See A Little Light: The official dynamo lighting thread
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Minneapolis
Posts: 2,473
Bikes: -1973 Motobecane Mirage -197? Velosolex L'Etoile -'71 Raleigh Super Course
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
See A Little Light: The official dynamo lighting thread
I just installed a JOS Type T "Dynamobloc" headlamp to the left fork leg on my Centurion. Lucky me, I got it for free when it came through the shop and no one else wanted the poor thing. Well, it languished in my parts bin gathering dust and shopwear until last week, when I realized it had got late and dark on me at the shop and I'd forgot my PB Beamer headlamp. Normally I'd just borrow one of the display models and return it the next day, but we seemed to be temporarily out. So, the dynamobloc. Cleaned it all up, clamped it on, put a new bulb in it and took it out.
ZOMG this has t3h Awsum!! It roXXors my boXXorz!
It is almost silent, just a thin, high-pitched whirr coming off the front tire. And it puts a goodly amount of light right where it will do me the most good. And it seems that it always, always works. I keep a spare bulb taped under my saddle but even though I've screamed down some long downhills-- fast enough to keep up with traffic, say 35-38 MPH, the bulb hasn't blown yet.
I'm a little in love. And the fact that the other retro-grouch at the shop has been pouting that I have one and he doesn't, doesn't hurt a bit.
So whaddaya got? What lights your path?
ZOMG this has t3h Awsum!! It roXXors my boXXorz!
It is almost silent, just a thin, high-pitched whirr coming off the front tire. And it puts a goodly amount of light right where it will do me the most good. And it seems that it always, always works. I keep a spare bulb taped under my saddle but even though I've screamed down some long downhills-- fast enough to keep up with traffic, say 35-38 MPH, the bulb hasn't blown yet.
I'm a little in love. And the fact that the other retro-grouch at the shop has been pouting that I have one and he doesn't, doesn't hurt a bit.
So whaddaya got? What lights your path?
Last edited by Captain Blight; 07-27-11 at 11:57 PM. Reason: coding error
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Collegeville, PA
Posts: 1,352
Bikes: Ruckelshaus Randonneur, Specialized Allez (early 90's, steel), Ruckelshaus Path Bomber currently being built
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Is the title a Bob Mould reference? If so, I approve.
#3
Membership Not Required
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: On the road-USA
Posts: 16,855
Bikes: Giant Excursion, Raleigh Sports, Raleigh R.S.W. Compact, Motobecane? and about 20 more! OMG
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 70 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 15 Times
in
14 Posts
- 1958 Sturmey Archer FG powering a Miller Bullet light
- 1970 Sturmey Archer AG powering a B&M Lumotec IQ Cyo on my Twenty
- 1972 Sturmey Archer GH6 powering an anemic stock headlight
- 1967 Columbia Commuter II with a stock JOS sidewall generator powering a stock headlight and tailgiht
- 2 Union bottom bracket mount generators on Giant Expeditions (yes I have two of them) powering Union Halogen head lamps and tail lights
- 1970 Sports Axa bottle mount powering a Lumotec halogen headlight
- Shimano DH-2R30 powering a IQ Fly on my 2006 Redline R530
- On order is a Sturmey Archer XL-FDD for my son's city bike build up.
- Peugot with the OEM Soubitez sidewall generator and the stock French code yellow headlight
And the Lord said: " Let there be light..." and it was good.
I won't ride a bike very much unless it has some sort of permanent lighting system. I have been caught in the dark one time too many with bad batteries. I ride a fair bit on unlit country roads.
Aaron
__________________
Webshots is bailing out, if you find any of my posts with corrupt picture files and want to see them corrected please let me know. :(
ISO: A late 1980's Giant Iguana MTB frameset (or complete bike) 23" Red with yellow graphics.
"Cycling should be a way of life, not a hobby.
RIDE, YOU FOOL, RIDE!"_Nicodemus
"Steel: nearly a thousand years of metallurgical development
Aluminum: barely a hundred
Which one would you rather have under your butt at 30mph?"_krazygluon
Webshots is bailing out, if you find any of my posts with corrupt picture files and want to see them corrected please let me know. :(
ISO: A late 1980's Giant Iguana MTB frameset (or complete bike) 23" Red with yellow graphics.
"Cycling should be a way of life, not a hobby.
RIDE, YOU FOOL, RIDE!"_Nicodemus
"Steel: nearly a thousand years of metallurgical development
Aluminum: barely a hundred
Which one would you rather have under your butt at 30mph?"_krazygluon
Last edited by wahoonc; 07-30-11 at 02:17 PM.
#4
multimodal commuter
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: NJ, NYC, LI
Posts: 19,852
Bikes: 1940s Fothergill, 1959 Allegro Special, 1963? Claud Butler Olympic Sprint, Lambert 'Clubman', 1974 Fuji "the Ace", 1976 Holdsworth 650b conversion rando bike, 1983 Trek 720 tourer, 1984 Counterpoint Opus II, 1993 Basso Gap, 2010 Downtube 8h, and...
Mentioned: 584 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1907 Post(s)
Liked 572 Times
in
338 Posts
^^ I could just repeat Aaron's post but the details are a little different for me.
My commuter has a Shimano HB-NX20 hub and home made LED lights, awesomely bright and always on. My old Trek 720 has an old Sanyo dynamo hub driving an E3 Supernova and matching taillight. The rest are all Sturmey Archer. My orange Norman three speed has a '51 SA AG hub driving SA headlights retrofitted to take LED bulbs. My '48 RRA and my Lambert both have '56 GH-6 hubs running home made LED lights, basically the same as on my commuter bike; but the hubs being weaker and the wheels being large the voltage and wattage are lower, so the light is somewhat less awesome (dang good, though!). My Fothergill has an older dynohub, I'm not even sure whether it's a GH-8 or GH-12, running the same home made lights again... bright!
And that's not even a complete list.
--
My commuter has a Shimano HB-NX20 hub and home made LED lights, awesomely bright and always on. My old Trek 720 has an old Sanyo dynamo hub driving an E3 Supernova and matching taillight. The rest are all Sturmey Archer. My orange Norman three speed has a '51 SA AG hub driving SA headlights retrofitted to take LED bulbs. My '48 RRA and my Lambert both have '56 GH-6 hubs running home made LED lights, basically the same as on my commuter bike; but the hubs being weaker and the wheels being large the voltage and wattage are lower, so the light is somewhat less awesome (dang good, though!). My Fothergill has an older dynohub, I'm not even sure whether it's a GH-8 or GH-12, running the same home made lights again... bright!
And that's not even a complete list.
--
#5
Senior Member
I have 4 Navy bottles that all work on the bench and 2 old british headlamps getting converted to LED. If I like them on the pub cruiser and as back up for the tourer then I will get another set of lights for the commuter and loose the batteries.
#6
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Minneapolis
Posts: 2,473
Bikes: -1973 Motobecane Mirage -197? Velosolex L'Etoile -'71 Raleigh Super Course
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
I am actually VERY interested in LED conversions! I've got some nice old Miller and Union (and even a couple Soubitez golfballs) that I'd like to press into service, but good Lloyd, the Millers just blow through the bulbs for whatever reason. I've got a couple Sanyo BB dynamos that I'd like to get to using as well, but I fear I shorted one out on a rainy night and the other has a rattle in it I don't much care for. I wasn't aware Union made BB units; are they still?
Yes it is.
Originally Posted by mudboy
Is the title a Bob Mould reference?
#7
Senior Member
- Shimano 3N-80 powering IQ CYO Senso Plus
- SON28 powering IQ CYO Senso Plus
__________________
Bikes on Flickr
I prefer email to private messages. You can contact me at justinhughes@me.com
Bikes on Flickr
I prefer email to private messages. You can contact me at justinhughes@me.com
Last edited by ColonelJLloyd; 01-16-13 at 01:38 PM.
#9
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Minneapolis
Posts: 2,473
Bikes: -1973 Motobecane Mirage -197? Velosolex L'Etoile -'71 Raleigh Super Course
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
Oh, maybe! I just slapped it on and wired it up, maybe that's the problem. Will check when I get home, thanks for the tip.
#10
afraid of whales
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Front Range, CO
Posts: 4,306
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 347 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 5 Times
in
5 Posts
Back in 1970 I had one of those on my 1967 Schwinn Racer (with 2-speed IGH). I used to race down the hill in the dark, staring at the light trying to make it even brighter by pedalling faster and faster. It's a wonder we survived
#11
Membership Not Required
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: On the road-USA
Posts: 16,855
Bikes: Giant Excursion, Raleigh Sports, Raleigh R.S.W. Compact, Motobecane? and about 20 more! OMG
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 70 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 15 Times
in
14 Posts
I am actually VERY interested in LED conversions! I've got some nice old Miller and Union (and even a couple Soubitez golfballs) that I'd like to press into service, but good Lloyd, the Millers just blow through the bulbs for whatever reason. I've got a couple Sanyo BB dynamos that I'd like to get to using as well, but I fear I shorted one out on a rainy night and the other has a rattle in it I don't much care for. I wasn't aware Union made BB units; are they still?
Yes it is.
Yes it is.
The tail light on the Columbia is kind of neat too. It is an old JOS off the shelf part from the 1960's. They don't make things like that today.
Aaron
__________________
Webshots is bailing out, if you find any of my posts with corrupt picture files and want to see them corrected please let me know. :(
ISO: A late 1980's Giant Iguana MTB frameset (or complete bike) 23" Red with yellow graphics.
"Cycling should be a way of life, not a hobby.
RIDE, YOU FOOL, RIDE!"_Nicodemus
"Steel: nearly a thousand years of metallurgical development
Aluminum: barely a hundred
Which one would you rather have under your butt at 30mph?"_krazygluon
Webshots is bailing out, if you find any of my posts with corrupt picture files and want to see them corrected please let me know. :(
ISO: A late 1980's Giant Iguana MTB frameset (or complete bike) 23" Red with yellow graphics.
"Cycling should be a way of life, not a hobby.
RIDE, YOU FOOL, RIDE!"_Nicodemus
"Steel: nearly a thousand years of metallurgical development
Aluminum: barely a hundred
Which one would you rather have under your butt at 30mph?"_krazygluon
#13
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Minneapolis
Posts: 2,473
Bikes: -1973 Motobecane Mirage -197? Velosolex L'Etoile -'71 Raleigh Super Course
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
Currently listening to Candy Apple Grey. And, YEP, the Miller generator is indeed 12V! Problem identified if not solved. I suppose I might try it out with a 12V bulb, that might make some sense, huh?
Question: Can I run a higher-wattage bulb than the 3w recommended? Will that burn the dynamo out or will it just give me a dimmer light? I really am no electrician; wiring in a car stereo is about as complex as I can handle.
Question: Can I run a higher-wattage bulb than the 3w recommended? Will that burn the dynamo out or will it just give me a dimmer light? I really am no electrician; wiring in a car stereo is about as complex as I can handle.
Last edited by Captain Blight; 07-28-11 at 06:32 PM.
#14
multimodal commuter
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: NJ, NYC, LI
Posts: 19,852
Bikes: 1940s Fothergill, 1959 Allegro Special, 1963? Claud Butler Olympic Sprint, Lambert 'Clubman', 1974 Fuji "the Ace", 1976 Holdsworth 650b conversion rando bike, 1983 Trek 720 tourer, 1984 Counterpoint Opus II, 1993 Basso Gap, 2010 Downtube 8h, and...
Mentioned: 584 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1907 Post(s)
Liked 572 Times
in
338 Posts
I'm no electrician either, but by trial and error (mostly the latter) I've learned to make pretty powerful LED light sets for about $25 a pop.
#15
Reeks of aged cotton duck
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Middle Georgia, USA
Posts: 1,177
Bikes: 2008 Kogswell PR mkII, 1976 Raleigh Professional, 1996 Serotta Atlanta, 1984 Trek 520, 1979 Raleigh Comp GS
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 5 Times
in
4 Posts
Now if you want a seriously bright light... try running that 12V generator into a 10V bulb. It'll burn much brighter, and overvolting the bulb by 20% will only cut the bulb's life by about 90% or so, so a bulb with an average life of 3000 hours will last about 300 hours. I used to run a homebrewed lighting system that used two 20W 12V MR16 halogen bulbs overvolted to 14.4V... that setup would freeze cars at stoplights because they thought that I was a motorcycle! It did suck down a battery though. It ran for about 45 minutes on a 5000mAH battery that weighed 4 pounds.
Overvolted halogens were my lights of choice until the new generation of LED lights made dynamo lighting really bright and usable on the pitch black rural roads that I ride daily.
#16
Membership Not Required
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: On the road-USA
Posts: 16,855
Bikes: Giant Excursion, Raleigh Sports, Raleigh R.S.W. Compact, Motobecane? and about 20 more! OMG
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 70 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 15 Times
in
14 Posts
Currently listening to Candy Apple Grey. And, YEP, the Miller generator is indeed 12V! Problem identified if not solved. I suppose I might try it out with a 12V bulb, that might make some sense, huh?
Question: Can I run a higher-wattage bulb than the 3w recommended? Will that burn the dynamo out or will it just give me a dimmer light? I really am no electrician; wiring in a car stereo is about as complex as I can handle.
Question: Can I run a higher-wattage bulb than the 3w recommended? Will that burn the dynamo out or will it just give me a dimmer light? I really am no electrician; wiring in a car stereo is about as complex as I can handle.
It will load up the generator a bit, but the biggest problem is dimmer light. Are you running a tail light? If so you want a .6 watt for that and a 2.4 watt for the front to take full advantage of the output. FWIW this is the main reason I run LED they are usually 1 watt or so for headlights and a bit less for tail lights. So no problem powering them up. I tried to run a 2.4 watt halogen on the SA dynohubs, but it takes a lot of speed to get the light up to par, swapped in the LED light and bingo, bright light at a walking speed.
Aaron
__________________
Webshots is bailing out, if you find any of my posts with corrupt picture files and want to see them corrected please let me know. :(
ISO: A late 1980's Giant Iguana MTB frameset (or complete bike) 23" Red with yellow graphics.
"Cycling should be a way of life, not a hobby.
RIDE, YOU FOOL, RIDE!"_Nicodemus
"Steel: nearly a thousand years of metallurgical development
Aluminum: barely a hundred
Which one would you rather have under your butt at 30mph?"_krazygluon
Webshots is bailing out, if you find any of my posts with corrupt picture files and want to see them corrected please let me know. :(
ISO: A late 1980's Giant Iguana MTB frameset (or complete bike) 23" Red with yellow graphics.
"Cycling should be a way of life, not a hobby.
RIDE, YOU FOOL, RIDE!"_Nicodemus
"Steel: nearly a thousand years of metallurgical development
Aluminum: barely a hundred
Which one would you rather have under your butt at 30mph?"_krazygluon
#17
Get off my lawn!
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: The Garden State
Posts: 6,253
Bikes: 1917 Loomis, 1923 Rudge, 1930 Hercules Renown, 1947 Mclean, 1948 JA Holland, 1955 Hetchins, 1957 Carlton Flyer, 1962 Raleigh Sport, 1978&81 Raleigh Gomp GS', 2010 Raliegh Clubman
Mentioned: 9 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 93 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 98 Times
in
48 Posts
This being C&V and all, I'm interested in running my Miller light set off my SA dynohub with incandesent bulbs. I don't use the set up except for Sunday rides around town and then only on overcast days or if I'm still out poking around at dusk. Anyway, is there a good source for the bulbs? I've found a stash of the dimpled NOS bulbs, but they are pricey, I just want my lights to work and have a few bulbs to keep in my saddle bag.
#18
Reeks of aged cotton duck
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Middle Georgia, USA
Posts: 1,177
Bikes: 2008 Kogswell PR mkII, 1976 Raleigh Professional, 1996 Serotta Atlanta, 1984 Trek 520, 1979 Raleigh Comp GS
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 5 Times
in
4 Posts
Check with one of the big online electronics distributors... like Mouser.com or Newark.com
#19
Membership Not Required
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: On the road-USA
Posts: 16,855
Bikes: Giant Excursion, Raleigh Sports, Raleigh R.S.W. Compact, Motobecane? and about 20 more! OMG
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 70 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 15 Times
in
14 Posts
This being C&V and all, I'm interested in running my Miller light set off my SA dynohub with incandesent bulbs. I don't use the set up except for Sunday rides around town and then only on overcast days or if I'm still out poking around at dusk. Anyway, is there a good source for the bulbs? I've found a stash of the dimpled NOS bulbs, but they are pricey, I just want my lights to work and have a few bulbs to keep in my saddle bag.
But there is a company that stocks everything including upgraded bulbs that will fit the Miller. IIRC they are in the UK but the shipping and pricing was very reasonable.
Aaron
__________________
Webshots is bailing out, if you find any of my posts with corrupt picture files and want to see them corrected please let me know. :(
ISO: A late 1980's Giant Iguana MTB frameset (or complete bike) 23" Red with yellow graphics.
"Cycling should be a way of life, not a hobby.
RIDE, YOU FOOL, RIDE!"_Nicodemus
"Steel: nearly a thousand years of metallurgical development
Aluminum: barely a hundred
Which one would you rather have under your butt at 30mph?"_krazygluon
Webshots is bailing out, if you find any of my posts with corrupt picture files and want to see them corrected please let me know. :(
ISO: A late 1980's Giant Iguana MTB frameset (or complete bike) 23" Red with yellow graphics.
"Cycling should be a way of life, not a hobby.
RIDE, YOU FOOL, RIDE!"_Nicodemus
"Steel: nearly a thousand years of metallurgical development
Aluminum: barely a hundred
Which one would you rather have under your butt at 30mph?"_krazygluon
Last edited by wahoonc; 07-29-11 at 05:26 AM.
#20
Get off my lawn!
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: The Garden State
Posts: 6,253
Bikes: 1917 Loomis, 1923 Rudge, 1930 Hercules Renown, 1947 Mclean, 1948 JA Holland, 1955 Hetchins, 1957 Carlton Flyer, 1962 Raleigh Sport, 1978&81 Raleigh Gomp GS', 2010 Raliegh Clubman
Mentioned: 9 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 93 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 98 Times
in
48 Posts
Hey Aaron thanks, perfect! the shipping charges are minimal compared with other sources.
#23
What??? Only 2 wheels?
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Boston-ish, MA
Posts: 13,452
Bikes: 72 Peugeot UO-8, 82 Peugeot TH8, 87 Bianchi Brava, 76? Masi Grand Criterium, 74 Motobecane Champion Team, 86 & 77 Gazelle champion mondial, 81? Grandis, 82? Tommasini, 83 Peugeot PF10
Mentioned: 189 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1222 Post(s)
Liked 645 Times
in
232 Posts
They work wonderfully. The system never has dead batteries. There is no drag when the generator isn't engaged, though it does have bearing drag when it is. I've even run it during my day commute when it has been on a gloomy or rainy day. B&M lights are expensive but they do light up the road.
__________________
Real cyclists use toe clips.
With great bikes comes great responsibility.
jimmuller
Real cyclists use toe clips.
With great bikes comes great responsibility.
jimmuller
Last edited by jimmuller; 07-30-11 at 08:40 AM.
#24
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Minneapolis
Posts: 2,473
Bikes: -1973 Motobecane Mirage -197? Velosolex L'Etoile -'71 Raleigh Super Course
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
Insofar as LED conversions: Are there off-the-shelf designs that will work at a reasonable price, or am I going to have to mortgage an arm to get someone to custom-build me one?
#25
You gonna eat that?
A bit of a zombie thread, but I decided to add to it for two reasons:
1. I found a good resource for finding specs on light bulbs: Bulb Town. You can look up bulbs by application, by base type, by voltage, etc.
2. My system is a little different in that my bottle generator puts out 12 VAC, 6 Watts, so I had to find my own bulbs.
I decided to address the head and tail lamps on my old Raleigh DL-1. They run off a bottle generator. Looking through various threads on generator lights, it seems that most generators put out 6 VAC, 3 Watts (0.5 amp). Mine is different though
That's right: 12 V, 6 Watts (still 0.5 Amps)... twice the power. That makes things complicated, because I can't use the standard bulbs everyone else does.
My bulbs had both blown out over a year ago and I did some replacement... the tail light bulbs I got didn't last. I tried LED bulbs in the front, but they didn't sync up with the reflector and put out very little light. I ended up with an automotive 1003 bulb, which works, but is not very bright.
I found a web site called Bulb Town that has a huge selection of bulbs, including what base styles they have, plus their voltage, current and power ratings. I found that the 1003 automotive bulb I put in the headlight draws 12 Watts of power, so that's what it wasn't very bright. I also discovered it had a BA15S base, so I looked for 12 V bulbs with that base and found the 5007 bulb: 12 Volt, .42 Amp, 5 Watt, BA15S Bayonet Base, and in the LL (long life) version, 400 Average Rated Hours. This bulb is commonly available in auto parts stores. Looked about right.
For the tail light, I was pretty sure it had the same E10 based used on the 6 V systems,
so I looked at Bulb Town and found a #52 Miniature Bulb with an E10 BASE, 14.4 Volt, 0.10 Amp, 1.44 Watt, 1,000 Average Rated Hours Derating it to 12 V at 0.10 Amp draw and it pulls 1.2 Watts. That, plus the 5 Watts from the other bulb, is 6.2 Watts.... close enough, I hope, to the 6 Watt rating of the generator. This bulb is available at Radio Shack, Model: 52, Catalog #: 272-1127.
The only thing is, the Radio Shack version says it's only good for 30 hours.
Anyway, I got two of each bulb, the headlight at Pep Boys, and the tail light at Radio Shack. I installed them and they seem to work okay; we'll see how long they last.
(This is as much note to myself as it is a post for the thread; if/when the bulbs burn out I want to refer back to this post.)
1. I found a good resource for finding specs on light bulbs: Bulb Town. You can look up bulbs by application, by base type, by voltage, etc.
2. My system is a little different in that my bottle generator puts out 12 VAC, 6 Watts, so I had to find my own bulbs.
I decided to address the head and tail lamps on my old Raleigh DL-1. They run off a bottle generator. Looking through various threads on generator lights, it seems that most generators put out 6 VAC, 3 Watts (0.5 amp). Mine is different though
That's right: 12 V, 6 Watts (still 0.5 Amps)... twice the power. That makes things complicated, because I can't use the standard bulbs everyone else does.
My bulbs had both blown out over a year ago and I did some replacement... the tail light bulbs I got didn't last. I tried LED bulbs in the front, but they didn't sync up with the reflector and put out very little light. I ended up with an automotive 1003 bulb, which works, but is not very bright.
I found a web site called Bulb Town that has a huge selection of bulbs, including what base styles they have, plus their voltage, current and power ratings. I found that the 1003 automotive bulb I put in the headlight draws 12 Watts of power, so that's what it wasn't very bright. I also discovered it had a BA15S base, so I looked for 12 V bulbs with that base and found the 5007 bulb: 12 Volt, .42 Amp, 5 Watt, BA15S Bayonet Base, and in the LL (long life) version, 400 Average Rated Hours. This bulb is commonly available in auto parts stores. Looked about right.
For the tail light, I was pretty sure it had the same E10 based used on the 6 V systems,
so I looked at Bulb Town and found a #52 Miniature Bulb with an E10 BASE, 14.4 Volt, 0.10 Amp, 1.44 Watt, 1,000 Average Rated Hours Derating it to 12 V at 0.10 Amp draw and it pulls 1.2 Watts. That, plus the 5 Watts from the other bulb, is 6.2 Watts.... close enough, I hope, to the 6 Watt rating of the generator. This bulb is available at Radio Shack, Model: 52, Catalog #: 272-1127.
The only thing is, the Radio Shack version says it's only good for 30 hours.
Anyway, I got two of each bulb, the headlight at Pep Boys, and the tail light at Radio Shack. I installed them and they seem to work okay; we'll see how long they last.
(This is as much note to myself as it is a post for the thread; if/when the bulbs burn out I want to refer back to this post.)