trenace
Needs a job
Posts: 3056
|
posted August 28, 2005 10:13 PM
 Edited By: trenace on 29 Aug 2005 11:58
Sorry frEEK, I hadn't seen your post till now, for some reason it didn't show as a new post and I missed it.
Nope, no significant experience with electronics. Basically know little about it other than what I learned as a kid or in aircraft mechanic's school.
However, it's working out really cool. With help of some advice from ZXLNT, I'm now doing it with a relay that leaves the LiPoly battery connected to power the wiring harness except when the headlights come on (which, the way the ZX-12R works, is only after the starter is pressed and then disengaged.) That eliminates the need for the NiCd pack.
Plus, his post I think has given me a plan for the taillights that will work really well. As is, I have amber turn signals on the undertail plus an LED taillight that has soft red running light, bright red brakes, and it splits the taillight if running turn signals, flashing amber on the turning side.
With normally-closed relays I think I can run it as follows:
The normal red running LED's -- disconnect.
Turn signal voltage -- "flip" it so to speak so that when the switch sends no voltage, the relay (drawing power from another lead) lights the amber LED's of both the taillight and the undertail turn signals. Whereas, when the switch sends voltage, now the amber LED's will turn off. So you still get an off/on alternation from the turn signal switch, just in reverse phase.
The red brake LED's: leave alone.
The result would be:
Normal running (not braking, no turn signals) Amber taillight and both undertail lights.
Turn signal on: Amber lights flash on turning side, stay solid on non-turning side.
Braking with no turn signal: Taillight will have the bright red braking LED's lit plus the amber LED's mixed in. The amber undertail lights will stay on. I think that the brake light being bright red mixed with amber will be OK: if anything that will make the total light brighter than red alone and still will catch the eye as being reddish and a brake light, and still very obviously different from when it was operating as an amber running light.
Braking with turn signal: Same but the amber part, both the taillight and the undertail light, will flash on the turning side.
It seems to me that all this will add a safety aspect, as I have never felt that lights changing from soft red to bright red catch the eye properly. Much better to go from OFF to bright red, or in this case from amber to bright red.
Unfortunately today I slept all day, believe it or not, not waking up till about 10 PM. No idea why. So that ruined getting all that done today but tomorrow I expect it will!
ANYWAY what I was looking this older post up for in the first place was, to post the result on the capacitor. I got in the one from DigiKey and the 0.100 farad is indeed far more compact and entirely useable for a bike unless space is just very restricted. I didn't weigh it but I would guess 3 or 4 ounces, that's all.
So a full farad is just way too big to fit on a motorcycle anywhere -- except maybe if taking up the entire tail space if it could fit even there -- but something like 0.1 farad or possibly double that, is something that can be done if there's some reason to do it.
  
|
lietoome
Needs a job
Posts: 2033
|
posted August 29, 2005 05:57 AM
Tren,
I noticed you said your leds are amber? any chance you need a clear alternatives lens. I was experimenting with the led and removed the red inserts(so you can use stock white lights). I didn't like leds that I had and went back to stock. If you need a clear lens, let me know. Its not in the best shape, but I assure you it will look fine once installed. If you want it, just let me know.
jeff
|
trenace
Needs a job
Posts: 3056
|
posted August 29, 2005 06:31 AM
Edited By: trenace on 29 Aug 2005 10:57
Thanks, Jeff! Actually though that is (I think) how I wound up with the tail-light having amber and red LED's, so that half flashes amber as the turn signal, and the lens appears white when nothing is on. I got it off of eBay, and checking eBay, it is the Clear Alternatives.
BTW, you should have mail tomorrow or at worst Wednesday. Sorry I was late.
|
lietoome
Needs a job
Posts: 2033
|
posted August 29, 2005 10:41 AM
No problem, after re-reading your thread, I can see that you are already good to go. Cool on the mail, thanks again. Its going to be a few days before I can tinker with it anyway.
--jeff
|
lietoome
Needs a job
Posts: 2033
|
posted August 30, 2005 10:29 AM
Tren, It came in the mail last night. I just cannot get over the fact that that thing is so damn BIG! Its huge and feels like solid lead. I'm in No way considering it for my motorcycle now. Its just too damn big. I thought you were exaggerating when you said how big it was---i was thinking the size of a coke can. LOL. Still, thanks for hooking me up. I will see if I can get it too work in my truck so I can get an idea how too hook this thing up properly when I find another smaller one for the bike...
thanks again, if you need a favor, just call.
Jeff
|
trenace
Needs a job
Posts: 3056
|
posted August 30, 2005 11:51 AM
Sure thing, Jeff! Glad to help, actually thank Bigsaint as well because of his starting the whole "Pass it on" idea, he also incidentally sent me something very helpful just recently. It's a good thing helping each other out.
Yup, the size of that thing is a shocker! Hopefully it can be of some use for your truck's audio or something, or definitely should work in proving whether a capacitor can solve a given problem or not. Since if this one won't, then nothing practical will, whereas if this one does, then it could be worth ordering something like an 0.1 farad capacitor from Digikey, a size that is more practical, as then it might work to, it being proven that capacitance can solve the problem.
|
|
|
|
|
HOME
NEW TOPIC