Cycle2Charge Reliability?

[DoctorRad]

I've seen that quite a few of us here are now using the Cycle2Charge Dynamo USB widget, but I've also seen a few reports of them having to go back to the manufacturers to be fixed.

If you're using one, I think it would be useful to get a summary of your experiences, and if it's gone wrong, under what circumstances it stopped working. In particular, I would be interested to know if the units are frying themselves when they are connected to a dynamo but not to a charging device.

[slarge]

I have one, it's done about 500-600 miles and still works ok. I suspect reliability issues may be caused by unplugging at speed, when big voltage spikes are likely. It should be protected from these but I haven't seen the circuits.....

[johnnystorm]

I bought mine in June so it'll have done a couple of thousand miles. For most of that it was plugged through a buffer battery into my phone or Garmin. After my buffer battery played up (I think it was a bad cable) I have just let it sit there and noticed on rides home in the dark that the Revo wasn't as good as I thought it was...mell it wouldn't be with only two leds lit! I removed both sets of wires and cut back to fresh cable and the problem stayed. I removed the c2c and the light functioned as expected. I also tried the wires connected but unplugged from the c2c in case the cable had frayed and was shorting on the steerer, etc. Nope, the lights were fine. So, posted the c2c back and fingers crossed the problem stays away.

[johnnystorm]

I've just had an email from Dirk to say he couldn't find anything wrong with the c2c but he's replaced some electronics and put in a new cable. It's on it's way back via DHL....fingers crossed!

[Trail-rat]

Any update ?

I ask as ive just removed the one from my commuter/tourer as i noticed it was neither charging nor were my lights illumanating.......

Unplugged the c2c and it all worked great.

Took the c2c unit off my mtb and stuck it on the commuter/tourer and everything worked as expected.

The c2c has only been on the tourer for a week bummed

[Trail-rat]

well thats mines also on its way back to dirk.

He can certainly reply to an email quickly. i sent him one at 10pm last night - reply recieved at 6am and its on its way to germany as we speak*



*not really its sitting in the back room of the post office waiting on the 4.30pm post collection :(

[JustinF]

Anyone know where I can get a handlebar mount for my c2c? German amazon has them but it's €20 under the minimum postage limit.

[ianfitz]

Anyone know where I can get a handlebar mount for my c2c? German amazon has them but it's €20 under the minimum postage limit.

Email dirk. He has loads of spares that aren't listed. Spare cables etc. Thinking about it I think I've got one spare at home. Can check later.

But...

I will never mount mine outside again, it lives in a gas tank on my top tube. Pretty sure they aren't very waterproof. Resulting in failure and rebuild

[JustinF]

Anyone know where I can get a handlebar mount for my c2c? German amazon has them but it's €20 under the minimum postage limit.

Email dirk. He has loads of spares that aren't listed. Spare cables etc. Thinking about it I think I've got one spare at home. Can check later.

But...

I will never mount mine outside again, it lives in a gas tank on my top tube. Pretty sure they aren't very waterproof. Resulting in failure and rebuild

I'd appreciate that ty, I've half a plan for mounting it to the top tube, through a slit in a fuel pod, needs finessing though.

[rufus748]

Mine now sits in a top tube bag. It's just loose although I did add a stem spacer underneath with a stem cap to protect the connector.
Partly for waterproofing, partly as I now run my 3 way light/USB switch where the top cap was.

[Bearbonesnorm]

To those that have had theirs repaired - has Dirk actually said what the issue is / was?

[ianfitz]

To those that have had theirs repaired - has Dirk actually said what the issue is / was?

Nope. Upgraded the internals.

[johnnystorm]

To those that have had theirs repaired - has Dirk actually said what the issue is / was?

Nope. Upgraded the internals.

He said there was nothing wrong with mine but replaced the internals anyway and sent a new cable. I had mine with a square of electrical tape over the top cap bolt to keep out the rain. Haven't fitted it back again yet to see if it works properly. I'm taking a sinewave for the TD.

[rufus748]

To those that have had theirs repaired - has Dirk actually said what the issue is / was?

Nope. Upgraded the internals.

He said there was nothing wrong with mine but replaced the internals anyway.

Same with mine. Having said that it does seem to produce a higher charge rate at a much lower speed.

[ianfitz]

To those that have had theirs repaired - has Dirk actually said what the issue is / was?

Nope. Upgraded the internals.

He said there was nothing wrong with mine but replaced the internals anyway.

Same with mine. Having said that it does seem to produce a higher charge rate at a much lower speed.

I think mine charges better at slower speed too. Although that anecdotal as I've no data. Also I have replaced the sp hub with a son. That seems to push a little more light out of the revo at low speeds do could be a factor...

[Trail-rat]

No even a note in with mine..... Ill need to test it out to make sure its not just mine been returned actually.

[Ian]

Plugged my C2C in for the first time last night, went for a quick spin down the road to see if it would charge a battery (expecting the little LED's on the battery to flash) and got nothing.

Thinking there might be s problem with my "switch over" unit, I connected the C2C direct to the hub. Plugged in the battery, whizzed down the road; nothing. Plugged in an iPhone, repeat; still nothing.

I expected to see some acknowledgement on the device being charged that it was receiving current? Power from the hub is fine, as when I plug into a Revo I get light immediately.

Is my C2C borked?
Or does it take a while to "charge" the intervals and I need to go for another longer ride?

[Bearbonesnorm]

If I plug something into mine and just spin the wheel by hand (quickly), I get a charging indicator on the device.

[Ian]

Hmm, thanks. Not sounding very good then...

[Ian]

OK, flummoxed now

Plugged the C2C direct to hub (cables straight on to the hub contacts), and got instant charge through it by spinning the wheel in the bike stand (simultaneous also to the Revo lighting up)

Plugged the C2C into one of the sockets off the switch and....nothing.

Made a couple of tweaks to my switch so that either output cable could be plugged into the light (that is, both outputs have make plugs). This allowed me to confirm that the switch works fully in both positions, so that's not the problem.

Do the input cables for the C2C have a + and a - ?

[johnnystorm]

On the few occasions I've fitted/removed it I've never bothered checking the wires and just twisted them into the revo wires.

[Ian]

The only thing I can attribute it to, having tested everything meticulously, is the length of cable between the hub and the unit (via the switch) reducing output somehow. However, it's not that far, and it's not enough to reduce the light output at the Revo using the same cables, so I'm still confused

Need to ask ianfitz when he gets back from the Lakes I think, as his switch is like mine, but he wired his in directly.

[lionelrik]

If I plug something into mine and just spin the wheel by hand (quickly), I get a charging indicator on the device.

Same here. Haven't used mine in anger (since the last BB200). Actually thought it had broken too on that particular ride but performing the above test suggest it's still pumping out power (I guess I have to ride the bike a bit more during BB200! ). But its been on some particularly wet and muddy/granular rides recently and is still working (in the comfort of my flat anyway!)

[ianfitz]

It's DC so shouldn't matter. I think but am not sure...

I have a long cable on mine too.

Are you young the same cable from revo to c2c and switch to c2c?

[Ian]

It's DC so shouldn't matter. I think but am not sure...

I have a long cable on mine too.

Are you young the same cable from revo to c2c and switch to c2c?

Same cables right through, except for the last 2" to the C2C, where it's the cable that came supplied to a pre fitted connector.