SP to Son Dynohub change?
 

Currently have the SP but I think it's may be starting to go bad. If I change to a Son is the wiring different?

IIRC the SP uses the Shimano plastic block connector at the hub. SON uses individual spade connectors. Solder on the spades, swap the two lines if necessary (make sure ground and hot go to the right terminals), and you should be good to go.

Schmidt also makes a "no connectors required" hub which integrates the wiring into the fork. It's supposed to make removing and installing the wheel easier, and I'm fairly sure it does that if you've got a bike built around those connectors. Sounds like you don't have that bike, so don't get that hub.

Peter White website has a lot of detail on Son hubs, he is the distributor for them.
https://www.peterwhitecycles.com/schmidt.php

And wiring:
https://www.peterwhitecycles.com/wiringinstructions.php

Thanks!
I'm starting to get "clicking" in the hub. So I thought I would start looking. We have SP on 4 bikes and have only had a bearing problem on one. Got a replacement from Twaine I. 3 days! Have been considering the Son if another went bad.

Clicking does not sound good. I remember you were on tour when that first one went bad, I think it was your wife's bike?

If I had one failure and now had a clicking, I would be looking at alternatives too.

If you pull your SP off that wheel, if you get curious about the innards, I think you already know about this other thread:
https://www.bikeforums.net/electroni...placement.html

Not sure I want to go down that road! Doesn't sound like a bearing.

I was just over at Peter White's site. Wondering if the Deluxe with the wide body is preferable?

If I recall correctly, the Deluxe is a lower wattage unit, was that the one for 20 inch wheels? Those smaller wheels spin faster (RPM) for the same speed.

It might put out enough light at higher speeds or if you do not use a taillight. For touring, I use the hub for USB power, I wanted the highest wattage they have.

I had Co-Motion build my fork for the SL version of the Shmidt Son dyno hub.I know that the deluxe version is 2.4 watts instead of 3 watts. If you are a fast ryder and only require power for lights than this may work for you. I charge a backup battery so I went watt setup.

I have the SP SV8, which is also designed for smaller wheels. With a B&M Eyc in front and B&M Toplight Line Small in back, I need to be going at least 4 MPH to get light. I'm okay with that, but if you want light sooner or might spend time actually riding below that threshold, I'd probably get the regular hub for bigger wheels. :thumb:

The Sanyo/Panasonic hub on another bike makes light basically whenever the wheel is turning at all. My speedometer stops registering before the light stops, so I don't have a good way to measure the minimum speed...

With my regular 3 watt hubs, when I am cranking up a steep hill at 3.5 or 4 mph, my headlamp is flickering as each magnet moves past the armature. Even a 3 watt hub is not that great on slow uphills.

This is the touring forum, so rarely do we go touring after dark, but if you are out after dark and have steep uphills, the 2.4 watt hub might not be the best choice.

I have two widebodies and a 28 both all will charge my phone through the Cinq 5 plug plus and run a headlight and tail light. I don't know if the widebody actually builds a stronger wheel but the cost difference is minimal and should technically be stronger so..
I will say it's more a a PITA to remove the wheel because the space is tight between the fork leg and connectors.


https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...4c9bbcf2c.jpeg

You can sort of see with this picture that I roll the connectors a bit forward to help with the space issue but it’s not really clean

OP here.
I am notic, I think, that the wire is larger on the Son hub vs. my current SP hubs. Am missing something?

Wire typically comes with the light, or is supplied by the user. Anything that'll carry half an amp will work. 16 or 18 gauge wire has worked fine for the last 9-10 years for me, but some lights can be supplied with a small coax cable if you want it armored.

I think that Son sells some wire that looks bigger, as Pdlamb noted it is coax.

You need two conductors, the wire you currently have should be adequate, regardless of what it is. I usually use a twisted pair of wires that are heavier gauge than supplied because I have had a few bad experiences with the thin wire common on wired computers. I am guessing that the wire I typically used from the hub is somewhere between 18 and 22 gauge, bought from a hardware store, two individual wires twisted together.

But as Pdlamb noted, you usually get wire with the light. I just prefer a heavier gauge in case I snag the wire on something.

I started a thread several months ago on the wiring job I did on my rando bike, that was mostly heavier wire. That thread with lots of photos is at:
https://www.bikeforums.net/electroni...b-charger.html

It is my understanding that you need two 4.8mm female spade connectors for the Son hub instead of your SP/Shimano type plug. That should be the only difference. Where you buy the hub you might want to see if they sell the connectors. (Check on Peter White page if I have the spade connector size correct, I did not check that.)

If you might use that wheel on more than one bike, you might need a few spare spade connectors.

if you’re basing that on my picture, don’t, that’s the wire that comes out of the Cinq.

Son uses a 3mm coaxial cable for there wiring. Peter White Cycles sells it in a packaged set or by the foot. He will also build you a made to order wiring harness on request.

Rare Earth Quick Disconnect Magnet
 

Changing a tire in an uncomfortable situation (rain, cold, dark, etc.) can lead to doing things too fast. Which can lead to removing the wheel without remembering the spade connectors... which can pull them off the wire, etc. So soldering the wires to a quick disconnect rare earth magnet (can't seem to find the ones I use, but they are out there) solves that problem. But... remember to use an electric grease, the kind used for car batteries, etc. on the inside of the mated pairs. They will corrode over time and stop conducting current. Have experiences both scenarios but have to say the quick discount magnets are the way to go.

Thanks for this. I found Dyna-Snap designed specifically for this. Maybe a bit pricey but I like the idea.

Yes, Dyna-Snap... that's it. And, yes, they have gone up in price! Did a portion of the new Wild West tour across the backroads of Montana in the summer of 2021 and noticed things were not charging as usual. I pulled apart the magnets and could see a thin layer of darker, corroded material. So I scraped off / out as much as I could, then stoped at a roadside auto-repair place and they gave me a dab of that special grease. Problem solved. So before even a short tour, I check them to make sure.

Yes, wide body is preferable. I have two wide body SON hubs. The first one I purchased from Peter White twenty years ago (before LED headlights had been developed), still going strong.