anderson@uwvax.ARPA (08/30/84)
I recently bought a Union generator/headlight/taillight set, and it worked fine for a couple of months... nice bright lights and not too much generator drag. Then the generator died while I was riding; I was going pretty fast, and the generator seemed to be very hot afterwards. Has this happened to other people? Is it possible to fix the generator? Any recommendations about other types (such as the kind that contacts the face of the tire, rather than the side)? David Anderson (uwvax!anderson)
sjc@angband.UUCP (Steve Correll) (09/01/84)
I never had David Anderson's experience with a Union generator, but I
wore out the grooves on the tire-contacting pulleys of three successive
units, so that they slipped so badly I had to replace them (none of the
bike shops around here stocks replacement pulleys).
Then I changed to a Sanyo generator, which mounts in place of the
kickstand and contacts the face of the tire. Despite its apparently
vulnerable position, it works better for me in rain and mud, and has
lasted as long as the three Union generators combined. I do suggest one
modification. The mechanism has two springs, one to push the on-off
lever from the neutral position to the disengaged position, and one to
push the generator cylinder against the tire when engaged. Remove the
former spring. While its presence makes the disengaging action
snappier, the mechanism disengages perfectly well without it; and I
found that grit and grime on the mechanism will sometimes make that
spring stick in the neutral position if, for example, a bump or
out-of-round wheel momentarily nudges it away from the engaged
position.
--Steve Correll
sjc@s1-c.ARPA, ...!decvax!decwrl!mordor!sjc, or ...!ucbvax!dual!mordor!sjc
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--Steve Correll
sjc@s1-c.ARPA, ...!decvax!decwrl!mordor!sjc, or ...!ucbvax!dual!mordor!sjc