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How is it for reliability ?
Ive had a few usb converters over the years and most have failed in the same way - no load - prolonged downhill = overheat. my Igaro D2 has held up well to date for the last 5 years(along side my USE REVO) but I am needing a new light and charger for my Cutthroat.
I am guessing the unit being integrated into the light would take away the chances of overload on the usb circuits ? - Does anyone who understands electrics know if that would be the case ?
Which rear light have you set up with it ? seems to be a sticky point to get a rear standlight - i guess i might be soldering in capacitors etc ?
Holy post resurrection!Â
Having used Simewave chargers for a while, bought a Beacon 2 just before Christmas. To say it was a massive disappointment is a slight understatement - can see for some use cases it would be fine, but not not for me.
Sold it on at quite a loss, but now using an Igaro C1, blimey apols for the phase, but literally night and day difference... really impressive for the same money as well.
Misread the thread title as "bacon". Was expecting discussion of fried salt.
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Mines been fine since last summer. Did the cairngorm loop in September with it.left aviemore at 5pm and We rode on well into the night through the lairig au laiogh to the red roof bothy for the night.Â
Kept my phone and Garmin running as well.Â
Interested to know what was disappointing about it. Seemed onpar with my revo in terms of light. Nothing. Like my mates 6pack....but it's not supposed to be.Â
Much better at the usb charging thing than either of my igaros ever were.Â
Mines been fine since last summer. Did the cairngorm loop in September with it.left aviemore at 5pm and We rode on well into the night through the lairig au laiogh to the red roof bothy for the night.Â
Kept my phone and Garmin running as well.Â
Interested to know what was disappointing about it. Seemed onpar with my revo in terms of light. Nothing. Like my mates 6pack....but it's not supposed to be.Â
Much better at the usb charging thing than either of my igaros ever were.Â
Oh and I ended up getting a son rack mount rear light and the bracket from fairlight x Bentley.Â
Very neat package.Â
Hiya, Yep I was using a Son rear with the Beacon. My issues where that the amount of light drops very quickly as slow down (like for a tight corner or a niggly bit), and thus you pretty much always need a battery pack connected - in doing so might as well just use my Outbound battery lights and an external power bank for extra run time. i also was not very impressed with the shape of the beam, quite torch light and may worse by the sequential LED turning on / off with speed. the shape of the beam gives very little peripheral lights close the bike and sides which means corners are often dark. Also the stand light is very dim and not long lasting.
The C1 has an excellent beam in both high and low beams (apparently the reflect was design by Outbound Lights), and the light level is far more consistent with different speeds and beam shape much wider, which makes corners better. I don't need to use a cache / power bank with it.
as for charging a power bank the seems pretty similar. The C1 is also much more customizable. I was initial using it with the Son rear, but no using Igaros R1 and the system works better. Still got some more testing to do before can say it all super reliable.
also it does seem quite a bit brighter than the Sinewave, even without running it as 100%
i did briefly have then on the bike side by side with a switchover to allow comparison.
Ive had a few usb converters over the years and most have failed in the same way - no load - prolonged downhill = overheat.
I was considering running my Magicshine 1700EVO off a USB charger as a sort of pseudo-dynamo light for Audax. A 2.5W charger will charge it slightly quicker than the low beam setting so with a few hours of daylight added in then it should pretty much last indefinitely if the higher beams are used sensibly.
If they don't like being run with no load on them presumably I'd be better looking at some of the options with integrated cache batteries? Â
The upside is it means I don't have to shell out for a matching dynamo front wheel this year having just bought a shiny new bike with carbon wheels, I can make do with a powerbank until next year.
The downside of this plan is the USB port isn't weatherproof. So if a long rainy night was forecast then I'd need a backup plan (or 3D print a weatherproof USB connector).
ignoring the dynamo side of this, I have run my Outbound Lights with an external powerbank plugged in. Works well though you need to start of with the battery bank plugged in, i.e don't run the internal battery down then try plug the power bank in....Â