Dynamo Lights

Hi. New job means a new lengthy commute on unlit country roads so I'm planning to add a dynamo light to my setup. I have no experience with dynamo lighting. My current plan is:

SP SV-9, or 8

Supernova E3 Pro 2 front light
Supernova E3 tail light

Is this reasonable? Will the SV-9 power both lights?

I notice the Supernova E3 Pro 2 can be had for £65 with 'no rear wire' or for £140; is there a way to wire up the rear using the cheaper version and save £75? Would I need anything extra to connect the light to the dynamo?

Can I mount this light with normal calliper brakes?

cheers>

SP 9 are lighter but only 2,4w at 15kms/h (9mph), but it's enough to supply energy of both lights without problems

SP 8 can generate 3w at same speed so is better for low speeds or to recharge electronnics with a plug converter.

Yes, the front focus can attach on the brake calliper.

Cheers

Thanks. I've gone with SP-9, works nicely!

I've gone for the secula - thanks again

Good stuff - hope your fitting process goes well! I suggest a brad point bit for your drill, it'll stop the bit wandering as you start the hole.

Haven't looked here lately, but thanks for tip on topline seller.

@pastry_bot with the benefit of hindsight, I think I will smear a little silicone grease into the seams of the casing (if they replace or repair the light under warranty. I've sent it back to the retailer, Starbike). I think mine may have let water in just at the top of the lens where the casing has a sort of lip overhanging. The bike was outside on a rainy day hung vertically by the front wheel the day the light went bonkers.

@suggs

I notice the Supernova E3 Pro 2 can be had for £65 with 'no rear wire' or for £140

Remarkable difference! I imagine that if the light has that much difference in price, it may be that the light just doesn't have the circuitry/terminals to feed a rear light.

So I bought an Edelux2 to use instead. Not amazing compared to the LuxosU, it flickers at low speed between a standlight level and a brighter running light. Also not as bright but more than adequate when you're moving. Seems to power the rear light ok, not certain if the brake light function is working well through it as I've not ridden with anyone who could ride behind to tell me.

Yeah, although hard to imagine that much circuitry required. I went for a B&M IQ-X (£100) combined with the Toplight rear light. Haven't had a chance put it through its paces on unlit roads but seems to be working great. SP-9 dynamo rolls along nicely.

Let me know how you find the IQ-X I'm this close to getting one.
The Supernova rear lights take DC (most others take AC) so it has rectification circuitry in the light. If you were running an AC rear then you could just run the front and rear in parallel.

Some pikey has stolen my Philips dynamo powered rear light. It was brilliant, but has unfortunately been discontinued.

Does anyone have any recommendations for a replacement. Seat post mounted to be run off a schmidt edelux front.

B&M Secula (cheap and cheerful) or Schmidt Rear (££££££££££) both work. I can't remember if the Supernova rear lights have to be paired with a Supernova front light. I remember something about them giving DC to the rear or something...?

^ this
Secula is ace, cheap and bright without blinding.

Supernova rears won't work with a Schmidt front, they need a DC input and only a Supernova front will provide that.

I thought there was something like that going on, thanks for confirming my suspicions!
I have a secula mounted on my mudguard but they do them seatpost/seatstay mounting too.

Secula looks goood.

They work really well on the seat post.

Because the ring illuminates in a kind of halo way, the entirety of your backside gets lit up. This is more effective for those of us with a lot of entirety in that region.

Id do something like that if I didn't have a carradice in the way. At the moment I have a secula on the mudguard and a battery cateye on the seatstay. I should probably make it another secula and I can forget the cateye whenever I want.

This may be a little late, so apologies. But I had similar performance after I washed my bike upside down and let water get in the bottom.

That is, I did exactly what the instructions specifically warn you not to do.

The light started flickering despite being turned off, but was otherwise unresponsive to the switches and whatnot. Panicked, took it off the bike and put it in a big bag of rice for a couple of days. It was a bit erratic with the USB charge indicator light for the first week or so back on the bike, but it's been fine since.

But if starbike/BUMM (who didn't reply to my email) don't replace or repair it for you, you might still be able to save it?

Also on the Secula chat. I have one and like it, but I thought the point was for it to be mounted on the mudguard/seatstay at a lowish level, as the largest part of the light's surface area is a reflector for car leadlights?

They make a bit of a point about making sure it's mounted so the face is vertical, in order to reflect the most :/ Though admittedly it's pretty bright on its own.

Cool, thanks for the rice tip, I forgot to try that. Might be useful if bumm refuse to repair/replace.

I hadn't spotted the no water on the underside advice ... seems a bit odd, bicycles are subject to water from pretty much every direction ...

I think it's cos the spade (?) connectors on the underside aren't sealed at all. I think it says specifically be careful when you wash the bike - guess they're thinking about hoses or whatever.

I've never had mine succumb to road spray at all, and I guess they're fairly well protected from above.

Halp pls.

Just installing a Luxus IQ2. Hub is a Shutter Precision.

The 'In' terminals on the IQ2 are labelled positive and negative. I can't find anything that describes the polarity of the dynamo connector.

Any idea if I need to match the positive in terminal on the light to a positive terminal on the dynamo hub? If so, which terminal on the hub is the bloomin positive one?!

The left, then the right, then the left again, then right, then lef...

Dyno hub output is AC so it shouldn't matter which way you wire it (might want to wait for someone to back me up on this, I've had the black/red wire on either connector for my revo and it's yet to explode...).

Maybe +/- are there for another reason?

Ahem, AC

All dynamos are AC

AC. Right. Yeah I did wonder...thanks @andy_k and @Ramsaye .

No idea why the terminals on the light have polarity icons. Weird.

All dynamos are AC

In general: Alternators are AC. Dynamos are DC (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamo)

Bicycle dynamo hubs are just misnamed; they're almost always magnetos that produce AC.

+/- will be there in case you happen to have a DC producing dynamo.