I Wanna Be a Flasher!!

[igya]

I want to wire up my turn signals like the first bikes, w/o the extra electronic components on later bikes. Just the handlebar switch, flasher relay unit and bulbs. I tried that but every relay unit canister I plug in just buzzes and will not flash the bulbs. When the switch is moved left or right, the proper bulb shines but no blink. If any techno brains know why, I'd appreciate an answer.

I realize that they blink when a certain amount of resistance is produced from the energy used to light the bulbs. But, is there a blinker unit that operates with a timer or by any other method other than resistance?

[V7Goose]

Actually, basic flashers work by the heat generated from the electrical current running through a bi-metallic strip inside the flasher. The two metals heat at different rates, causing the strip to bend, opening and closing the contacts like a relay. The only place "resistance" enters the picture is the resistance the bulbs themselves have in the current flow to ground - the more resistance, the less current flow, the slower flash rate. But you can't really control the resistance of the bulbs you use anyway, so that is just academic.

 

When people replace incandescent bulbs with LED, they have a problem with normal flashers because the LEDs have very LOW current, so it does not heat up the strip enough to break the circuit. When you hear about the need for load balancing resistors to make the flashers work, those are just big resistors wired in parallel with each LED that causes current to be wasted flowing to ground so that the flasher will work (not the same thing as the current "limiting" resistors in series with an LED to keep it from burning up).

 

I don't know what types of bulbs or LEDs you have, but your solution is probably to just buy an electronic flasher unit made for LED circuits - they will flash properly no matter what type of load they see. Available from most auto parts stored or just abut any web site that sells LED bulbs. Try www.superbrightleds.com.

Goose

 

BTW - if you poke around their site you will find links to all sorts of great detailed info on LEDs and how to use them. But this one page at the entrance to their car bulb replacement section has good basic info: http://www.superbrightleds.com/carbulb-notes.htm

Edited September 20, 2008 by V7Goose
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