Dynamo front light with daytime charging

[BreninBeener]

I have an SP hub that i currently use to charge a battery pack or a rechargeable front lamp, so i can have a reserve of power for my phone and garmin etc. I use a velocharge (i think) and a 5000MAh powerpack.

However id like to get a dynamo powered light for the front, and a port so i could charge a powerpack during the day.

Its for my gravel bike so isnt doing v technical mtb descents where i would need a lot of power.

What would people recommend?

thanks
Ian

[lune ranger]

What you are describing is a Sinewave Beacon. It’s big money but looks amazing. Powerful light. Very efficient charger. Can have light and low level charging simultaneously. It also accepts battery input so the dynamo light stays at a set output preferentially using the dyno input over the battery.
A cheaper option is available from B&M: the Lumotec IQ2.
You could also just wire in a switch to jump between charging and lights.
I’ve done that on two bikes using chargers and switches from Igaro and a mix of Exposure and supernova lights.

[whitestone]

Ian Barrington made up this switch for an Exposure Revo and charger circuit - https://ianbarrington.com/2016/03/08/switch-over/ which refers to this thread - viewtopic.php?f=13&t=6624

[BreninBeener]

Thanks guys, i will check these out. I like the velocharger but i get the impression it isnt super efficient as it doesnt charge until you are moving quite quickly.

[Lazarus]

https://www.traversbikes.com/klite.html

never tried it mind but does get good reviews when i was thinking of doing the same
there is a UK or EU supplier but i forget who

[BreninBeener]

ok, quite a lot to research here and decide what is best for me.

thanks for your help

[whitestone]

My wife has the velocharger, from memory you need to be riding at around 12kmh before it starts supplying charge but I need to properly characterise it. Certainly spinning the front wheel by hand doesn't set it going. I suspect that like many of these devices they are aimed at tourers and associated higher speeds.

Javi has a Sinewave Beacon, might be worth checking with him.

[dlovett]

I have the luxos u on the Camino and it works fine as a light, with a paired rear light and usb charger simultaneously. It needs to be ridden at about 8/9km/h to output usb power even if the light is off. During the day it’s actually slightly brighter as a daytime running light and rear light.

[BigdummySteve]

What you are describing is a Sinewave Beacon. It’s big money but looks amazing. Powerful light. Very efficient charger. Can have light and low level charging simultaneously. It also accepts battery input so the dynamo light stays at a set output preferentially using the dyno input over the battery.
A cheaper option is available from B&M: the Lumotec IQ2.
You could also just wire in a switch to jump between charging and lights.
I’ve done that on two bikes using chargers and switches from Igaro and a mix of Exposure and supernova lights.

I have a beacon on my Fargo, never regretted the expenditure. Aside from the benefits listed above it also makes for a very neat setup

[BreninBeener]

Beacon looks spendy and suoer neat.

Im just checking down the back of the sofa as i type...there must be some money there

[dlovett]

Another option is an Exposure Revo with it they still sell them, the boost usb cable.

[Lazarus]

seem to recall a review of them - when i was looking into lights and the like* - said it was essentially just a trickle charge and not a real charge
I have no idea on the accuracy of either this claim or my recall.

* My conclusion was not bright enough when going slow on a MTB which is likely to be a techy downhill when lack of light will not be helpful .The only solution [light and battery together to give full power at all times] was expensive and heavy[ i could take a led light and a lummi endurance battery and get 24 hours run time anyway without the drag of a dynamo
I am unlikely to need more than this as winter is cold and i am soft.

[lune ranger]

Don’t think the USB cable is rated for use with a Revo. It’s for Exposure battery lights.

[dlovett]

Don’t think the USB cable is rated for use with a Revo. It’s for Exposure battery lights.

Yep they don’t list it but a pal has one on his and it does actually output and charge a usb power bank. Not sure how much current it gives though, but if it can charge a 5000mah pack over night it must be about 500mah. I might grab one myself and try it.

[sean_iow]

Don’t think the USB cable is rated for use with a Revo. It’s for Exposure battery lights.

Yep they don’t list it but a pal has one on his and it does actually output and charge a usb power bank. Not sure how much current it gives though, but if it can charge a 5000mah pack over night it must be about 500mah. I might grab one myself and try it.

I don't think it produces anywhere near that power. The output on the Revo is just to power the redeye rear light. The Revo is on all the time so any power going to the socket is minimal so as not to make the light dimmer. If there was that much 'spare' power then they'd make the light brighter by using more powerful LEDs. The output socket is also only connected to one half of the circuit/capacitor. When I stop for a while with the redeye connected one of the standlight LED's goes out as the rear is using up the stored power.

The lead does work very well with the battery lights, I carry one and have used it to charge my phone from my Toro.

[dlovett]

Perhaps his power bank is a smaller capacity or something is wrong with his revo, as when it got dark the power bank had 1 led's worth of charge and by the morning all 4 led's on it were lit. I'm now keen to actually wire a multi-meter onto a spare exposure wire and see exactly what the output from my revo is.