Son28 Dynohub - toast?

[HobbesOnTour]

Hi folks,
Have a Son28 Dynohub, bought 2016, has about 30000km on it.
Had a recent interaction with a drain that swallowed my front wheel and left it looking like a Pringle.

I got it straightened out and spinning OK, but the hub itself doesn't seem to be producing any electricity.
Normally it's connected to an Edelux light and/or a USB charger, neither of which show any sign of life.

I've also tried connecting another light to it and no result, so I'm assuming it's toast from a generation point of view.

Does anyone have any experience of something similar?

Many thanks

 

[Crankarm]

I would connect it to a multimeter to see if it is producing any voltage. Then if dead consider returning it to SON or the bike shop you bought it from. The hubs have a 5 year warranty. Maybe email them? You did buy it new did you, not second hand?

30k km, it's just run in.

 

[steveindenmark]

Have a word with SON if they are working.

 

[silva]

Is the hub an SL version, so no cable bridging hub > frame?
https://nabendynamo.de/en/products/sl/
In that case, maybe the insulating plate at one fork (other fork is ground) was damaged or mounted wrong (or just forgotten), causing hub shortcircuit?

 

[HobbesOnTour]

Have a word with SON if they are working.

Thanks. Yes, that's obvious, but they want contact through a dealer. I'm currently on a bit of a tour so that's more complex.

Is the hub an SL version, so no cable bridging hub > frame?

No, nothing as fancy as that😀.

I would connect it to a multimeter to see if it is producing any voltage. Then if dead consider returning it to SON or the bike shop you bought it from. The hubs have a 5 year warranty. Maybe email them? You did buy it new did you, not second hand?
30k km, it's just run in.

I've no access to a multimeter at the moment, but am confident that no electricity is being produced.
Bought new from SJScycles
Son will only deal with their dealers of which there is one in the country I'm currently in.
The warranty won't apply in my case, unfortunately.
Thanks

 

[silva]

With a battery and a bulb you could check if the hubs coil or the wiring isn't interrupted. Maybe also switch polarity when checking, dunno if there is a chance on an internal rectifier (diode or so).

 

[HobbesOnTour]

With a battery and a bulb you could check if the hubs coil or the wiring isn't interrupted. Maybe also switch polarity when checking, dunno if there is a chance on an internal rectifier (diode or so).

Thank you.
Are you suggesting I test the wiring by using a battery instead of the hub? I think by connecting another lamp to the hub I showed that the hub wasn't generating?
That was done in a local bike repair place and we also tried a meter on the hub too.

I reversed the polarity too.

It's possible the wiring is fecked too although the connections were protected by the forks, but that's a simple fix. I have spare wiring & connectors.

 

[Crankarm]

So which country are you in at the moment?
SJS are pretty good. Just contact them and see what they can suggest?
Why won't the warranty apply?
Why not give the full picture rather than drip drip info?
Even if as you state it will not be covered under warranty I have heard anecdotally that servicing and repairs are pretty reasonable.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

So which country are you in at the moment?

Mexico, but that's not really relevant to my question. I've asked if anyone had a similar experience. I'm looking for hub info, not logistics info.

SJS are pretty good. Just contact them and see what they can suggest?

I've already done that and Son themselves and am waiting to hear from the only agent where I am.

Why won't the warranty apply?

Because what happened (an accident) is not covered.

Why not give the full picture rather than drip drip info?

Again, I'm looking for info on the hub.

Even if as you state it will not be covered under warranty I have heard anecdotally that servicing and repairs are pretty reasonable.

I'm aware of that. Despatching the hub back to Germany leaves me stranded where I am until it is returned. Given the current climate there is huge uncertainty about how long I could be without a hub.

I'm asking if there's anything I can do to the hub here & now because sending it back to Germany is extreme in this instance.

Thanks for the input.

 

[Crankarm]

Mexico, but that's not really relevant to my question. I've asked if anyone had a similar experience. I'm looking for hub info, not logistics info.


I've already done that and Son themselves and am waiting to hear from the only agent where I am.


Because what happened (an accident) is not covered.

Again, I'm looking for info on the hub.

I'm aware of that. Despatching the hub back to Germany leaves me stranded where I am until it is returned. Given the current climate there is huge uncertainty about how long I could be without a hub.

I'm asking if there's anything I can do to the hub here & now because sending it back to Germany is extreme in this instance.

Thanks for the input.

You are over the other side of the world, you have a problem with your dynamo hub and have come on here to ask for help. You might want to be a little more shall I say .... gracious. I would say being in Mexico is actually quite important in the scheme of things. I think I am done. Good luck finding a solution.

Btw I have a SON hub as well.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

You are over the other side of the world, you have a problem with your dynamo hub and have come on here to ask for help. You might want to be a little more shall I say .... gracious. I would say being in Mexico is actually quite important in the scheme of things. I think I am done. Good luck finding a solution.

Btw I have a SON hub as well.

As I said, I'd be appreciative of any suggestions for things I can try with the hub. For that, my location is irrelevant. For the logistics involved of returning the hub to Germany my location is very important.

I thanked you for your input.
I did enjoy the lecture on graciousness though - I do enjoy irony.

 

[Ajax Bay]

You are over the other side of the world, you have a problem with your dynamo hub and have come on here to ask for help. You might want to be a little more shall I say .... gracious.

I think you might consider being a little more charitable, given the tricky circumstances that you (and we) now know @HobbesOnTour is contending with. He is a long term CycleChat correspondent and knows there's a lot of expertise on here (not me btw): makes entire sense to ask the question:
Hub bashed, "doesn't seem to be producing any electricity . . . Does anyone have any experience of something similar?"
Some of the comments tried to address the question. Others were just (perfectly reasonable including your first reaction) chat/advice/wouldn't start from here stuff.

 

[silva]

Thank you.
Are you suggesting I test the wiring by using a battery instead of the hub? I think by connecting another lamp to the hub I showed that the hub wasn't generating?
That was done in a local bike repair place and we also tried a meter on the hub too.

I reversed the polarity too.

It's possible the wiring is fecked too although the connections were protected by the forks, but that's a simple fix. I have spare wiring & connectors.

It's unlikely that wheel damage would have damaged the hub if the wheel spins ok afterwards.
In the case a short circuit somewhere, the wheel should visibly slowdown much faster when spinning around by hand, since mechanical energy will be drawn off along electrical current.
In the case an open circuit, the wheel should turn much easier, and likely smoother, if I spin the wheel I can feel little hickups (subsequent slowdowns) during the turn, that's due to the N magnets / pole(s) of the hub.
If your light doesn't lit and the light itself is ok, it has to be one of both aboves causes.
If it's internal in the hub, guess there's little to do but replacing it.
If an interruption (open circuit) it could be the core of a cable sitting broken inside the insulation.
My Son hubs cable is a coax alike cable, meaning a copper core, insulation around it, a thin metal wires shielding around the insulation and finally an outer insulation, alike a tv antenna cable. Tv antenna cables have a single rather thick copper wire, and a typical problem is due to lack of souplesse it can break in a too short cable turn or after too many turns forth and back. Normally the insulation is stiff enough to prevent it, but you had an accident and things may happen then.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

It's unlikely that wheel damage would have damaged the hub if the wheel spins ok afterwards.
In the case a short circuit somewhere, the wheel should visibly slowdown much faster when spinning around by hand, since mechanical energy will be drawn off along electrical current.
In the case an open circuit, the wheel should turn much easier, and likely smoother, if I spin the wheel I can feel little hickups (subsequent slowdowns) during the turn, that's due to the N magnets / pole(s) of the hub.
If your light doesn't lit and the light itself is ok, it has to be one of both aboves causes.
If it's internal in the hub, guess there's little to do but replacing it.
If an interruption (open circuit) it could be the core of a cable sitting broken inside the insulation.
My Son hubs cable is a coax alike cable, meaning a copper core, insulation around it, a thin metal wires shielding around the insulation and finally an outer insulation, alike a tv antenna cable. Tv antenna cables have a single rather thick copper wire, and a typical problem is due to lack of souplesse it can break in a too short cable turn or after too many turns forth and back. Normally the insulation is stiff enough to prevent it, but you had an accident and things may happen then.

Thank you for that detailed reply.

Just to clarify, the wheel was badly bent out of shape in the fall into the drain. The fork (and indeed my front Rack) took the main force but I'm sure the hub had a fast descent and sudden stop!

If I spin the wheel I notice no significant variance from its usual rotation pattern. At slow speeds I will see the "hiccup" which is normally present but not noticeable at higher speeds. As to whether these "hiccups" are more pronounced now it's impossible to say definitively, but I think not.

I have a spare cable for my USB charger and a simple USB electrical reader which I will connect up and test for final and conclusive proof as to hub or cabling issue.

Closer inspection of my rim is showing up two small but significant gouges that concern me for the future so I may be looking at a new rim, too.

My current priority is patching up my tent (damn cats!!) but I'll return with an update on my USB test.

Many thanks

 

[HobbesOnTour]

I thought it only right to come back and update this thread with some good news.

I'm now in Mexico city and things have opened up significantly so things like the postal service are operating.

After contact with the only Son dealer in Mexico (about 300km away) he arranged for a friend to test out my hub to save me the expense of shipping the hub if something else was wrong. It was dead as the proverbial dodo.

He then contacted Son in Germany who asked for a video of me short circuiting the hub - again nothing to see.
Since the hub is dead and is within warranty, they're shipping a new hub to the dealer. My only cost is the shipping cost from the dealer to me!

I was fully clear about what happened to the local agent (my own fault!) and have to say that I am incredibly impressed with that service from Son as well as the local agent.

Dynamo hubs are not at all common here, the local agent is the only agent - he had me over a barrel if he so chose - but this is so typical of my experience in México.

If anyone's dithering about the extra expense of a Son hub I hope my experience will explain what you're getting for your money.

And when the world opens up again and you want a great place to ride a bike think Mexican!