Below is an archive of guestbook entries I received and sent when this journal was posted at the Crazy Guy on a Bike website.

CycleBlaze (where this journal is now) allows comments for each day’s entry and for each individual picture, if you’d like to leave a note.

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#1: Enjoy the trip -- and clear skies for the eclipse
 By Aaron Bransky (arbransky) on Mon 7 Aug 2017 11:03
Hope you have an excellent trip. I hope the skies are clear wherever you are on August 21 at totality.

#7: Re: Enjoy the trip -- and clear skies for the eclipse
 By Jeff Teel (map330) on Sat 9 Sep 2017 11:22 in reply to #1
Aaron,
Thanks so much for these good wishes, which I did see early in my trip. It was my intent to answer guestbook entries promptly 'from the road'. When I went to answer yours, I didn't have a signal. I'm sorry about this late response.
The sky was somewhat cloudy during the eclipse, so we didn’t see stars, but still it was awesome.
Jeff

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#2: Highway 2: worst road in Iowa?
 By Scott Anderson (scoand) on Tue 8 Aug 2017 16:39
Hey there! I hope you have a great experience. We live just outside the path of totality ourselves and are trying to decide whether to join the millions on the road to see for ourselves.
I was interested in your map though, because it looks like you're planning to cross Iowa on Highway 2. Maybe you're familiar with this road, which looks like it would be a great ride on paper. I sure wouldn't ride it again though. Here's a recent discussion on that road from the forum, in response to a question about the best route across Iowa. I didn't know that, but offered Highway 2 as likely the worst. Others agreed.
Good luck, and don't forget your eclipse glasses!
Scott

Message on Forum "Regional: North America": "Re: Best East-West Route Across Iowa" posted by Scott Anderson on Tue 4 Jul 2017 14:17 (US/Pacific)

#8: Re: Highway 2: worst road in Iowa?
 By Jeff Teel (map330) on Sat 9 Sep 2017 11:26 in reply to #2
Scott,
Thanks for the guestbook entry. I hope you decided to get to a good viewing location to see totality on eclipse day. I'm glad I did.
Sorry I'm not getting this response back to you until now.
You were right-on in reckoning that my plan was to cross Iowa on IA-2. And you were right-on about how it would be. Your information kept my expectations in-check. And in the few areas where the shoulder was good, I celebrated the blessing.
Jeff

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#3: Dynamo Hub
 By John Dapper on Wed 9 Aug 2017 19:44
Wow, awesome pics and trip (I'm Mike Jackson's brother in law). Was thinking of getting dynamo hub in future, and see you added a generator. Dynamo not bright enough?
Safe travels, and enjoy the eclipse.

#9: Re: Dynamo Hub
 By Jeff Teel (map330) on Sat 9 Sep 2017 11:46 in reply to #3
John,
Nice to meet you, so to speak. Thanks for your kind comments and good wishes.
I hope I'm not too late with this response to you. The hub dynamo I have (Shimano DH-2N35, 6v 2.4w) delivers more than adequate power for an LED headlight and tail-light. It's just that I was asking it to do so much more: charge sealed lead acid batteries for [later] smartphone charging, and power two GPS adapters (so I could quit feeding them batteries). On previous trips, it seemed the hub dynamo didn't deliver quite enough power for all that. But I also average six to eight mph. At faster speeds, it appeared to be enough, according to my battery voltage monitor. Anyway, I added the bottle generator as a supplement. That provided plenty of power (added to the hub output), even at my slower speeds. However, I didn't use the bottle generator except when necessary, since it made pedaling harder (maybe just in my mind).
Jeff

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#4: Re: Dynamo Hub
 By Anthony Levand (arcosine) on Tue 29 Aug 2017 05:51 in reply to #3
The friction generator in the picture is not aligned right, it should be square with the tire.

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#10: Re: Dynamo Hub
 By Jeff Teel (map330) on Sat 9 Sep 2017 11:53 in reply to #4
Tony,
You are very observant, and very correct! This alignment was as close as I could get to perpendicular without cutting off the alignment locking tab. The generator seemed to be working OK with the misalignment, perhaps with help from the friction strip on the tire made for a bottle generator.
Jeff

#13: Re: Dynamo Hub
 By Anthony Levand (arcosine) on Sun 10 Sep 2017 09:27 in reply to #10
Hi Jeff,
Id imaging it would wear out the friction strip faster and have more friction the way it is.
Been following your journal. Stop by if you happen though my neighborhood, Lemont.
Tony

#14: Re: Dynamo Hub
 By Jeff Teel (map330) on Wed 13 Sep 2017 17:31 in reply to #13
Tony,
You're right, the friction strip is worn and the wear is uneven. I'll get that alignment corrected.
Thanks for the invite to stop by. I'll contact you if I ever get that close to the Chicago area.
Jeff

#15: Re: Dynamo Hub
 By Anthony Levand (arcosine) on Wed 13 Sep 2017 17:42 in reply to #14
Hi Jeff,
Im planning on riding though Illinois next month, but not near Morton.
I stick a turned down roller blade wheel on the end and it rides on the rim. It slips a bit in rain and snow, though. You want the generator axis to point through the wheel axle and as parallel to the wheel plane as practical for minimum drag and wear. I have a 12 volt half amp generator, 6 watts and LED headlight. I need a voltage limiter, though, as I burnt out a 12 to 35 volt usb charger circuit going fast down hill.
Tony

#16: Re: Dynamo Hub
 By Jeff Teel (map330) on Fri 15 Sep 2017 19:46 in reply to #15
Tony,
Thanks for the interesting extra information. I may have been over-cautious, but went ahead and used 1N4004 diodes (400-volt Peak Reverse Voltage rating) for rectification of my 12-volt, 6-watt bottle generator's output for charging my batteries, so as to not burn out more efficient Schottky type diodes (with a 100-volt Peak Reverse Voltage rating), which I use with my 6-volt, 2.4-watt hub dynamo.
Hope you have Indian Summer-type weather during your trip through Illinois next month.
Jeff

#17: Re: Dynamo Hub
 By Anthony Levand (arcosine) on Sun 17 Sep 2017 07:44 in reply to #16
Hi Jeff, I have an article on lighting: http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?doc_id=18721
I bought the expensive LED but the two are in parallel on the chip and can't be changed to series, so the forward voltage is only 3v. I suspect my 12v alternator and bridge rectifier can muster one amp, so that would be 3.5 watts, the rest dissipated in the windings.. I was thinking of using a transformer to better match the impedance, maybe a 2:1 ratio, center tapped and a full wave rectifier, that would be one less diode drop than the bridge.. Im using these 40v reverse, 5 amp, .5v forward Schottky diodes: http://www.onsemi.com/pub/Collateral/MBRS540T3-D.PDF . I have some super capacitors in the rectifier circuit that keeps the led on for about a minute.
Previously I just ran two leds in push-pull directly on AC from the alternator, it work fine except for being stationary. The strobe effect made it more noticeable, I think.
Thanks Jeff, I am concerned it may be too warm inside the bike. 80F to 85F is about the comfort level limit, depending on humidity.
Tony

#18: Re: Dynamo Hub
 By Jeff Teel (map330) on Thu 21 Sep 2017 15:47 in reply to #17
Tony,
You know a lot more about light and LEDs than I do. Nice article. Sorry your new LED package can't be modified the way you want. I thought about using a transformer on my hub dynamo output (to boost the voltage) until I came across "The Split-Battery Circuit", which I ended up using.
I didn’t think about there being an over-heating concern when you're in an enclosed bike. With that in mind, I'll revise my wish for your trip. Hope you have weather that works well for you.
Jeff

#19: Re: Dynamo Hub
 By Anthony Levand (arcosine) on Thu 21 Sep 2017 18:30 in reply to #18
Hi Jeff,
Thank you, I hope your next ride has a sunny day for any astrological event.
My generator has a 6 volt tap for tails lights, I don't know if its centered from the 12 volt head light tap or not, I'll try measuring the voltages, and if it is I could try a full wave rectifier, that should give 1 amps at 6 volts. I don't know if the transformer would work efficiently, due to the frequency range and the iron is heavy.
Take care,
Tony

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#5: Trolley/interurban route in Centerville?
 By Aaron Bransky (arbransky) on Wed 30 Aug 2017 09:21
One of your pictures for Day 24 includes an alleyway with electric lines suspended over the alley, almost as if a trolley or interurban catenary had once been there. Did you take this picture in Centerville, and do you know if that alley once hosted an interurban right of way?

#11: Re: Trolley/interurban route in Centerville?
 By Jeff Teel (map330) on Sat 9 Sep 2017 12:04 in reply to #5
Aaron,
Yes, this picture was taken in Centerville - standing on the sidewalk of N. 13th Street looking west at the alley between E. Jackson Street and E. Maple Street (IA-2). (I was walking the bike at the time, since I was heading south the wrong way along a one-way street.)
Centerville did have an interurban at one time - the Southern Iowa Railway - but I don’t believe this is where it ran.
What prompted me to take the picture was I've never seen power distribution done like this before in a downtown area. Checking Google Earth just now, I see the downtown area is surrounded on all four sides by these towers-with-powerlines along the first alleyways beyond the courthouse square.
Jeff

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#6: Ben Walther Walker
 By Ben Walther on Thu 7 Sep 2017 08:46
Hey Jeff, just wanted to say hi! glad to hear you made it home safe. I'm bookmarking your journal so I can read through it when I have a bit more time. I'm in St. Louis right now, ended up doing the whole Katy Trail starting in pleasant hill, MO and it was amazing!
Best,
Ben

#12: Re: Ben Walther Walker
 By Jeff Teel (map330) on Sat 9 Sep 2017 12:20 in reply to #6
Ben,
Thanks for signing in, and for the news of your progress. I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the Katy Trail. It's the best way I know of for getting across Missouri.
Meeting you that day in Kansas gave me the inspiration I needed to make it all the way to Marysville that same day, which kept me on-schedule. Thanks for the nice write-up in your journal of our encounter. The picture you took is great, though I'm being harassed by my family over the caption ;-)
You're writing an excellent journal. It's like being on the trip with you, experiencing the joys and trials of seeing America by walking. A little more challenging than bicycling, I'd say.
Best wishes for a continuing safe and memorable trip as you make your way east. I'll be following along.
Jeff

#20: Re: Ben Walther Walker
 By Jeff Teel (map330) on Tue 14 Nov 2017 07:00 in reply to #6
Ben,
Congratulations on making it all the way across the country walking!
I think your next adventure should be bicycling across the country. Of course, you'd have to wear the proper cycling attire ;-)
Jeff

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