Faulty Schmidt SON hub dynamo

[Paul Moss]

Can anyone suggest a reason why my Schmidt SON hub dynamos is not working
please?



It was ok until I removed it from the bike so my LBS could true the wheel.
(It was only a very slight side to side wobble).



On replacing it in the forks and giving it a spin (by hand), it was very
very noisy and rough.



I removed the wheel and replaced it and now it runs silently and smoothly
but won't generate any current.



Any ideas would be much appreciated,



Thanks,

Paul

 

[Ozark Bicycle]

On Jan 6, 8:14 am, "Paul Moss" <[email protected]> wrote:
> Can anyone suggest a reason why my Schmidt SON hub dynamos is not working
> please?
>
> It was ok until I removed it from the bike so my LBS could true the wheel.
> (It was only a very slight side to side wobble).
>
> On replacing it in the forks and giving it a spin (by hand), it was very
> very noisy and rough.
>
> I removed the wheel and replaced it and now it runs silently and smoothly
> but won't generate any current.
>
> Any ideas would be much appreciated,
>

Are you in the US? If so, why not go to the source:

http://peterwhitecycles.com

Ask Peter, he will almost certainly have the answer.

 

[Lou Holtman]

Ozark Bicycle wrote:
> On Jan 6, 8:14 am, "Paul Moss" <[email protected]> wrote:
>> Can anyone suggest a reason why my Schmidt SON hub dynamos is not working
>> please?
>>
>> It was ok until I removed it from the bike so my LBS could true the wheel.
>> (It was only a very slight side to side wobble).
>>
>> On replacing it in the forks and giving it a spin (by hand), it was very
>> very noisy and rough.
>>
>> I removed the wheel and replaced it and now it runs silently and smoothly
>> but won't generate any current.
>>
>> Any ideas would be much appreciated,
>>
>
> Are you in the US? If so, why not go to the source:
>
> http://peterwhitecycles.com
>
> Ask Peter, he will almost certainly have the answer.

And if he is not in the US Peter won't answer?

Lou

 

[[email protected]]

On Jan 6, 8:22 am, Ozark Bicycle
<[email protected]> wrote:
>
> Ask Peter, he will almost certainly have the answer.

Already has answered, perhaps.


From: http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/schmidt.asp

(begin quote)

The bearings cannot be adjusted!

Frequently, people decide that I'm stupid, (Who can blame them?) and
that in fact the notchiness they feel while turning the axle by hand
is due to the bearings being adjusted too tightly. This is not the
case. I'm not quite that stupid. There is no adjustment for the
bearings! They are sealed cartridge bearings, and require no
adjustment. Nor is adjustment even possible.

On the end of the axle opposite the electrical connectors, the black
aluminum end cap has two flats on it. Those are for use while
assembling the hub in Germany, not for user adjustments. But sometimes
a mechanic will hold the hub in a vise by those flats, and grab the
other end of the hub axle with some pliers or vise grips, there being
no flats on the connector end of the axle. This genius (you know, the
one who thinks I'm stupid) doesn't stop to think why there are no
adjustment flats on the electrical end. The brilliant mechanical
wizard then turns the electrical end of the axle, in a vain attempt to
loosen the bearings. Well, all this does is break the electrical
connections inside the hub, making it useless for powering a light,
though it will still work just fine as a front bicycle hub. It also
voids the five year warrantee. You will have to send the hub to me for
a complete rebuild, (assuming you want the lights to work again) which
at this writing will set you back $85 plus return shipping. Call for
current pricing. ;-)

(end quote)

Mike Jenkins

 

[Ozark Bicycle]

On Jan 6, 8:51 am, Lou Holtman <[email protected]> wrote:
> Ozark Bicycle wrote:
> > On Jan 6, 8:14 am, "Paul Moss" <[email protected]> wrote:
> >> Can anyone suggest a reason why my Schmidt SON hub dynamos is not working
> >> please?
>
> >> It was ok until I removed it from the bike so my LBS could true the wheel.
> >> (It was only a very slight side to side wobble).
>
> >> On replacing it in the forks and giving it a spin (by hand), it was very
> >> very noisy and rough.
>
> >> I removed the wheel and replaced it and now it runs silently and smoothly
> >> but won't generate any current.
>
> >> Any ideas would be much appreciated,
>
> > Are you in the US? If so, why not go to the source:
>
> >http://peterwhitecycles.com
>
> > Ask Peter, he will almost certainly have the answer.
>
> And if he is not in the US Peter won't answer?
>

I didn't mean to imply that. However, as the US agent for Schmidt, Mr.
White might feel a bit more 'responsible' for Schmidt products
purchased in the US.

 

[M-gineering]

Paul Moss wrote:
> Can anyone suggest a reason why my Schmidt SON hub dynamos is not working
> please?
>
>
>
> It was ok until I removed it from the bike so my LBS could true the wheel.
> (It was only a very slight side to side wobble).
>
>
>
> On replacing it in the forks and giving it a spin (by hand), it was very
> very noisy and rough.
>

This is typical for a dynohub if you failed to tighten the skewer
properly. The axle will rattle in the dropouts and cause the fork to
resonate



>
> I removed the wheel and replaced it and now it runs silently and smoothly
> but won't generate any current.
>



Pull the plugs carefully and give the wheel a spin. Push a screwdriver
across the contacts. With a good hub you will get arcing and the wheel
will stop much quicker. If it doesn't make any difference it is very
likely that somebody broke the wiring of the contacts




/Marten

info(apestaartje)m-gineering(punt)nl

 

[Crescentius Vespasianus]

> I removed the wheel and replaced it and now it runs silently and smoothly
> but won't generate any current.
>
>
>
> Any ideas would be much appreciated,
>
>
>
> Thanks,
>
> Paul
-------------
Most bike shops I wouldn't even trust to
patch a tube, your first mistake was to
bring something exotic like a Schmidt
hub into a bike shop. I'll never forget
one bike mechanic I was talking to, and
he made it a point, and prided himself
that he has never or ever will read any
directions given on some device. So
they pull and yank and twist with
wrenches, and now you have a wrecked
Schmidt hub. There is one time I did go
to a bike shop because I was at wits end
on a screw up I did. I greased a carbon
seatpost, and had it in a carbon frame
(can't do that). Then one day that
seatpost had to come out, I could twist
it, but it wouldn't come out. So I went
to the bike shop, and they had this big
strong kid. And that kid went red in
the face, and I heard squeaking noises
so loud I had to put my hands over my
ears, but that kid got that bugger out.
So sometimes they do save your life.

 

[Michael Press]

In article
<[email protected]>,
"Paul Moss" <[email protected]> wrote:

> Can anyone suggest a reason why my Schmidt SON hub dynamos is not working
> please?
>
>
>
> It was ok until I removed it from the bike so my LBS could true the wheel.
> (It was only a very slight side to side wobble).
>
>
>
> On replacing it in the forks and giving it a spin (by hand), it was very
> very noisy and rough.
>
>
>
> I removed the wheel and replaced it and now it runs silently and smoothly
> but won't generate any current.
>
>
>
> Any ideas would be much appreciated,

Fully 80% of electrical faults are cabling faults.
This includes computers. Trust me on this.

--
Michael Press

 

[BobT]

"Paul Moss" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Can anyone suggest a reason why my Schmidt SON hub dynamos is not working
> please?
>
> It was ok until I removed it from the bike so my LBS could true the wheel.
> (It was only a very slight side to side wobble).
>
> On replacing it in the forks and giving it a spin (by hand), it was very
> very noisy and rough.
>
> I removed the wheel and replaced it and now it runs silently and smoothly
> but won't generate any current.
>
> Any ideas would be much appreciated,
>
> Thanks,
>
> Paul
>
Mike Jenkins, quoting Peter White, may be exactly right about your mechanic
feeling the normal "notchiness" of a SON hub and trying to fix it by
"adjusting the hub" thereby disrupting the internal wiring.

Another simpler problem could also explain the lack of power. It is fairly
easy to pull the wires loose from the spade connectors that slide on the
corresponding connectors on the hub. Check to see it the wiring is intact.
Also, I would check the output of the hub by putting an electrical
multi-meter across its contacts and spinning. Just about anyone who works
on electrical stuff would have one of these. You might try Radio Shack. It
produces AC current - up to .5 amps.

If Mike Jenkins is correct and your mechanic broke the internal wiring, I
think they should be financially responsible for fixing it.

If you live in the U.S.A., I would echo C.V.'s comments about bike shops.
Unless you are luckier than me, your local bike shop might not know a lot
about currently uncommon items in the U.S.A. - dynamo hubs and their
associated light, fenders, kickstands, chainguards etc. If you want to know
about the weight of the latest and greatest super-light carbon-fiber
titanium handlebar stem for $350.00 they will know, a Schmidt's Original
Nabendynamo, probably not. You will be a lot better off if you will learn
as much as you can about maintaining your bike yourself even if you still
choose to have a professional do the work. Leonard Zinn's books and Sheldon
Brown's web site are two good places to start. I think you will find that it
is quite easy to true a wheel with a very slight side-to-side wobble
yourself.

BobT

 

[M-gineering]

BobT wrote:

> Another simpler problem could also explain the lack of power. It is fairly
> easy to pull the wires loose from the spade connectors that slide on the
> corresponding connectors on the hub. Check to see it the wiring is intact.
> Also, I would check the output of the hub by putting an electrical
> multi-meter across its contacts and spinning. Just about anyone who works
> on electrical stuff would have one of these. You might try Radio Shack. It
> produces AC current - up to .5 amps.

Wonderfull things, multimeters, but in the hands of somebody without a
firm understanding the measurements could be lacking. Just remove the
wires, give the wheel a spin and shortcircuit the contacts: simple,
cheap and idiot proof. If you get sparks and extra resistance the hub is
fine, if nothing happens remove the tyre, skewer, brakedisk and
computermagnets and ship the thing to your nearest importer.



(disclaimer: I distribute Schmidt hubs in NL)

--
/Marten

info(apestaartje)m-gineering(punt)nl

 

[[email protected]]

On Jan 6, 4:25 pm, "BobT" <[email protected]>
wrote:
> You will be a lot better off if you will learn
> as much as you can about maintaining your bike yourself even if you still
> choose to have a professional do the work. Leonard Zinn's books and Sheldon
> Brown's web site are two good places to start.

Agreed. Another very good resource is http://www.parktool.com/repair/

> I think you will find that it
> is quite easy to true a wheel with a very slight side-to-side wobble
> yourself.

Yep. But be careful and go slowly. I once had a friend who just
couldn't get it. He started with a wheel that was 1/8" out of true,
and ended up with a potato chip!

- Frank Krygowski

 

[A Muzi]

>> I removed the wheel and replaced it and now it runs silently and
>> smoothly but won't generate any current.
>> Any ideas would be much appreciated,

Crescentius Vespasianus wrote:
> Most bike shops I wouldn't even trust to patch a tube, your first
> mistake was to bring something exotic like a Schmidt hub into a bike
> shop. I'll never forget one bike mechanic I was talking to, and he made
> it a point, and prided himself that he has never or ever will read any
> directions given on some device. So they pull and yank and twist with
> wrenches, and now you have a wrecked Schmidt hub. There is one time I
> did go to a bike shop because I was at wits end on a screw up I did. I
> greased a carbon seatpost, and had it in a carbon frame (can't do
> that). Then one day that seatpost had to come out, I could twist it,
> but it wouldn't come out. So I went to the bike shop, and they had this
> big strong kid. And that kid went red in the face, and I heard
> squeaking noises so loud I had to put my hands over my ears, but that
> kid got that bugger out. So sometimes they do save your life.

"one bike mechanic . . . prided himself that he has never or ever will
read any directions"

YGBSM Our various libraries are a bit part of the operation here.
Couldn't go a full day without some arcane search or another.
--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

 

[Squat'n Dive]

On Jan 6, 6:14 am, "Paul Moss" <[email protected]> wrote:
> Can anyone suggest a reason why my Schmidt SON hub dynamos is not working
> please?
>
> It was ok until I removed it from the bike so my LBS could true the wheel.
> (It was only a very slight side to side wobble).
>
To take a step back: who built that wheel?

 

[Crescentius Vespasianus]

Squat'n Dive wrote:
> On Jan 6, 6:14 am, "Paul Moss" <[email protected]> wrote:
>> Can anyone suggest a reason why my Schmidt SON hub dynamos is not working
>> please?
>>
>> It was ok until I removed it from the bike so my LBS could true the wheel.
>> (It was only a very slight side to side wobble).
>>
> To take a step back: who built that wheel?
------------
So you're saying it's Peter White's fault?

 

[Crescentius Vespasianus]

>> Most bike shops I wouldn't even trust to patch a tube, your first
>> mistake was to bring something exotic like a Schmidt hub into a bike
>> shop. I'll never forget one bike mechanic I was talking to, and he
>> made it a point, and prided himself that he has never or ever will
>> read any directions given on some device. So they pull and yank and
>> twist with wrenches, and now you have a wrecked Schmidt hub. There is
>> one time I did go to a bike shop because I was at wits end on a screw
>> up I did. I greased a carbon seatpost, and had it in a carbon frame
>> (can't do that). Then one day that seatpost had to come out, I could
>> twist it, but it wouldn't come out. So I went to the bike shop, and
>> they had this big strong kid. And that kid went red in the face, and
>> I heard squeaking noises so loud I had to put my hands over my ears,
>> but that kid got that bugger out. So sometimes they do save your life.
>
> "one bike mechanic . . . prided himself that he has never or ever will
> read any directions"
>
> YGBSM Our various libraries are a bit part of the operation here.
> Couldn't go a full day without some arcane search or another.
--------------
Or at least they could look on the
internet or something. Another personal
example I have, is I took a Rolf wheel
into a bike shop to get trued. I think
it was the vector pro, the one that
needs a special tool to adjust the
spokes. I take the wheel home, and put
it on a shelf in my closet. A few days
later, I'm asleep, and I awake to what
sounds like a gunshot in my house. I
walk around and find nothing, what the
hell was that. Then a few weeks after
that, I need to change a wheel, look at
my wheels, find the vector pro that they
trued, with half of the hub casing
broken off, with some of the spokes
still attached, and it dawned on me,
that was the noise I heard that night.
I guess they tightened it too tight
there. Didn't take it back, as it would
be impossible to prove, and I had moved
on from the Rolfs anyway, but another
lesson learned.

 

[Squat'n Dive]

On Jan 7, 7:43 am, Crescentius Vespasianus <[email protected]>
wrote:
> Squat'n Dive wrote:
> > On Jan 6, 6:14 am, "Paul Moss" <[email protected]> wrote:
> >> Can anyone suggest a reason why my Schmidt SON hub dynamos is not working
> >> please?
>
> >> It was ok until I removed it from the bike so my LBS could true the wheel.
> >> (It was only a very slight side to side wobble).
>
> > To take a step back: who built that wheel?
>
> ------------
> So you're saying it's Peter White's fault?

If he built the wheel he'd true it for free since he claims that a
properly
built wheel would need little of any truing. Minus the shipping i'd
assume.

 

[Tim McNamara]

In article <[email protected]>,
A Muzi <[email protected]> wrote:

> >> I removed the wheel and replaced it and now it runs silently and
> >> smoothly but won't generate any current. Any ideas would be much
> >> appreciated,
>
> Crescentius Vespasianus wrote:
> > Most bike shops I wouldn't even trust to patch a tube, your first
> > mistake was to bring something exotic like a Schmidt hub into a
> > bike shop. I'll never forget one bike mechanic I was talking to,
> > and he made it a point, and prided himself that he has never or
> > ever will read any directions given on some device. So they pull
> > and yank and twist with wrenches, and now you have a wrecked
> > Schmidt hub. There is one time I did go to a bike shop because I
> > was at wits end on a screw up I did. I greased a carbon seatpost,
> > and had it in a carbon frame (can't do that). Then one day that
> > seatpost had to come out, I could twist it, but it wouldn't come
> > out. So I went to the bike shop, and they had this big strong kid.
> > And that kid went red in the face, and I heard squeaking noises so
> > loud I had to put my hands over my ears, but that kid got that
> > bugger out. So sometimes they do save your life.
>
> "one bike mechanic . . . prided himself that he has never or ever
> will read any directions"
>
> YGBSM Our various libraries are a bit part of the operation here.
> Couldn't go a full day without some arcane search or another.

YGBSM? "Your Guy is a Big Stupid Moron?" I always like to see any
repair person having a set of well-thumbed books. No one knows
everything.

 

[Hank]

On Jan 7, 3:51 pm, Tim McNamara <[email protected]> wrote:
> In article <[email protected]>,
>  A Muzi <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > >> I removed the wheel and replaced it and now it runs silently and
> > >> smoothly but won't generate any current. Any ideas would be much
> > >> appreciated,
>
> > Crescentius Vespasianus wrote:
> > > Most bike shops I wouldn't even trust to patch a tube, your first
> > > mistake was to bring something exotic like a Schmidt hub into a
> > > bike shop.  I'll never forget one bike mechanic I was talking to,
> > > and he made it a point, and prided himself that he has never or
> > > ever will read any directions given on some device.  So they pull
> > > and yank and twist with wrenches, and now you have a wrecked
> > > Schmidt hub.  There is one time I did go to a bike shop because I
> > > was at wits end on a screw up I did.  I greased a carbon seatpost,
> > > and had it in a carbon frame (can't do that).  Then one day that
> > > seatpost had to come out, I could twist it, but it wouldn't come
> > > out.  So I went to the bike shop, and they had this big strong kid.
> > >  And that kid went red in the face, and I heard squeaking noises so
> > > loud I had to put my hands over my ears, but that kid got that
> > > bugger out.  So sometimes they do save your life.
>
> > "one bike mechanic . . . prided himself that he has never or ever
> > will read any directions"
>
> > YGBSM Our various libraries are a bit part of the operation here.
> > Couldn't go a full day without some arcane search or another.
>
> YGBSM?  "Your Guy is a Big Stupid Moron?"  

"You gotta be shittin' me."

 

[Tim McNamara]

In article
<2cf4456e-a912-4477-9fc5-0119ab51ff57@k39g2000hsf.googlegroups.com>,
Hank <[email protected]> wrote:

> On Jan 7, 3:51 pm, Tim McNamara <[email protected]> wrote:
> > In article <[email protected]>,  A Muzi
> > <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > > >> I removed the wheel and replaced it and now it runs silently
> > > >> and smoothly but won't generate any current. Any ideas would
> > > >> be much appreciated,
> >
> > > Crescentius Vespasianus wrote:
> > > > Most bike shops I wouldn't even trust to patch a tube, your
> > > > first mistake was to bring something exotic like a Schmidt hub
> > > > into a bike shop.  I'll never forget one bike mechanic I was
> > > > talking to, and he made it a point, and prided himself that he
> > > > has never or ever will read any directions given on some
> > > > device.  So they pull and yank and twist with wrenches, and now
> > > > you have a wrecked Schmidt hub.  There is one time I did go to
> > > > a bike shop because I was at wits end on a screw up I did.  I
> > > > greased a carbon seatpost, and had it in a carbon frame (can't
> > > > do that).  Then one day that seatpost had to come out, I could
> > > > twist it, but it wouldn't come out.  So I went to the bike
> > > > shop, and they had this big strong kid.  And that kid went red
> > > > in the face, and I heard squeaking noises so loud I had to put
> > > > my hands over my ears, but that kid got that bugger out.  So
> > > > sometimes they do save your life.
> >
> > > "one bike mechanic . . . prided himself that he has never or ever
> > > will read any directions"
> >
> > > YGBSM Our various libraries are a bit part of the operation here.
> > > Couldn't go a full day without some arcane search or another.
> >
> > YGBSM?  "Your Guy is a Big Stupid Moron?"  
>
> "You gotta be shittin' me."

Thanks!