View Single Post
Old 01-12-14 | 02:20 PM
  #4  
Lex Fati
Senior Member
 
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 73
Likes: 1
From: Stevens Point, WI
Traditional dynamo hub lighting assumes a 3.0 watt, 6 volt system with a 2.4 watt headlight and a .6 watt taillight. Generally speaking, any light combination designed for a 3.0 watt 6 volt system will work with any hub designed to output 3.0 watts at 6 volts. This is the standard, but it is not 100 percent. The Shutter Precison SV-8 is designed to only output 2.4 watts, for example. The lower output would produce less drag, and might be fine to power lights, but would impact charging. Also, at least one 12 volt (sidewall dynamo) system exists, and those lights wouldn't work with a 6 volt hub.

Not all headlights and taillights are compatible with each other though. The B & M Luxos U, for example, a very advanced light with integrated USB charging capabilities, isn't compatible with all taillights. Supernova headlights and taillights work together differently than other brands, and so they shouldn't be swapped around with other brands.

You can find quite a bit more info on dynamo lighting on the Peter White Cycles page. Sheldon Brown had written some good stuff which might be worth reading for foundation knowledge, but there have been advancements since his passing.
Lex Fati is offline  
Reply