Topic: Brilliant blinker idea, BUNKED! Ideas?

[kurtanton]

Hi,

So, I installed some LEDs in my headlight bucket (don't ask) for the idiot lights, I scrapped the h.beam because they didn't have blue ones, but I got a red (oil), green (neutral), and amber (turn). The neutral and oil lights work great. BUT, then I realized that the blinkers must be run on some sort of polarity/current flow system, therefore BUNKING my LED turn signal idiot light! Depending on which way I hook up the LED wires I can have the left or the right blinker trigger the LED. Not both, because the current switches depending on which way the signal is toggled (right?). Aaaaand since LEDs work only one way (right?) looks like I am stuck. I tried brainstorming a way around this, but it is 2 in the morning and my head hurts. Anyone have any ideas on how I can get the amber LED to flash when either signal is toggled? If not, should I have the left blinker flash the idiot light or the right..which is better for safety reasons, I figgered the left so far...

Thanks,
-Kurt

[Raul CB750K1]

You can do a simple OR gate with two diodes. You need 2 x 1N4004 or 1N4007, anyone will do.

Raul

[Raul CB750K1]

BTW, there are blue leds if you find them. I personally don't like leds on bikes as idiot lights. If the leds are the regular ones, they are very difficult to see when they are lit with strong sunlight. You can overcome that with high intensity leds, but they are very brilliant at nightime, to the extent that coming through your peripheral vision and annoy the hel out of you. As generally all of them go to ground, you can add another resistor at the ground end, that can be bridged when you want more light. But, to my point of view, that's a crappy implementation. I like bulbs in this old bikes.


Raul

[Steve F]

I've made an all-LED idiot light panel, including turn signals and high beam. They work great, and I can see them day or night and they're not distracting, since I made my own cluster and the light is diffused.  Hook up the turn signal LED's directly to the front turn signal wires.  Works every time.

[bistromath]

Or just wire up two LEDs with opposite polarities. One of them will light on R blink, one will light on L blink. And if you stick them right next to each other you'll never notice the difference.

 

[mylittleho]

Thermal turn signals flashers rely on voltage to flash properly.. I am unfamiliar with the bike turn signal flashers.. Most cars still use thermal flashers.. so if a light is out it will affect how it flashes.. also ADDING lights will affect how it flashes also.. so you can only put a specific voltage and have the turn signal work properly... problem is the LED require MUCH less voltage than a regular bulb... cars that TOW and hook up trailers lights.. usually get an electronic flasher that is NONreliant on voltage.. it will flash at the same speed whether you have 1 light bulb attached or 100!!!!

Like I said I don't know if the bikes use the same STYLE flasher as a car.. but I run one on my mustang.. I had the dash indicator light go out (all the lights on the outside worked) but with the dash indicator light out it wouldn't allow that side to flash properly so I just got the electronic flasher as a cheap fix instead of tearing the gauge cluster out to simply replace the one bulb... And it worked beautifully... that is one CHEAP/EASY way to run LED's and still have the turn signals work correctly...

[Steve F]

Thermal turn signals flashers rely on voltage to flash properly.. I am unfamiliar with the bike turn signal flashers.. Most cars still use thermal flashers.. so if a light is out it will affect how it flashes.. also ADDING lights will affect how it flashes also.. so you can only put a specific voltage and have the turn signal work properly... problem is the LED require MUCH less voltage than a regular bulb... cars that TOW and hook up trailers lights.. usually get an electronic flasher that is NONreliant on voltage.. it will flash at the same speed whether you have 1 light bulb attached or 100!!!!

I think you're getting VOLTAGE and AMPERAGE (current) confused here.  Most thermal flashers will actually work on ANY voltage, but they're designed to heat-up when passing CURRENT to operate.  Too little current passing through will make it slow or it won't operate at all.  Too much current will make the flasher operate fast or burn it out.  That's why there are usually problems when incorrect bulbs are used in the circuit which changes the required current (total bulb wattage) to get the flasher to operate. The stock bike's flasher is indeed a thermal type, and they tend to get flakey as time goes on.
I agree that the electronic flashers are the way to go when using LED's as the flashing is controlled by an electronic timing circuit which operates an internal relay.

[Raul CB750K1]

I agree 100% with the current concept, what makes the flasher work is the current throug it, that heats it up, and break the circuit. When it cools down it opens the circuit. It's a go-no go switch.

A LED diode sucks about 10-20 mAmps, negligible current compared with a 5W bulb, so from my point of view, no matter if you are using a thermal or electronic flasher unit, a LED idiot light will not make any visible -no pun intended- change in flashing rate. I have to say that I put an electronic unit in my CB750 and now the flashing is independent from engine RPM's and/or battery voltage.


Regards

Raul

[bikehenge]

Kurt,
I've had similar trials trying to hook up a dash panel turn indicator to tell me I've left my blinker on (again).  This is on a bike that was 'born' without such a light.  Anyway, the first time I wired it I had inadvertently turn my blinkers into 4-way flashers (both blinkers wired to the same indicator light duh!).  That's no good.  I attempted the diode method, something goofy there, it would work if I powered off of a battery charger, but didn't work on the bike (not enough juice?). 

I think the best (simplest) way is to run a wire from your dash light to the flasher unit itself, unless you can tap into the wire between the flasher and the turn signal switch.

Good luck
Rob