Dyno Hub Device Recharging

[rifraf]

Just thought I better add that I dont appear to be able to power my Edge 800 whilst my Edelux headlight is on.
Soon as I turned it off I was back in business.
Not a biggie to me as I dont tour after dark if I can help it as its too hard to find a wild camping spot.
I like to have my camp well set up at least an hour before dark for that reason, unless I'm not camping wild.

[Tim]

My Mini Gorilla has arrived

Aren't they a neat package.
My green hat tells me I shouldn't be impressed by a cardboard box but in this case I was. Did yours arrive in a box with a hinged lid?
The neoprene case, instructions and all the plugs make for a very nicely put together package.
Wait for the excitement when you charge it up from the EWerk for the first time. I was jumping with joy when the blue LED first lit up.

[Max]

Aren't they a neat package. My green hat tells me I shouldn't be impressed by a cardboard box but in this case I was. Did yours arrive in a box with a hinged lid?
The neoprene case, instructions and all the plugs make for a very nicely put together package.

Yes, I'm actually very impressed by the packaging, and how well the contents are organised. The neoprene case for the main unit as well as for the connectors is a nice touch. The instructions are clear and simple, too, which is good for users like my mum who get a little confused.

Wait for the excitement when you charge it up from the EWerk for the first time. I was jumping with joy when the blue LED first lit up.

Any day now - After a 2-week wait, my bike24 order has arrived in Australia. Maybe it will be on my desk sometime next week

Max

[Max]

Hey Tim, which connector did you use on the Mini Gorilla to charge the Ayup batteries?

Still waiting on the e-Werk. DHL tracker claims it's in Australia and on its way from the depot. 18 days so far. I'll believe it when it happens

Max

[il padrone]

Be patient young grasshopper, arrive it will

Have ordered a fair bit of stuff from several German web-sites. They're always slower than the miracles of Wiggle, but I've never had anything go astray. Slow at times (eg. seven weeks for my Rohloff hub, due to severe snowstorms in Europe and Xmas rush), but always arrived and in good condition.

[Max]

Channeling Yoda and Kung Sloppy Kiss both at once. I'm impressed!

I'm told it's arrived at my workplace. Of course, I'm working off-site all this week and the next. :rolleyes:

Max

[Tim]

Hey Tim, which connector did you use on the Mini Gorilla to charge the Ayup batteries?

Max, I connect the L53D tip to the heavier output cable from the Minigorilla which is set at 12V.
Then I plug the L53D tip into the orange Ayup charger pack (where the 240V charger would normally be connected).
Everything lights up and away you go.

[Max]

Hey Tim, which connector did you use on the Mini Gorilla to charge the Ayup batteries?

Max, I connect the L53D tip to the heavier output cable from the Minigorilla which is set at 12V.
Then I plug the L53D tip into the orange Ayup charger pack (where the 240V charger would normally be connected).
Everything lights up and away you go.

Awesome, it works I'll update my spreadsheet when I have time. Tim, this Mini Gorilla idea is very versatile. Thanks for the headsup

Max

[rifraf]

Awesome, it works I'll update my spreadsheet when I have time. Tim, this Mini Gorilla idea is very versatile. Thanks for the headsup

Max

Come on now Max, how are you getting on with your dynohub and E-werk(?) Where are the pics?
What have you got hooked up? Are you happy with it? Why/why not? Is Mom buying one too?

[Max]

Come on now Max, how are you getting on with your dynohub and E-werk(?) Where are the pics?
What have you got hooked up? Are you happy with it? Why/why not? Is Mom buying one too?

Sorry for keeping you in suspense mate

I have the e-Werk, but I don't have mum's bike (her bike has a dynohub, mine does not). I'm going to see her on Sunday, so I'll try to have a play with it then. No promises, because I might not have time. But because I know you're holding your breath for this information, I'll do my best. Just don't turn blue and die, ok?

Max

[rifraf]

Just don't turn blue and die, ok?

Max

Blue? Blue would just not go with the canary yellow of the Moulton?
You may have an E-werk but where is your fashion sense?
Cheers
Aidan

[australiantourer]

Max, I've checked out your spreadsheet and it all looks ok other than charging or powering the netbooks. The E werk can only put out a maximum of around 13V, not sure about the cache battery (only 5V USB, I think) or the Biologic/Pedalpower but fairly certain none of them will produce 19.5V. Solar, maybe, but from what I've read it takes ages (maybe days) to charge up a notebook unless it is a solar panel considerably larger than the Powermonkey Extreme's, which can't produce 19V anyway. Another option is to carry a storage battery such as the Minigorilla, that's what I have, it has variable voltage output up to 19V but even then it will only power a netbook for a couple of hours max. and takes about 5 hours to charge off the hub/EWerk. The Powermonkey and the Minigorilla come from the same company, Powertraveller. They also sell the Powergorilla that has a capacity of 21Ah (the Powermonkey and Minigorilla batteries are only 9Ah) and can be charged from the hub or a separate solar panel and also puts out 19V. The Powergorilla will run a netbook for much longer. Sounds good, but it is much more bulky, heavy and more expensive and probably takes forever ie. days to recharge from the hub. There are all sorts of external netbook/laptop batteries available elsewhere at much cheaper prices but few of them have the variable output of the Mini or Powergorilla. I concluded that recharging a netbook is really only practical from a 240V source. A bike dynamo just can't produce that much energy in a reasonable length of time.
My system consists of constantly charging the Minigorilla on the road (Hub>EWerk>Minigorilla), it takes around 5 hours to fully charge. The battery sits neatly in my Ortleib handlebar bag pocket. I can then recharge my devices such as the GPS and phone later.
I also have an Eneloop (Sanyo) USB AA and AAA battery charger. It takes between 60 and 280 minutes to charge AA or AAA batteries depending on whether I charge 1 or 2 batteries and which size they are. It can be powered from the Minigrilla or direct from the EWerk.
Hope I haven't confused things too much.

Hello Tim. I like your idea of charging a battery pack as you ride, and then later on using that to charge your toys. Can you tell me if it's necessary to do this via an e-werk, or could you just connect the battery straight into the dynamo output, assuming you could find the right plug/socket? A friend suggested there might be an AC/DC issue that the e-werk rectifies.

I have a Shimano Diore XT hub. I would like to be able to charge a nexus 7 tablet, and it seems that a Panasonic QE-QL301 battery pack may be able to do this (capacity 10,260 mAh). Ideally I'd like my battery pack to be 4 AA rechargeable batteries, as my camera and torch both use this size. However, I haven't been able to find a charger/power pack (input + output) that runs on this size. Maybe that's because you couldn't store enough capacity in these. I note that you carry a separate charger for AA/AAA batteries.

Interested to hear your views on this

[Tim]

G'day australiantourer. It's been a while since I researched and set up my gadget kit and it is not really my field of expertise. In other words I haven't got a clue .
I know a little bit, but not much. I'll help where I can but others might be more knowledgeable and better able to answer your questions.

I like your idea of charging a battery pack as you ride, and then later on using that to charge your toys. Can you tell me if it's necessary to do this via an e-werk, or could you just connect the battery straight into the dynamo output, assuming you could find the right plug/socket? A friend suggested there might be an AC/DC issue that the e-werk rectifies.

The Panasonic battery looks as though it requires a DC current to recharge ie. it can be recharged via USB (5V/0.5A) or an AC wall adapter. It won't charge direct from the XT dynohub AC output without an e-werk or similar. Your friend is correct, the e-werk and other devices are rectifiers that convert AC to DC.
Note that the battery you are looking at takes 24 hours to fully charge using a USB connection and nine hours to recharge from a wall adapter.The e-werk can take the place of a USB or wall adapter (within limits) , but that is a lot of cycling to fully charge the battery.
An e-werk can do the same job as an AC wall adapter provided the wall adapter output falls within the Voltage and Amperage range of the e-werk. I can't find a detailed specification sheet for the Panasonic unit so don't know what current the supplied AC wall adapter puts out.

Ideally I'd like my battery pack to be 4 AA rechargeable batteries, as my camera and torch both use this size. However, I haven't been able to find a charger/power pack (input + output) that runs on this size. Maybe that's because you couldn't store enough capacity in these. I note that you carry a separate charger for AA/AAA batteries.

I don't quite understand your question but assume you wish to charge 4 AA batteries. Each one of my Sanyo Eneloop AA batteries has a 2,000 mAh capacity. Your Panasonic battery has the capacity to recharge 4 AA's (8,000mAh). I'm not sure of the best way to charge four AA's but I use an Eneloop USB charger to recharge 2 batteries at a time. You could buy two Eneloop USB chargers and do all four at once (the Panasonic battery has two USB outlets, I think.), or else just charge two AA's at a time on one unit. There may be better methods.

Hope this has been some sort of help. If I were you I would try and find out what the Voltage and Amperage output is from the wall adapter that comes supplied with the Panasonic battery. Provided it is less than 13.3 Volts and 1.5 Amps then a dynohub and e-werk combination is capable of recharging your Panasonic battery but it will take at least 9 hours of cycling.

[australiantourer]

Thanks Tim -- that's very helpful. I had not realised until now how long this thread is -- 7 pages! Many of the participants seem to be riding vwr's, like me.

I need a large capacity cache battery if I am going to be able to charge a tablet. I have not found one that uses AA batteries -- there's no problem charging AA batteries, but these devices do not have a usb output to then charge other devices. That's ok -- it's an imperfect world!

It's an expensive process, isn't it? First buy the e-werk, then the big cache battery, and I don't even yet own the nexus 7 tablet. My toys seem to need recharging by about the third day of a tour. If I took a fully charged cache battery with me, that gives me about 6 days of power before I start looking for a power outlet. That's very flexible, from my point of view.

Re charging times, 9 hours cycling is actually not prohibitive, as I would normally ride for about 15 hours over three days, so I could have it on trickle charge. Also, the cache battery presumably doesn't need to be fully charged to get power from it, especially if we are talking about smaller devices such as ipods and phones.

I think I will plan to buy things in the reverse order as funds permit: tablet, cache battery, e-werk. Btw, the price of the nexus 7 may come down bigtime in July with the release of a new model.

http://www.itworld.com/personal-tech/35 ... oming-july

Google (who make nexus 7) make money by getting you into their advertising loop, not from the sale of hardware, so it's in their interests to make these devices affordable. I'll bide my time for a few months. I've just had my long autumn ride for this year, so there's no hurry -- only my impatience.

[Aushiker]

I need a large capacity cache battery if I am going to be able to charge a tablet.

Maybe it comes down to the tablet but in my case withmy iPad, my PedalPower+ Super-i-Cable is more than capable of charging it. I would expect a Busch & Mueller e-Werk with the Busch & Mueller cache battery would do the same.

Andrew

[australiantourer]

thanks Andrew -- I was very interested to read about your setup -- you've certainly given it a lot of careful thought. I confess that I still like keeping a journal in a small spiral notebook, but would like to be able to access the internet for other things, especially on a really long trip. I'm a bit old-school!

I bet you've given a lot of thought to your choice of camping stove too (should I start a new thread at this point?). I've been using the gaz stove that takes the disposable canisters that you screw-pierce (ie: as distinct from the more expensive ones that incorporate a valve). There are supply problems at present -- my local camping goods store is still selling stoves, but can't get the gas! I find this unbelievable, and wonder what I would do if I were touring through Castlemaine, counting on getting a new bottle here (not an unreasonable expectation!). On two long tours through third world countries, I carried an MSR whisperlite 600 stove, running it on petrol. It's a messy business -- you always end up with sooty hands and the smell of petrol. It's difficult to set the thing on simmer, adding to frustration. However, you have no problems with fuel supply, anywhere, and it's very cheap to run.

Lately I've been having another look at the stove, wondering if I could rediscover it to bypass the need for these over-priced (and sometimes scarce) gas canisters. I'm about to try running it on kero to see if that's any better (and maybe shellite, too), and am also wondering about improvising some sort of heat diffuser to assist with simmer, but don't know what material to use.

Interested to hear if anyone has been thinking about such things.

[RonK]

I bet you've given a lot of thought to your choice of camping stove too (should I start a new thread at this point?).

No, don't start another. We have discussed stoves and cookware at length here.

[australiantourer]

you certainly have! ta

[rifraf]

Busch & Mueller appear to have a new product out.
Many of us are familiar with the E-Werk and its variable voltage/amp output.

It was pointed out to me today that there is what I would describe a product I'd liken to a budget version.
No variable voltage (if I've read right) and the output is USB.
It incorporates a built in cache battery.

The USB-Werk.
http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/b&musbwerk.asp

Cheaper here:
$87.24 +P&P here:
http://www.xxcycle.com/dynamo-charger-u ... er,,en.php

[Aushiker]

It was pointed out to me today that there is what I would describe a product I'd liken to a budget version.
No variable voltage (if I've read right) and the output is USB.
It incorporates a built in cache battery.

Which makes it like it like most of its competitors. I am not sure that the older version was really necessary for most users. For example my PedalPower+ Super-i-Cable works fine without the variable voltage as does other devices such as the Trout Terrain Plug II.

I assume and hope of course that it can be used as a charger off the bike as well, i.e., without the dynamo providing power.

Andrew

[rifraf]

Which makes it like it like most of its competitors. I am not sure that the older version was really necessary for most users. For example my PedalPower+ Super-i-Cable works fine without the variable voltage as does other devices such as the Trout Terrain Plug II.

I assume and hope of course that it can be used as a charger off the bike as well, i.e., without the dynamo providing power.

Andrew

In fairness to B&M, I do believe the E-werk arrived before USB became the "standard" and "charge" of choice for most/now if not all, mobiles, gps, etc.

As for your hopes and assumptions with regards to its use as a charger off the bike, I'm afraid Ze Germans (of ze pedestrian postage) have yet to Teutonically insist that B&M start sprechen das english on their site.
My guess is Ze Germans do not see outside of Europe as a mainstay for their products or, we speakers of the Queens goodness, would be better catered for.

[il padrone]

My guess is Ze Germans do not see outside of Europe as a mainstay for their products or, we speakers of the Queens goodness, would be better catered for.

Crikey! You have evidently not ever tried to buy gear from most US main market stores. They all think that 'international' means Canada!! No shipping available anywhere else

[RonK]

Which makes it like it like most of its competitors. I am not sure that the older version was really necessary for most users. For example my PedalPower+ Super-i-Cable works fine without the variable voltage as does other devices such as the Trout Terrain Plug II.

I assume and hope of course that it can be used as a charger off the bike as well, i.e., without the dynamo providing power.

Andrew

In fairness to B&M, I do believe the E-werk arrived before USB became the "standard" and "charge" of choice for most/now if not all, mobiles, gps, etc.

You are being too fair. The device still hasn't caught up with the Biologic Reecharge, which I think has been around just as long. By my reading of the manual the cache battery is just that - a small buffer battery that allows continuous charging of an iPhone. No battery capacity is given in the specification, and I suspect that it cannot be used off the bike, nor can it be charged from a wall outlet or USB port as the Reecharge can, as it only accepts AC input.

Furthermore:

Only if dynamos without integrated electronic overvoltage protection are used, the USBWERK can give of the highest possible amount of energy.

So if your dynamo hub has integrated overvoltage protection the output from device will be limited.

I'll stick with the Reecharge, which I find more convenient and user-friendly than even the Super-i-Cable, despite it having a slightly smaller capacity battery.

[Aushiker]

By my reading of the manual the cache battery is just that - a small buffer battery that allows continuous charging of an iPhone. No battery capacity is given in the specification, and I suspect that it cannot be used off the bike, nor can it be charged from a wall outlet or USB port as the Reecharge can, as it only accepts AC input..

That is what I thought as well from the little I have read of it. It seemed some what limited.

Andrew

[il padrone]

By my reading of the manual the cache battery is just that - a small buffer battery that allows continuous charging of an iPhone. No battery capacity is given in the specification, and I suspect that it cannot be used off the bike, nor can it be charged from a wall outlet or USB port as the Reecharge can, as it only accepts AC input.

I read the phrase "cache battery" when I looked at it and thought it was just that - a battery to be used with the E-werk to stabilise the power output. Not a storage battery.

Personally I regard even the Biologic Recharge as a bit limited. I use the Power Monkey Extreme which has 5 times the capacity. Heavier of course.