Attn: Elecrical wizards

[djh3]

I have a question for you all. I am looking at changing out the front reflectors for some LED marker lights. I had this crazy thought that I could maybe make them also part of the turn signals. I was reading on a nother site how a fellow connected a light bar something like what some of us are using for extra brake lights only his was a single function, but he made it dual as tail and brake light by adding some simple resistors and diodes available at radio shack. This is his diagrham. Substitue the turn signal for the brake in the pic. Could not find a 4003 number diode @ RS anymore so not sure what you would use limit wise. 330 ohm as long as it was 12v or more right?

http://www.gadgetjq.com/ledbrake-run_circuit_single_image.gif

(pic form Gadgets fix it page for Vulcans)

[bongobobny]

OK what ity looks like is the 330 ohm resistor will lower the voltage to the led so it will normally light dim. When the full 12 volt signal from the brake light hits it then the LED will be lit brighter. The diodes are so the voltage from the two circuits do not feed to the other circuit.

 

Diodes are like one way streets, they only allow electricity to flow one way, the direction the "arrow" points, and not the other way. The band on the body of the diode represents which side of the diode the electricity comes out of. Resistors are devices that, among other things, lower voltage thru them. There is no polarity on a resistor, they work the same either way...

[Cougar]

For my FRONT reflectors

Did that last year with a couple of relays my side reflectors are now working

blinkers as well. I have a YOU-TUBE I need to find and show you how they look

and work. got the LED's from JP Cycles fit great in the same location

[Cougar]

You did say FRONT right?

Also, I have whats in your diagram already made

if I can find them you can have them.

[M61A1MECH]

You can buy that circuit premade from Chrome Glow for just a bit over $6.00.

http://www.chromeglow.com/catalog.asp?prodid=520657

 

You can buy lighted reflectors from Electrical Conection, but they a little expensive for my tase.

http://www.electricalconnection.com/other-lighting/led-reflectors-bike.htm

[PGunn]

Diodes on EBay

20 for $1.04

http://www.ebay.com/itm/20-pcs-1N4003-200V-1A-RECTIFIER-DIODE-/360480288900?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item53ee4cb084

 

Resistors 10x 330k Ohm 0.5W Carbon Film Resistor ±5% M33 334 DE2972

10 for $1.11

http://www.ebay.com/itm/10x-330k-Ohm-0-5W-Carbon-Film-Resistor-5-M33-334-DE2972-/221137442595?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item337cd19723

 

If you shop around you can find them with free shipping.....

 

Also if your flasher starts going crazy try this mod

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=74292&highlight=flasher

[bongobobny]

Further info as I did not completely read your first post. Any 1N400(X) will do such as 4001, 4002, etc. There are other numbers for diodes as well, you do not need much current handling capabilities. Running into a LED the current draw will not be much. I am assuming that you are going to be using a LED for the light. resistors are not rated in volts but in Watts. Watts is Amps times Volts and LED's do not draw much amps (actually milliamps) so 14 X .015 (15 milliamps) is 0.21 watts so 1/4 watt resistor will work but for safety use at least a 1/2 watt resistor or bigger...

[djh3]

Bongo: thanks man for the diode info. The lights I'm looking at using are the ones I used in the rear are like this only red of course. http://contentinfo.autozone.com/znetcs/product-info/en/US/bli/B485A/image/2/

The other option are slightly larger but dont have the chrome around the edge.

http://contentinfo.autozone.com/znetcs/product-info/en/US/bli/C588A/image/2/ WalMart has some that are a little nicer looking than the second here. The chrome is a little nicer look I think. I replaced the ones on the back of the bike with the red/chrome ones. At $6 that aint bad if someone has already soldered it up and all. Now thinking I may add a stip or something to back of bike, maybe down along the lower saddlebag rail. Maybe wire it in on a tail/signal circuit. Buying the circuit made is a nice option, but when you get the chance to go out and tinker in the garage for hours on something that should take you 20 min-priceless.

[M61A1MECH]

I mounted a set of these (http://www.iowa80.com/DirectionsWEB/webcart_productDisplay.php?itemid=158736&green=CDD68D24-F193-58BD-B813-3DCFE8BF9F10&utm_source=mybuys&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=web_rec) to the lower saddle bag rails, made a set of brackets and mounted an amber and a red on each side. Not overly bright for day time use, but work very well at night. Hooked the red ones to the runing light circuit and the brake circuit thru a modulator so they flash when brakes are applied and the ambers are set as running and turn signals, both are using the divider network from chrome glow I posted earlier.

[Flyinfool]

With the diodes that last digit is the voltage rating. A 1N4001 is the lowest voltage rating at 50 V. The highest rating is 1000 V. That is why any last digit will work with our 14V systems.

 

That same wiring diagram is on this site in a bunch of places also.

[djh3]

Didnt know about the wire diagram. I just happened to be on Gadgets site looking at something else and it caught my eye. Amazing what happens when you got time on our hands aint it? I was thinking about the strip lights like that. Was thinking maybe double stick tape and run them up the side of the bags along the fender.

[M61A1MECH]

The strips I used in the link I provided have the wires exiting out the back, makes it difficult to mount directly on the bag rails. I have some photos of the set up I used, PM me at stevemarilyn@hotmail.com and I can send them to you if you like. If you are coming up towards Daytona any time soon I can show them to you in person.

[djh3]

Steve I'll be up that way in Feb around the 17th. At the risk of imposing, what is about the smallest gauge wire I could run for those wires wor the clearence lights (LED type) I am thinking about camoflaging them as best can and maybe running the wire inside the chaff tubes the brake lines run in comming down the forks. 26ga to small. I supose I could find a site with the info but me eyes are shot for today.

[M61A1MECH]

DJH3

 

Be happy to try and meet up with in Feb, coming up for the races?

it is a big deal up here that time of year, just like Sebring in March only bigger.

 

Here is a link to one of many places on the net you can find such info.

The LEDs are going to draw very little current so that is probably not the biggest concern, I would worry more about the robustness of the wire and insulation in a dynamic application such as on a motorcycle. I think the minimum I would consider is 20 gauge, but would probably feel more comfortable with 18 gauge.

I would also recommend running the wires in a flexible plastic sheath or tube of some type, that stuff can be found at auto parts stores or Radio Shack.

 

http://www.powerstream.com/Wire_Size.htm

[djh3]

With the info I have been able to find in just a general format, the draw of LED clearence lights is anywhere from .03 to .10 amp. So using the highest @ .10 and the aprox 4ft I need to run the chart says I can use 28awg as its good for .226 almost double what I need.

Like I said I'm trying to hide the wires with the rubber shielding alredy in place. Dont really want to add that convoluted tubing cover stuff or any spiral wrap if I can stay away from it. 18awg is going to be impossible to hide that way. I might have a little bit of 20ga I can see what it will do.

[M61A1MECH]

I hear what you are saying about adding the extra tubing to an area on the bike that is visible, that is one of the reasons I have not done what you are getting ready to do, I could not convince myself that I could make it look as presentable as I want it to be. The rubber tube over the brake line is a pretty snug fit, you may have problems getting the wires inside of it.

 

I just looked at mine again, I wonder what it would look like if you put the convluted or splt tubing around the existing brake line and put the wiring inside of that , as opposed to having an aditional tube running beside the existing brake line? I think I have some of that in garage , maybe I will just put some on later to see how it looks.

I agre I am not a fan of exposed sprial wrap, it has it's place in the world, but not on the outside of my bike.

 

Let us know how you handle it and how it works out, pictures are mandtory of course.

[djh3]

Yea I have some also, not sure of size though. Also have some spiral wrap stuff we use to use for anti-chaff on hyd lines. All black so may hide stuff. Also may see what autozone and the like have.

[djh3]

I think maybe these are the lights I going with. They are made in a clear lens that the light burns amber or you can get an amber lens. I think the amber lens may retain some reflective properties. I think I'm going to get a pair of red ones for the rear and connect them in a simular circuit and make them a run turn signal. May even rewire the rer clearence lights into a run turn deal also whiel I got it tore apart.

http://i.ebayimg.com/t/USA-MADE-Tecniq-Amber-Clear-LED-Clearance-Side-Marker-Light-1x4-Camper-Trailer-/00/s/OTYwWDEyODA=/$T2eC16NHJGoE9nuQeSy9BQiV9jcY1Q~~60_14.JPG

[djh3]

OK new question. I checked today and it appears the rear running lites I installed when I first got the bike (on the rear crash bars instead of reflectors) are a regular incandesent bulb. I had thought I went LED. Ah well anyways if I build these circuits and add a pair of lights back by the rear somewhere and add these regulag buls into the run/turn circuit will it still work the same? Will the incandesent bulb still light with the reduced voltage and then flash when signal is on? Or am I going to have to replace the light with an LED one?

[kevin-vic-b.c.]

I put LED strips on the back of my V-Strom that I bought at a local auto parts store. They are flat with 3M sticky tape on back, pre-wired with about 5 ft of wire and I put heat and shrink over the wires. The black heat shrink all but disappears on my black saddle bag rails so should be easy enough to hide on the 2nd Gens. I would bet they are 26 gauge wire.... no bigger.

[djh3]

Yup have seen the LED strips. All I have seen around here are like clear plastic tube with the LEDs in them. Not a real finnished looking item. There are some that have like bullit ends on them and look like door edge gaurd. They wouldnt be bad, but when I find them they are like $20 for 5-8". Thought about mounting stips up under the bags along the rails to just shine light at night. Have seen some pics of long strips mounted on trunks that look like the old T-bird tail lights, sequential. Start at on end and blink all the way down the strip towards the side your turning. But I think they would eat up my gass allotment for the summer.

[bongobobny]

OK new question. I checked today and it appears the rear running lites I installed when I first got the bike (on the rear crash bars instead of reflectors) are a regular incandesent bulb. I had thought I went LED. Ah well anyways if I build these circuits and add a pair of lights back by the rear somewhere and add these regulag buls into the run/turn circuit will it still work the same? Will the incandesent bulb still light with the reduced voltage and then flash when signal is on? Or am I going to have to replace the light with an LED one?

No, the incadescent bulb draws a lot more current, so the 330 ohm resistor will drop more voltage across it, and the wattage will be more. It would also slow down the turn signals as well. Switch to a LED...

[djh3]

Dang I was afraid of that. MAy have to just wire it so that provision can be made at a later date. Just got a "red light" camera ticket in the mail. $158 what a load of crap. Ho Ho Ho Merry Christmas bah humbug. From what I found on net, 158 to pay, around 90-100 to hire a suit to fight it, if loose could be as high as 500 (most around 300) So I guess I just cut out the red cross, Boy Scouts and ministry donations until its covered. Take note Congress, thats how you budget money, not go to the boss and tell him you need more cause you spent more.

[saddlebum]

Bongo: thanks man for the diode info. The lights I'm looking at using are the ones I used in the rear are like this only red of course. http://contentinfo.autozone.com/znetcs/product-info/en/US/bli/B485A/image/2/

The other option are slightly larger but dont have the chrome around the edge.

http://contentinfo.autozone.com/znetcs/product-info/en/US/bli/C588A/image/2/ WalMart has some that are a little nicer looking than the second here. The chrome is a little nicer look I think. I replaced the ones on the back of the bike with the red/chrome ones. At $6 that aint bad if someone has already soldered it up and all. Now thinking I may add a stip or something to back of bike, maybe down along the lower saddlebag rail. Maybe wire it in on a tail/signal circuit. Buying the circuit made is a nice option, but when you get the chance to go out and tinker in the garage for hours on something that should take you 20 min-priceless.

With regards to the lights shown in the above picture the weak point on them is the electrical connection they are very bad for corroding so seal them up well with NYK electrical grease or dielectric grease, available at truck supply sources (in a pinch old fashioned vaseline also works well).

 

The above lights as well as many of the ones shown in this link

 

https://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&sugexp=les%3B&gs_rn=1&gs_ri=hp&cp=32&gs_id=2r&xhr=t&q=led+truck+truck+clearance+lights&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&bvm=bv.1355534169,d.aWc&bpcl=40096503&biw=1024&bih=600&wrapid=tljp1357487196576060&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=eZzpUO2VMYKwqQGVhIDwBQ

 

can also be found at most any transport truck and/or trailer parts supplier's as well as most truck stops and are usually cheaper to aquir from these places than from some of the P/U and 4x4 custom shops.

Edited January 6, 2013 by saddlebum

[saddlebum]

A lot of the truck drivers I deal with go to this site for lighting and chrome trim supply's

 

http://www.bigrigchromeshop.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?page=BRCS/PROD/STRIPL/UP37896B

 

Here are some of there side marker LED lights on speacial

 

http://www.bigrigchromeshop.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?page=BRCS/CTGY/SPLG