Dynamo Theft in San Francisco

On Mon, 4 Nov 2013 15:38:18 -0800 (PST), datakoll
wrote:


oh Lieb you are such a wet resistor

Ohm is where the heart is.

dyno theft is one of Cal's Big Problems

I know. Everyone is into alternative energy in California. That
causes an increase in dynamo, generator, alternator, and turbine
thefts. You'll probably find the missing dynamo hub perched on top of
someones house acting as a wind charger for a cell phone.

and a good reason for avoiding owning a D-hub.

Maybe. The trend in business is for everyone to pay for everything on
a monthly basis, turning a purchase decision into a "lifestyle"
decision. No need to own anything if you can rent it. Instead of
owning a dynamo hub, you are expected to purchase throw away batteries
on a continuous basis. Over the life of your bicycle, that's far more
profitable for the energy conspirators than if you purchased a dynamo
hub. Try not to let it bother you.

see D-hubs around S.Cruz ?

Yes, but only on visitors and tourists bicycles.

Most of the local hackers (except me) have modified their lights to
run on rechargeable LiIon instead of throw away AA or AAA cells. I
started one that uses a cell phone battery and external charger, but
haven't had time to package and finish it.




--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

On Monday, November 4, 2013 9:54:01 PM UTC-5, sms wrote:

Not sure whether you're actually interested in the facts, but Frank's
been lying about this whole thing for a decade or more. His original
claim was that I was selling MR16 based lighting systems, which was
untrue (in the 1980's I sold some H3 and LV504 based lighting systems
with sealed lead-acid batteries, but haven't done that in 25 years).
When he wore out that lie he switched to his newest one about the
commissions.

You have to understand that Frank is a pathological liar and that he's
obsessed with me. Keep that in mind when reading any of his posts. The
best option would be to filter him out completely as many of us in
r.b.t. do.

While I won't bother to search years back in the archives, but I know that back when you were slamming all dynamo systems (um... back before you put them on your family's bikes), you were saying 20 Watt halogen systems powered by big batteries were absolutely necessary, and that you used to sell such systems (but that people should build their own from your 20 pages of "easy" instructions). I probably referred to that. It's possible you attempted to sell something other than MR (i.e. overhead projector) lamps, even though you spent all your time praising those overhead projector lamps.

Regarding your commissions, that was a recent discovery of mine, just a month or two ago. I learned of it from the tag line at the bottom of some of your web pages. That was also where you described yourself as a "guerrilla marketer," and bragged about spamming - er, "engaging all segments of the bicycling community in the promotion of our products..."

Ah, here's the text: "About Nordic Bicycle Products

"Nordic Bicycle Products is a manufacturers rep company for bicycle components and accessories. Many of the products we represent are designed and manufactured by smaller companies that cannot afford to sell through distribution because of the high costs associated with companies like QBP and J&B, or because the market for their products is so specialized that a distributor cannot provide the necessary marketing support.

[i.e. Chinese flashlight makers - FK]

"We attend bicycle industry trade shows throughout the world seeking out products that we believe have great potential in the U.S. but that are not compatible with the traditional distribution model.

"We believe in guerilla marketing. We engage with the all segments of the bicycling community in the promotion of our products. ... "

.... and so on.

And the commission bit? Here's that text: "If you found this site useful and were going to order from one of these merchants anyway, then it would be greatly appreciated if you use these links to enter the merchant's site.... The above links are affiliates and I receive 3% compensation from these companies on all orders."

(I can give the links to the above to prove I'm not a "pathological liar," but I really don't want to drive any naive customers your way.)

So you haven't been getting many commissions lately, Steven? I can understand why you're getting especially testy towards me!

No, I'm not obsessed with you personally. But when someone posts nonsense, I do want to see it called out as nonsense. You're just such a rich source of material that deserves proper labeling.

- Frank Krygowski

On 11/4/2013 7:15 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:

snip

Maybe. The trend in business is for everyone to pay for everything on
a monthly basis, turning a purchase decision into a "lifestyle"
decision. No need to own anything if you can rent it. Instead of
owning a dynamo hub, you are expected to purchase throw away batteries
on a continuous basis. Over the life of your bicycle, that's far more
profitable for the energy conspirators than if you purchased a dynamo
hub. Try not to let it bother you.

Costco sells Sanyo eneloop batteries. There's no more need to throw away
batteries for lights than there is to throw away batteries for cell
phones or digital cameras.

On Mon, 04 Nov 2013 20:13:25 -0800, sms
wrote:

On 11/4/2013 7:15 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:

snip

Maybe. The trend in business is for everyone to pay for everything on
a monthly basis, turning a purchase decision into a "lifestyle"
decision. No need to own anything if you can rent it. Instead of
owning a dynamo hub, you are expected to purchase throw away batteries
on a continuous basis. Over the life of your bicycle, that's far more
profitable for the energy conspirators than if you purchased a dynamo
hub. Try not to let it bother you.

Costco sells Sanyo eneloop batteries. There's no more need to throw away
batteries for lights than there is to throw away batteries for cell
phones or digital cameras.

http://www.eneloop.info/eneloop-products/eneloop-batteries.html
AA Eneloop batteries are rated at about 2000 ma-hrs. It takes two
batteries to run a typical LED headlight at 2.4VDC. That's about 4.8
watt-hrs. Sanyo recommends NOT using a fast charger. The standard
"overnight" charger takes 3.5 hrs to charge a pair of batteries or 7
hrs to do 4 batteries. The quick charger takes 2 hrs for a pair or 4
hours for 4 batteries.
http://www.eneloop.info/eneloop-products/chargers.html

LiIon cell phone batteries have a higher power density (in both weight
and volume). The bigger smartphone "extended" batteries are rated at
3800 to 5500 ma-hrs at 3.7VDC. That's about 18.5 watt-hrs. Fast
chargers take about 30 mins to charge one of these. Advanced
batteries are much faster:
http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/134635-scientists-develop-lithium-ion-battery-that-charges-120-times-faster-than-normal

There is one area where Eneloop batteries are superior. They're
allegedly good for 1800 charge cycles, while the commodity LiIon might
last about 600 charge cycles.

I selected a LiIon cell phone battery mostly because of the form
factor and the size. I wanted something cheap, light, small,
aerodynamic, commonly available, and easily replaceable. LiIon is
much easier to deal with than 18650 cylindrical cells, with their
flaky battery contacts, springs, and bulky form factor. The plan is
to build something very thin, that could be mounted horizontally on
the handlebars for riding, used as a normal flashlight, or turned 90
degrees to clip onto a hat, jacket, or back pocket. In other words, a
universal light.

Rant: Are you familiar with the term "fixation" in industrial design?
It's the tendency for designers to visualize a new product with the
same form factor as the old design. In this case, you're thinking of
a bicycle headlight in terms of a flashlight with it's cylindrical
cells. Methinks such a light neither fits well, or works well on the
handlebars of a bicycle:
http://802.11junk.com/jeffl/pics/bicycles/slides/bicycle-flashlight.html
Forget that there ever was such a device as a flashlight or automobile
headlight, and try to visualize a lighting device that looks like it
belongs on a handlebar.

Sigh:
http://www.yankodesign.com/2011/02/28/10-paradigm-shifting-battery-concepts/

--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

On 11/4/2013 9:39 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
On Mon, 04 Nov 2013 20:13:25 -0800, sms
wrote:

On 11/4/2013 7:15 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:

snip

Maybe. The trend in business is for everyone to pay for everything on
a monthly basis, turning a purchase decision into a "lifestyle"
decision. No need to own anything if you can rent it. Instead of
owning a dynamo hub, you are expected to purchase throw away batteries
on a continuous basis. Over the life of your bicycle, that's far more
profitable for the energy conspirators than if you purchased a dynamo
hub. Try not to let it bother you.

Costco sells Sanyo eneloop batteries. There's no more need to throw away
batteries for lights than there is to throw away batteries for cell
phones or digital cameras.

http://www.eneloop.info/eneloop-products/eneloop-batteries.html
AA Eneloop batteries are rated at about 2000 ma-hrs. It takes two
batteries to run a typical LED headlight at 2.4VDC. That's about 4.8
watt-hrs. Sanyo recommends NOT using a fast charger. The standard
"overnight" charger takes 3.5 hrs to charge a pair of batteries or 7
hrs to do 4 batteries. The quick charger takes 2 hrs for a pair or 4
hours for 4 batteries.
http://www.eneloop.info/eneloop-products/chargers.html

LiIon cell phone batteries have a higher power density (in both weight
and volume). The bigger smartphone "extended" batteries are rated at
3800 to 5500 ma-hrs at 3.7VDC. That's about 18.5 watt-hrs. Fast
chargers take about 30 mins to charge one of these. Advanced
batteries are much faster:
http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/134635-scientists-develop-lithium-ion-battery-that-charges-120-times-faster-than-normal

There is one area where Eneloop batteries are superior. They're
allegedly good for 1800 charge cycles, while the commodity LiIon might
last about 600 charge cycles.

I selected a LiIon cell phone battery mostly because of the form
factor and the size. I wanted something cheap, light, small,
aerodynamic, commonly available, and easily replaceable. LiIon is
much easier to deal with than 18650 cylindrical cells, with their
flaky battery contacts, springs, and bulky form factor. The plan is
to build something very thin, that could be mounted horizontally on
the handlebars for riding, used as a normal flashlight, or turned 90
degrees to clip onto a hat, jacket, or back pocket. In other words, a
universal light.

Rant: Are you familiar with the term "fixation" in industrial design?
It's the tendency for designers to visualize a new product with the
same form factor as the old design. In this case, you're thinking of
a bicycle headlight in terms of a flashlight with it's cylindrical
cells. Methinks such a light neither fits well, or works well on the
handlebars of a bicycle:
http://802.11junk.com/jeffl/pics/bicycles/slides/bicycle-flashlight.html
Forget that there ever was such a device as a flashlight or automobile
headlight, and try to visualize a lighting device that looks like it
belongs on a handlebar.

Yet most Li-Ion laptop battery packs are composed of cylindrical cells
in a flat enclosure.

The cylindrical shape makes sense in terms of form following function.
An ideal light has a symmetrical round beam with round optics. It's more
practical to manufacture a mount for round handlebars and a round light
body. There are many lights that run on one or two 18650 cells.

On Mon, 04 Nov 2013 18:54:01 -0800, sms
wrote:

On 11/4/2013 4:07 PM, John B. wrote:
On Mon, 4 Nov 2013 09:22:34 -0800 (PST), Frank Krygowski
wrote:

On Monday, November 4, 2013 12:14:20 PM UTC-5, sms wrote:
For those who claim that theft of dynamo lights is not a problem, look
at this bicycle, parked by the San Francisco Ferry Building. The dynamo
lights are no longer there, plus the thief took the dynamo wheel as well
as breaking the fork. Apparently they had to steal the handlebars in
order to get the Supernova E3 Triple. http://oi43.tinypic.com/14v75mb.jpg

And they stole the Chinese flashlights too! But that just means more click-through sales commission for you, right, Steven?

- Frank Krygowski

I wonder, does he pay someone else 2% to use their picture? Or does he
just steal the picture?

Hopefully you're ware that I'm not getting any commission from anything
from Costco, or dx.com, and rarely get anything from Amazon anymore
since most items on Amazon now come from third-party sellers that are
not eligible for commissions. The Amazon commissions have been enough to
partially offset the cost of hosting the informational sites, but that's
it. I haven't gotten an Amazon commission in more than a year.

Not sure whether you're actually interested in the facts, but Frank's
been lying about this whole thing for a decade or more. His original
claim was that I was selling MR16 based lighting systems, which was
untrue (in the 1980's I sold some H3 and LV504 based lighting systems
with sealed lead-acid batteries, but haven't done that in 25 years).
When he wore out that lie he switched to his newest one about the
commissions.

You have to understand that Frank is a pathological liar and that he's
obsessed with me. Keep that in mind when reading any of his posts. The
best option would be to filter him out completely as many of us in
r.b.t. do.


I have the suspicion that Frank is not "obsessed" with you. I rather
imagine that Frank is concerned with false and misleading information
posted in pursuit of a commission.
--
Cheers,

John B.

On 11/4/2013 12:37 PM, Lou Holtman wrote:
sms schreef op 4-11-2013 18:14:
For those who claim that theft of dynamo lights is not a problem, look
at this bicycle, parked by the San Francisco Ferry Building. The dynamo
lights are no longer there, plus the thief took the dynamo wheel as well
as breaking the fork. Apparently they had to steal the handlebars in
order to get the Supernova E3 Triple.
http://oi43.tinypic.com/14v75mb.jpg


How are you so sure that is what happened.

Lou

Well they were ovbiously stealing lights.
They didn't take that fancy Cannondale monoblade fork, did they?

Jeff Liebermann


copper from Burklee ?

ride for sport, ride commute at night or dusk/dawn, ride to MB ?

and today is Ray Loewy's day !

for a trip down Baja whaling, stocked Energizer rechargeable 1.5V with Energizer recharger and got ZERO results... worthless...abt $40 into the can.

same for the SF Li outfit. nada. for the online kayak bilge pump rig of 6 years ago.

but a SLA Curt trailer batt a 1250Ah/5 amps looks like a go....maybe drain the cockpit in 5 min max.

BTW 6 years ago talk abt lighting here did not arouse imterest, wheels/bearings mostly.

fewer commuters...more TdF sport.

On 11/5/2013 3:02 AM, John B. wrote:

snip

I have the suspicion that Frank is not "obsessed" with you. I rather
imagine that Frank is concerned with false and misleading information
posted in pursuit of a commission.

Just realize that he made up the story about commissions because he's
unable to counter anything I posted with referenced facts or even simple
logic. I have never posted any false or misleading information. What I
have posted is information that explains things that run counter to what
Frank does himself. He has always operated on the principle that
everyone should do everything that he does and believe exactly as he does.

On 11/5/2013 3:57 AM, Doug Cimperman wrote:

snip

Well they were ovbiously stealing lights.
They didn't take that fancy Cannondale monoblade fork, did they?

That's not a Cannondale monoblade fork. It's a rare Cro-Mo monoblade
fork. Clearly the thief did not realize how valuable it is. That photo
was taken on November 1, 2013. The fork is probably gone by now.