Tandem Tom

Wondering if anyone has any experience with the above hub? Looking to install a Dyno hub on one of my wife's bikes. We currently have SP hubs on different bikes but thought I would check out another.
Thanks!

polyphrast

i quote from this article (from 2012) in Fahrradzukunft:
As Panasonic took over Sanyo, besides now offering eneeloop NiMH batteries, Panasonic offers dyna hubs as well. What Sanyo did (and maybe Panasonic still does) is similar to SP (whose hubs were sold under different brand names (e.g., Biologic, Supernova) with usually only slight changes on e.g. improved sealings)
Hope this helps

unterhausen

So I assume the OP is asking about the same hub as the Sanyo H27? When I bought one, they were only a little more than 1/3 the cost of any other hub. The hub is solid but has a little more drag than other hubs.

Tourist in MSN

I thought that Peter White had listed Sanyo dynohubs on his website, I did a quick check and this page lists a link for them, but that link is broken:
https://www.peterwhitecycles.com/fronthubs.php

Thus, sounds like he dropped them. I do not think I have ever seen one.

polyphrast

You can find Panasonic dynahubs on peter white's website: https://www.peterwhitecycles.com/panahub.php. He even states the same as i stated above, that panasonic bought sanyo and he has some products with "sanyo" branding left.

noglider 

I've had a couple of these hubs, and I still have one. A few years ago, there was a comparison among the Sanyo H27, a certain Shimano, and some higher end hub. The Sanyo had the most drag but was, as you said, a lot less expensive. I don't notice the drag. I do notice a vibration at 20 mph and above. I'm sure the drag is there, but it doesn't feel like a brake is engaged. The biggest criticism this hub gets is that if a bearing wears out, you can't replace it, so you have to either rebuild the wheel with a new hub or buy a new wheel. But hey, it might not wear out before I'm done with it, so I take my chances. In other words, this could be one of the best values in dynamo hubs.

Tandem Tom

I appreciate all the replies!
Settled on a SP.

Tourist in MSN

Considering that you previously had a SP failure, I was curious what you would pick. Thanks for telling us what you decided on.
https://www.bikeforums.net/touring/1...-dyno-hub.html

sweeks

I have about 8,000 miles on a SP dynohub on my folding commuter bike with no problems (so far!). With 20" wheels, there are more RPMs. I only got about 2,000 miles out of a first-generation "Joule" hub (made by Sanyo) on my previous folder (a Dahon Mu XL). This hub turned out to be serviceable with some difficulty (see THIS for the details). I recently built a SP into a regular wheel for my road bike.

Nice project while laid up with a broken ankle!



Got it on sale... maybe because it's red? ;-)

Smokinapankake

I just ordered a couple of the Panasonic/Sanyo Dyna-hubs from the Soma fab shop. 21.42 each, 15.00 shipping for a less than $30 each dynamo hub. My plan is to build a wheel each for my 700c hybrid commuter and my 26” mountain bike turned commuter. Casual commuting, I’m not a year round no matter what every day kind of commuter. I’ve no experience with Dynohubs hubs so I thought this could be a good way to dip my toes in without spending a ton of cash. I’ll post updates as they come....

sloppy12

I have one that is laced onto a wheel from a ride share take off and it seems fine.

so I did like you and bought a couple from soma, just got the first wheel built up in 650B.

noglider 

I think saving money on a dynamo hub is fine. Then again, one day, I might try a fancy one and decide I wasted my time with the cheap ones, but ...

Spend as much as you can on the headlight. This is where it makes a difference.

Taillights don't make much difference, because frankly, they're all kind of crappy because of German regulations. German regulations have an influence on the whole dynamo bike light industry, and there is a low maximum light. Another factor is that the dynamo doesn't make much power so it's only fair. I think battery powered tail lights are better because they're brighter and they blink. On my bikes that have dynamos, I use a dynamo powered taillight (because why not) and a battery powered blinking taillight. Having two can't hurt, and if you argue that blinking makes it hard to judge distance, I'm fine, because I have a steady taillight as well.

fourfa

Only if you choose to limit yourself to StVZO-legal taillights... Pretty sure there are powerful ebike rear lights these days that might not be strictly Germany-legal but can be found in other places - and various converters with different output voltages (mine does 5V and 12V, others vary). (Apologies to the one person on this thread who is in Germany...) But yeah, as for me I use a battery rear flasher and a dyno-charged cache battery

noglider 

Thanks for that, @fourfa. I'll keep that in mind.

fourfa

Actually now I'm not so sure what I wrote is correct. Most of the hard rules I find easily searching on StVZO are about front white light beam shape (which is a good thing to regulate TBH). Some articles mention flashing lights (front and/or rear) allowed during daylight but not permitted at night, but it's hard to tell what's really up to date. Not going to try searching the actual StVZO code (which covers the entire transport industry). I haven't yet found a specific upper limit to taillight brightness as a rule - just flashing. (I love my daylight-visible flashers but I always switch to constant-on as dusk approaches.) Getting way off-topic here though, sorry.

unterhausen

I don't spend much on my commuters, that's why I have a couple sanyos and a really cheap Shimano. I have ridden one of the Sanyos quite a bit, I don't really notice the drag with it either.

downtube42

I had a Sanyo on my commuter for years, leaving the light on always. Flawless, all weather year-round.

Drag is high, the data says. I wouldn't use it on a 1200k because I don't want to give away that much time, but commuting? Runs like a champ.

tcs

If it's not a Sturmey-Archer, it's not a Dynohub™️!

Smokinapankake

Correct you are! I’ve no experience with a dynamo hub.... My plan also is to just use a couple battery powered blinkies on the rear; one set to steady on, one set to flash mode. So with no experience whatsoever, can anyone recommend a light head unit? My route takes me through suburban neighborhoods into rural neighborhoods into unlit roads surrounded by fields of salt grass. The only ambient light comes from the moon and stars... 17.5 miles one way, mostly flat, and between 3-4 AM so not much traffic to worry about.

noglider 

@Smokinapankake, check out this page from a French web site. I've bought Busch & Müller lights there. It's a big selection. Take a little time to learn the differences. I haven't tried AXA lights but I can say that B&M lights are well made and work well.

Dynamo lights are rated in Lux rather than Lumens, and there is no way to convert between the units. Lux is amount of light received at the object, and lumens is the amount of light leaving the source. I've found 50 Lux to be adequate but some don't agree. All B&M lights comply with the German laws which require (among other things) that the beam be shaped a certain way. This makes efficient use of the power and ensures that light goes where you need it and not where you don't need it. It keeps the beam out of people's eyes (if you aim it right), and it also puts more light at the far end than at the near end. They accomplish this with clever lens and reflector design.

I like your plan to use a blinking taillight and a steady taillight. I do the same!

Germany_chris

I think this is going to come down to how much you want to spend good battery lights cost good money which is another reason to use a dynamo..

My "main" bike has a Deore XT (3n80) dynamo hub I paid $80ish for it $80ish to get it laced up B&M IQ XS $65 and B&M top light $18 so I've got a bit more in it than a high end battery light but less stress. Yesterday I ordered a Velogical rim dynamo $180 for my commuter and the same light setup so it's a bit more costly but it's transferable and I can keep my wheels.

unterhausen

Can some German speaker translate "forumslader"? I guess it's not surprising that google fails so badly.

Tourist in MSN

I am guessing that is a hour and a half ride, and you ride it frequently. Thus, you need a good light. I am pretty happy with the B&M IQ-XS. If you buy it in USA, probably over $100 USD.

If you order if from Bike24 in Germany, priced in Euros, expensive shipping fee, but still much cheaper total cost. I have bought several lights and other bike parts from them. I bought two IQ-XS lights from them.
https://www.bumm.de/en/products/dyna...di-silber.html

I am not familiar with your bike, so making a generic comment here, a lot of B&M lights are poorly sealed against water intrusion on the bottom. Thus, if you mounted it where there was tire spray, that could cause water to get inside and ruin it. Do you have fenders?

B&M makes LOTS of dyno powered lights, so you likely will get many different suggestions.

fourfa

'Laden' is literally 'to load' but also 'to charge a battery.' So 'lader' is a 'charger.' The project started on a German bike forum like this one (rad-forum.de? Can't find a link on the site any more; there used to be a link). Thus, Forumslader.

Looks like they've updated from my V5 to a V6 (can't easily spot the difference though) and are offering a Pro version with a 3D-printed housing, no self-assembly or soldering, proper battery compartment. I spent a lot of time and hassle building my own enclosure, I'd recommend go straight for the Pro.

EDIT: details on V6. https://www.forumslader.de/forumslade...elektronik-v6/
Then use your browser to translate to English. Looks like the optional bluetooth and high-current upgrades are now standard, new processor with more memory and less power consumption, new depletion protection on the 12V output, firmware can be updated over BT, better wheel speed resolution, more switching stages, more power output at low speed.

Smokinapankake

So the hubs just came in, and as a bare hub it looks to be a decent piece of kit. I bought both a 32 hole and a 36 hole version because they were so cheap. Here are some pics :



Panasonic BEP-NRH002BE

~~~K 1348 Rotation direction

6V 3W, 400-716mm I assume this means rim diameter?

Ground or earth is the right terminal

But tightening torque 20Nm ~25 Nm

Instruction “manual” pg. 1

Instruction “manual” pg. 2


Just need to get it laced up into a rim and settle on a light unit.

Yes, my commute is about 1:10, don’t do it often but would like to increase my commuting this year. COVID made me fat and lazy (well, fatter and lazier), and I really wanted to try out a dynamo hub anyway..