Homemade electric clothing

[venturejockey]

Last year on VentureRider I, someone wrote up how to make homemade electric clothing. Unfortunately I didn't make a copy. If that person is still around could you re submit in particular I am interested in were the electronic controller was found.

 

Thanks

[RPG]

Dennis Kirk Online, sell electronic and bimetal controllers. I've made 4 or 5 electric vests, I don't use a controller at all, although I think a controller would be a good idea, I just switch mine off and on as I need it. I have a switch mounted on my res.

[stardbog]

In mean Time you can look on some final products.

 

http://www.widder.com/

 

or

 

http://www.gerbing.com/divmc/clothing/outerwearprod.html

[rosebud]

Last year on VentureRider I, someone wrote up how to make homemade electric clothing. Unfortunately I didn't make a copy. If that person is still around could you re submit in particular I am interested in were the electronic controller was found.

 

Thanks

 

I know you asked a serious question, and I do not mean to make light of it, but... why would you want electric clothing, homemade or otherwise? Is this similar to the electric blanket concept - to stay warm without adding a large amount of bulky clothing? I'm just guessing here, so please help me out...

 

Thanks!

[RPG]

You are correct, same concept. I prefer to do my own, it allows me to choose the wattage and also how the heat is distributed. There are some great retail vests available if thats your preference.

[venturejockey]

I know you asked a serious question, and I do not mean to make light of it, but... why would you want electric clothing, homemade or otherwise? Is this similar to the electric blanket concept - to stay warm without adding a large amount of bulky clothing? I'm just guessing here, so please help me out...

 

Thanks!

 

Thats it. I commute on my bike to work. I would like to ride as long as I can. With the right equipment and baring snow, ice etc icould ride year around here.

 

Starbog I know about the commercial clothing. I have also seen the prices. This is pretty simple thing to do you just need some 30 guage wire from Radio Shack and some connectors for the power source, an on/off switch and time to put it all in an existing jacket/pant/sock and /or pair of gloves.

[mm482]

12 volts applied to a 30 foot long, 30 ga. wire, will give you 48 watts of heat. This works good for a vest.

 

Earl

86 VR

00 RSV

[RPG]

At 14v 30 ft. you would be producing 65 watts, for sure to high to run without a thermostat. I use 35 ft. @ 1-ohm per 10 ft. produces 49 watts @ 14V. I use a digital ohm meter and cut the wire to 3.5 ohms before sewing it into the vest. I find this to work very well.

[stardbog]

Check out This Article:

 

 

 

 

 

Homemade Heated Clothing

 

MATERIALS:

Gerbing connectors for the newly wired clothing

The connectors need a foot or more of 16 or 18AWG wire.

33 feet of 30AWG stranded wire per jacket or slacks

The 33' of 30AWG will draw about 54 watts at 13.5 VDC.

Scotch Locks and heat shrink to make connections,

A Gerbing "Y" if you have a single knob controller.

The "Y&" allows you to split the power to feed multiple units.

Note that each unit draws 4.5 Amps when using 33' of 30AWG.

DIRECTIONS:

 

You sew the 30AWG to the inside of the jacket then place a liner over the wire to keep it from snagging. You could also sew the 30AWG under the liner of a lined jacket. The 30AWG wire is a really thin wire, you can hardly see the copper inside. You connect the 30AWG to the 16AWG using a Scotch Lock, seal with heat shrink then fasten the sealed connection to the jacket. The 16AWG comes out of your jacket and the end with the Gerbing connector plugs into your controller.

 

The wiring is not spread uniformly under the jacket. The front of the arms and the chest get more wire than the rear because that is where you need the most heat.

 

The connection to the motorcycle requires:

 

connectors to cycle battery = $17 with 10A inline fuse (included above) and power distribution wire (have) (included above)

15A PWM Controller with OFF to 100% = $100 with quick disconnect connector(included above). This is the Heat-troller

heat shrink tubes

Instructions on do it yourself:

 

Electrically Heated Clothing and Image of Dimmer which refers to Variable Heat Controller

 

Use a relay when bike has a radio - Variable Heat Controller with Relay

 

Controllers can be found at Wam n Safe.

 

Heat-troller Portable Dual with battery harness $99.95. Designed to control 2 different sections.

Power Harness with Waterproof Fuse Holder, 15 amp fuse $6.95

Widder Adapter Female $5.95

S+H = $10

Wire at $15.13 per 100 feet TFE Teflon Hook-Up Wire, 30 AWG Gauge, 600 V, TFE Teflon Insulation, 38 AWG , 7 Stranding, 0.032 in. Outer Diameter, Hook-up Wire Type

Newark in One

ALLIED'S ELECTRONICS DATA HANDBOOK for reference

American Wire Gauge Information

Wire Product Table

Kits

I bought most of this stuff to make my own last December. My wife took pity on me and bought me Gerbing Jacket + Pants liners.

 

Or This one

 

http://www.shadowriders.org/faq/electricvests.html

[RPG]

Building a heated vest is not for everybody thats for sure, but for people not afraid to try, its kind of a fun project. Nice feeling of accomplishment when, on a cold day you flip the switch and feel the heat warm you up. Its not hard to do but does require a degree of experience with electrical wiring. If your nervous though, go buy a vest, like I said there are some great retail vests out there and not all that expensive.

[StuD]

• Living on the {wet} West coast I would be afraid of short curciting due to dew. However Iam qurious as to how long an extention cord one would need & how dose one let out that much line when riding long distances & do you need to return the same way you went to retrieve the electical coard???????

  :rotf: :rotf: :rotf: :rotf: :rotf: :canada:

  
  

[stardbog]

If you ask for my oppinion... is not worth to build your own... for $100 or so you can buy profesionaly made heated vest.... since you buy material and put some time to sew...... No Thanks. I'll beter save some mony ( No beer for a month) and buy outfit

 

I Have whole Widder outfit and and Gerbings Union Ridge Heated Pants

[RPG]

I think it works out to about $30. per vest to build. Not a big money saver thats for sure. But, just because you can't do it doesn't mean its a bad idea for someone who can. Its a relativily easy project thats kinda fun to do thats all. You got the 100 bucks and lack the desire to try, then go buy!

[RPG]

I should have added, my "primary" reason for choosing to electrify my own vests is that I can wire the vest that came with and zippers into my existing jackets. One less article of clothing to keep track of while traveling.

[venturejockey]

The Gerbing unit is about $200 dollars. Widder is basicaly a vest that you can put sleeves on. Higher. Riderwearhouse $257. Since I, like a lot of others around here are DIY types, and since my jacket has a zip in liner, why not do one my self for less than $30 dollars. The wire at radio shack is only $3.99. I already have a connector. So I was trying to fancy it up with a controler verses an on/off switch.

 

In reality I could get by with the $3.99 + the controler $.00 + a micro switch I have $.00, the jacket liner that came with the riding suit, for a total of $3.99. And the time spent to do the project.

 

Why not. If I mess up not mutch lost.

[venturejockey]

• Living on the {wet} West coast I would be afraid of short curciting due to dew. However Iam qurious as to how long an extention cord one would need & how dose one let out that much line when riding long distances & do you need to return the same way you went to retrieve the electical coard???????

  :rotf: :rotf: :rotf: :rotf: :rotf: :canada:

  
  

 

No extension cord needed Just buy some of those solar cells and use double sided tape to stick them to your helmet or scalp. Wire it all up and you will be warm anytime the sun is shining. If you are concerned about cloudy days just buy one of those small bicycle generators that operate by rubbing against the front wheel and you are good for any type of weather. :dancefool:

[RPG]

Good for you Eric! If I can be of any help don't be shy to ask, just give me a shout, you'll do a great job I'm sure!

[venturejockey]

I think this is the controller I was looking for. Lots better than the $60 ones sold by Gerbings etal.

 

http://store.qkits.com/moreinfo.cfm/MX033

 

Bought my wire today will start experimenting this weekend.

 

Eric

[silvercrew]

Just on thought for you people that are making your own heated clothing. The rear defrost switch for a 1888 ford taurus is a time switch, it stay's on for ten min then shuts itself off. I am not sure if you can water proof the switch but maybe something to think about. A few bucks at a auto salvage yard and you could be warm for ten min. at a time.

[ctraylor]

What about the old universal heater blower motor switch. It is basically a potentiometer that varies voltage. It would be easy to install and you can just turn the knob to adjust the intensity.

 

Just a thought,

Curtis Traylor

[RPG]

What about the old universal heater blower motor switch. It is basically a potentiometer that varies voltage. It would be easy to install and you can just turn the knob to adjust the intensity.

 

Just a thought,

Curtis Traylor

 

The variable resistance of the switch would determine its usefulness. You would want a switch that varied from 0 Ohms (high), to around 4 Ohms (low). If the switch varied up to, say 20 ohms, the amount of adjustment from 0 to 4 would be so slight that the switch would be very difficult to adjust accurately in the 0 to 4 range.

The voltage stay constant, by increasing the resistance you lower the amperage and in turn lower the wattage of the item.

[a1bummer]

I love the "Do It Yourself" attitude. That's what I prefer. I hate forking out a bunch of dough for what I can do myself for a fraction of the price. I also have a hard time finding exactly what I need or want on the shelves. What's the worse that could happen? Just remember "STOP DROP AND ROLL".

[star4772]

MOVE TO WARMER CLIMATE AND RIDE ALL YEAR? MY 2 CENTS. GOOD IDEA THOUGH MAKE YOUR OWN AND SAVE MONEY.

 

JOE STAR4772

[timk]

A guy on another site uses the panel out of a automobile heated seat. I imagine the wiring going to it would be more than adequate. Biggest problem would be finding a junkyard that would let you get one.

[RPG]

A guy on another site uses the panel out of a automobile heated seat. I imagine the wiring going to it would be more than adequate. Biggest problem would be finding a junkyard that would let you get one.

That sounds like a good idea alright.