Supernova E3 Lights at Harris

[Elton Pope-Lance]

Hello All,

The remarkable Supernova E3 lights are due at Harris by the end of the
month. They are brighter and broader than dual E6 lamps, with no halogen
lamps to replace and an incorporated standlight. They are the current state
of the art in dynamo powered lighting.

More information is on the Harris site at at:
http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/lighting/supernova.html

The Supernova site is:
http://www.supernova-lights.com/en/products/e3/e3_english.html

We are extremely pleased to be able to offer these, for they raise the bar
of dynamo headlights considerably.

With apologies for the blatant commercial content as well as the cross
posting, but thought you'd like to know,

Elton "bright lights" Pope-Lance
@ Harris Cyclery
West Newton, MA

[pamela blalock]

I've been using one of these lights since January. I've got a 15 mile each
way commute and have yet to leave work in daylight this year :-( so my light
has seen lots of nighttime use. I have a mix of totally dark, wet, potholed
roads and some with street lights. I have been blown away by this light. The
form factor is simple and elegant and as it is a symmetrical beam, mounting
is quite simple.

I recently got the taillight and am equally impressed with it. I am not
normally a fan of wired taillights, but this one was so cool, I had to give
it a try. I have it mounted above a reflector taillight on my rear rack and
they compliment each other nicely.

pamela blalock pgb at blayleys.com
care-free in watertown, ma http://www.blayleys.com

[Mike Dayton]

This is an exciting time for dynamo hub users. In June, Schmidt is
introducing the Edelux LED headlight, which is said to have three
times the total light output of the E6 and with a beam that is twice
as wide. It also has a standlight which remains on for up to four
minutes, and a sensor mode which will automatically switch the light
on and off, as needed.

I believe Peter White Cycles will be carrying them.

Mike Dayton / Raleigh

[erp4599]

Three Questions::
1) Has anyone come up with a way to fork-mount this light on a bike
equipped with caliper brakes?
2) Is it compatible with the taillight that is used with the E6?
3) Is one light acceptable rather than two (I currently have a twin E6
setup).

Thanks,
Eric Peterson

[pamela blalock]

Three Questions::
1) Has anyone come up with a way to fork-mount this light on a bike
equipped with caliper brakes?

Yes, if you get either of the non-handlebar mount versions, it is quite
simple. I will post some photos later today. I have lots of different light
clamps mounted on various bikes, and will get some photos. If you already
have an e6 mounted - remove it and replace with this light.

That said, I do find I prefer to have my E3 light mounted centrally rather
than on the side of a fork. When I was using two lights, one on each fork
would cancel the shadow caused by a fork blade. Since you only need one of
these, if it's mounted on the side of the fork, you can get the shadow.

Both versions of the mount (the non-handlebar version) have a simple tab.
Since the light is narrow and symmetrical, it can be mounted lots of places
(no issue with right side up vs upside down.

2) Is it compatible with the taillight that is used with the E6?

I don't know the answer to this one. I had never been a fan of wired
taillights, preferring the simplicity of not having extra wiring. So I've
always had a couple of battery rear lights. I do not have other wired
taillights to try. I did get the supernova taillight to try because it was
so tiny, and am very impressed with it.

3) Is one light acceptable rather than two (I currently have a twin E6
setup).

Definitely, one alone is brilliant.

Pamela

[Larry Powers]

My LBS showed me a very neet lite mount from Nitto, I think it was in the Merry Sales catalog.  It is a nut that replaces the nut on a QR skewer and it is same diameter as handlebars thus allowing you to mount a light on it.  I don't know if this is actually available yet but I have told them to get me one when it is.

Larry Powers

"just when you think that you've been gyped
the bearded lady comes and does a double back flip" - John Hiatt


> Date: Tue, 15 Apr 2008 03:31:52 -0700
> Subject: [Randon] Re: Supernova E3 Lights at Harris
> From: erp...@sbcglobal.net
> To: ran...@googlegroups.com

[littlecircles :: mikeb]

Velo Orange has them as well.

-mb

On Apr 15, 9:17 am, Larry Powers <lapower...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> My LBS showed me a very neet lite mount from Nitto, I think it was in the Merry Sales catalog. It is a nut that replaces the nut on a QR skewer and it is same diameter as handlebars thus allowing you to mount a light on it. I don't know if this is actually available yet but I have told them to get me one when it is.

> Larry Powers"just when you think that you've been gypedthe bearded lady comes and does a double back flip" - John Hiatt> Date: Tue, 15 Apr 2008 03:31:52 -0700> Subject: [Randon] Re: Supernova E3 Lights at Harris> From: erp4...@sbcglobal.net> To: ran...@googlegroups.com> > > Three Questions::> 1) Has anyone come up with a way to fork-mount this light on a bike> equipped with caliper brakes?> 2) Is it compatible with the taillight that is used with the E6?> 3) Is one light acceptable rather than two (I currently have a twin E6> setup).> > Thanks,> Eric Peterson> > On Apr 14, 10:39 am, Elton Pope-Lance <el...@pope-lance.com> wrote:> > Hello All,> >> > The remarkable Supernova E3 lights are due at Harris by the end of the> > month. They are brighter and broader than dual E6 lamps, with no halogen> > lamps to replace and an incorporated standlight. They are the current state> > of the art in dynamo powered lighting.> >> > More information is on the Harris site at at:http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/lighting/supernova.html> >> > The Supernova site is:http://www.supernova-lights.com/en/products/e3/e3_english.html> >> > We are extremely pleased to be able to offer these, for they raise the bar> > of dynamo headlights considerably.> >> > With apologies for the blatant commercial content as well as the cross> > posting, but thought you'd like to know,> >> > Elton "bright lights" Pope-Lance> > @ Harris Cyclery> > West Newton, MA> _________________________________________________________________
> Get in touch in an instant. Get Windows Live Messenger now.http://www.windowslive.com/messenger/overview.html?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_...

[pamela blalock]

As promised some photos of our setup with these lights and a few optional
ways of mounting them

http://www.blayleys.com/articles/lights/page5.htm

[Steve Palincsar]

pamela blalock wrote:
> As promised some photos of our setup with these lights and a few optional
> ways of mounting them
>
> http://www.blayleys.com/articles/lights/page5.htm

Nice! A worthy addition to the best bicycle lighting article I know of.

--
Steve Palincsar
pali...@his.com
Alexandria, VA, USA

[Lynne Fitz]

not these lights specifically, but I invite you all to visit (and
contribute!) to the flickr generator hub lighting group:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/554659@N24/

Cheers,
Lynne F

On Apr 15, 6:39 pm, Steve Palincsar <palin...@his.com> wrote:
> pamela blalock wrote:
> > As promised some photos of our setup with these lights and a few optional
> > ways of mounting them
>
> >http://www.blayleys.com/articles/lights/page5.htm
>
> Nice!  A worthy addition to the best bicycle lighting article I know of.
>
> --
> Steve Palincsar

> palin...@his.com
> Alexandria, VA, USA

[seacat]

I rode the ROMA 400K this past weekend and with a start time of 7:00
a.m. we were assured lots of night time riding. I recieved my E3 on
Thursday and didn't really have an opportunity to try it out until it
got dark Sat. night during the brevet. As promised, the light is
great. Having used an Oval Plus/E6 setup now for awhile I much prefer
the light output of the E3 and the overall shape of the pattern on the
ground. I can now see off the shoulder a little bit as well as onto
the road. Something the sharp edges of the E6 weren't able to do. I
also like the brighter white color of the light as opposed to the
yellowish hue of the halogen. The E3 is plenty bright on it's own
without a secondary and I like the fact that I won't be replacing this
bulb any time soon. This weekend I spent a few hours on the backroads
of West Virginia riding alone in the dark and this light was a welcome
companion. Anyone else get their hands on one of these lights yet?

Curtis

[pamela blalock]

The New England Fleche was this weekend, and maybe the folks who used the
E3's are still sleeping/recovering and will reply later.

I did hear the folks on Elton's team say that they kept calling car-back
when it was just Elton (using his e3). The same sort of comments came from
Ted's team about his e3. Both Elton and Ted said the light was brilliant.

We had steady drizzle for most of the event, so the roads were always wet,
the hardest conditions for any lights.

I actually did not use my e3, because it was set up on a bike that was not
fixed - which is not to say broken, just not fixed. And my Schmidt wheels
were also setup with big fat commuting worthy tires that I'd have to change
to even fit on my fleche bike. I have an ixon speed and an ixon speed IQ
that primarily serve as emergency backup lights on my commuters. I used
these two battery powered lights, both on high beam for the entire night.
Each had its own battery and the batteries lasted all night. When I
recharged the next day, one recharged rather quickly, presumably the one
that was on the IQ light, so battery life is exceptional.

If my subtle reference to fixed above was too subtle, I was riding a fixed
gear bike, as was everyone on our team. The wet roads soaked up all our
light. Dena was using a d'lumotec running of a shimano gennie. Susan used an
Ixon IQ with 4 AA batteries. We all wore through brake pads on the descents
because our lights just weren't up to the conditions. The hilliest part of
our route was covered at night.

I used the speed last year in dry conditions and it was great, but really
wish I'd had the e3 for the wetter ride this year. No fear, I won't make
that mistake again.

I will get a write up and photos up on the web site soon. (really)

pamela blalock pgb at blayleys.com
care-free in watertown, ma http://www.blayleys.com

-----Original Message-----
From: ran...@googlegroups.com [mailto:ran...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of

seacat
Sent: Monday, May 05, 2008 3:08 PM
To: randon
Subject: [Randon] Re: Supernova E3 Lights at Harris

[WMdeR]

Dear All,

Do you know if the E3's are using proprietary optics, or an off-the-
shelf solution? The fact that they are axially symmetric suggests the
latter. If so, do you know which optics they're using?

Best Regards,

WMdeR

William M. deRosset
RUSA 2401

[Jake Kassen]

WMdeR wrote:
> Dear All,
>
> Do you know if the E3's are using proprietary optics, or an off-the-
> shelf solution? The fact that they are axially symmetric suggests the
> latter. If so, do you know which optics they're using?
>

If they are not using proprietary optics then I'd like to know were they
get their lens from. They look about twice as large as any of the
commercial Cree lens I've seen.

It should be noted that while the E3s are excellent, they still are not
as bright as what someone can do in their basement for $75 worth of
parts and some tinkering. My (now fairly old) 3x3 watt Luxeon LED light
was still brighter then the E3 at the highest power setting. I just
don't run it at that level as I don't have the batteries nor the heat
sink to support 8 hours of it. If I used a dynamo hub and a bigger heat
sink I'd have more light then a E3. (And much more if I replaced my
Luxeons awi

That said, the E3 is a very nice unit complete with a stand light and a
fashionable housing. If the price wasn't so high I'd buy one right away.
Even at $200 it's temping...

Jake

[Glen Reed]

This is an awesome light when you are used to dual Schmidt E6's. On dry
roads it lights up a very large area, about as much as you would ever want.
Well maybe not as much as I would ever want (I like daylight), but more than
adequate. On wet roads the E3 is adequate to dodge most potholes and fly
down hills with decent pavement.

When I saw Elton's light behind me it did look like a car. When we were
side by side I'm sure we fooled oncoming cars.

The E3 is also a pleasure to take up hills (full bright between 4-5 mph).
Unless you slow down to an absolute crawl there is no dimming at all. No
more switching off the secondary E6 to get more light out of the primary.
Yeah!

The companion 3-LED tail light on Elton's bike was very bright, a bit too
much if you were on-axis and close behind him. Farther away or off-axis was
not a problem. I am tempted to get one, but prefer the versatility and
side-lights on my B&M Multi-Senso 4D Toplight (battery/generator/motion
sensor/daylight sensor).

Glen

[Pam Wright]

Glad to be seeing feedback on the E3!  One thing I'm not clear on....is anyone using the E3 with a secondary light also?  (like a secondary E6) or is the E3 perfect by itself?  I saw that Curtis did not use a secondary.

 

Thanks, Pam
 

Pam

"Let your character, and not the circumstances, define who you are." Slatton

---

Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now.

[Travis Stuckey]

D you have to use there taillight or can you use a
Busch and Miller taillight? This looks like the best
ight I have seen so far.

Thanks,

Travis

[Glen Reed]

The E3 will power any 0.6W tail light. I am powering my B&M tail light with
it.

[Travis Stuckey]

Thanks for the quick reply, I think I may have to
order one. One more silly question though, does the
rear tailight wiring plug into the light like the E6?
I just want to make sure everything will route the
same. I have a rack mount light with internal rear
wiring.

Thanks,

=== message truncated ===

[pamela blalock]

The e3 by itself rivals dual e6’s. No secondary needed. And as Glen pointed out, unlike dual e6’s, it’s great for slow speed climbs, as it stays bright at crawling pace – something I am all too familiar with J

pamela blalock                    pgb at blayleys.com
care-free in watertown, ma         http://www.blayleys.com

-----Original Message-----
From: ran...@googlegroups.com [mailto:ran...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Pam Wright
Sent: Tuesday, May 06, 2008 5:34 PM
To: randon
Subject: [Randon] Re: Supernova E3 Lights at Harris

 

Glad to be seeing feedback on the E3!  One thing I'm not clear on....is anyone using the E3 with a secondary light also?  (like a secondary E6) or is the E3 perfect by itself?  I saw that Curtis did not use a secondary.

 

Thanks, Pam
 

[Ted Lapinski]

Please forgive me for a tardy response. I have been rather tired the
past few days after Fleche NE. Responding to e mail is a large effort
these days.

My E3 arrived on Thursday afternoon and I installed it on Friday just
before the Fleche. This event would allow for a full night of travel
with the new light. For eight years I have used twin Lumotecs and later
upgraded to the E6. I will cut it short by saying the E3 is in another
class above and well beyond any E6 / Lumotec combination. Period.

I am amazed at this little light. The light this thing puts out reaches
gutter to gutter and will illuminate signs several hundred feet up the
road. It was a nasty rain and fog for most of the over night and the E3
beam was unaffected. The light did not malfunction despite being subject
to heavy water spray.

The performance is awesome. Soon as you are rolling it is a nice steady
beam. Thanks to Captain Russ Loomis we scaled a knee crushing 21% grade
and I'll be damed if this thing didn't stay lit. It did dim down
significantly, but I did not experience the obnoxious light on, light
off, that you get with the E6. Another nice thing is the fact that the
rider does not have to fiddle with clumsy secondary switches when your
speed slows.

I did have a Princeton Tec Corona for a back up light and turned it on
a few times while riding. The Corona beam was lost in the light of the
E3. The Corona did make a good flash light when I was parked so it will
stay on the bike for emergency's.

Time will tell about reliability. It does have a five year warranty. We
will see.

I could go on, but I am spent.

I would like to thank Elton at Harris for getting this light to me in
time for the Fleche. And a big thank you goes out to Pam and John for
bringing this light to Elton's attention. And last, but certainly not
least thanks Russ, Sandy, and Chuck for the courage, strength and honor
to push on regardless and finish as a team under nasty conditions once
again.

Ted L

[Glen Reed]

Two wires come out of the E3 housing, a long one for the generator
connection and a shorter one for the tail light connection. You will need
female spade connectors for SON generators (also available from Harris).
Crimp splices are supplied with the E3 for a permanent tail light
connection. Heat shrink tubing (2 sizes) and zip ties are also included.

Glen

[russell...@yahoo.com]

But CAN you use a secondary with the Supernova E3 light? I'm
obsessive about some things and wonder if you could use 2 Supernova E3
lights at the same time.

On May 6, 9:09 pm, "pamela blalock" <el...@blayleys.com> wrote:
> The e3 by itself rivals dual e6's. No secondary needed. And as Glen pointed
> out, unlike dual e6's, it's great for slow speed climbs, as it stays bright

> at crawling pace - something I am all too familiar with :-)

>
> pamela blalock                    pgb at blayleys.com
> care-free in watertown, ma        http://www.blayleys.com
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: ran...@googlegroups.com [mailto:ran...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of
>
> Pam Wright
> Sent: Tuesday, May 06, 2008 5:34 PM
> To: randon
> Subject: [Randon] Re: Supernova E3 Lights at Harris
>
> Glad to be seeing feedback on the E3!  One thing I'm not clear on....is
> anyone using the E3 with a secondary light also?  (like a secondary E6) or
> is the E3 perfect by itself?  I saw that Curtis did not use a secondary.
>

> Thanks, Pam- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

[pamela blalock]

Yes, according to their web site you can.

[Jim Bronson]

Well to revisit this topic, I had an unexpected check show up today,
that was burning a hole in my pocket. So I took the plunge and
ordered the handlebar mount Supernova E3 from Harris. I ordered it 2
day shipping, I'm into that instant gratification stuff ;-)

I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of the UPS man!! I can barely sleep!

--
I'm doing the Houston-Austin MS150 in 2008. I'll be riding 175 miles
by bicycle! Please consider supporting me in this worthy cause at my
e-donate link: http://www.ms150.org/edon.cfm?id=220459

[seacat]

I'm waiting to hear from someone that is using 2 of these E3's.
C'mon, don't make me be the first...cause i'll do it...and you know I
will. :-)

Curtis

[russell...@yahoo.com]

I'm waiting too. I think you would simply make a Y adaptor. The
single end of the Y plugs into the Schmidt or Shimano generator hub.
The two ends of the Y go to the two Supernova E3. You would need to
be going 8-10 mph for both to light up fully. Other reports are one
E3 lights up at 4-5 mph. So splitting the current between the two E3
would need double the speed. Should be fairly easy to make a Y
adaptor.

> > I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of the UPS man!!  I can barely sleep!- Hide quoted text -

[Bengt-Olaf.]

On May 13, 8:54 am, "russellseat...@yahoo.com"

<russellseat...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> I'm waiting too. I think you would simply make a Y adaptor. The
> single end of the Y plugs into the Schmidt or Shimano generator hub.
> The two ends of the Y go to the two Supernova E3. You would need to
> be going 8-10 mph for both to light up fully. Other reports are one
> E3 lights up at 4-5 mph. So splitting the current between the two E3
> would need double the speed. Should be fairly easy to make a Y
> adaptor.
>

The Y-cable, i.e. 2 E3's in parallel, will probably not work. They
should be connected in series, because the generator provides
(roughly) a constant current. The same was true for connecting two E6
lights to the generator.

[Robert Magyar]

Actually, connecting them in parallel would likely be the correct way,
as they are similar to running dual Inolight's.
 
See:
http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/inoled.asp
 
Note when one wires dual E6 lamps together in series, you are really wiring their voltage regulators in series. This is part of the planned design with the switch wiring on the B&M secondary lamps, the switch on the secondary either shorts the connection thus bypassing the secondary lamp, or is open thus allowing the secondary to work.   


Bob

---

> Date: Tue, 13 May 2008 06:47:42 -0700

> Subject: [Randon] Re: Supernova E3 Lights at Harris

> From: beng...@gmail.com
> To: ran...@googlegroups.com

[Peter Noris]

I  think arguing from analogy is probably not going to provide an answer, since much would depend on the actual circuitry  involved. Perhaps checking with Supernova would give an answer that would save either the lights or the generator...

321-794-0500 cell - 352-275-5888 home - Skype me at Peter.F.Noris

[Mark]

Here's a response from Supernova:

two lights can be connected serially, which means that you "insert"
one E3 at one free end of the white cables. The only difference will
be that the light reaches its max. brightness at a higher speed (ca. 9
mph)

Mark
(Lights also available in Redmond!)

On May 13, 8:40 am, "Peter Noris" <pno...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I think arguing from analogy is probably not going to provide an answer,
> since much would depend on the actual circuitry involved. Perhaps checking
> with Supernova would give an answer that would save either the lights or the
> generator...
>

> On 5/13/08, Robert Magyar <bob_mag...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> > Actually, connecting them in parallel would likely be the correct way,
> > as they are similar to running dual Inolight's.
>
> > See:
> >http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/inoled.asp
>
> > Note when one wires dual E6 lamps together in series, you are really
> > wiring their voltage regulators in series. This is part of the planned
> > design with the switch wiring on the B&M secondary lamps, the switch on the
> > secondary either shorts the connection thus bypassing the secondary lamp, or
> > is open thus allowing the secondary to work.
>
> > Bob
>

> > ------------------------------

>
> > > Date: Tue, 13 May 2008 06:47:42 -0700
> > > Subject: [Randon] Re: Supernova E3 Lights at Harris

> > > From: bengto...@gmail.com

> > > To: ran...@googlegroups.com
>
> > > On May 13, 8:54 am, "russellseat...@yahoo.com"
> > > <russellseat...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> > > > I'm waiting too. I think you would simply make a Y adaptor. The
> > > > single end of the Y plugs into the Schmidt or Shimano generator hub.
> > > > The two ends of the Y go to the two Supernova E3. You would need to
> > > > be going 8-10 mph for both to light up fully. Other reports are one
> > > > E3 lights up at 4-5 mph. So splitting the current between the two E3
> > > > would need double the speed. Should be fairly easy to make a Y
> > > > adaptor.
>
> > > The Y-cable, i.e. 2 E3's in parallel, will probably not work. They
> > > should be connected in series, because the generator provides
> > > (roughly) a constant current. The same was true for connecting two E6
> > > lights to the generator.
>

> --
> Peter
> "Seeing the U.S.A. one brevet at a time"
> 13 regions and Canada - more to come!

[Michel Gagnon]

Mark a écrit :

> Here's a response from Supernova:
>
> two lights can be connected serially, which means that you "insert"
> one E3 at one free end of the white cables. The only difference will
> be that the light reaches its max. brightness at a higher speed (ca. 9
> mph)
>
> Mark
> (Lights also available in Redmond!)

I can't say for sure about the Supernova E3, but this article about the
Lumotecs should give you some ideas:
http://fahrradzukunft.de/fz-0704/0704-05.htm

In a nutshell, the article entitled "Twice more light" gives the
following advice :
- two IQ Fly in parallel provide more light at low speed, especially if
there is a 330 uF capacitor in line with them (or one of them?); no gain
at higher speed.
– two IQ in series (esp. with a 330 uF capacitor in line with the
secondary) provide twice more light; gains can be seen at all speeds,
but start to be significant at 18-20 km/h.

I remember reading at some point that Schmidt E-delux may be wired in
the same ways, so I suspect the same would apply to the Supernovae. The
Innoleds are a bit special in that they seem to work equally well at 6 V
or 12 V.

This entire discussion hides one aspect: apart from the E6-Z, none of
these lights are wired as a secondary headlight. This means that if you
wire them in series, you need to keep both switches on. If you want to
use only one of them, you'll need to design your own bypass switch.

--

Michel Gagnon
Montréal (Québec, Canada)

[Bengt-Olaf.]

> – two IQ in series (esp. with a 330 uF capacitor in line with the
> secondary) provide twice more light; gains can be seen at all speeds,
> but start to be significant at 18-20 km/h.

That makes sense, as the same current goes through both lights. LED
intensity is proportional to the current through them. Their operating
voltage, however, is essentially constant.
The speed range of about 20 km/h (12.5 mph) seems to be sufficiently
low for full intensity. Below that speed, there is hardly any need for
full intensity (from either 1 or 2 lights).

> This entire discussion hides one aspect: apart from the E6-Z, none of
> these lights are wired as a secondary headlight. This means that if you
> wire them in series, you need to keep both switches on. If you want to
> use only one of them, you'll need to design your own bypass switch.

That is correct. In my current setup with 2 E6 lights I (and I'm sure
others) have solved this problem with a little switch box containing 2
switches. One to turn the lights on/off, and the other to either short
out either or neither light (the 2nd switch is a STDP with a neutral
center position). At the expense of the extra set of switches and a
bit of wiring, this setup has the advantage over the E6+E6Z
combination, that I can run on either or both lights and - without any
hassle - deal with a burnt-out bulb in either light.

[russell...@yahoo.com]

This is on the Supernova E3 website http://www.nova-factory.com/store_en.htm
:
"Two serially connected E3s work with the Dymotec S12 and the FER and
any 6V dynamo without any voltage limiting electronics (can be removed
from modern Shimano dynamos, for example). With two E3s on a 6V
dynamo, you will get a max. light output of 120 Lux, but only at a
speed of ca. 8 mph."

Can anyone explain the part about removing the limiting electronics
from the Shimano dynamo? I own a Shimano DH-3N71 generator hub.

[Jake Kassen]

russell...@yahoo.com wrote:

> Can anyone explain the part about removing the limiting electronics
> from the Shimano dynamo? I own a Shimano DH-3N71 generator hub.

I've never done this myself but what you'd need to do is open up the hub
and remove the Zener diodes or at least bypass them with a jumper. While
removing some diodes and putting a jumper in their place isn't so
difficult to do, opening the hub takes some effort as it isn't designed
to be serviceable and is pretty annoying to work on from what I've read.
(I have a Shimano dynamo hub that needs the bearings cleaned or replaced
which I'm putting off for this reason.) Once inside I'm not sure how
accessible the electronics are. Once you find the limiting circuit
removing or bypassing it is easy.

In general I think going though a lot of effort to install two E3s is a
waste. One is very bright and if you *really* need more light you'd be
better off supplementing it with battery lights so you have some
redundancy.

Jake

[Dave Howland]

As I understand it, the Schmidt and Shimano dynamo hubs have no
voltage limiting circuitry in them. They instead rely upon the light
connected to them to incorporate such. Hopefully that's accurate,
since I'm currently working on a homebrew lighting setup which relies
on that assumption (making use of ~12v instead of 6)! There's a bunch
of interesting discussion of this and related topics at this site:

http://www.pilom.com/BicycleElectronics/BicycleElectronics.htm

I've found it to be quite helpful in working out my own project.

Dave Howland

[Ted Lapinski]

Jake Kassen wrote:
>
> In general I think going though a lot of effort to install two E3s is a
> waste. One is very bright and if you *really* need more light you'd be
> better off supplementing it with battery lights so you have some
> redundancy.
>
> Jake
>

I agree with Jake on this 100%. I think it would be fun to try and run
two E3's, but it will be unnecessary and just add more wires to a simple
arrangement. I have been using my E3 for two weeks on my midnight
commute home and I can't say enough about it. One thing I will say is
that it adds a new dimension of safety to the bicycle in terms of being
able to see. This is very important in the Northeast because of serious
pavement deterioration.

Ted

> >
>
>

[Robert Magyar]

Dave,
 
While the Schmidt hub does not have a internal limiting electronics, the voltage vs speed chart that Schmidt had on there website (can't find it currently) was very different from the curve BicycleElectronics has for a Shimano hub.
 
As I remember it, at 50 KPH the Schmidt hub output curve was flattening out and at just under 8 Volts AC at about 7 watts, so if you added a full wave bridge rectifier you might see 9 Volts DC when you are doing 35 MPH. But you will never get 10 Volts.
 
 
 
Bob 

---

> Date: Tue, 13 May 2008 21:02:41 -0400
> From: flux...@gmail.com
> To: ran...@googlegroups.com

> Subject: [Randon] Re: Supernova E3 Lights
>
>

[Mike Sturgill]

The Schmidt hub can quite easily supply 10V. I have a 6 LED homemade light with 6 Seoul P4 LEDs. Each LED requires ~3.7 V to turn on. With 6 of them in series, it requires ~22V. The Schmidt supplies this voltage without issues. In fact, if measured unloaded, the hub’s output voltage can easily exceed 100V. The hub is more like a constant current source. The voltage will increase with speed and the current will limit accordingly.

 

That said, LEDs require DC voltage and Schmidt outputs AC voltage. Suitable electronics must be designed to provide the LEDs with appropriate power. The link below is an excellent source for descriptions of what is needed. His plots show power output from the hub.

 

I think the OP was inquiring about connecting two E3s to a generator hub. Whether (and how) this can be done will be a function of the electronics contained within the lights.

[Robert Magyar]

"unloaded, the hub’s output voltage can easily exceed 100V"

The SON hub absolutely will do this, it can also cause quite a problem, if you happen to flip your light on when you are going fast, as you can spike your electronics and fry them, unless they have a protection circuit.
 
 
But if you have a load to the hub, it changes the story;
 
"At electrical load the claw-pole-generator automatically supplies a voltage which does not exceed a certain limit, e. g. 7 Volt, even in case of high speeds"

From the specs here:
http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/Schmidtbrochure.htm

also see the plot labeled "Spannung unter Last (12 Ohm)" on Son's chart here:
http://www.nabendynamo.de/produkte/dynamodetails.html
 
 
So yes, if you reduce the load, you can get higher voltage from the hub, but if you apply a load of about 3 watts, don't expect more than 7 volts.
 
Bob 
 

---

From: mikest...@cox.net
To: bob_m...@hotmail.com; flux...@gmail.com; ran...@googlegroups.com

Subject: [Randon] Re: Supernova E3 Lights

Date: Wed, 14 May 2008 12:55:16 -0700

[Bill Gobie]

On May 14, 2008, at 12:55 PM, Mike Sturgill wrote:

> .... The link below is an excellent source for descriptions of what

> is needed. His plots show power output from the hub.

The measured hub is a Shimano DH-3D71. This page has measurements of
a SON:

http://www.nscl.msu.edu/~daniel/back/nick/schmidt1.html

Bill Gobie

[V Ricks]

Speaking of generator hubs, how does SRAM's line of "i-Light" hubs compare to the comparable Schmidts and Shimanos in the areas of durability, drag, and user satisfaction?  (And who sells them?  Are they available only through QBP?)

-Vance Ricks

[jo...@johnandjuliet.com]

First I've not seen the i-Light on sale anywhere though I've seen the
i-Motion on sale.

I hear it weights more than the SON though has the same resistance
while in operation but not as efficient when turned off as the SON.

Back to the E3:

I'm confused about the mounting options... Is it the same unit iwth
three different mount choices? or is it three different lights?

What does the fork-crown mount look like? I can see how it works in
the pics?

Should I get the fork-crown-mount, the handlebar mount or just the
plain jane? I'm using E6 lights now so I could just put the E3 on the
same spot where the E6 is... However I also have the fork crown
(assume the beam will still clear fenders?)

Or if I get the fork crown mount can I still make it work as a side
mount system?????

I'm confused!!!

[pamela blalock]

One more clarification about the e3 fork crown mounting. The actual piece
that mounts to the fork crown is a pretty piece of hardware that would not
be of much use to most of us, since it is threaded at 6mm, so expecting a
hole in your fork crown that will take a 6mm thru bolt. Most high end bikes
with cantis sold in the US are not set up this way. You might have a 5mm
threaded hole in your fork crown, but are unlikely to have a 6mm thru bolt.

However, once you discard that part, you have the sexy looking curved mount,
which works just like the standard mount.

http://www.blayleys.com/articles/lights/page4.htm

pamela blalock pgb at blayleys.com
care-free in watertown, ma http://www.blayleys.com

-----Original Message-----
From: ran...@googlegroups.com [mailto:ran...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of

jo...@johnandjuliet.com
Sent: Thursday, May 15, 2008 10:32 PM
To: randon

[roadijeff]

On May 15, 10:34 pm, "pamela blalock" <el...@blayleys.com> wrote:
> One more clarification about the e3 fork crown mounting. The actual piece
> that mounts to the fork crown is a pretty piece of hardware that would not
> be of much use to most of us

I already have an E6 light mounted to the front brake bolt, using a
bracket supplied by Peter White. I've seen all these different
mounting suggestions for the Supernova. Couldn't I just use the same
mounting bracket from my old E6 to attach the E3? Is there something
about added weight or something that would make this a bad idea?

Here is a pic on the Peter White Cycle website of the fork crown
bracket I currently use: www.peterwhitecycles.com/light-mounts.asp