I am not an electrical engineer, but let me give it a try and formulate an hypothesis. The S6 and S12 are no ordinary sidewall generators but have pretty fancy electronics inside as well. One of the purposes of that electronics is to regulate the voltage so as to protect you against blowing up your bulb when you are riding too fast. A Zener diode is the simple and common solution for this, but it only wastes your energy. The S6 and S12 have fancy electronics instead. My hunch is that at the speeds you mention, the electronics kick in. Try to see if you can find a voltage output curve for these generators, to see at what speed they would reach 6.8 volt (or 13 something in the case of your S12 - halogen headlights are usually overvolted slightly to improve brightness, but not by much). I would not be surprised that what you are seeing is this protection beginning to work, but switching a bit slowly. Perhaps also switching on and off when your speed is not constant. The other fancy and super efficient sidewall generator with electronic overvoltage protection was the Lightspin. I fitted one to my son's touring bike, and just occasionally it also flickers very briefly from what is clearly electronic switching of one kind or another. In this case it is not annoying. I am afraid that if I am right, there is nothing you can do but ride faster.... Willem
On 21 nov, 17:28, Will <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > On Nov 21, 12:51 am, Paul Cooley <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > The light flickers, or maybe > > pulses might be a better word, at speeds between 8.2 and 8.7 mph. > > We have 2 of the S6 bottles. I've noticed the flickering from time to > time. I have variously ascribed it to incorrect positioning of the > roller relative to the wheel (my son's big foot hits the bottle once > in a while and it needs re-setting), tire alignment (the sidewall is > imperfect) and so forth... My latest thinking involves the roller > "washer" itself. The originals for both units wore away quite a while > ago and I've been replacing them with $.69 hot water hose washers from > the hardware store. They work rather well, but when they are newly > installed, the surface may not grip well (too slick) and the lack of > precise "roundness" may not produce a steady light. Which is to > suggest the washer's surface precision in some fashion, might be your > issue. > > I've found that some of the washers I buy are better than others. I > cannot discern whether or not one will work perfectly from the get-go > until I install it. Fortunately almost all of the ones I've installed > so far, work quite well though most need a brief break-in period. The > break in period is when the light flickers occasionally. > > I would recommend you try these washers. At $.69, it's not a big deal. > I bought an assortment to determine which level of firmness and > surface smoothness worked best for our tire walls. Once I settled on a > washer (using plastic ones now) I find I am replacing them on my son's > bike every 6-7 weeks or so. He uses the bottle 4 evenings a week for > commuting. > > Will --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ 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 -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
