Hopefully this won't deviate too much from the OP's original intent, but reading this thread reminded me of something about which I've always been curious: I'm not sure if they're still this way, but in years past SKS made their fenders with a couple of thin copper bands sandwiched inside the plastic material, presumably to be used as a kind of "bus" to carry current to a fender-mounted tail light. However, by what means would one go about tapping into those conductors in order to use them in lieu of wiring? Was some type of crimped connector available that brought sharp, slender fingers into contact with bands? Or did one have to carefully scrap off some of the plastic in order to fasten a fixture?
On Nov 6, 10:57 am, "Michael Wise" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > On Thu, Nov 6, 2008 at 9:02 AM, SocialBlunder <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > Three questions: > > -If I already have a rack mounted dynamo light, can I splice into > > those wires or do I have to run another set back to the headlight? > > Hmm. Not sure what you're asking here, but willing to give it a shot. > If your headlight has an integral wire that attaches to the dynamo, > that wire can be replaced by a wire that attaches to the poles you'd > use to attach a taillight. So as an example, the Dlumotec Topal Senso > Plus has an integral wire that attaches to the dynamo, but I have also > attached the power wire to the dynamo with the positive and negative > poles that are meant to power the taillight, and have been able to > power the headlight. Not sure if this is recommended, though. There > are two sets of posts, so if you ended up using one set to power the > light, you'd still be able to power a taillight as well. > > You don't want to splice a taillight into the main power because you'd > probably overpower the taillight. You want to attach the taillight to > the appropriate posts on the headlight to power it. If you're powering > a second headlight, then that power needs to be spliced in to the main > power coming directly from the dynamo. Again, not clear what exactly > you're asking. > > > -How do people protect the wire? On the inside seems like it could get > > ripped out violently if debris passes between the tire and the fender, > > The Berthoud fenders have a lip around the edge where you can route > the wire. Silicone glue will hold it in place. You can also crimp the > lip to hold the wire in place. > > For other types of fenders the silicone glue should hold the wire in > place and protect it from the elements. Your main worry is not a > sudden violent severing of the wire, but instead the slow wearing away > of the housing that protects the wiring that happens if it comes loose > and starts rubbing on the tire. Then your taillight could inexplicably > stop working because there is a short in the wiring to the taillight. > I'm not addressing wiring that might become damaged going to the > headlight because I don't see any need to run that under a fender: it > should come up the fork to a mid-fork mount on the right, fork crown > mount, or over the top of the fender and brake mount to a mid-fork > mount on the right. The same would be true if you mounted it on a > fender or rack, the wiring would be mounted externally. > > > on the outside it would be ugly and subject to snagging. > > -Are there any fender mounted lights without a standlight? My rack > > mount already has one. > > Both headlights and taillights are available without a standlight. In > B&M terminology, this is a light that doesn't have the "Plus" in the > name. So in the aforementioned example, the Dlumotec Topal Senso Plus, > the "Plus" means it has a standlight, the "Senso" means it has a > sensor to detect low-light conditions and switches itself on > automatically, and the "Topal" is the model name. So a Dlumotec Topal > doesn't have a standlight or an auto on/off feature. > > > > > Many thanks, > > > Robert > > -- > How often I have lain beneath rain on a strange roof, thinking of home. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Bicycle Lifestyle" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/bicyclelifestyle?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
