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What connectors do I need for these dynamo lights?

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Philip Benstead Posts: 2017 Joined: 13 Jan 2007, 7:06pm Location: Victoria , London

What connectors do I need for these dynamo lights?

Post by Philip Benstead » 29 Aug 2023, 6:24pm

I wish to connect the lights listed below, but I need to buy some connectors, I am a bit stuck as to what to buy.

What connectors/sizes do I need for the following lights?

Basta Pilot front light (for dynamo hub) front light for dynamo
https://ebike.hu/products/accessories/l . or-dynamo/

BASTA AXA RAY STEADY LED BIKE CARRIER DYNAMO REAR LIGHT/STAND LIGHT FUNCTION

Philip Benstead | Life Member Former CTC Councillor/Trustee
Organizing events and representing cyclists' in southeast since 1988
Bikeability Instructor/Mechanic

rjb Posts: 7564 Joined: 11 Jan 2007, 10:25am Location: Somerset (originally 60/70's Plymouth)

Re: What connectors do I need for these dynamo lights?

Post by rjb » 29 Aug 2023, 7:14pm

Get the lights first and then you can see what connectors you may need. Many dynamos and lights use bare wire connectors meaning you strip a length of insulation off your connecting wire and insert into a clamped connector in the light. Ie no terminal connectors required.

At the last count:- Peugeot 531 pro, Dawes Discovery Tandem, Dawes Kingpin X3, Raleigh 20 stowaway X2, 1965 Moulton deluxe, Falcon K2 MTB dropped bar tourer, Rudge Bi frame folder, Longstaff trike conversion on a Giant XTC 840

Philip Benstead Posts: 2017 Joined: 13 Jan 2007, 7:06pm Location: Victoria , London

Re: What connectors do I need for these dynamo lights?

Post by Philip Benstead » 29 Aug 2023, 7:25pm

rjb wrote: ↑ 29 Aug 2023, 7:14pm Get the lights first and then you can see what connectors you may need. Many dynamos and lights use bare wire connectors meaning you strip a length of insulation off your connecting wire and insert into a clamped connector in the light. Ie no terminal connectors required.


I do need connectors, so that is why I am asking.

Philip Benstead | Life Member Former CTC Councillor/Trustee
Organizing events and representing cyclists' in southeast since 1988
Bikeability Instructor/Mechanic

Jdsk Posts: 27056 Joined: 5 Mar 2019, 5:42pm

Re: What connectors do I need for these dynamo lights?

Post by Jdsk » 29 Aug 2023, 7:52pm

Please can you add some photos of where the wires will connect.

backnotes Posts: 635 Joined: 16 Jan 2011, 8:36am

Re: What connectors do I need for these dynamo lights?

Post by backnotes » 29 Aug 2023, 8:08pm

If you can see past all the nagging adverts, I think these may be the instructions for these two lights - similar looking lights with same model names (Pilot and Ray) but a different brand:

The wiring instructions are in sections 8 to 10. It looks as if for the front light, you strip the end of the wire and poke it through the connector and fold it back on itself and hold it in place with a plastic cover. B+M lights have a similar arrangement. I've used a short length of narrow heat shrink instead when I have lost the cover. For the rear light, again it looks as if you just need to strip the end of the wire, and in this case there are spring clips on the lights so there are no additional connectors needed.

Stranded copper figure of 8 wire with one of the wires striped makes things easier.

Screen grabs of the relevant sections below because the pesky ads are SO annoying!

Last edited by backnotes on 29 Aug 2023, 8:11pm, edited 1 time in total. mjr Posts: 20475 Joined: 20 Jun 2011, 7:06pm Location: Norfolk or Somerset, mostly Contact:

Re: What connectors do I need for these dynamo lights?

Post by mjr » 29 Aug 2023, 8:52pm

The Axa Pico and Riff use 2.8mm spade connectors (2A red, male on the lights) so I'd be surprised if those didn't.

MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk
All the above is CC-By-SA and no other implied copyright license to Cycle magazine.

gregoryoftours Posts: 2316 Joined: 22 May 2011, 7:14pm

Re: What connectors do I need for these dynamo lights?

Post by gregoryoftours » 29 Aug 2023, 10:17pm

The rear one at least is bare wire - you push the sprung metal tabs in until the holes in the plastic and metal line up, poke the wire in and release. The front one may come with a plastic bit that you poke the wires through and fold over then push onto the metal tabs which may also be compatible with spade connectors (can't remember the size, maybe 3mm? Could check tomorrow) - some of the axa ones we use are like this.

plancashire Posts: 753 Joined: 22 Apr 2007, 10:49am Location: Düsseldorf, Germany

Re: What connectors do I need for these dynamo lights?

Post by plancashire » 30 Aug 2023, 8:52pm

I'll have a look and see if we have either of these lying around in our box of spares at the workshop tomorrow.

Why do you want to use such a dim front lamp? I can find several variants with this description either LED or halogen and 10 lux (min StVZO) or 15 lux. You don't need to spend much more to get 40 lux, which in my experience is the minimum you need to see anything if you ever cycle in the wet and/or against oncoming car lights (always).

I am NOT a cyclist. I enjoy riding a bike for utility, commuting, fitness and touring on tout terrain Rohloff, Brompton M3 and Wester Ross 354 plus a Burley Travoy trailer.

plancashire Posts: 753 Joined: 22 Apr 2007, 10:49am Location: Düsseldorf, Germany

Re: What connectors do I need for these dynamo lights?

Post by plancashire » 30 Aug 2023, 8:59pm

backnotes wrote: ↑ 29 Aug 2023, 8:08pm If you can see past all the nagging adverts, I think these may be the instructions for these two lights - similar looking lights with same model names (Pilot and Ray) but a different brand:

I do not see any ads at all with Ad And Stuff Blocker on my Mac.

I am NOT a cyclist. I enjoy riding a bike for utility, commuting, fitness and touring on tout terrain Rohloff, Brompton M3 and Wester Ross 354 plus a Burley Travoy trailer.

Philip Benstead Posts: 2017 Joined: 13 Jan 2007, 7:06pm Location: Victoria , London

Re: What connectors do I need for these dynamo lights?

Post by Philip Benstead » 30 Aug 2023, 9:23pm

plancashire wrote: ↑ 30 Aug 2023, 8:52pm I'll have a look and see if we have either of these lying around in our box of spares at the workshop tomorrow.

Why do you want to use such a dim front lamp? I can find several variants with this description either LED or halogen and 10 lux (min StVZO) or 15 lux. You don't need to spend much more to get 40 lux, which in my experience is the minimum you need to see anything if you ever cycle in the wet and/or against oncoming car lights (always).


The front light is on an existing bike set up, it belong to a customer.

Philip Benstead | Life Member Former CTC Councillor/Trustee
Organizing events and representing cyclists' in southeast since 1988
Bikeability Instructor/Mechanic

rjb Posts: 7564 Joined: 11 Jan 2007, 10:25am Location: Somerset (originally 60/70's Plymouth)

Re: What connectors do I need for these dynamo lights?

Post by rjb » 31 Aug 2023, 8:11am

Advise the customer to take it to a proper bike shop who can do those simple repairs.

At the last count:- Peugeot 531 pro, Dawes Discovery Tandem, Dawes Kingpin X3, Raleigh 20 stowaway X2, 1965 Moulton deluxe, Falcon K2 MTB dropped bar tourer, Rudge Bi frame folder, Longstaff trike conversion on a Giant XTC 840

Philip Benstead Posts: 2017 Joined: 13 Jan 2007, 7:06pm Location: Victoria , London

Re: What connectors do I need for these dynamo lights?

Post by Philip Benstead » 31 Aug 2023, 9:09am

rjb wrote: ↑ 31 Aug 2023, 8:11am Advise the customer to take it to a proper bike shop who can do those simple repairs.

I am the mechanic trying to increase their knowledge base so I can do this simple repair.

Philip Benstead | Life Member Former CTC Councillor/Trustee
Organizing events and representing cyclists' in southeast since 1988
Bikeability Instructor/Mechanic

mjr Posts: 20475 Joined: 20 Jun 2011, 7:06pm Location: Norfolk or Somerset, mostly Contact:

Re: What connectors do I need for these dynamo lights?

Post by mjr » 31 Aug 2023, 9:26am

rjb wrote: ↑ 31 Aug 2023, 8:11am Advise the customer to take it to a proper bike shop who can do those simple repairs.

I suspect half of bike shops won't have dynamo spade connectors and would try to replace the lights with battery ones.

MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk
All the above is CC-By-SA and no other implied copyright license to Cycle magazine.

plancashire Posts: 753 Joined: 22 Apr 2007, 10:49am Location: Düsseldorf, Germany

Re: What connectors do I need for these dynamo lights?

Post by plancashire » 31 Aug 2023, 4:31pm

backnotes wrote: ↑ 29 Aug 2023, 8:08pm If you can see past all the nagging adverts, I think these may be the instructions for these two lights - similar looking lights with same model names (Pilot and Ray) but a different brand:
https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/ . titoe-road

The wiring instructions are in sections 8 to 10. It looks as if for the front light, you strip the end of the wire and poke it through the connector and fold it back on itself and hold it in place with a plastic cover. B+M lights have a similar arrangement. I've used a short length of narrow heat shrink instead when I have lost the cover. For the rear light, again it looks as if you just need to strip the end of the wire, and in this case there are spring clips on the lights so there are no additional connectors needed.

Stranded copper figure of 8 wire with one of the wires striped makes things easier.
.

I have been to the workshop and found both front and rear lights. I can confirm the above and elaborate.

The front we have is new, 15W LED, so I can see that you also have some twin wire, two small black plastic tubes and no instructions. The light has two flat strips with holes near the end. You hold the stripped ends of the wire on by pushing these through the hole, then sliding on the tube.

The rear has no extra loose parts to lose. It has two flat strips, much bigger than the front ones, which are housed in the plastic casing and spring-loaded. If you press, a hole in the strip lines up with a hole in the casing through which you poke the stripped end of the wire, then release the strip, which springs back and grips the wire.

Reading the packaging, I realised that these lights are also used in France. Based on this and some searching in French I found the company web site. AXA is actually Dutch, which explains the bodge connectors: Dutch bikes are a nightmare (worked on one today). The front light is likely this: https://www.axasecurity.com/bike-securi . -15-switch . They seem not to make the rear light you have now. I can find no instructions here either, including for the dynamos! I stumbled on the FAQs and found this gem:

How to connect my lighting on my bicycle?
The explanation on how to connect your lighting can be found in the manual.

There is no manual with the new light I saw today. Presumably the Dutch are born knowing how to fix their bikes.

I am NOT a cyclist. I enjoy riding a bike for utility, commuting, fitness and touring on tout terrain Rohloff, Brompton M3 and Wester Ross 354 plus a Burley Travoy trailer.