The poor mans Diablo

Exposure Diablo

The Exposure Diablo is a light that is very popular with Bikepackers because it can be charged via USB, via a dynamo, and it can also be used as a power-bank to top-up devices. (USB in and USB out).

I call my set-up the "Poor Mans Diablo".
The Rich Mans "Diablo" (RMD) costs about $300 NZ dollars. The Poor mans Diablo (PMD) does all the things the RMD does, at a fraction of the price. The RMD is one item. The PMD is effectively two.

The charger/powerbank are separate in the PMD. The PMD has the same sized battery inside in it as the RMD, a 3100 mah battery. Exposure make top-shelf gear for sure, and you could probably use a Diablo underwater if that's the way you Bike-pack ; )

I reckon if I wasn't using a dynamo system in the TA, this would be my sole lighting system. As is it, it is my back up. See the costings below for the PMD.

Torch + charger/power-bank + battery + cable + 3-pin USB plug. All that is missing is the helmet and bar mounts.

Helmet with torch mounted.

Torch = 8.50$ US
http://www.lights-box.com/ultrafire-wf-501b-cree-xm-l-t6-1000-lumens-5-modes-led-torch-1-x-18650-battery

Charger/power bank = 5.15$ US
https://www.fasttech.com/product/1137904

USB to micro cable = 7.90$ NZ
http://www.jaycar.co.nz/IT-Products/Connectivity/Cables-Leads/0-5m-USB-A-male-to-Micro-B-Lead/p/WC7723

USB power adapter =18.90 $ NZ
http://www.jaycar.co.nz/PRODUCTS/Power-Products-Electrical/Plugpacks/Specialty-Plugpacks/USB-Power-Adaptor---1A/p/MP3455

18650 Battery @ 3100 mah = 18.00 $ NZ
http://www.mrpositive.co.nz/panasonic-18650-3-7v-3100mah-ncr18650a/

Handlebar torch clamp = 0.92 $ US
http://www.aliexpress.com/snapshot/6913716510.html?orderId=69305441879900

Helmet mount = 3.77 $ US (I dont think this is mine, but it is similar, seems too expensive).
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Norwalk-Flashlight-Universal-Bracket-Mount-Holder-with-Velcro/32364040530.html

You could also use one of these. This one takes 2x 18650s.  Also
dirt cheap. I am not sure how they go charging two batteries of
uneven charge should one become more flat than another?

Final cost in NZ pesos:

Torch=13.27
Charger= 8.03
Cable=7.90
USB wall Adaptor=18.90
Battery=18.00
Bar-clamp=1.43
Helmet-clamp=5.85
Total=73.38 +


With a PMD you can carry multiple batteries. If you take another charging box, you could charge more than 1 battery at a time. You can get charging boxes that take 1, 2 or 3 18650 batteries. The reason I use the single one is that it does "pass-through" for use as a cache battery with my dynamo set-up. The double one above is not pass-through but both charges and can be charged.

Handlebar mount.

The quality of your PMD's torch beam will likely determined by how much you pay for it.

My 10$ ones wont likely be as good as a "name " branded one, like this Klarus XT2C that Nathan Mawkes uses in his set-up.

A higher quality torch may have a more even spread. This is where spending more could pay off. I am very happy with my torch for the money but would expect a more even beam from something like the Klarus.

I get 14, 7 and 3.5 hours out of one of these 3100mah batteries on high, medium and low settings. There is also strobe and SOS !

 If you want to delve into levels of nerdery you had no idea existed, go here for tests on batteries, chargers, torches etc. More for flash-lights here on the Candlepower forums.

Remember with the batteries used above. Some people regard them as incendiary devices. Do not put them on charge and leave the house!

More lighting related posts:
http://jeffsbike.blogspot.co.nz/2015/09/the-great-rimutaka-bike-experiment.html
http://jeffsbike.blogspot.co.nz/2015/09/dynamo-shizzle-pt-2.html
http://jeffsbike.blogspot.co.nz/2015/06/dynamo-lighting-101-part-1.html

Another really cheap and possibly more more useful scenario is to use an AA powered Fenix LD22, as used as a spare head torch by Josh Kato in winning this years Tour Divide.

Try this.

1. Fenix LD22 torch
2. 1 x 4 or 2 cell NIMH USB powered charger
3. 2 to 4 Lithium batteries
4. 2 to 4 rechargable NIMH batteies
5. Top up at gas stations on route if all the other AAs run out.

If you were wanting to try this option, the first step would be to get one of these torches and trial it first.

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Dynamo lighting 101. Part 1

I have recently set up a bike with a dynamo hub for use in the Tour Aotearoa and while it's all fresh in my mind I will share the basics so you might find it easier than I did. There are many resources out there but a lot of them assume you know more than you do.

A few disclaimers from the start.

1. Dynamo lights are not magic, and as far as I know, they only come with bike mounts, as opposed to helmet-mounts. You cannot ride singletrack fast with a bike mounted light alone. Optimally you would also have a helmet mounted light for seeing around corners. Obviously for commuting a bike mounted light is more than enough. This post is angled at a "bikepacking" end-use (although commuting is a no-brainer for dynamo lighting).

2. When the going gets slow, your dynamo light will put out a lot less light than you would expect from a typical battery powered light, depending on your set-up and how fast your "slow" is, this is why people will often run a spare light-weight helmet mounted light.

How dynamo power is typically used

Lighting only
Requirements: Dynamo and light

Lighting and/or  powering
Requirements: Dynamo, light and usb converter (and a device to power; eg Phone, GPS etc)

Lighting, and/or powering and/or storing power
Requirements: Dynamo, light, usb converter and a power-bank/battery (and a device to power).

Handlebar switch from kLite

A fourth scenario is to have all of these things working with a switching system. Kerry at kLite builds these to order and probably knows more about dynamo lighting in relation to bikepacking than anyone out there. A switch means that you don't need to stop and unplug and replug devices.

Some jargon

What is a standlite?
A smaller battery or capacitor built into or attached to the light so that the lighting does not disappear immediately you stop moving. Many dynamo lights have them built in.

Sinewave USB converter

What is a USB converter?
This device changes the current from the dynamo from AC to DC so that it can be used to charge devices like GPSes, smart phones, cameras or power-banks (batteries). A very popular device seems to be the Sinewave for bikepacking needs. Another popular choice is the Ewerks.
A well researched list of hub-dynamo USB converters is available here.
Some very good instructions on building your own converters can be found here, and here, just don't ride too fast and make them explode. (This could happen - read ALL the comments : )

What is a cache battery?
It's just a battery/power-bank you run inline, after your usb-converter but before the device you are powering. Eg.If your GPS sends up a nag screen saying "lost power" because you are riding slowly up a steep hill and not generating enough power, the cache battery, (if it has some charge in it) will supplement the GPS and stop the nag screen. The rich kids will use an Exposure Diablo or Joystick head-light as it serves double duty as cache battery/power bank as well as its original use as a helmet light, should you get into some gnarly trail late at night. When looking for a cache battery/power bank its helpful to have one with "pass-through charging". This means you can charge the battery and use it to power other devices at the same time. Rob Davidson used a Plox branded one in his Tour Divide.

Some connection scenarios rendered in an "ascii diagram"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

( hub )  - - - -  * LIGHT *


( hub )  - -
                |
               USB-conv - - - - - { BATTERY }


( hub )  - -
                 |
               USB-conv - - - - - *] DEVICE [* - - - - - -


( hub )  - -
                 |
               USB-conv - - - - - { BATTERY } - - - - *] DEVICE [*


( hub )  - - - -  * LIGHT *
                |
               USB-conv - - - - - *] low-drain-DEVICE [*

Obviously some set-ups might let you charge or power, and use the light at the same time but its unlikely you are going to be making enough power to do both equally well, but it depends on the load. If you read Kerry at kLites info page you will learn that some devices are more power hungry than others. Cell phones vs GPS for instance. You may still be able to use your lights and power your low-drain GPS.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

A very good primer can be found here:
http://www.velorutioncycles.com/dynamo-systems-a-primer/

Some popular dynamo lights
I'm not sure how useful the bottom two are but the top two are very robust and proven in Bikepacking circles.
Exposure Revolution
Klite
Supernova E3 triple
B+M
Son Edelux

The best dynamo hubs seem to be the following. Some are just licensed versions of another.
Shutter Precision
SON Schmidt
Supernova
Exposure

It's my understanding that the Supernova and Exposure are licensed versions of the Shutter Precision (SP) hub. The SP hub is not user serviceable but can be overhauled for a reasonable fee after sending back to the factory. The SON hub is user serviceable, if you are keen. SP claim their system is more simple hence robust and therefore is not high maintenance. SON has been around for a long time and many people will say they have had no problems despite commuting 50kms a day through a monsoon for 5 years solid! The SON can cost twice what the SP hub costs but it is worth shopping around for prices. The Exposure Revo hub/light kits are amazing value if you can get one, as the Exposure parts, (lights) are incredibly expensive bought separately.

The best Dynamo lighting resources I have found are from Kerry at kLite, (in Australia) and the  Peter White Cycles sites (US).

Here are a few more real life cases where people are using dynamo lighting systems in Bikepacking situations.

Ollie Whalley.
Rob Davidson.
Composite MTB.
Mike Hall.

More to come as I discover it!

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