Dynamo Lights

If it's a 15mm thru axle then you can use an insert to reduce to 9mm qr. It's not an end cap swap though.

Does it reduce resistance or something?

Only on poverty hubs like SP or Shimano. Not on SON.

Hmmm, thanks, not really the answer I was hoping for. Looks like it will be Son after all...

QR - TA

You’re dreaming of an inverse shim

You’re not the first.

Sorry @amey, even #buyer status doesn't exempt you from the laws of physics. Lights-on drag is higher for all hubs, including SONs (and even poverty hubs usually have drag within 1W of the posh ones); what paying the premium gets you is lower lights-off drag.

https://www.kttw-hub.com/pro.php?m=d&pid=298&cid=12&f=4

KT dynamo has end caps. These were the ones built into the cheap Evans wheels that loads of us bought last year. Might be difficult to find a hub for sale though

SP hubs come in 12 or 15mm and you can adapter those down to 12 or QR

Apparently ConTec has rebranded these into their "Powerhouse hubs", looks like the exact thing I'm after. https://www.contec-parts.de/katalog/en/2020/#12

What are the experiences with the KT dynamo's? Similar to SP?

My B&M View Brake Plus is not turning on anymore. It is connected to a Luxos U and the green led to show complete circuit is on. I have checked cables, polarity, etc.

In the past 2 years this problem occured 5 times with no apparent reason but came back after a day or two. This time how ever is over one week with no success to find the cause of the issue,

I have checked the output for the Luxos and maximum was 5.6V which is below the 6V required for the rear light.

Did anyone else encountered this issue? Any solution for it?

I have been using same front with a toplight line brake+ with zero issues for 6 or 7 years, always rely on my Luxos reassuring me with the little green light. Seems to me like maybe the rear has gone on the blink. Are there any obvious signs of moisture or rattling broken somethings in there? I assume not as you don't mention.

No signs of anything broken with the rear. My Luxos U start flickering when it's wet and wonder if it would have anything to do with that.

I need to find a way to test the rear light with power with things I have around the house.

Tried with a multimeter for circuit continuity and I do not get a sound/0 on it. The same applies when I test the Luxos U output. Not sure is it means anything as the green light turns on.

Been using mine for a year or so, no problems at all.

Course, you’re right to be careful and check it isn’t the Luxos ... mine is doing a thing where the low power daylight leds don’t ever turn themselves off, at least not for days & days.

You can connect the dynamo directly to the rear light using the same spade connectors and spin the wheel by hand to see if there's any signs of life.

I wouldn't ride it like this, as not all rear lights can take the full voltage.

Don't read too much into the voltage mesaurement. As long as it's getting something it should work, as dynamo specs are very fuzzy.

Thought about it and even tried. No response. I believe the rear light requires DC hence the requirement to be connected through the front unit. As such not so sure about the efficiency of the direct connection to the Velogical dynamo.

Tried with a multimeter for circuit continuity and I do not get a sound/0 on it. The same applies when I test the Luxos U output.

Fwiw this is a good thing, hearing the beep would suggest a path of v low resistance between the terminals - a fried component or other short circuit.

It's only the Supernova rear that requires DC. Standard dynamo rear lights run on AC. In normal dynamo setups the front and rear lights are completely in parallel when the headlight is switched on.

The Luxos U is a bit weird in outputting rectified AC (i.e. spiky DC) to the rear light, which confuses some rear lights that only have a single diode rectifier and thus only work one way round.

tl:dr - commuting for 3+ hours a day, have given up on dynamos. Sorry. Not sorry. With caveats.

This likely won't be all that helpful, but I've had intermittent problem with rear B&M lights not working.

First time, after three 'not working' issues, sent it back to Spa Cycles and they sent it, after testing, on to B&M - and no-one could find a fault. Swapped the rear light out (twice - the new one Spa kindly replaced FOC then another brand I bought) and had the same intermittent issues. After an angry few moments during a very cold, dark morning I swapped the connections around (the ones from the B&M front lamp that lead to the back) from sheer anger and the rear lamp came on.
This has worked a few times when the rear lamp had decided to take a break from lighting up. I have also undone the connections and wiped them with a dampened thumb and forefinger before reconnecting to the correct polarity(?) and that also encouraged things along.
The other snag that also affected the back lamp appeared to be the very thin cable. Mine ran along the top tube with the rear brake line and sometimes seemed to get compressed (is the only way can describe it) and so the light failed.
In addition, the totally awful roads (ha! cart-tracks more like) I have to commute on rendered the (Chrina) rim worn-out after 14 months riding, so faced with replacing that (ok, cheap but still a consumable, plus my time to re-thread a new one, plus have done 10k miles so the dynamo would have need a service soon) have gone back to rechargables; cheap, bright, last two hours (all I need one way.)
Don't hate me.

No hard feelings... you’ll be back though.

If it's a light with the bare-wire connection, I've been advised that they often go open-circuit due to corrosion of the wires, and that one way to make them more reliable is to coat the ends with grease/vaseline/waxoyl etc.

New B&M replacement for their venerable Secula tail light. The Secuzed. Seems a similar design but has a ring of LEDs rather than the single on the Secula.

Anyone tried it? Doesn’t seem in stock in the UK.

https://www.bumm.de/en/products/dynamo-rucklichter/produkt/333alk%20.html

1 Attachment

I've asked this before but what are people using for USB power? Obviously want something small and waterproof and preferably not super spendy to charge a battery pack which I'll use for everything else.

Mmh. While the secular isn't exactly beautiful it has a sturdiness to it that I quite like.
This just looks like no design at at all.
Saying that, if where the cables exit in a nicer way it's still a winner.

Sorry for spam, but thought it would be useful to someone. If not acceptable I'll remove.

I've got a couple of dynamo taillights, unused and now not suited to my setup.

Schmidt SON tail light (black, rack mounting version). £40 posted UK.
B&M Secula Plus. £15 posted UK.

PM me if you're interested.

@cagimaha ?