Originally Posted by
john m flores
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I've been contemplating a dynohub but I hear mixed reviews. The most common criticism is that it just doesn't produce a lot of power. I'm a power hog because of my cameras. On the GAP/C&O last year, with my 19.2k bank and using my laptop to charge some devices (see USB-A to micro USB, above), I was able to go about 2.5 days of filming, backing up at the end of each day, and recharging overnight before needing a wall outlet.
I think on flat ground I am getting about 2 watts out of my dynohub on average when touring. I base that assumption on an hour long exercise ride where I measured roughly 2.5 watts on average. Touring, I am slower than an exercise ride. A couple of watts is not much. And in hilly terrain, I generate much less, the downhills do not last very long and I get minimal charge on the uphills. That is one reason why I have such a big powerbank at 44 watt hours of capacity. A hilly day, I generate less power than I use and a few consecutive hilly days and the number of lights on my powerbank for charge level are getting fewer.
I am quite frugal with my power usage. A dynohub would probably be of little help to you. There are different dynohub powered USB chargers with different outputs. Even with a really high output one like the Forumslader (spell?) you would probably not have enough. I am using a Cycle2Charge V3, it has maybe 50 percent more output than the Sinewave Revolution that I used to use.
A 20 amp hour powerbank that charges fast is pretty cheap, thus you might be best off having enough powerbanks to last between opportunities to plug into an outlet somewhere.
Before I had a dynohub, on a bike tour, every time I walked into a restaurant I looked for a seat near an outlet to charge things, and that was in the era where USB chargers did not put out a lot of power. Now with high output chargers and powerbanks that will accept a fast charge, that looks like the way to go.
Because my phone might use a lot more power than my old one, I plan to carry another powerbank on future bike tours, as a backup. It is a fast charging Anker 72 watt hour powerbank.