Can dynamo bottle generators overheat?

[Thxcuz]

I just put an old bottle generator on a bike and it was great for a few miles then it stopped putting out power. Did it overheat? I kept it off the tire for a while and it worked for a brief time then pooped out again. It's 90 degrees at 10pm and it's been sitting outside all day so I wonder if weather had something to do with it or were my downhill runs too much for the generator.

 

[wheelbender6]

You can overheat anything in Yuma.

 

[Thxcuz]

I tried it again after not riding it and it worked again. I wonder if it will work better after it cools down.
I also noticed the generator is 12 v not the usual 6 would that be an issue?

 

[The Renaissance Man]

I tried it again after not riding it and it worked again. I wonder if it will work better after it cools down.
I also noticed the generator is 12 v not the usual 6 would that be an issue?

I wonder how it would work on 12volt LED's.

 

[GuzziRod]

I tried one of the little generators to power a LED. Problem is the generator puts out AC power and the LED needs DC. The LED would work, actually would flash at the rate of the turning generator, but the back voltage was causing the LED to heat up in my hand. So I quit turning the generator. It does work but I think it would burn up the LED if ran for too long.

The generator I used has the tail light with it. The simple run off the tire kind. If you could find a way to use a rectifier, then it might work. I have a pic posted in the 'show us your' threads of my Spaceliner with the generator on it.

But LEDs take such low current that they will work with batteries for a long time. Sometimes it is easier to use the parts out of the cheap LED flashlights.

 

[GuzziRod]

I tried it again after not riding it and it worked again. I wonder if it will work better after it cools down.
I also noticed the generator is 12 v not the usual 6 would that be an issue?

I wouldn't think that 12v or 6v would be an issue with overheating. Unless you had a high wattage 12v bulb. Higher wattage would demand more from the generator. Are you using automotive bulbs? The 12v generator would probably burn out a 6v bulb in a hurry. But a 6v generator would light a 12v bulb, just not as bright.