tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231841547435511043.post8819159177779959590..comments2023-06-13T01:05:30.996-07:00Comments on The Electricle™ : Bicycle Electric-Motor-Assist Project: Rearranged Rear Turn Signals, Moved 3rd BatteryM.E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15375034485988839284noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231841547435511043.post-91002658952681769042009-08-28T21:54:44.397-07:002009-08-28T21:54:44.397-07:00Back when I had money to spend on this project, I ...Back when I had money to spend on this project, I considered buying some of those instead of making my own, but I didn't like the styles, nor were they really bright enough for what I wanted, of the ones I had found. <br /><br />What I looked for but didn't find in any affordable format were the large and very bright many-LED units they use on large vehicles. <br /><br />So that's why I'm still wiring up my own, but it's tedious and time consuming, without a PCB (just unclad perfboard to physically hold them in place). There have to be four of them made, then I have to build the automatic brightness control and switching electronics, and then finally physically replace the bulbs and holders with these boards. <br /><br />The bulbs are one way to fix the flasher problem, but there are also electronic flasher units out there that don't require a current draw to make them work. If you don't mind buying them new, they are available from places that sell electric scooter parts, since those usually use much smaller bulbs than automotive ones and thus wouldn't trigger under the low currents pulled thru them.<br /><br />Probably even automotive stores sell them. Can't cost much; I'd expect less than $10 (which is still pretty expensive to me, but not to most folks). <br /><br />You can also just build one using a 555 and a couple of resistors and a capacitor, plus a transistor or two to do the actual switching of current for all your LEDs. <br /><br />On mine the power transistors are in the actual turn signal LED strings, so that the high current doesn't have to flow as far (wasting less power). It does make the wiring more complex by one wire, since I have to send the flash signal, ground, and power, instead of just the ground and flash power. <br /><br />The wire I used already had multiple conductors, so there would have been no weight savings anyway. In the back end it's an AT-style keyboard extension cable, chosen because I had them in coily-style, useful for extensions to run to the trailer, when I mounted my rear bike light cluster on that instead, during trips I used the trailer for. In the front it's all inside the CCFL enclosure on the bars, including the flasher, so not long enough wire to matter one way or the other.M.E.https://www.blogger.com/profile/15375034485988839284noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231841547435511043.post-40667171719308665922009-08-28T09:24:55.097-07:002009-08-28T09:24:55.097-07:00I found out the led side lights that go on trucks ...I found out the led side lights that go on trucks work pretty good for turn signals and brake lights on mine. I did have to add one real bulb in each side though before I could get the little blinker can to work. I put the bulb type on each side of the trike. So they can see them blinking from the front side and back now.<br />fleebell@gmail.comLee's Workshop (Packratworkshop)https://www.blogger.com/profile/14054544267600194823noreply@blogger.com