Hub Dynamo Connections

[tim_f]

I have these connectors on a Shimanio and a SP hub.

I think they are a clever design -

They stay plugged in even if cycle is ridden on rough surfaces, but they normally unplug of their own accord if one forgets to unplug before taking the wheel out.

But if they do not un plug of their own accord if one forgets to unplug before taking the wheel out the wires just pull out leaving the connectors undamaged and then can be re assembled.

They do not appear to suffer corrosion

Tim

[Gattonero]

As you all no doubt know, I now have a hub dynamo on my Moulton.
It's an SP SV8 and works well. No issues with that.

My query is regarding the connections.
The hub came with a connector block thingy but all it is is a wire holder. There's no connections within it, and all that you have to do is poke the two wires through it and hope that they make connection with the dynamo.

I imagined that there would be positive connectors - spades or something? - but nothing more than bare soldered wires that touch the dynamo connection unit. The wires are soldered, so they are stiff.

I worries me that if - God forbid - the Fairy visits and I need to disconnect, that the wires would have bent out of the way and I'd have to fiddle about with them with maybe frozen wet wintery fingers to reconnect.

Is this normal?
Do other dynamos have something better?
How do people get on?
Screen Shot 2017-10-13 at 09.53.18.pngScreen Shot 2017-10-13 at 09.54.02.png

Nothing to be concerned, really.
It's a simple design that works, indeed a lot easier than two separate spade connectors, a lot easier to plug in, even in the dark.
The wires won't pop off, unless you've forgotten to remove the connector before removing the wheel. Even tho, as said above, you may have the wires coming off the connector; this is actually easy to reassemble as opposed to a broken spade or dedicated connector!
Having installed a dozen only in the last quarter, I have never had complaints about, not even in the long-term.

[Grarea]

They do not appear to suffer corrosion

Tim

This is indeed good news.

[Mick F]

I was in the shed earlier today, and there's an old RSW16 in there.
Goodness knows what I'm going to do with it.
It was a barn find up the road, and I cleaned it up, sorted it out, and have ridden it lots. It's a 1968 bike and totally original.

The bike, as you can see, has a SA hub dynamo and lights ............... that work ................ and the SA dynamo has good decent solid connections.

Trouble is, they have nuts and washers to connect the wires.
No doubt if you needed to remove the wheel, not only would you need a spanner to undo the wheel nuts, you'd need a small one to disconnect the wires.

[Gattonero]

bring it to Brick Lane and if you find the right hipster it can fetch at least £100

[Mick F]

It'll cost me £100 to get it there.
Yes, I could drive there, but it's nearly 300miles each way!

Anyone who want's it, can have it.
Come and get it.

[Gattonero]

Obviously, it's only if you happen to have other business to do in London. I don't even bother to go to Brick Lane from Enfield

[Mick F]

The bike was actually designed to have a hub dynamo, unlike bikes these days.
The cable comes up the RH fork using chrome clips and then disappears inside the frame and the mudguards to the lights.
Yes, designed for it.

However, I wonder if the rear light is still legal now?
They have to be 350mm high.
This is the first photo of it before I pumped up the tyres.
Considering the tyres are 16" diameter, the rear light is below the top of the wheel ......... could be 12" = 300mm?
Can't get at it in the shed, so I couldn't measure accurately.

Maybe the rules were different back then?

[[XAP]Bob]

Probably - and so this will be grandfathered...

[Gattonero]

The bike was actually designed to have a hub dynamo, unlike bikes these days.
The cable comes up the RH fork using chrome clips and then disappears inside the frame and the mudguards to the lights.
Yes, designed for it....

That was a time when a decent bike would cost at least 3 weeks of wages and no one would argue with that. Also some bikes would come already done with all the accessories, as the aftermarket was scarce.

And of course, in the big factory there's no time for "bespoke" solutions so it's normal to have the bike designed around the accessories for the average user. Those frames were a thick gauge, entry/exit points for cables and light wires were made by simply punching the frame to form a slot. I cannot recall many mass-production frame of this kind with dedicated braze-ons for the light wiring, most of the time it was a simple rubber grommet to cover the hole.
Some Dutch bikes of good quality are still made like that, we used to leave the wire by the headtube a lot longer than usual, then coil it around a screwdriver, a flash with the hot air gun would give the piggytail shape. It was a nice detail on those bikes

[Mick F]

Good info there Gattonero.

[XAP]Bob:
Grandfather rights aren't laid down in law ........... are are they?
I know reflector pedals have a date from when they MUST be fitted, but I'm not aware of reading anything about rear lights minimum heights having any GF rights.

I suppose they could exist.

Any references?

[Brucey]

...The ones we're discussing here are a bad design ...............

I do not agree. It is very easy to design something that is complicated and expensive, that looks good but fails in unexpected ways and makes a connection that cannot be repaired. It is very difficult to design something that is simple, reliable, and easy to deal with. Having used it and alternatives, I think the shimano/SP connector is a good design.

cheers

[Mick F]

Ok, I've lost the argument.

----------------------------

Next question regarding connections, how do you connect up a USB-werk or a Velocharger as well as the lighting system?
With the Shimano/SP system, you'd need some sort of junction box?

[Brucey]

BTW the lighting regs specifically mention that only bikes built after a certain date need to have certain things fitted. Although the regs for (say) rear lights have been amended over the years, I've never heard of anyone being pulled over for having a rear light made to an obsolete specification, fitted to an age-appropriate bike.

You would arguably be daft to ride with some old rear lights though; they are (were) sometimes tiny and not very bright, either. A 6V 0.05A bulb (as fitted to some old SA dynohub systems) is pretty feeble by modern standards. 50mA of LED light is incredibly bright by comparison.

cheers

[sun ra]

FWIW I also tend to put the QR lever on the RHS on the front wheel when I have a hub dynamo fitted; this way the QR lever is on the same side as the connector block and I suppose that I ought to be more likely to remember to disconnect it.

cheers

That's a good tip. Thanks