Hub dynamo and electronics thread.

[bmike-vt]

For me, I can't go above or below the stem, as I hit GPS if above, and the feed bags if to the side.
Here's pic mounted (on the wrong side... I want it on the right, to keep wiring tidy)

Untitled by mbeganyi, on Flickr

[Happybiker]

Doesn't it hit your top tube bag when you turn the bars left?

[bmike-vt]

If I turn them 90, sure. But the gas tank bag moves a bit. It will actually be rotated a bit forward, to fit in between the feedbag and the bars. Then it will clear everything.

[Happybiker]

Oh right, it looks good so far.

[JReeves]

I figured I'd post in this thread rather than cluttering the forum...  I'm a complete novice when it comes to this stuff, so I'm seeking a little bit of input on my dynamo setup that Im planning on putting together in the next few months for some longer trips this year.  I've always gotten by with a few USB rechargeable battery banks to charge my Garmin 800, iPhone, camera, and then just carried a few extra AAA batteries for my Nebo flashlight and Black Diamond Storm headlamp.  With the price and positive feedback I've seen of the SP hubs, I think I can justify a simple setup.
So, I'm just looking for some verification that this will all work together, or if there might be better options out there.  I like simple... I.e. I'm okay with not being able to run a light and charge my phone/Garmin at the same time.  
What I'm thinking:

SP 8X Dynamo Hub, laced to a Stans Arch EX 32 hole.
($205 Dynamo, $120 for rest of wheel build)
http://www.sp-dynamo.com/8Xseriesdynamo%20hub.html
Pretty set on this, as it's in my price range, and seems more than sufficient for what I'm looking out of it.

Supernova The Plug III ($185)
http://supernova-lights.com/en/products/the_plug.html
I've seen some mixed reviews of this.  I love the simplicity and the obvious aesthetic appeal.  I've also looked into the PedalPower Super-I-Cable, but would really prefer the Plug III unless there is something glaring that I've overlooked.

Supernova Airstream2 Rechargeable Light  ($190)
http://supernova-lights.com/en/products/airstream_int.html
I know this isn't the most appealing light to some, but I really like the idea of it recharging while it's on.  Coming from what I've used in the past(BD Storm, and a bar mounted LED flashlight), I think this will be more than sufficient for my type of riding.  The internal battery also allows the light to stay on while not moving, or during hike-a-bike sections, or technical single track, or even if I needed to charge another device at night with the headlight still on.  Also this would probably allow me to shave some weight in the form of a flashlight from my kit, as this is easily removable from the bars for tent setup etc...  

One thing I'm a little hung up on is an additional external battery pack.  I don't know that I'll need it, but it might be nice to have the option to add it down the road.  With that, I've read great things about the Trent PowerPak on some of the backpacking/hunting forums I frequent.  From looking at the numbers,(5v charging) I'm assuming that this could be charged from the Dynamo hub???  ($70)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GH056V0/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3M8EANW8ICEZJ&coliid=I1MAH4QDBXH6EM&psc=1

Thanks for the input guys!

[Marshal]

JReeves --you probably have seen this -http://www.sinewavecycles.com/collections/all/products/sinewave-cycles-reactor.  sinewave has good rep, but no personal experience with this particular model

just a comment--Trent PowerPak Ultra 14000mAh Portable Dual USB Port External Battery Charger/Power Pack should charge from your dynamo hub--BUT 14000mAH is Huge.   IE: might take forever to charge it.  With the 'small but always there' dyno output why not settle for a smaller amp hour power pack? 
best of luck with your system--sort of fun to geek out on this stuff.............

[bmike-vt]

The larger packs might need more power to charge. Like the difference between the iPad charger and iPhone charger - different power in.

Look at the sine wave and USBwerk (I have the USBwerk)

[Yogi the Barry]

I used the QR version of that hub, Crest 32 rim, 1.5 mm DT Revolution spokes and aluminum nipples for my wheel. I'm about 165 # and this is on a 29er HT. I campaigned the bike all last year with this build and only had do a minor true a couple times after I laced it up. Bought spokes and nipples from Wheelbuilder.com and rim direct from Stan's.

The SP dynamo directly runs an Exposure Revo on the bar. I'm very happy with the Revo and setup. However, I still run a low-output helmet light, like one of the ~100 Lumen BD lights, to supplement the light during extended HAB and/or slow-speed granny cranks. Also takes a while for my brain to get used to competition between the helmet and bar light outputs, when the dynamo light cycles above and below the output of the helmet light. In other words, when riding slow and the bar light is all over the place left and right, it's tough for you eyes to decide which light to follow - the bar or helmet light. The fix to that is to just bike faster, in order to get full output from the dynamo light, but I often fail miserably at that...

I figured I'd post in this thread rather than cluttering the forum...  ...
What I'm thinking:

SP 8X Dynamo Hub, laced to a Stans Arch EX 32 hole.
($205 Dynamo, $120 for rest of wheel build)
http://www.sp-dynamo.com/8Xseriesdynamo%20hub.html
Pretty set on this, as it's in my price range, and seems more than sufficient for what I'm looking out of it.

...

[JReeves]

Thanks for some input guys...
I didn't realize how large that battery pack was, and it's indeed way more than I would need for this use.  For week long backpacking trips it might make sense though...
With that said, this tiny little guy might be a nice backup.  Again I don't know that I "need" it, but I'm envisioning being able to sit in the tent during a rainstorm and recharge my iPhone...

http://www.amazon.com/Anker-Astro-Ultra-Compact-Lipstick-Sized-Smartphones/dp/B005X1Y7I2/ref=pd_cp_cps_0

The Sinewave USB stem cap looks almost identical to the Supernova Plug III, and comparing the numbers I can't see much difference either.  Is it just a matter of preference between these two as cost is similar?

[Yogi the Barry]

I've got a battery pack similar to the one above and a larger ~2500mAhr one [make/model?] and they are both auto sensing, in that they turn off when the current draw drops below a threshold. That's fine for a high current draw device like a phone, but I have problems with the 'smart' circuitry not charging devices like my tiny iPod Shuffle, which pulls only a small amount of current when charging. Anyone know of a batter pack that just has an on/off circuit and doesn't auto-sense auto-switch off?

[Aushiker]

I was just looking at Bike24.com at the SON 28 135 dynamos for a Salsa Mukluk build and notice that they offer a SON 28 135 Hub Dynamo Disc 6-hole VR and a SON 28 135 Hub Dynamo Disc 6-hole. Does anyone know what the VR refers to or the difference between the two models?

Thanks
Andrew

[bmike-vt]

One is 135 with disc rotor spaced for rear, one is 135 disk rotor spaced for front. You'd have to figure out how the Muk for is spaced for the disc mount.

[Aushiker]

One is 135 with disc rotor spaced for rear, one is 135 disk rotor spaced for front. You'd have to figure out how the Muk for is spaced for the disc mount.

Thanks.  As it turns out I have a bigger problem (me ) or rather I made an assumption instead of reading carefully and didn't pick up that the Salsa Mukluk frameset I have coming has the Salsa Bearpaw 150 fork so the fork spacing is 15 x 150 mm. Of course there are no dynamos of this size.

I am aware of 15 x 100 dynamos such as the Shutter Precision PD-8X and that spacers are available to bring it out to a 15 x 135mm fit but I am not sure it could be pushed out to a 150mm.  Thoughts?

If spacers are not the go, my only other option is swapping the fork out for a Salsa Bearpaw 135.

Andrew

[bpeschka]

Back in February, in the TD2015 topic, Chris Bennet told about problems he had with the plastic tongue in the USB port of his "The Plug" breaking after some time on the trail.  Basically, it sounds like the stress of the USB plug bouncing back and forth was too much.

I've done something to help alleviate this, for my Plug USB port.  Haven't proven that it will work or not, in the long run.  Am attaching some photos to illustrate:

• Photo 1: The basic "The Plug"
• Photo 2: A typical USB cable plugged into The Plug.  The USB plug and cable stick out several inches before even starting to curve down.  That's a lot of weight on the internal connection, even at rest and will exert a lot of force when things get bumpy.  I can also see myself whacking that pigtail sticking out with my hand while riding.
• Photo 3: I found a USB connector with an L shaped USB plug.  It has cable that's about 6 inches long terminated by a standard female USB plug.
• The L cable, again. Purchased on EBay for under $4, came from Hong Kong in a very few days.  Search for something like USB A 2.0 Female to Male Down L Type degree adapter cable
• Photo 5: The L cable installed.  Sticks out less than an inch.  I also put a band of Gorilla tape around it to try to ensure it doesn't bounce around much. The pigtail cable works as a good extension cord reaching over to a Gas Tank or Feed bag that holds the item being charged.

I've taken it on a few rides; works good so far.  We'll see.
[/list]

[the tortoise]

Still using my SP PD 8 dynamo hub which has been dead reliable for thousands of miles including the AZT 750 which I just finished.
My B&M Luxos U light also made the trip and came back unscathed in spite of numerous crashes and super rough terrain. I ended up mounting it off my front stem since the low mount off my fork crown interfered with my sweetroll bag. The light worked very well and in conjunction with my Fenix flashlight which I helmet mounted helped get me through some singletrack night sections very well. The helmet light also came in usefull for night time camp usage.
The handlebar mounted light switch comes with a USB charger which helped keep my Sony Experia Z3v smartphone topped off since plug ins were few and far between. My thought was to use the Sony for GPS, phone, web surfing, and camera to avoid having so many different devices. At the last minute I threw on my Garmin battery mounted GPS and I was glad I did. On my Garmin I turned off all my maps and just zoomed in to follow the track. My phone GPS app was awesome due to the large screen and I left the maps on to check locations etc. I think using the smartphone as a gps would be fine on many routes but I think having a dedicated gps is a good idea. There were several times I used both when I got off track and I was glad I had both.
The phone worked great as a camera and the quality was close to my Canon point and shoot. The true advantage of using a smartphone for a camera is that you can post photos instantly on facebook or instagram so people at home can follow along on your adventure. I also used my smartphone as a music player so I had one less thing to charge and lug around.
Overall I am very pleased with my setup.
I use backcountry navigator as my smartphone GPS app which allows me to download several various types of map for off network usage. I kept my phone in airplane mode with the screen off and apps off to save battery.

[aaron w]

Rich, I've never used a dynamo system on a technical singletrack route.  Were there times in the AZTR where you were going so slow that you were unhappy with light output? 

[the tortoise]

Rich, I've never used a dynamo system on a technical singletrack route.  Were there times in the AZTR where you were going so slow that you were unhappy with light output? 

Well I didn't do a ton of night riding but for the most part in conjunction with my fenix ld 20 light on my helmet at the second brightness level I was able to manage riding pretty well. Not as good as a super bright rechargeable light but I didn't have to worry about recharging and the helmet light powered by 2 AA lithium batteries seemed to last a good long time. I for the most part don't like to do a lot of technical riding at night because I only have one eye, but I did the last 27 miles of the AZT 750 single track in the dark with my light setup.
I would like to do a side by side test with the various dyno lights (supernova, my B&M luxos U and the Revo)
I was going so slow because of my low leg output!

[bmike-vt]

i've done a small amount of night bikepacking single track here locally in the east. (lots more on the trails out my door, but i don't count those as i know them pretty well). dyno is totally workable if you manage expectations and augment with a headlamp.

i moved from a fenixld20 to the ue40uc or whatever it was called and now using the exposure diablo.
i run the exposure revo on the bars, love it. yes, it gets dim when going really slow, but stays on for hike a bike.
i have my exposure diablo (on the helmet) setup to manage power - i can get 2-3 hours on full bore (800 lumens or something), 10 hours on medium and 24 on low.
i can recharge the newer fenix or the diablo from the dyno with a USBwerk... and have light in camp, etc.

i'm not by any stretch of the imagination a skilled technical rider... and i find the light plenty when slowing down and picking my way. if i was racing and needed 8+ hours of full night lighting i would probably augment the diablo with one of the exposure battery packs that can be recharged via USB and plugged into the light.

the new generation of dyno lights are pretty incredible. i started doing randoneurring events in 2006 using dual halogen lights. when climbing (pretty much anything above 4-5% grade) you would need to turn the secondary off... and i would carry a headlight to turn on for slow climbs or fast descents. you'd also blow bulbs at the worst possible moments (running out of time to make a cutoff, in the rain, etc...)

My IF from 2006 by mbeganyi, on Flickr

and the lights were huge!

[robinb]

Still using my SP PD 8 dynamo hub which has been dead reliable for thousands of miles including the AZT 750 which I just finished.
My B&M Luxos U light also made the trip and came back unscathed in spite of numerous crashes and super rough terrain. I ended up mounting it off my front stem since the low mount off my fork crown interfered with my sweetroll bag. The light worked very well and in conjunction with my Fenix flashlight which I helmet mounted helped get me through some singletrack night sections very well. The helmet light also came in usefull for night time camp usage.
The handlebar mounted light switch comes with a USB charger which helped keep my Sony Experia Z3v smartphone topped off since plug ins were few and far between. My thought was to use the Sony for GPS, phone, web surfing, and camera to avoid having so many different devices. At the last minute I threw on my Garmin battery mounted GPS and I was glad I did. On my Garmin I turned off all my maps and just zoomed in to follow the track. My phone GPS app was awesome due to the large screen and I left the maps on to check locations etc. I think using the smartphone as a gps would be fine on many routes but I think having a dedicated gps is a good idea. There were several times I used both when I got off track and I was glad I had both.
The phone worked great as a camera and the quality was close to my Canon point and shoot. The true advantage of using a smartphone for a camera is that you can post photos instantly on facebook or instagram so people at home can follow along on your adventure. I also used my smartphone as a music player so I had one less thing to charge and lug around.
Overall I am very pleased with my setup.
I use backcountry navigator as my smartphone GPS app which allows me to download several various types of map for off network usage. I kept my phone in airplane mode with the screen off and apps off to save battery.

I was looking at this setup - especially the Lexus U light with the USB charger on the switch.  Can you tell me if the USB charger could charge a GPS(Garmin 810) while *using* the GPS?

thx

[the tortoise]

I was looking at this setup - especially the Lexus U light with the USB charger on the switch.  Can you tell me if the USB charger could charge a GPS(Garmin 810) while *using* the GPS?

thx

I would imagine it would. The luxos U usb puts out 1 amp which is enough to charge my smartphone which takes a larger than average amp rating than normal phones to charge. Of course it only will charge above a certain speed. You might get the Garmin to do funky things when it goes between the charge and non charge speeds. Others here probably have a better answer.
Can you use your GPS when you have it plugged in to charge at home?