Dim lights on Pro Connect

[Keterick]

I bought a used Pro Connect. It's lovely, but the elderly person I bought it from hadn't been able to use it much due to health problems and had kept it stored up for a long time. Luckily the battery survived somehow, but had gone into a coma. So I wonder if anyone knows whether this would be the reason why the dynamo lights (which are powered by the battery rather than a wheel-hub) are exceptionally dim. I have had the lights checked by an experience bike mechanic and there is nothing wrong with the lights, which are both B+M. Or am I barking up the wrong tree and do I need to look elsewhere to brighten my lights?

The battery came back to full life once charged, but the handlbar controller always says it is low, even when it is fully charged with five lights (and it does around 50 miles per charge on a mix of medium and high mode). I have not had the opportunity to condition the battery yet (ie, let it drain completely).

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

 

[tillson]

I have one of the early Pro Connects and both the front and rear lights are B+M filament bulb types. These aren't very good and tend to give a rather dim yellow front light and reasonable rear. If you are going to use it at night, I would invest in some decent additional lighting.

I can't explain the difference in handlebar and battery charge level readings.

 

[Keterick]

Thank you for the reply. The lights are really extremely dim in a very not-right way! But I would still be interested in replacing them, do you have any recommendation, at the very least about what lumens to look for? I do not think new lights will solve the problem, but if I get more powerful lights it might help, even if they are dimmer than they are meant to be.

 

[flecc]

You won't be able to improve on them using the bike's own battery, due to the method of producing the 6 volts used.

To get better you need to have another form of lighting, such as hubdyno or self-battery powered.

Further to the above, the bike's 26 volts is chopped on/off at high frequency for the lighting, with the proportion of on periods approximating to 6 of the 26 volts. The bulb filament resistances smooth the "on" pulses into a DC flow, lighting them to a basic bicycle lighting standard.

Therefore, LEDs cannot be used instead, for their low resistance rapid reaction would "see" the 26 volts and the LEDs would blow. Also the current drive circuitry for the lighting cannot handle high currents, so more powerful filament lighting can't be used.
.

 

[tillson]

Thank you for the reply. The lights are really extremely dim in a very not-right way! But I would still be interested in replacing them, do you have any recommendation, at the very least about what lumens to look for? I do not think new lights will solve the problem, but if I get more powerful lights it might help, even if they are dimmer than they are meant to be.

Lighting depends on whether you just want to be seen in lit urban areas, or if you want to see where you are going in totally unlit areas. I believe in as much light as possible regardless as to where I am.

The current threads titles Lights has a few examples of powerful front lighting and the one titled Cycle Death Near My Home, has links to rear lights. I use the MagicShine 3 W LED rear.

 

[Keterick]

Lighting depends on whether you just want to be seen in lit urban areas, or if you want to see where you are going in totally unlit areas. I believe in as much light as possible regardless as to where I am.

The current threads titles Lights has a few examples of powerful front lighting and the one titled Cycle Death Near My Home, has links to rear lights. I use the MagicShine 3 W LED rear.

Thank you so much again. I am muchly saddened to know that these lights are utterly inadequate. I will think about getting a hub fitted, eventually, when I have recovered from the extreme cost of the actual bike!

I will definitely have to get brighter lights as I have to use a lot of unlit pathways and even a mile or so through woodland at night. Thanks for illuminating the situation and enlightening me.

 

[tillson]

I will definitely have to get brighter lights as I have to use a lot of unlit pathways and even a mile or so through woodland at night. Thanks for illuminating the situation and enlightening me.

If that is the case, this light, as posted by forum member NRG seems to be a good option at a reasonable price.

The newer Pro Connects are fitted with B+M LED lighting powered from the bike's battery. Unfortunately, they can't be retro-fitted to our older models. It's something to do with the way in which the voltage is reduced.

 

[mike killay]

Just to keep me up to date

What is B+M lighting please

Mike

 

[Keterick]

B+M is short for Busch & Muller, a company in Germany that specialises in bicycle lights.

 

[Keterick]

If that is the case, this light, as posted by forum member NRG seems to be a good option at a reasonable price.

The newer Pro Connects are fitted with B+M LED lighting powered from the bike's battery. Unfortunately, they can't be retro-fitted to our older models. It's something to do with the way in which the voltage is reduced.

Thank you Tillson, I agree, I think I will get a set of those, they look good for going in the woods.

 

[tillson]

Just to keep me up to date

What is B+M lighting please

Mike

Its a German company called Busch & Muller. They make the lights fitted to the pro Connect.