Timothy Murphy said:I have an old Raleigh (actually a Rudge),
with a rather nice front light which fits onto
what I take to be a standard projection 3cm or 1.25in wide.
The light works off a hub dynamo which seems to be working fine.
Unfortunately the light itself is not working.
I've dismantled it, and it is somewhat corroded,
probably because the 3in diameter glass "window" is broken.
(1) Could I purchase a replacement light anywhere?
This retailer might be able to help:
http://www.oldbiketrader.co.uk/
They list stuff which sounds similar to what you may have. Suggest ringing
to discuss your exact model.
Quoted message said:(2) Can one get LED bulbs that screw into the old fitting?
The present bulb is 6v 0.25a.
Probably, but doubt it would be a massive improvement, and will be a lot of
hassle sorting. There are better solutions IMHO.
Quoted message said:(3) The rear light is working off the dynamo,
but is rather dim.
The bulb is said to be 6v 0.04a.
Could one get a LED bulb for this?
Same as the front. However, check the wiring carefully, including the
return earth path. I would suspect a dry/corroded joint in the electrical
circuit. A cheap multimeter (£5 or less at Maplins) helps with tracing the
high resistances in a circuit.
Quoted message said:(My feeling is that the rear light is more important -
at least in the city where I ride - than the front one.
Quoted message said:Any advice or suggestions gratefully received.
My suggestion would be one of:
a) put a new (original) lamp on the front and run it as original. However,
the original hub is likely to be producing less power than when new.
b) new (original) lamp on front and get hub refurbished. This gives you a
genuine "new vintage" bike. But at some cost.
c) Get a new wheel with a modern dynamo hub and modern lamps. A modern
dynamo will put out 3W of power (2.4W to front, 0.6 to rear), so the bulbs
will be rated as 6v 0.4A and 6v 0.1A. Probable cost of around £100 for a
Shimano hub dynamo built into a wheel and two lamps. You should be able to
get a rear LED with stand-light (so it stays on when stationary for 3 or 4
minutes) in the £100 budget.
I think (c) gives you the brightest lights.
- Nigel
--
Nigel Cliffe,
Webmaster at http://www.2mm.org.uk/
