ2 Luxos U Senso for the core of my electronics kit. Here's the full rundown:

http://longranger.justinsimoni.com/2017/10/29/electronics-kit-list-for-the-tour-of-the-highest-hundred/

[drwelby]

Thanks everyone for their help in this thread. In the end, I went with a SON 28 hub, and a Busch & Muller Lumotec IQ2 Luxos U Senso for the core of my electronics kit.

You mentioned wanting a dynamo taillight - the one to get is the B&M Secula. There are two versions - one for mounting on fenders and one that has a band clamp for the seat stays or seat post. However, the band clamp isn't well designed. You actually want to get the fender mount and then use reflector mounting hardware (it has the same mounting pattern) to put in on your seat post or where ever else you might want to put it.

[THE LONG RANGER]

You mentioned wanting a dynamo taillight - the one to get is the B&M Secula

Nice. that's far more reasonable in price than what I was looking at. If I can't replace a battery-powered blinky light with something comparable and in the same ballpark price-wise, it's a big block, IMHO.

Looks like there's also two models, the Secula, and Secula Plus - the "Plus"  is the dynamo-powered one.

[drwelby]

Secula is the general design, the dynamo ones are Secula Plus and the battery one is Secula Permanent.

If you have a metal frame and a cable-actuated rear brake and the housing runs near to where you plan to put the taillight, you can sometimes use the brake housing as the bulk of the power wire to the light and the frame itself as the return ground.

[the tortoise]

Any word or reviews on the Sinewave Beacon??