Hi,

I've just invested in a SON28 dynamo hub and I'm looking for the best lighting system for my situation, but having trouble trying to figure it out...

- want a front light for the bike AND for camping, possibly mountable on a headtorch/convenient for use in-camp
- will likely invest in a e-werk (for my phone) so have the ability to run lighting system through this
- Thinking of investing in lights that are interchangeable on all my 6 bikes rather than the dynamo only rig so that sorta rules out dynamo specific lights right?
- was thinking about USB chargeable F&R lights but can't find many reviews on them.
- want to minimise weight, ie minimise batteries, so have been trying to find lightweight rechargeable light systems inbuilt in the light (such as Cygolite Expilion, Niterider Minewt 300, Serfas TSL-500, Busch & Muller Ixon IQ)
- happy to recharge regularly to avoid bulk of batteries
- have no idea how long it takes to recharge some of these via a hub dynamo considering some take 4.5 hours-ish from the mains...having no luck getting responses from the manufacturers on this either

Any help appreciated

I have seen a NiteRider Mininewt in use and was impressed with the amount of light it put out, however it has a battery pack. I would consider mounting a good quality dyno light like a B&M Lumotec Cyo, an LED tail light and then buy something like a Petzel headlamp for camp use. You can recharge the batteries for the Petzel while riding.

Aaron

Thanks Aaron.

Found this rechargeable Petzl, looks OK:
https://www.petzl.com/en/pro/headlamp...dlamps/pixa-3r
It takes 3 hours from the mains to recharge.

I was curious about the Minewt as it's 175grams and USB rechargeable...except it takes 4.5 hours from the mains to recharge.

Electrics are not my forte but I imagine that dynamo usb charging would take ages for both if it's possible....can anyone enlighten me?

Have you seen this?

https://www.en.tout-terrain.de/access...-power-supply/

The 3 hours to charge from the mains is due to the fact that the battery can only absorb energy at a certain rate. You could get all the energy needed to charge that battery from the mains in a second or two if the battery could absorb it fast enough. In other words, a battery that takes 3 hours to charge from the mains might charge in 3 hours using a USB charger as well.

Check over on the electronic and gadget sub-forum. There are some very knowledgeable people over there that will be happy to help. Personally, I'd go with lithium ion 18650 batteries and a flashlight made for them. The only question is if you can find a charger for these batteries that will run off a bicycle generator.

Just one other way of dealing with battery devices on tour...

I guess it depends on how many battery devices you carry, how much you use them, and where you will be touring. That said I find that for me it often makes more sense to skip rechargeable systems or dyno hubs and just use regular batteries. A Petzl light similar to the one linked above, but with AAA batteries will last me for months on a set of batteries so I don't even carry spares. If you use the light more than I do, and want spares 3 AAA lithium batteries are about an ounce (alkalines are about 1.5 ounces for 3 AAAs). That means that for most trips you can carry less weight by not using rechargeable ones and a charger.

I have gone a bit farther and use a 0.2 ounce Pico light from eWorks for my only camp light. I think it is supposed to last 15 hours and since I usually use it for 10 seconds at a time it lasts me for many months on tour.

For a blinkie I use a less than 1 ounce eGear Tag-It Safety Light that will supposedly last 250 hours on a set of batteries. That means I have no front light when riding, If I were expecting to ride at night a lot or felt the need for more light in camp I would go back to taking a Petzl Tikka Plus 2 Headlamp (2.9 oz with 3 AAA batteries).

Neither my camera nor my phone are very battery hungry especially since I leave the phone off except when actually using it 20 minutes a day at most. A charger that will charge both the phone and camera when a plug is available is 2 ounces and even on fairly remote tours dead batteries have not been an issue for me.

If touring for months off road and away from civilization or in 3rd world countries I might consider a dyno hub otherwise no.

Thanks for the replies.

I like to get away from civilization as much as possible when touring but this trip (3-4 months) I need to keep the wifey more happy by being able to talk on the phone regularly and also send emails to line up work as I'm moving o/s and won't have job after touring. Sure I can do this in towns but having an iPhone is easy and charging it regularly is necessary with this approach.

So hub dynamo is a given & therefore the ideal lighting setup to work with this is too!

That niterider minewt setup is looking pretty appealing in terms of output and bang for buck...I could adapt it to a headtorch....don't want to wear the sweaty helmet in camp!!

neat product!
Unfortunately, it seems to require 17.5km/h to output......since I'll be touring in the European Alps with a heavily loaded rig the majority of my time will be spent under that speed!!

I Run the lights wired directly off my hub dynamo, Edelux, now, E6 last few winters..[+ taillight]

6v3w to usb converters , it seems, are to run the many electro widgets,
people tour with.. i didn't.
had some solar chargers,
but they need to be in 1 sunny place, not on the move.

cubicle bound commuters recharge their USB light batteries at work,
for the trip back.

Staying in a Hostel/B&B, occasionally, gives you mains access.. on tour.

but as the high latitudes in the northern summer,
leave you with lots of daylight cycling hours to make camp,
a small battery light may be sufficient.

I have one in my Folding bikes front bag , just rechargeable AA,
It is not my commuter thru the winter, now.

best to have a few backup light options, a 2-fish right angle 2 strap,
holds a common compact flashlight on the handlebars.

I have thought about this a lot, but haven't jumped into it yet. I have been trying to keep all my woods bound electronics running on the same battery style. So I have a GPS, digital camera and flashlight that all run on rechargeable AA.

I'd do the same for touring with the Busch & Muller Ixon IQ as headlight, camp flash light and charger. I can use it to charge extra batteries for the camera and GPS during the day. I would also convert to blickies with AA instead of AAA to round out the battery needs.

Like I said, I haven't tried this yet, just my plan. Of course this does not charge a phone or labtop/iPad.

I forgot to say you need the ride and charge unit to go with the IXON IQ to use with the hub dynamo.

Pretty sure you can use any of the new USB rechargeable lights on the market. Cygolite Expillion make one, Niterider is rolling out their new line on July 1st.

I've been using a solar panel. I have the Goal Zero. Here is the one I have: https://www.amazon.com/Goal0-12301-No...ords=goal+zero

It works quite nicely.

Interesting idea about using USB rechargeable lights. Hadn't thought of that one. Will be interested to hear how it works out for you.

With respect to the E-werk, I haven't gone with one of these, instead I went with the PedalPower+ Super-i-Cable. PedalPower+ do other models with more battery backup power as well. The PedalPower+ approach might be worth considering if you want extra charging capacity (you get the built in battery plus dynamo).



BTW I have a SON 28 as well. Nice dynamo for sure.

Andrew

Well, that's cheaper than the e-Werk and I like the build in cache. Does it hold up OK in the rain?

Edit: Nevermind about the rain, I found it and I'd have to keep in in a waterproof container just like my phone. I guess a long enough cable from the hub and it could go in my trunkbag with my phone.

Hi,

I'm a SON user too. I've a IXON IQ and Zzing https://www.zzing.de/index.php/en/ SON-> USB power converter. It lets me use my iPhone as a GPS as I go along. The Zzing keeps my iPhone fully charged as I cycle slowly along!

DFD.

Hmm, that looks like a good idea.
Thanks for the link to the in-depth review.
I'll definitely consider this setup.

Interesting. Can you point to your source? WOuld like to read more about this as I haven't had an issue so far.

Andrew

I think I mis-read the FAQ as the v4i being the SuperCable:

Are the cables waterproof?
Yes the cables are waterproof but should not be immersed in water.


Are the v4 and v4i waterproof?

No, the materials used are water resistant but the v series packs have sockets to attach cables which will allow water to enter the unit. Treat the v series packs just like your mobile phone.

Ah okay, yes I have the Super-i-Cable which may explain things.

Andrew