SlowAndSlower

On the touring bike I have a Shimano dynamo hub and a B&M Luxos U Headlight with an USB output port.
I have these devices using batteries or needing recharged daily;

• Garmin Vista HCx which is powered by 2 X AA batteries. (sort of redundant but has North America SD)
• Garmin 500
• Black Diamond headlamp using 4 XAAA
• Canon camera using 2 X AA.
• Cell phone
• Rear flasher 2 X AAA

So I want a device that can charge AA/AAA eneLoop batteries and in turn charge my cell phone and the 500. What I found was

• Goal Zero Guide 10 @ ~ $50.00
• PortaPow 4 X AA/AAA @ ~ $20.00
• PortaPow 3 X AAA @ ~ $15.00

I'm certain there are others devices but
I chose the PortaPow charging 3 X AAA using AA to AAA adapters.
It is a new device this year and looks to have a better packaging and electronics than the older 4 X AA/AAA device. Additional it has a LED flashlight built in to it.

The Goal Zero appears to have superior packaging along with its superior price. But it needs to charge 4 batteries at a time.

So during the day I will run the Garmin Vista and 500 off of batteries and charge the PortaPow battery pack from the hub dynamo. If A/C power is available I can use an USB charger to fill up the batteries and cell phone at the same time.

I have ridden and charged 3 X AAA and subsequently recharged the cell phone (50%) and Edge 500 (99%).

BTW the hub dynamo is so I can camp and leave early in the morning to beat the heat and wind and not worry about having adequate lighting. Charging the batteries and other devices is just a bonus.

nun

I have an iPhone and a small Anker battery that will recharge it 5 times. My lights run in AAAs that are easily bought on the road.

SlowAndSlower

That is so awesome!

Tourist in MSN

Only one of the three you listed included a link with more detail that was the 3X Goal Zero Guide 10. My comment on that one is that all three AA or AAA batteries that go in it should be at the same state of discharge because it looks like it will put the same amount of current through all three in series. Otherwise you risk overcharging a battery if one or two batteries starts out at a higher state of charge.

If you are looking for more options, here is what I did a few months ago.

I recently learned of this Eneloop device that apparently was recently discontinued, but I ordered two from Amazon, shipped from Japan (took a very long time to get here) where some vendors still have a few in stock. They have separate charging circuits so you can charge one or two batteries. I apparently was lucky in that I paid about $5 less each than they now sell for. I have never seen any sold in USA, it is possible that this model was not sold here. It does not list a AAA option, I am not sure if it would damage a AAA by charging too fast.

Amazon.com: SANYO NEW eneloop USB charger with output set (AA set of two) KBC-E1AS (japan import): Health & Personal Care

When I was researching this stuff, I found an excellent posting on Crazy Guy on a Bike. Although most of this posting was about solar power, it also had a very good discussion of chargers that you can plug into a USB.

https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?doc_id=9258

And after reading that posting I bought a Pixo C-USB that I can use with AA, AAA and Li Ion batteries, I bought it on Ebay from the manufacturer. I have some Li Ion camera batteries that operate at normal Li Ion voltage and others at double that voltage, the Pixo is the only thing I have seen that can charge all of these.

Pixo C USB Universal Ladegerät Universal Charger Outdoor Off Grid | eBay

The Eneloop and the Pixo use a mini, not micro USB cable. So, I also bought adapters on Ebay, shipped from China. I also got a couple splitter cables so I can charge more than one device at a time from one USB port.

Good luck with your decision making. Sounds like you are now where I was about a half year ago trying to figure this stuff out.

mijome07

Last year I got a Guide 10+ and charged it via solar panel or a PC. But I started to notice it got really hot. This is not normal. Reading reviews I learned it was a defect. Contacted Goal Zero and after a few months of playing email-tag with a few representatives, they finally replaced it.

I also got a PortaPow USB power meter/monitor and saw the 10+ draw more than the standard USB 500mA. Highest I seen it was 850mA +/-.

Tourist in MSN

I was rushed when I wrote post number 4 above. A bit more detail here.

The Eneloop device, I said it had separate charging circuits, I am not really sure about that but it can charge either one or two AA batteries at a time.

The Pixo C-USB is rated to charge one or two AA batteries or two AAA batteries at a time. It is NOT rated to charge a single AAA battery, that would probably charge the small battery too fast. This device has a switch for higher or lower rates of current flow out of the USB port, I leave it on the 2.0 setting which is the slower charge rate, about a half amp through the USB port.

I bought a volt/amp meter on Ebay, shipped from China. It plugs into a USB port and then you plug your USB cable into it. It is great to know how much current you are putting into your device, or if your batteries are up to full charge then you see current tapper off to nil. (I am an engineer, we like to see things like numbers.) Hard to read in sunlight, the clear ones are better than the blue ones.

usb current voltage tester charger doctor | eBay

SlowAndSlower

Thanks for the info. I'll look into you suggestions.

LuckySailor

I have a Schmidt Dyno, and the Luxos U Headlight and tail light. The USB charger I thought was going to be a great bonus. Aaaaaahhhhh, kinda luke warm. It keeps the iPhone 5S charged, but haven't actually charged it to 100% or even close. I run usually an app (Cyclemeter or Ride with GPS), music, and a bluetooth speaker. So a fairly large demand on the charger. the other thing is, when you're under 12 mph, there is no charging going on. I'm running off the internal battery of the headlight, until I'm back over 12 mph. With all those electronics, I would consider a solar pack to strap onto your rear rack. At least then you're charging every minute-moving or stopped, even when it's cloudy you will still get something.

BigAura

I use an external outlet rechargeable battery. For several tours I've used a 7,500mAh unit to run an Vista HcX all day for more than a week plus charging my phone some. Last tour I ditched the GPS and went straight iPhone-GPS I got about three days per fully charged unit. This year I've upgraded to a 15,600mAh unit ($24/10 ounces).

My experience a few years ago with solar says it's not ready for prime-time touring. BUT i am looking forward to when it is.

Dynamo hubs seem pricey, lunky, and kludgy for the usb charging I'm look for.

SlowAndSlower

This is what I am finding out too, the USB charging is not great, maybe I should say its poor. But I do like the lamp, the main reason I bought it. USB was sort a bonus but not a great one on the touring bike where the speed is not always high enough to charge adequately.

SlowAndSlower

The Shimano dynamo hub is is not too bad of a price ~$100. I bought it after buying a SON28 for more than twice the price of the Shimano. The SON28 just doesn't deliver twice the performance for me.
But your point is will made and what I'm finding to be true.

SlowAndSlower

Today I loaded up the bike at 70 pounds wet for a 44 ride in preparation for a short tour next week. I had a dead battery pack and I stuck it on the Luxos USB port. When I came back the battery pack was for all practical purposes still dead. I believe my speed was inadequate to do any serious charging. While I can hope to raise my touring speed I doubt if it will ever be fast enough to rely on that USB charging.

surfjimc

I have a Luxos U running of a cheap Sanyo dynohub. I have not had any issue with charging. I commute daily, and I am rarely under 12mph, so I'm not sure about those issues. When I tour I carry an Anker battery that I charge and then use to charge all the rest of the electronics. I have used the Luxos USB to keep the phone charged directly on long rides when I am running a GPS app. I have found that it will charge my iphone to 100% from any level if I have a long enough ride.

LuckySailor

My experience with the Luxos U and Schmidt Dynamo is that under 12 mph, you're not charging. This is a disappointment to me, especially because of the expense involved with building a wheel, and the purchase of the unit. This summer I will be on a supported tour. Charging won't be an issue from what I see/hear from the tour organizers. But still will be interesting to see how it works.

Tourist in MSN

I think you have to be realistic that there is only so much wattage available from a dynohub. The link below is to one of the articles I researched before I bought my dynohub, I got the SP Dynamo PV-8. For reasons that I do not understand, I had to load this link twice to get it to load properly.

https://www.ctc.org.uk/file/public/fe...ub-dynamos.pdf

It is pretty clear from the electrical output chart in that article that at most touring speeds (15 to 20 kph) you will only get about 2.75 to 3.5 watts out of the hub. Then when you convert that power into direct current 5.0 volt power for a USB port, you will lose some more power in the rectification and voltage conversion process. So, there is a good chance you may not get a full half amp from your USB port unless you are going down hill or have a good tailwind.

That said, I wish I had my dynohub on my last tour. My dynohub is on a 26 inch wheel but I brought my 700c touring bike on my last trip, thus the dynohub stayed home for that trip. Next trip, using a bike with a dynohub.

I expected that I would not have very much trouble charging up my supply of batteries, I carried what I thought I would need for one week. I expected to be moteling it about once or twice a week, thus did not think I would have any trouble getting charged up. But the weather was so great that we camped almost every night in hiker biker campsites that had no power outlet.

Don't you hate it when the weather is fantastic for weeks at a time? It sure messed up my plans for getting my batteries charged in a motel room.

I think I will be able to get by just fine if I have 3 hours a day of dynohub power for the devices I had on that trip. Since I travel more hours than that every day, I should have excess capacity.
- Tablet - only on maybe 30 minutes a day for looking at electronic maps or email or weather forecasts. Plug into an outlet at a restaurant whenever possible. Has a big battery, lasts over a week at my minimal usage rate.
- GPS - uses two AA batteries, have to change batteries after about two or three days, I should be able to charge up two AA batteries on a dynohub in about 4 or 5 hours. The Eneloop charger I cited in a post above is a smart charger, not one of the low current dumb ones that take forever.
- Camera - I should be able to charge up camera battery in about 2 to 3 hours from a dynohub, need to do this about every fifth day. I carry several spare batteries too.
- Taillights - I use one or two taillights most of the time, including day time. I need to charge two AAA batteries about every other week.
- Headlamp (for my head, not bike) - uses AAA batteries, last tour I never needed to charge it because I use it so little.
- Phone - off most of the time, last trip (37 days) never charged it. Flip phone, not smart phone, so it only gets used to make calls.

Photo is of an outlet at an empty campsite a couple hundred feet from one of my hiker biker sites on my last trip, I was charging camera battery, four AA batteries, and tablet from that outlet. I was getting really tired of searching for outlets by the end of the trip.



A friend of mine finished a cross country vehicle supported trip a couple weeks ago. He was in motel every night, so he had no problems finding a charge. He wished he had a GPS that took AA batteries instead of the Li Ion battery that it used. So, even when he had an outlet every night, he still had trouble keeping his Garmin GPS going, but if he had a dynohub, that would have solved his problem.

I have heard that some Apple products have charging problems with low amperage rates. Was this an Apple?

bmike

I have both a LuxosU and a USBwerk that I can use on 2 different bikes.
I've been using the LuxosU on my rando / touring bike for day rides and running Endomondo (it uses the GPS and Bluetooth for HR). It does start and stop during a ride. Sometimes I can't really figure why it stops charging all together, but if I stop worrying about it and just let it do its thing it seems to keep the battery topped off with little loss over the length of the ride while running the apps and leaving the phone on as normal. I've even run the lights (daytime) and charged at the same time with acceptable results.

For a tour or MTB tour or long road tour out of cell range I would not be using any GPS tracking on the phone, and it would go into airplane mode, so if I did need to charge it I would be adding power and not trying to add power while using it.

I also carry a small Limefuel battery that can be charged at an outlet or on the bike. Success so far in testing seems like if I'm planning to be off the beaten path for 2-3-4 (or more) days I can certainly make due with the hub, a backup battery, etc.

I've successfully run my Garmin eTrex20 from the USBwerk while riding. It carries AAs in it, so when the power from the hub drops it switches over. This is more a bonus than something I would rely on - the AAs last plenty long enough on the road and I can find them when needed.

I have a headlight that is helmet mounted (Exposure Diablo) that I plan to charge during the day (as needed) for camp light / navigating after dark. This can charge from USB - but I have only done minimal testing with it. I can get 18-20 hours on low, so I'm comfortable that my setup will be good on an extended tour (Tour Divide, or other backcountry / overland MTB adventure) away from standard power.

Here is a switch housing I 3d printed for my Krampus. It mounts on the steerer and will house a 3 way switch that will allow me to toggle the USBwerk, my Exposure Revo (dyno light) or off. This will keep me from having to plug / unplug lights and charger. I have a bag that fits into the open spot on the Jones Loop bar that will carry my phone, helmet light, USBwerk, etc.

dyno switch housing by Mike, on Flickr

Dyno Switch Housing v1 (minuteman sent me the wrong switch so I'm hoping they ship out new ones ASAP) by Mike, on Flickr

dyno switch schematic by Mike, on Flickr

Tourist in MSN

I am in the middle of making some wiring changes, so I have a question.

My taillight is battery, so I only will be using a USB charger and a headlight on my dynohub. I plan to leave both my headlight and USB charger plugged into the hub full time - then only have one switch, the headlight on/off switch that is installed on my Lumotec headlight. The plan is that when I turn off the light, then all available power should go to my USB charger. And when I turn on the light, I plan to just not plug anything into the USB port. This way I can avoid plugging and unplugging stuff from my hub and avoid having other switches. But, you went with a switch to switch between the USB charger and the light. Is my plan not going to work? Is there a reason that you need that switch?

I wired up my own USB charger, not an off the shelf one. I blew out a capacitor recently, have to add some zener diodes to drain off excess power when I am not using any power, but have not gotten around to wiring that up yet - this is still a work in progress.

bmike

If the power to the charger is wired in parallel this will work, that's how I ran my USBWerk with my eDeluxe light.
My Revo does not have an off switch - so I want to be able to easily switch it off or to charge.

Are you building in a cache battery? I would be worried about directly charging a device from the hub direct without even small buffer battery. It tend to add a tiny bit of inefficiency but smooths out the power - especially to iPhones and other art devices. Even the Sinewave guys were recommending that for awhile.

fietsbob

For my Radio, after a while, I just bought AA batteries, but im not as gizmo-centric as you youngsters I brought my Pocket Mandolin for Pub Sessions

in Ireland and Sotland, to play music and share a few pints

Tourist in MSN

Oh, I assumed your light had a light switch. Now I see the need for a switch.

No plan for a cache battery. I expect most of the time to only be charging AA batteries or Li Ion batteries in dedicated battery chargers. Those chargers are full of electronics, but are a lot cheaper than my tablet. I have links to those chargers in post number 4 above. I was thinking if I plug my tablet or a smartphone into it, I would in parallel also charge some batteries to help smooth out the power drain. In post number 6 above I listed the ebay link to a USB voltmeter that I have used to watch my USB voltage, my USB voltages have been rock steady. The only thing that has gone wrong was blowing out some capacitors when I had no load on the system and voltage coming out of the hub climbed too high. I will be adding some zener diodes to drain off any power above 20v that comes out of the hub, hopefully I will quit blowing things with that addition.

I had shoulder surgery in February, doctor wants me to stay off the bike for at least three more months. Thus, my electronics are being developed in slow motion right now.