Dynamo Lights

Oh and if anyone wants 3D printed light brackets, I can make them.

The one on the bike is a bit crude, but works, so I made some nicer ones, including one that is designed to hold the lamp horizontally across the back of the seatpost.

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This is great, thanks for the link.

I'll get signed up!

I'm struggling to figure out how I wire this cheap aliexpress light with a rear light.

I've test wired it like pictured by holding black and yellow to the connectors and both lights work.

I'm confused as what the red cable is for as it doesn't seem to do anything. I originally thought it was for connecting the rear light to but that doesn't work.

Is the rear light okay to be spliced directly to the cable from the dynamo? I was under the impression it couldn't take the full power so needed to be wired from a front light but can't see an obvious way to do that.

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Hmm, I had the exact same one and the wiring looked different! Had a single dual core wire for the dynamo, and another with spade connectors for rear light

Double post

I've done some more playing and I have the rear light working off the red and black cable. Not sure what I have done differently now, maybe switched the cables. Electronics is not my strong point.

I had a poke around Ali Express and the dynamo ones have spade connectors for the rear lights.

The ones for ebikes have the cable like yours. That listing says it has a horn, which explains the third wire.

I was under the impression it couldn't take the full power so needed to be wired from a front light

This is only an issue if the front light has a switch, because switching it off means the full voltage goes to the rear light. If the front light is always connected then it will be pulling the dynamo voltage down and the rear light will be protected, even if the power isn't actually passing through it.

OTOH I don't know if that light (designed for EBike battery DC) will be happy with the AC from a dynamo.

Yes, you are right. Just looked at my order and they are 12v ones. Thanks for working it out.

The light flickers when the wheel turns but I put that down to me turning the wheel by hand and I thought it would have a constant beam once peddling. I presume it will always do this because of the ac supply.

Anyone want a e-bike light? Got 2 going cheap.

I need some lights for the winter fixeh. Anyone selling a secula and a mediocre front light?

Ihave a secula and a lumatec IQ. However the secula is mudguard mount and the Lumatec would have to be a bodge. as the the bit of plastic that houses the bolt has gone on its holidays. You can have them for free tho.

I am in the market for a Supernova E3 pro II in black if anyone has one that works and is willing to part with.

bodge could work, mudguard is good. Do you mean the bottom of the plastic housing? I think I bodged a similarly broken IQ with a pipe clip for a while. Anyway I'll PM.

I know it was discussed recently but with winter coming can anyone link me to the forum approved out front wahoo mount/GoPro-lamp bracket to set my IQ-X with? Fork is undrilled so don’t even have that as an option.

So now Thrasher had kindly sorted me out with a secula, what's the best way to route the cable round a mudguard? Doesn't have to look neat. Gorilla tape on the outside?

I've done gorilla tape on the inside with some success, obviously be careful with clearance

Took mine along the down tube (zip-tied to the rear brake outer), along the NDS chain stay then use the mudguard stay and some shrink wrap to get to the end of the mudguard. Here is a pic, it is from the drive side but you can see the shrink wrap on the mudguard-stays and see the cable on the chain-stays.

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Yeah that looks pretty neat. It's my road fixed though so only a cable on the TT. Could probably run down the seat stay and along the strut though

I've also used the cable-sheath from Shimano Di2 External cabling to make the cable run nice and neat on another bike. Gorilla tape works but this is neater.
https://www.tredz.co.uk/.Shimano-SM-EWC2-6770-Ultegra-Di2-Cable-Cover-Sheath-for-EW-SD50_55314.htm?sku=153939

If I am mouing the light on bars for strictly road usage, whats more ideal between. E3 Triple and E3 Pro?

Triple you could mount inverted under the bar as it has a symmetric beam, but it isn't recommended. IQ-X is probably best for this.

The E3 Pro would be better for road usage generally as it will put more of the light onto the road where you need it.

If I had £130 to buy a front dynamo light, what should I go for? IQ-X is £85 or so from Germany, is bright, and has a nice wide beam, but seems to have slightly inconsistent build quality (and possibly beam artefacts?). Edelux II is shiny bike jewelry, will let me feel like amey (#buyer), and has a good beam - recent models have apparently been silently upgraded to a 100 lux LED?

Usage would be for night rides in the lanes/audax.

E3 only works the right way up.

If it’s been upgraded it will be the IQ-X in a nicer package. The old edelux was the cyo.

Personally I think you can’t go wrong with IQ-X.

Not sure whether the lens assembly has been changed, but I've seen comments stating that newer Edelux IIs are noticeably brighter than the old ones (equivalent to the Cyo Premium).

I've used an IQ-X for countryside commuting for two winters now and really like it. I've only had lesser B&M models before, so no direct comparisons, but it doesn't leave me wanting for more, and it's not given me any issues. The light doesn't seem crazily bright, but when riding it seems to put the right amount of light where you need it.