Bike lights wiring: why is it all rubbish?



S

sothach

Guest
It happened again this week: disturbed the wires from B&M headlight
while getting the bike out to cycle home, and pulled the silly little
spade connector of: refitted it ok, until the darkest bit of the
journey, where it came off again, and fumbling around in the dark I
managed to break off the terminal.

Why are they all rubbish? Why can they not use industry standard
connectors?

The only exception I have is the SigmaSport lamp which has a concentric
plug/socket for the cable to the battery pack, which sometimes works
loose, but is easy connect/disconnect.

I'm going to have to open up the lamp housing and solder wires
directly, but I'd like to put a decent connector block or something on
the end, so it's easy to dismount again. Anyone know where to get such
a thing? There used to be a Radio Shack near me, but they seem to have
gone...
 
sothach wrote:
> It happened again this week: disturbed the wires from B&M headlight
> while getting the bike out to cycle home, and pulled the silly little
> spade connector of: refitted it ok, until the darkest bit of the
> journey, where it came off again, and fumbling around in the dark I
> managed to break off the terminal.
>
> Why are they all rubbish? Why can they not use industry standard
> connectors?
>
> The only exception I have is the SigmaSport lamp which has a concentric
> plug/socket for the cable to the battery pack, which sometimes works
> loose, but is easy connect/disconnect.
>
> I'm going to have to open up the lamp housing and solder wires
> directly, but I'd like to put a decent connector block or something on
> the end, so it's easy to dismount again. Anyone know where to get such
> a thing? There used to be a Radio Shack near me, but they seem to have
> gone...

Maplin (http://www.maplin.co.uk)?

--
Matt B
 
sothach said the following on 15/12/2006 13:58:

> Why are they all rubbish? Why can they not use industry standard
> connectors?

Er, the 2.8mm blade is an industry standard connector. Amongst other
types, we use hundreds/thousands at work. Mind you, we also use
industrial *quality* connectors, and the right crimp tools for the job.
This does explain why the lighting wiring on my bike is never going to
fail ;-)

> a thing? There used to be a Radio Shack near me, but they seem to have
> gone...

Radio Shack - there's a blast from the past! Your new local Maplin shop
should be able to help whilst the new staff are still keen and eager.
Get a decent length of 0.5mm 2-core cable whilst you're there, and throw
away the crappy stuff that bike lights, including B&M, always come with.
Run both polarities to the lights rather than relying on the bike
frame as an earth.

--
Paul Boyd
http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/
 
Paul Boyd wrote:
> sothach said the following on 15/12/2006 13:58:
>
> > Why are they all rubbish? Why can they not use industry standard
> > connectors?
>
> Er, the 2.8mm blade is an industry standard connector. Amongst other
> types, we use hundreds/thousands at work. Mind you, we also use
> industrial *quality* connectors, and the right crimp tools for the job.
> This does explain why the lighting wiring on my bike is never going to
> fail ;-)
>
> > a thing? There used to be a Radio Shack near me, but they seem to have
> > gone...
>
> Radio Shack - there's a blast from the past! Your new local Maplin shop
> should be able to help whilst the new staff are still keen and eager.
> Get a decent length of 0.5mm 2-core cable whilst you're there, and throw
> away the crappy stuff that bike lights, including B&M, always come with.
> Run both polarities to the lights rather than relying on the bike
> frame as an earth.
>
Do maplin do the 2.4mm blade for B&M? I bought them from SJS cycles as
they were about the only place I could find that did them.



At least on the Bromton you need to bend the connector so that it
doesn't foul on the brakes.

Crimp connectors are great if you've got a very good (and very
expensive) crimping tool. But most of us have to make do with pliers or
a cheap crimping tool.

So I've resorted to a bit of solder once I've crimped the connectors
"just to make sure".

(I was doing something at the weekend (not bike related) and I didn't
bother to crimp at all but just soldered the wire to the connector and
then bent the tabs over so that it didn't look too stupid with the heat
shrink on)

Tim.
 
[email protected] said the following on 15/12/2006 15:05:

> Do maplin do the 2.4mm blade for B&M? I bought them from SJS cycles as
> they were about the only place I could find that did them.

No, but I can assure you that good quality 2.8mm crimps do the job.

> Crimp connectors are great if you've got a very good (and very
> expensive) crimping tool. But most of us have to make do with pliers or
> a cheap crimping tool.

Expensive? Nah - the ones we use at work are only £300 :) Seriously,
a perfectly adequate quality ratchet crimp tool can be had for around
£20 - £30, which is fine for "hobby" users. I don't mean those crappy
squishy ones either that look like a pair of pliers.

> So I've resorted to a bit of solder once I've crimped the connectors
> "just to make sure".

For the home user, doing what you've described is fine, and if that's
the only time you'll need a crimp tool then is really the only bet.
There are various little electronics companies scattered about the
country though, and I'm sure popping in and asking nicely will get you a
couple of crimps put on. We've done that type of thing for people now
and then!

--
Paul Boyd
http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/
 
Paul Boyd wrote:
> sothach said the following on 15/12/2006 13:58:
>
> > Why are they all rubbish? Why can they not use industry standard
> > connectors?
>
> Er, the 2.8mm blade is an industry standard connector. Amongst other
> types, we use hundreds/thousands at work.

OK, my bad: I'm sure these blade connectors are fine for many
applications, like inside a dry box with no chance of the wires moving.
But for units exposed to the elements, quite likely to be accidentally
jiggled, and on equipement that you often need to remove, they are
keetch in the extreme. That's my gripe: otherwise good bike lights
like B&M cost an arm and a leg, why can't they do something better?
rant... rant...

> Radio Shack - there's a blast from the past! Your new local Maplin shop
> should be able to help whilst the new staff are still keen and eager.
> Get a decent length of 0.5mm 2-core cable whilst you're there, and throw
> away the crappy stuff that bike lights, including B&M, always come with.
> Run both polarities to the lights rather than relying on the bike
> frame as an earth.

I'll do that, thanks.
 
About the most reliable low-voltage connectors I've come across are the
ones used to connect battery packs to radio-controlled models (I used to
race R/C cars). The best of these offer very low resistance, superb anti-
vibration characteristics, and rock-solid reliability. So it might be
worthwhile browsing around your local model shop.

That said, Maplins will almost certainly have something adequate for the
task!

HTH,
 
Quoting sothach <[email protected]>:
>keetch in the extreme. That's my gripe: otherwise good bike lights
>like B&M cost an arm and a leg, why can't they do something better?
>rant... rant...

.... why can't we get a headlight mounting bracket that isn't made of cheese?
--
David Damerell <[email protected]> Kill the tomato!
Today is Wednesday, December.
 
David Damerell <[email protected]> wrote in
news:ars*[email protected]:

> ... why can't we get a headlight mounting bracket that isn't made of
> cheese?

Back in the 'good old days' when I started cycling, headlight brackets were
standardised and most definitely not cheese. They were usually heavy-duty,
chromed steel and had a flat plate about one and a half inches wide by two
inches tall that fitted into a receptacle on the back of the headlight.
Most bikes came with a bracket fitted to the headstock or on a boss brazed
onto the right-hand, front fork.

The lights themselves neede special zinc/carbon batteries (which I'm not
sure you can get these days), had pretty feeble light output, and were
heavy. The example linked below has seen better days!

http://www.flashlightmuseum.com/flashlight_view.cfm?item_number=BT00008
 
"Will Cove" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> David Damerell <[email protected]> wrote in
> news:ars*[email protected]:
>
>> ... why can't we get a headlight mounting bracket that isn't made of
>> cheese?
>
> Back in the 'good old days' when I started cycling, headlight brackets
> were
> standardised and most definitely not cheese. They were usually heavy-duty,
> chromed steel and had a flat plate about one and a half inches wide by two
> inches tall that fitted into a receptacle on the back of the headlight.
> Most bikes came with a bracket fitted to the headstock or on a boss brazed
> onto the right-hand, front fork.
>
> The lights themselves neede special zinc/carbon batteries (which I'm not
> sure you can get these days), had pretty feeble light output, and were
> heavy. The example linked below has seen better days!
>
> http://www.flashlightmuseum.com/flashlight_view.cfm?item_number=BT00008

You can still get zinc carbons (Asda smart price, ever ready silver). The
only strange form factor I've seen commonly available are PP9s (radio
batteries). Zinc carbons are shite compared to alkalines.
 
On 15/12/2006 15:50, sothach said,

> But for units exposed to the elements, quite likely to be accidentally
> jiggled, and on equipement that you often need to remove, they are
> keetch in the extreme.

Whilst you're in Maplin, get some switch lubricant as well! Squirt a
dollop of this inside the crimp before pushing it onto the B&M connector
(and after soldering the wire!) This stuff keeps the moisture out, and
keeps the connection bright and shiny, so it doesn't corrode and break.

--
Paul Boyd
http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/
 

> I'm going to have to open up the lamp housing and solder wires
> directly, but I'd like to put a decent connector block or something on
> the end, so it's easy to dismount again. Anyone know where to get such
> a thing? There used to be a Radio Shack near me, but they seem to have
> gone...

Look for Anderson Power pole connectors, I use them ... RS sell them
Robin
 
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