Axa dynamo connection problems

SimoninEaston said:

Hi All, My Axa traction dynamo works great when it's connected
properly - there's a halogen bulbed front light (v.bright) and an LED
rear, and they stay lit until I'm down to walking-pace :-) However,
the whole thing is spoilt by the fact that the connector block linking
the wires to the body of the dynamo doesn't work properly. The 4 wires
(2 +ive, 2 earth) are bared and then poked into 4 small holes in the
top of a small plastic block which is then pressed onto the 4 copper
prongs set into the body of the dynamo. The trouble is they're always
working loose - the back lamp spends more time off than on and the
front one's not much better - at least I can see when the front one's
gone dark... Does this sound familiar to you folks and has anyone come
up with a solution?
Simon in Bristol

My solution was to remove more insulation from the wires and push more
bare wire into the hole - making a tighter fit between the wire and the
red plastic block thingy. I also folded the bare wire back on the
plastic block, if you see what I mean. Of course the risk of having more
bare wire shoved into the little hole is that there could be an electrical
short between two of the wires - I was just careful that this did not
happen.

John T.

I've had mine strapped in place with a bit of duct tape for a number of
years with no problems.

--
Derby, England.

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Quoted message said:

SimoninEaston said:

Hi All, My Axa traction dynamo works great when it's connected
properly - there's a halogen bulbed front light (v.bright) and an LED
rear, and they stay lit until I'm down to walking-pace :-) However,
the whole thing is spoilt by the fact that the connector block linking
the wires to the body of the dynamo doesn't work properly. The 4 wires
(2 +ive, 2 earth) are bared and then poked into 4 small holes in the
top of a small plastic block which is then pressed onto the 4 copper
prongs set into the body of the dynamo. The trouble is they're always
working loose - the back lamp spends more time off than on and the
front one's not much better - at least I can see when the front one's
gone dark... Does this sound familiar to you folks and has anyone come
up with a solution?
Simon in Bristol

My solution was to remove more insulation from the wires and push more
bare wire into the hole - making a tighter fit between the wire and the
red plastic block thingy. I also folded the bare wire back on the
plastic block, if you see what I mean. Of course the risk of having more
bare wire shoved into the little hole is that there could be an electrical
short between two of the wires - I was just careful that this did not
happen.

John T.

SimoninEaston () said:

Hi All, My Axa traction dynamo works great when it's connected
properly - there's a halogen bulbed front light (v.bright) and an LED
rear, and they stay lit until I'm down to walking-pace :-) However,
the whole thing is spoilt by the fact that the connector block linking
the wires to the body of the dynamo doesn't work properly. The 4 wires
(2 +ive, 2 earth) are bared and then poked into 4 small holes in the
top of a small plastic block which is then pressed onto the 4 copper
prongs set into the body of the dynamo. The trouble is they're always
working loose - the back lamp spends more time off than on and the
front one's not much better - at least I can see when the front one's
gone dark... Does this sound familiar to you folks and has anyone come
up with a solution?
Simon in Bristol

Sounds very familiar. I've solved this by outfitting the four cable
ends with these little connector thingies of which I don't know the
name. There's an image at the Schmidt website:
http://www.nabendynamo.de/montgra3.gif

The thing that's at the cable end. I think any good bikeshop should
have them. I think you presumably need a special tool to attach these,
but I squeezed them on with pointed pliers. Schmidt write that of the
two pairs of "claws" of the connector thingy, the first one should go
around the end of the wire insulation, the second around the bare wire
end. Then, insulate with these little shrinking insulation tubes.

Then, I just stuck these onto the four copper prongs respectively. The
copper prongs are a little thicker than the standard prongs of bicycle
lights, so I had to loosen the cable end connector thingies slightly by
using a corkscrew. Loosen only the entrance part, then shove onto the
prongs with a little force, should give a nice tight fit. Of course,
with this method you don't use the plastic block at all.

Haven't had problems since, on two bikes.

m.