Wanted, simple rear dynamo light (without stand-light or strobe!)

[mzjo]

Has anyone got a recommendation for such a light? Rack mounting, for continuous running so not needing a switch, reasonably bright but not ant-social, preferably cheap and reliable.

I put the dynamo and lights back on the bike that uses it two days ago. Given the reliability problems that I had before and which I attributed to the connection to the front light I modified the wiring to give a direct wired permanently on rear light. It worked! This morning I just checked on passing. No rear light! It's not the wiring, a spare headlight plugged in in place of the rear light worked without problems (halogen light, not led, but that shouldn't make any difference vis-à-vis wiring). The rear light is a Treleck with a standlight, all glued construction so no non-destructive entry possible, not very old.

Should I be using one of those Shimano protection devices when running a rear led continuously and independantly of the front light? I thought led lights didn't need that sort of protection.

For the time being I have taken the rack-fitting battery rear light off the folder (where it served no purpose, being obscured by the bottle pocket at the back of the rack bag). It has two AA's so would go for a long time but also a potentially unreliable switch (inclined to be knocked on on a folded folder in transit). It would be nice to have a more permanent solution!

[ElyDave]

I'm away from the shed right now, but I have a B&M one mounted on the back of the recumbent headrest, it does stay on after stopping, but to my understanding that's z function of the front light's standlight function, not the rear light's.

I'm not using the Shimano protection thingy on it, and its been ok for >4 years so far. I've had one wiring failure, cheap bell wire corroded,now replaced with heavier duty speaker wire.

[Wowbagger]

I have a Schmidt one on the rack of my Thorn. It’s plugged into a Schmidt front light and that is plugged into the Schmidt hub

I don’t know where the capacitor is.

[grams]

In everything but supernovas the rear light has a completely independent standlight circuit and capacitor.

Some LED rear lights will die in seconds if connected to a dynamo without a front light. Some will run happily for years. There’s usually some carefully worded verbiage on the box. The Shimano protection thing will help the former and do nothing much for the latter

[mzjo]

In everything but supernovas the rear light has a completely independent standlight circuit and capacitor.

Some LED rear lights will die in seconds if connected to a dynamo without a front light. Some will run happily for years. There’s usually some carefully worded verbiage on the box. The Shimano protection thing will help the former and do nothing much for the latter

Thanks, that probably explains the problem. FWIW the Trelock light was made for a bottle dynamo rather than a hub which might explain a weakness.

Apparently there may be a standard (European probably) requiring standlights in all rear dynamo lights so I may have to accept that (I'm not against standlights, I think they're wondeful, but I do have a rather Luddite view that simplicity is a good route to reliability).

I will dig out my Shimano protection device, probably end up reposting to ask the size of the spade connectors (hoping that they exist on Aliexpress or Bangood) and go looking at available rear lights.

[Kim]

I will dig out my Shimano protection device, probably end up reposting to ask the size of the spade connectors (hoping that they exist on Aliexpress or Bangood) and go looking at available rear lights.

*scrolls through order history*

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000176059820.html

Bought that a year or so ago, and it has served me well for bicycle lighting (2.8mm for lights, 4.8mm for SON terminals) and a couple of other things.  With these sort of things I find that coming in a little selection box like that greatly improves my chances of being able to find them next time I need a spade connector for something.

[mzjo]

I will dig out my Shimano protection device, probably end up reposting to ask the size of the spade connectors (hoping that they exist on Aliexpress or Bangood) and go looking at available rear lights.

*scrolls through order history*

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000176059820.html

Bought that a year or so ago, and it has served me well for bicycle lighting (2.8mm for lights, 4.8mm for SON terminals) and a couple of other things.  With these sort of things I find that coming in a little selection box like that greatly improves my chances of being able to find them next time I need a spade connector for something.

Thank you Kim, that's just the sort of thing I need