emdub

Hello everyone,

This afternoon I finished my installing and wiring my new SON dynamo hub, Edelux II headlight, and a Busch & Muller Micro taillight. After sunset I went for a ride, and I was amazed at the brightness and throw of the new headlight and taillight!

However, I have a few questions for people familiar with the SON dynamo and Schmidt Edelux II:

1: Once the bike is moving, the 0, S, and 1 switch positions do not function. I can turn the lights on, but not off. What’s the story here?

2: When I ride with the headlight switch in the “S” position, the light is dim and flickers. Is that normal?

3: When I got home and put the bike away, the lights remained on for several minutes, regardless of the switch position. Is that normal?

4: The light shape on the ground is sort of a trapezoid, surrounded by a less-bright circle. Is that the way the light beam was designed?

5: My headlight is mounted on my handlebars; most headlights I’ve seen are mounted at the fork crown or on a front rack. What is the advantage of mounting the light lower and closer to the front wheel? If my headlight is mounted on the handlebars, am I reducing the efficacy of the light?

6: The light is illuminating approximately ten to twenty feet of path in front of me. What is the correct position for the light? Should I aim the light higher or lower?

Below are some photos from this evening’s ride. As always, your wisdom, experience, and advice are welcomed and appreciated.


The throw and brightness of the Edelux II is amazing. Note the trapezoid-shaped field of light.



Here's the trapezoid-shaped light field, surrounded by a less-bright circle.



The woods are lovely, dark, and deep; but I have promises to keep...



...and miles to go before I sleep.

unterhausen

These lights are designed to work best mounted at the fork crown. The beam shape will be a little distorted when you mount them at the handlebars, but just a little. They have a standlight so they don't go out when you are stopped at stop signs or traffic lights. It takes some time for me to aim the lights properly. I like to aim mine so that they don't illuminate signs if you are close to them, but not too low. Basically just like a car headlight.

Tourist in MSN

If I am out in the dark in a dark area with no street lights or other vehicles, I try to set my light so that I have roughly 75 to 100 feet of well lit ground. I am guessing that is how much distance I would need to stop if I was going downhill at 30 mph, that includes the time delay to decide if I need to stop if I see something.

But I usually have street lights and other traffic when I am out in dark conditions, then I usually try to aim the light so that I can just barely see reflections from parked car taillight reflectors.

My lights, I keep the bolt tight enough that I can adjust the light angle with my hand if I need to adjust it, but not so loose that a rough road or severe bump will change the light aim.

I have never used an Edelux, but if the switch has 0, 1, and S positions, I am guessing (only a guess) that 0 is off, 1 is on, and S is on in dark conditions based on a light sensor. If there is a sensor, there might be a time delay so that your light does not think it is daytime when you have a car headlamp coming towards you. A google search should help you figure this out.

I think fork crown is most common, as that is out of the way for handlebar baskets, bags, etc. And is less likely to be bumped there. But I see nothing wrong with handlebar height if that works for you. Too low, such as axle height will produce large shadows behind any road debris such as leaves, or large bumps. I have a light mounted down there on my errand bike, but that bike is only ridden near home on streets with street lights, I use it more as a to-be-seen light, not so much a light to see with. But from that experience, I can say that having a light up higher is better to reduce shadows. If the light is really low, a big pot hole looks the same as a shadow behind a small bump.

unterhausen

The bright spot of the beam is trapezoidal. It really doesn't show up well in pictures, from the cursory web search I just did.

pdlamb

IIRC, the "S" position on the light is for the sensor to turn it on when it gets dark. It shouldn't flicker any more in sensor position than on, unless it's doing something weird right at dusk.

The standlight means you can turn it off after you've started riding, but it'll take about five minutes before the standlight capacitor discharges and the light goes off. Beware of helpful people trying to turn your light off if you park it in public at night!

GhostRider62

OP: you're saying the illumination is 10-20 feet ahead? If so, something is wrong.

I've compared my battery powered lights against the Edelux II and I'd reckon it has a throw more like 150 feet or more. 10-20 feet? Something seriously wrong.

unterhausen

There's nothing wrong with the light, OP just has it pointed too low. An edelux II is powerful enough that motorists won't like it, even if it's aimed properly. I have a helmet light that I use to urge them to get over it. They must panic every time there is an oncoming car with 7 times the light.

Tourist in MSN

The photo of the light beam at the Peter White site shows a huge area is well lit.
https://www.peterwhitecycles.com/sch-hl.php

But cameras can fool you, the electronics in a camera will try to make the photo look like it is lit better than it really is. That photo also must have had the light up at a high elevation above ground, more than the two and a half feet of height that I would expect a fork crown mounted light to be at.

The graphic at his website that shows the beam width and length shows that you should have good light out beyond 25 meters (roughly 80 feet). Which is roughly how far I try to aim mine according to my previous post.

unterhausen

I was going to recommend OP look at those pics, but they don't match what I see when I use the same lights.
B&M have good pics, it's the same optics as an IQ-X, I believe. I don't think it's rated to put out as much light though. Although a friend has one and it looks identical to me. Never thought to aim in a parking garage, that's a good idea. IQ-x beam:

gecho

My B&M Toplight Line taillight has a capacitor discharge button to turn it off immediately. For the edelux you'd have to wait until the stand light capacitor discharges on its own.

The edelux II is impressively bright but I find it lacking when riding in completely unlit areas like MUPs so it is advisable to have a helmet light as well if you plan on riding after dark. The horizontal cutoff only illuminates pedestrians below the waist so it can be difficult to see them if they are directly in front of you. You also end up going into curves blind, but all lights attached to a bike have that issue (unless you buy the B&M Leval light gimbal that keeps the light upright and points into curves as you turn).

I think your light might be a bit low. The bright small rectangle is the distance beam. The light can be frustrating to aim since you need to make an adjustment, ride a bit, then repeat. I definitely like doing it in a spot without streetlights.

shimahara

By chance did you figure out why your light does not turn off? I'm having the same issue regardless of the switch position. Thanks, Mark

zacster

You would go downhill at 30mph in the dark? Maybe I would do that on car-free Prospect Park, but there are other lights there too. You are braver than I am.

unterhausen

I have gone faster than 30mph downhill in the dark. Just need good lights.

HelpSingularity 

There is a capacitor in the headlamp that stores a little bit of electricity.
The reason for that is so the headlamp will shine for a few minutes after you stop at a stoplight so you will be illuminated until you start up again.
There is no way to shut off the light for immediate results.
It will always shine for a few minutes after you switch it off or stop.

noglider 

Headlights designed for dynamos have carefully engineered optics in the reflector and lens to create a sharp cutoff at the top of the beam. This is to prevent the light from being a high beam. This keeps the light out of people’s eyes, and it also makes the most efficient use of energy to paint the roadway surface that you need lit. Aim the headlight so that the top of the beam is dead horizontal or maybe the tiniest bit downward. You can lift the front wheel very slightly off the ground and spin the wheel and see where the beam lands.

Lights that use batteries typically have round beams, so to keep the light mostly out of people’s eyes, we tend to aim them downward. You might have done that with this light, out of habit.

HelpSingularity 

This is pretty much only true of headlights from Germany, or maybe the EU, e.g. Supernova, Schmidt Edelux.
You can find less expensive LED headlights online from Asia (and maybe elsewhere) that just have a regular symmetrical lens for a lot less that would be illegal in Germany.

PS I can recommend the Supernova brand. I used one for over 10 years, constantly on, until my 1992 Trek Multitrack was stolen in Ventura, California, last month.

noglider 

I learned here on bikeforums of a Chinese made light that claimed to comply with the German law. It sold for between $8 and $16. Over a year or two, I bought 8 of them. The beam shape was excellent. Two of them stopped holding a charge early on. I still use them but they are now out of production. They are tiny, and the battery lasts a few hours. There are very few battery powered lights with shaped beams which is a shame to me. I think Cateye made one until fairly recently. I guess the demand is low.

Tourist in MSN

Some of my dyno powered headlights go dark immediately if I turn them off at the switch.

Tourist in MSN

This is quite off topic, sorry.

If you want a dyno powered light that has a flashlight type of pattern (round beam), buy a Sinewave. Pasted from their website:
WHAT SHAPE IS THE BEAM?
The beam is round/symmetrical. This makes the Beacon an ideal choice for bikepacking, mountain biking, or any offroad riding. The Beacon can be used on-road as well.

From: https://www.sinewavecycles.com/pages...-headlight-faq

I have done some gravel riding in the dark, and for that my B&M light pattern was not ideal because my light was often going up and down, the vertically narrow B&M beam was not very convenient.

But I would never suggest the Sinewave light for on-road use. For that, I suggest a German light.

unterhausen

I think this is a failure mode for these lights and it probably needs to be repaired or warrantied.

pdlamb

Yup. Although good roads help, too.