Upgrade Your Cycle!

Hi everyone, in this instructable, I have guided you to upgrade your cycle and generate electricity while cycling. The electricity generated can be used for the headlight/ charging the phone/ charging the battery. In this project, there is also a voltmeter that shows the no of volts being generated. In this project, I have also added a battery so that even if you are not cycling, you can charge your phone or use your headlight. You might think that this is a very basic project and doesn't use advanced things like Arduino, Raspberry Pi, but my motive is not to just make advanced projects, but instead to make projects which are useful and helpful.

How this idea struck me:

I've always liked to upgrade my cycle and make a headlight for my cycle. A few months ago, I made my first headlight which was using a coin cell battery and a single normal white LED. As you would expect, I got very little light in that model. Since then I've been upgrading my cycle numerous times. Once the Idea of making an E-bike using a 775 motor struck me, then I was searching the internet for checking if it would work. I found that it wouldn't work and I needed a special motor for the E-bike, then I realised that cycling is good for health and I also like cycling so why not attach a motor, but not for turning the cycle's wheels but for getting turned by the cycle's wheels. This was how this idea struck me.

1. Dynamo motor - 30 rupees
2. Voltmeter - 51 rupees
3. Wires
4. Power bank module -16 rupees
5. 5v regulator - 20 rupees
6. 18650 battery and a holder - 50 rupees
7. 3x 1 watt LEDs - 6 rupees
8. 2x 6 pin 3 position switch - 4 rupees
9. 1x 6 pin 2 position switch - 7 rupees
10. On/Off switch - 4 rupees
11. A wheel with a few rubber bands
12. 2x Nylon zip tie - 2 rupees
13. Micro USB cable (cut)

TOTAL = 190 rupees + the usage of glue gun and soldering iron, so approximately 250 rupees. So using 250 rupees and your hard work, you can generate unlimited electricity, charge your phone, use the headlight, charge the battery.

The Circuit Diagram is attached to this step, connect all the parts and solder them.

Stick all the parts to your cycle. To know where to stick all the components, look at the YouTube video attached from 4:05 .

For the explanation of how to use the project and how the project works, watch the YouTube video attached from 4:05 .

Test your cycle to see if everything is working, if it doesn't then check the part that is not working using the multimeter. For example, let us assume that I have put my switch in the phone charging (through cycling) position but the phone is not charging while cycling, so now you should check if you are getting volts by directly connecting the multimeter to the motor. If you are getting volts, there is an issue in the connection from the power bank module to the motor. So now you can set the continuity setting on your multimeter and put one probe on the +ve of the power bank module and the other probe on the +ve of the motor (I mean the +ve of the motor when the cycle's wheel is in the clockwise direction). Now if you get a beep then the connection between the +ve of the motor and the +ve of the power bank module is fine. Now do the same thing with the -ve side of the motor and the power bank module, if you get a beep then check again if the phone is charging when you cycle. If it still doesn't work then most probably the power bank module isn't working.

TROUBLESHOOTING TIP: If any part is not working where it is using the motor's power then take any battery and connect the battery's wires temporarily in the place of the motor's wires. After fixing everything, you can connect the motor again instead of the battery. This tip is very useful as using this you do not need to cycle again and again to see if everything is working.

Congratulations on completing the project, now enjoy your new cycle!! and don't forget to upload a photo of your project