Can I convert my dynamo bicycle lights to use LEDs & capacitors?
Using the output of either dynamo will likely damage the type of capacitor that you are looking at. You will want a voltage regulator between the dynamo and the cap/LEDs. A linear regulator is easier to use, but will waste power. A switching regulator can be much more efficient, but they are harder to design. You may want to have a diode on the output of the regulator if its leakage current is too high (for example, when you are sitting still, the current to drive the LED is coming from the capacitor, and if the regulator is also “leaking” current back into its output, then the capacitor will be discharged faster).
