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degrom
15th November 2006, 19:16
I want to build my own LED indicators and need to think about a flasher unit.

What kind of flasher unit do you use with LED's?

I know you get flashers that does not need a load(watt's). But my experience with them is that they are not good. They take a few ticks before they get constant. They are very sensitive to vibrations to.

A digital one will solve most of the problems but I am not sure how top design it because most of the flasher units are in line ones.

Chicken/egg case... Digital flasher needs power to operate and needs to cut the power to stop the indicator from burning.

Is there any solutions to create an in line digital flasher?

Thanks.

degrom
15th November 2006, 20:14
Go and ask Nautech Electronics, they do all the LED flashers for the cop cars and Ambulances. They seem to flash just fine.

I have had a look at their site and they have a few nice things...

Will talk to them in the morning.

Their stuff might just be overkilling what I want to do....

Thanks for the info.

exup400
15th November 2006, 20:20
We use leds on trucks all the time and they work great. they only require very lo amps and are wired into the existing wiring loom you shouldnt need to change the flasher unit

Wasp
15th November 2006, 20:28
Hey there Degrom

My brother is a very circuit board technical kinda guy (currently doing some sorta course at weltec), just went and had a chat to him and he reckons he can whip something up for you. let me know if you're interested ok?

degrom
15th November 2006, 20:29
We use leds on trucks all the time and they work great. they only require very lo amps and are wired into the existing wiring loom you shouldnt need to change the flasher unit

Yes... You might be right.

I have replaced my original flasher unit with a cheap non-load one. It works okay, but like I said it starts fast and then stabilzes. It also does not like the vibrations of the bike and will start to flash faster if I am reving it very hard.

Might just replace the flasher with a more expencive non-load one and try the LED's out.


Thanks for your input. (I first noticed the LED's on trucks,it works a lot better!!!)

imdying
16th November 2006, 07:00
I have replaced my original flasher unit with a cheap non-load one. It works okay, but like I said it starts fast and then stabilzes. It also does not like the vibrations of the bike and will start to flash faster if I am reving it very hard.What brand/type was that one? Might be one to avoid...?

degrom
16th November 2006, 17:46
What brand/type was that one? Might be one to avoid...?

It was the cheapest one I could get at Super cheap. The only one that had a tin cover. The other ones are three times the price. For that price I could rather build one that I know will work. All I need to do is to plan out the circuit and build it. (Reason I have not done this is because it is a bit harder to build a digital replacement one that will fit right in with out any modifications to the bikes circuit. Reason : The circuit also needs power to operate...)

slimjim
16th November 2006, 17:59
[QUOTE=degrom;825839]Yes... You might be right.

I have replaced my original flasher unit with a cheap non-load one. It works okay, but like I said it starts fast and then stabilzes. It also does not like the vibrations of the bike and will start to flash faster if I am reving it very hard.

Might be too that you are increasing the power flow when high rev's,

degrom
16th November 2006, 18:13
Might be too that you are increasing the power flow when high rev's,

That's way I replaced my old unit with a non-load one. The old unit sometimes freezes because it did not get enough volts to heat up.

LOL - I am full of shit!!! It's working but I want to perfect it!!!

pete376403
16th November 2006, 20:02
If you're using LEDs exclusively (ie front and rear) a timer based on a 555 IC could work. Leds at one end and regular filament bulbs at the other might draw too much current for the IC.
And thats about as much as I know, you'd need a real electronics person from here on in.

davereid
16th November 2006, 20:09
I got an aftermarket fairing for my FZR. It didnt have the same indicator brackets as the original so I put some cool lights off a truck on. To make the indicators flash I either had to buy an electronic flasher (expensive and unreliable) or load the circuit correctly to ensure the indicators work. You need to purchase 4 cat no R1636, 27 ohm 5 watt resistors from dick smith at .44 each. Solder them across the original connectors for the indicators and your low wattage or LED indicators will work fine. Start with the front ones first, you may find you dont need the rear ones.

sAsLEX
16th November 2006, 20:15
Yes come to think of it, our Ambulances have regular indicators in the front and LED ones out back, and all work of the same flasher unit. So yeah, must work.
The flasher units measure the resistance of the indicator circuit so it can flash double fast when there is a fault. Traditionally replacing the lamp with led changes this resistance, but now smart people make led systems that replace lamps having the same resistance people refer to these smart people as engineers......

Pixie
20th November 2006, 09:58
If you're using LEDs exclusively (ie front and rear) a timer based on a 555 IC could work. Leds at one end and regular filament bulbs at the other might draw too much current for the IC.
And thats about as much as I know, you'd need a real electronics person from here on in.

see this http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showpost.php?p=827979&postcount=15