From: "Robert Duncan" Subject: Fw: Generator lights tops for touring Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1998 09:38:24 +1030 G'Day Its good to hear that the Generator side of bike lighting getting a mention. My Girlfriend and I do a bit of touring, and have found batteries, both rechargeable and normal primary cells are just too much hassle. Batteries mean either expense and hassles of carrying a spare set of cells, or the weight & bulk penalty of a charger (not to mention availability of mains for charging, Solar panels are too cumbersome, but given time.!!). As mentioned we do a bit of touring (over here in Australia) and our lighting system is primarily designed with that inmind. What we needed was a lighting setup that would : - Work first time every time. - Withstand rough dirt roads and potholes without coming apart. - Give enough light to SEE by not just enough to be seen by. - Be easily removable for transporting the bike by bus or aircraft. - Not be so easy to remove as to invite theft. Our current set up is a Sanyo Dynapower 6 Volt 3 Watt "drum type" generator connected to a 2.4 Watt LumOtec headlamp - mine, while she uses a 2.4 Watt AXA headlamp. We both use Vistalite 300 series flashing LED tail lights. While I realize that we could upgrade to a 3 Watt headlamp globe (as the generator is a 3 Watt unit and the tail lamp is nolonger being run off it) but that means that we would need more speed before the amount of light becomes usable (currently 10 -12 KPH is enough to see by). The generator is supposed to be mounted behind the centre bracket (mid mounted) and run off the rear wheel with a couple of metres of wire connecting it to the head & tail lamps. We have the headlamp bolted straight to the generator using the existing mounting bolt and a retaining Nylock nut, this is in turn bolted to the front of the front carrier. We seem to have got over the slippage problem that I have heard about (but never experienced). I have also heard about premature bearing failure - my last generator lasted around 8 years (and would still be going is some butter fingered meddler (me) had not dropped it and fractured one of the sintered bronze bearings - "premature bearing failure" perhaps...!!! There is a little drag - LITTLE being the operative word, and it is worse with knobbly tyres. Though as the generator runs on the centre of the tyre it isn't too bad, my tyres always have (or soon get) a flat region around the centre of the tread. You can adjust the drag by adjusting the pressure on the tyre, more pressure3D more drag, perhaps this is why some people get slip..!! Obviously there are inefficiencies in the system and a hub generator would be more efficient - but our light/generator unit can be removed with one 10 mm nut and is well out of the way for wheel changes etc. This system gives good light - enough to see and ride by as long as speed is kept above 10 to 12 Kph. Also it has very little voltage drop due to cable length being around 8 Cm. I used to use a Union headlamp but the contacts corroded and here in Australia I was unable to buy another - (Union by the way is now MARWI). The LumOtec I have been very impressed with and I can echo Myra's comments about the beam and light quality. There is a light on the market setup very similar to mine (I was first I swear I was..!!!!) I think Union/MARWI make it - it is called a Combilight. It has a drum type Generator on a bracket that sticks out from the forks, mounted centrally in the hole that once used to be for brake mounting - before V-Brakes took over. It has a rubber "tyre" on the generator drum and a halogen lamp very similar to the LumOtec. As has been mentioned generators suffer from the "disapearing headlight "syndrome at intersections, I am considering the LumOtec standlight as an upgrade, but sofar the setup is so simple and self contained that it seems a shame to complicate it. Whenever we ride at night we both wear reflective sashes and I have a second flashing tail lamp mounted on mine at shoulder height, BE SEEN BE SAFE is a good motto. I must admit that we do both have 6 Watt Union headlamps that we run off 6 Volt 4 A/H SLA batteries and we use them around town if we are going on a planned night ride, but they only last 4 or so hours so often the generator is used to supplement them. When we go away touring though we NEVER take the battery lights - think how many chocolate bars you can fit instead on a weight for weight ratio...!!! If you have chunky tyres these generators could be a problem as they run on the tyre. Also unless your good at making up brackets or buy the combi light, you need a front carrier, but in the right situation they are damm near a perfect compromise. Cheers from Rob