Lights

[Jonty]

Can anyone explain to me how we are supposed to trip those flaming weight sensors for traffic lights when they are not on timers? Last night I sat for 10 mins at a set of lights (which I frequently get stuck at) rolling backward and forward until i gave up and went anyway (along with a barrage of toots). I'm sure next time I will see the red and blue!!

:bash:

[StoneChucker]

I also had trouble, but only on my 250... Since I've had my current bike, no probs. I'm not 100% sure if it's weight, or a metallic sensor of some sort? Either way, it's annoying as hell!

And about the red and blue pulling you over, I can almost guarantee that you will get a ticket, police would never believe you. Sucks hey?!!

[Deano]

Can anyone explain to me how we are supposed to trip those flaming weight sensors for traffic lights when they are not on timers? Last night I sat for 10 mins at a set of lights (which I frequently get stuck at) rolling backward and forward until i gave up and went anyway (along with a barrage of toots). I'm sure next time I will see the red and blue!!

:bash:

Unless its just a coincidence, I have found recently that the lights have changed after approaching them (just me on my bike). Maybe the 275kgs of me and my bike is heavy enough ?

[Jonty]

Being on a 250 I may need to pack on a few pies!!

[vifferman]

They are inductive loops, so they work on a mass of ferrous metal (iron, steel) travelling over them, which creates (inducts) a current in the loop under the tarseal, which trips the relay in the traffic light controller. The smaller the amount of steel in your bike, or the slower you're going, the less likely it will detect your presence. If the road has too much seal over the inductive loop, or the controller's been set to too high a threshold current, then it won't work well.
If you sit directly above one of the 'tar snakes' covering the loop, and thumb your starter (even if the engine's already going), the small magnetic field it creates may help trigger it. Starters on bikes don't get knackered by being operated when the motor's running, unlike a car.:wacko:
If it's a persistent problem, try filling your boots soles with large magnets.<_<

[Deano]

And about the red and blue pulling you over, I can almost guarantee that you will get a ticket, police would never believe you. Sucks hey?!!

Can you imagine the scenario where you are heading somewhere in the early hours of the morning where lights are not on a timer....waiting for hours until a car came along to set the sensor off....bugger that, look left. look right, look left again, then go for it.

Would be an interesting one to take to court.

I mean, would 'they' honestly expect you to sit at the lights for hours waiting when there is no traffic around ?

[marmel]

I've seen something for sale on ebay which you attach to the bottom of your bike somewhere and it trips the sensors, I think it's a large magnet or similar. Might be worth looking at if the intersection is that bad?

[Jonty]

Can you imagine the scenario where you are heading somewhere in the early hours of the morning where lights are not on a timer....waiting for hours until a car came along to set the sensor off....bugger that, look left. look right, look left again, then go for it.

Would be an interesting one to take to court.

I mean, would 'they' honestly expect you to sit at the lights for hours waiting when there is no traffic around ?


I agree, It is a pain in the ass as the lights outside my house never seem to pick up my bike. I have to wait for another bloddy car!! maybe instead of packing on the pies i need to tow a large metallic trailer!!

[Motu]

In Melbourne back in the 80s they used to turn the traffic lights off at night,they just flashed orange and you treated them as an ordinary intersection.They also went orange to green,gave the cars warning that the green was coming and they moved off quick - no 3 cars then red over there...a bike was pressed to keep up with the cars...all racing the trams to the next lights.

[Blakamin]

Sux in a town with only one set of the bastards too!... my 250 wouldnt trigger but the CBR400 and the Ducati do... used to hate sitting, waiting to turn right for 8 minutes!

[Jonty]

Sux in a town with only one set of the bastards too!... my 250 wouldnt trigger but the CBR400 and the Ducati do... used to hate sitting, waiting to turn right for 8 minutes!

You certainly get asome funny looks from cars when you dismount and start jumping up and down cursing at the sensor in the road (this may have occurred recently) :msn-wink:

[Blakamin]

You certainly get asome funny looks from cars when you dismount and start jumping up and down cursing at the sensor in the road (this may have occurred recently) :msn-wink:
Be funnier now that that person knows it dont do anything :laugh:

[Posh Tourer :P]

You certainly get asome funny looks from cars when you dismount and start jumping up and down cursing at the sensor in the road (this may have occurred recently) :msn-wink:

Dont work, its a magnetic thing (roughly) not a weight one. Here are two recommendations relayed from cops..

1) Dismount and cross as a pedestrian

2) Treat it as a Give Way intersection

[Mr Skid]

Dont work, its a magnetic thing (roughly) not a weight one. Here are two recommendations relayed from cops..

1) Dismount and cross as a pedestrian

2) Treat it as a Give Way intersection

Slightly :Offtopic: but has anybody had any good/bad experiences becomming a pedestrian? i.e. killing the engine and pushing the bike through a pedestrian cross signal?

I haven't been game to try it myself considering my L plate has 'fallen off' in case it's frounded upon by the constabulary or a cage tries to follow me through the cross signal..

[StoneChucker]

has anybody had any good/bad experiences becomming a pedestrian? i.e. killing the engine and pushing the bike through a pedestrian cross signal?
Do you mean when the light won't change? Or in everyday traffic?
Eitherway, I think thats highly illegal, since you would need to use some portion of the footpath (since if you didn't, you would have to use the road to get to the crossing, which would mean you ran the red light). I'm fairly certain it's illegal to operate a motor vehicle on a footpath.

[vifferman]

Do you mean when the light won't change? Or in everyday traffic?
Eitherway, I think thats highly illegal, since you would need to use some portion of the footpath (since if you didn't, you would have to use the road to get to the crossing, which would mean you ran the red light). I'm fairly certain it's illegal to operate a motor vehicle on a footpath.Read a bit more carefully, Mr FlingerOfRocks. It read: "killing the engine and pushing the bike". That's not illegal, since you're not operating the vehicle and therefore not posing a danger to pedestrians.
Anyway- have you never ridden on the footpath? :sly:
You should try it sometime...:scooter:

[StoneChucker]

I saw what he wrote, but surely operate means having a vehicle on the footpath. You're still operating it, just without the engine running. Ok, maybe I should say illegal to have a motorvehicle on the footpath. Which is why you can't park on a footpath.

Between 4pm and 6pm, at the time some roads, like Wakefield St, become Clearways, footpaths become motorbike ways. Didn'tcha know? ;)

[Jonty]

Between 4pm and 6pm, at the time some roads, like Wakefield St, become Clearways, footpaths become motorbike ways. Didn'tcha know? ;)

Classic - With all the one ways in Wellignton I have always wondered about taking the odd "footpath way" when the my intended direction and that of the street conflict :innocent:

[Ms Piggy]

Can anyone explain to me how we are supposed to trip those flaming weight sensors for traffic lights when they are not on timers? Last night I sat for 10 mins at a set of lights (which I frequently get stuck at) rolling backward and forward until i gave up and went anyway (along with a barrage of toots). I'm sure next time I will see the red and blue!!

:bash:
Arrrrgghhhhh. That's happened to me too! It's terrible aye! It didn't switch until a car arrived and I had waited through 2 changes.

[vifferman]

Which is why you can't park on a footpath.Can't? Says who. Err.. whom. Or summat.

No can't ever stopped me before. If I'm going to a shop or summat, and there's no park handy so I can keep my bike (and usually bag) close by, I just park on the footpath outside the door.
And I've ridden on the footpath a few times (not that I'd actually admit it, especially not somewhere 'public' like this here forum here).

[Slingshot]

I used to have problems on my 250. I found that screaming up to the lights and getting on the anchors hard just at the last minute did the trick quite nicely.

[vifferman]

I used to have problems on my 250. I found that screaming up to the lights and getting on the anchors hard just at the last minute did the trick quite nicely.Typical inductive loop behaviour from the inductive loop, and typical incorrigible hoon behaviour from the incorrigible hoon.:yes:

[jrandom]

Says who. Err.. whom. Or summat.

Taking that fragment under consideration, I think either would work, although good arguments exist for 'whom' as the more generally preferable choice in the majority of contexts.

[Deano]

Dont work, its a magnetic thing (roughly) not a weight one. Here are two recommendations relayed from cops..

1) Dismount and cross as a pedestrian

2) Treat it as a Give Way intersection

I would take option 2 cause my bike is too heavy (or Im too weak) to push far.


Eitherway, I think thats highly illegal, since you would need to use some portion of the footpath (since if you didn't, you would have to use the road to get to the crossing, which would mean you ran the red light). I'm fairly certain it's illegal to operate a motor vehicle on a footpath.

Would the cops prefer you to push the bike on the shoulder of the road ? I think not. Better to hinder a few pedestrains slightly than create a road traffic hazard.

[erik]

I vaguely remember hearing something about if the lights don't go green for you for 2 (or was it 3?) changes, that you could treat them as busted and make your own way across.
It might have been at the ride right course, but I can't really remember. I remember they did talk about thumbing your starter there to get the lights to change.
It's never been a problem for me, but I guess I don't often come across traffic lights when I'm all by myself.

[Posh Tourer :P]

I would always take the second of my options - the first is ridiculous....Its not like a bicycle that you can lift over your head, its hard work pushing a motorbike.... if I have a problem, I just look around for cars/cops and go when its clear of both.

[sAsLEX]

lights on wairau rd you can ride over to the pedestrian push button and just lean out and smack it just before you over balance!!

Or as a certain person who enjoys wheelies proved spinning up the rear wheel and engine, as well as some smoke will also help the lights on their way.

[dss3]

Main drag in hamilhole has a set of lights for pedestrians crossing, which is cool untill some mofo presses the button and pisses off, stopping traffic for nothing. In these cases I hace no problem with just going through the red light.... what a bad ass haha, i'll be give old grannies the bash for their pension soon!!

[Zapf]

Typical inductive loop behaviour from the inductive loop, and typical incorrigible hoon behaviour from the incorrigible hoon.:yes:

Can't we build some coils for the bike and make a EM pulse generator ? and why not a EM pulse gun for disabling the red and blue cars as well while we are at it.

:Police: :crazy:

[Mr Skid]

Can't we build some coils for the bike and make a EM pulse generator ? and why not a EM pulse gun for disabling the red and blue cars as well while we are at it.

:Police: :crazy:

*me prepares popcorn and refreshments to watch Zapf sterilise himself attempting to trigger a green light*
:doctor:

[thehollowmen]

what about using a BB gun to press the pedestrian crossing whatzit?

probably get shit from the cops though for pulling out an imitation pistol ...

or just lean over and press it while you're by the footpath?

[Lou Girardin]

Dont work, its a magnetic thing (roughly) not a weight one. Here are two recommendations relayed from cops..

1) Dismount and cross as a pedestrian

2) Treat it as a Give Way intersection

No. 2 wouldn't have helped a young scooter riding lady that followed me through stuck lights. A cop saw her (not me though) and was about to write her up when I saw what was happening and did my Sir Galahad thing, rode back and dissuaded the coppess from doing so.
Don't think that one cop speaks for all of them.

[Kwaka-Kid]

sorry i havnt read every post but Firestormer was bang on what i was going to say (cept he made it sound far too techy :P)

You do realise once you have sat thru 1 whole phase of light changing its then legal for you to go thru the red light, giving way of course.

[Milky]

I agree with the second part of Mr Farhtsturm's analysis, but I am not so sure about the first bit. Surely to induce a current in the loops your bike would have to have an overall magnetic polarity to it. I am thinking in along the lines that moving a magnet through a solenoid induces a current, but moving a bit of iron through the same solenoid doesnt...

Maybe I am wrong, but the presence of dinner prevents me from thinking more about it...

[NC]

I just get off the bike and press the pedestrians crossing button then run back to the bike... :devil2:

[NC]

what about using a BB gun to press the pedestrian crossing whatzit?

probably get shit from the cops though for pulling out an imitation pistol ...

or just lean over and press it while you're by the footpath?


A paintball gun would be better, then you can waste people with it who pull out infront of you :D

[JohnBoy]

i have found that if it is busy enough is to just roll right the way past the sensors and then let the following cages move foward and trip the lights.

but if quiet i give it about 2mins and just drive through.

[SPORK]

A paintball gun would be better, then you can waste people with it who pull out infront of you :D
Meh, a fullly auto bb gun wins hand down any day! I can't wait till I get my full metal M9 :)

[Coyote]

Meh, a fullly auto bb gun wins hand down any day! I can't wait till I get my full metal M9 :)
Paintball gun would be better. It would be funnier to see them covered in paint, plus BBs are pretty measly. Suppose once you get the gas powered M9, those BBs would pack more punch than your spring loaded Glock. The M9 would be pretty awesome.

[DarkNinja]

I think in (welly)town, but i may be completely utterly wrong, there are camera sensors in silver boxes. next time you stop look for one. it doesnt just look like a silver box, it actually looks like some kinda camera. but these are generally for pedestrian ones.
What about ones that dont have pedestrian crossings?
But i have been stuck at lights before. Whitford Brown Av, porirua, but its generally busy which is cool coz u can kick V8 ass up the road :D
DN

[Posh Tourer :P]

Yeah there are a few of those little silver things - they are infra-red. If the beam gets broken, they trigger....
We have some of them at work, for a pedestrian alert, and as a door counter

[Frankie]

Before we get any more theories on how traffic lights work..

How traffic lights work http://auto.howstuffworks.com/question234.htm
How red light cameras work http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/red-light-camera.htm

[Magua]

Around the shore there are a few. The lights at Chivalry/Chartwell/Diana Dr are the worst. Avoid the turning lanes at all cost along with the Chartwell lights.

[Devil]

Yarr, turning right into parkway drive from constellation is one that doesnt pick up my bike.

[vifferman]

Main drag in hamilhole has a set of lights for pedestrians crossing, which is cool untill some mofo presses the button and pisses off, stopping traffic for nothing. In these cases I hace no problem with just going through the red light.... what a bad ass haha, i'll be give old grannies the bash for their pension soon!!There are several sets here on Onewa Road that have footprints you have to stand on while pressing the button, or else the controller ignores the button press. This is designed to eliminate the problem you described, and was invented by someone local, I believe.
And talking about paintball guns - there were several towns in the US that had to abandon fixed speed cameras when the cost of cleaning them every night after locals 'protested' their presence by shooting the lens covers with paintball guns, was more than any revenue they generated. :laugh:

[Drunken Monkey]

In Melbourne back in the 80s they used to turn the traffic lights off at night,they just flashed orange and you treated them as an ordinary intersection..

It is still in practice in the city centre on the minor controlled intersections.

[sAsLEX]

And talking about paintball guns - there were several towns in the US that had to abandon fixed speed cameras when the cost of cleaning them every night after locals 'protested' their presence by shooting the lens covers with paintball guns, was more than any revenue they generated. :laugh:

imagines lou going off to the local paintball store.....

[Zapf]

I agree with the second part of Mr Farhtsturm's analysis, but I am not so sure about the first bit. Surely to induce a current in the loops your bike would have to have an overall magnetic polarity to it. I am thinking in along the lines that moving a magnet through a solenoid induces a current, but moving a bit of iron through the same solenoid doesnt...

Maybe I am wrong, but the presence of dinner prevents me from thinking more about it...

my physics are a bit rusty now, but its a hall effect sensor they use no?

[HanaBelle]

If you sit directly above one of the 'tar snakes' covering the loop, and thumb your starter (even if the engine's already going), the small magnetic field it creates may help trigger it. Starters on bikes don't get knackered by being operated when the motor's running, unlike a car.:wacko:
If it's a persistent problem, try filling your boots soles with large magnets.<_<

Or ring the powers that be up and complain loudly. We complained so often to Auckland City Council about the right turn into Carrington from New North (Great North Road at the Western Springs is another prick tripper, I was forever running it red after waiting two or three light changes) they altered it.

And it must have been set WAY high, because two bikes and people with combined weights in excess of the average elephant werent trippin it (and the VF has a steel frame and engine).

We perfected the trick of persuading cage drivers to nestle up close behind us, with much imperious and demanding waving and gesturing. See, they are useful for something.

HanaBelle

[What?]

If traffic light loops are set properly, a pushbike will trigger them.
If your motorcycle won't trigger the lights, they are not working properly.
Call the council - it is a very simple job to alter the sensitivity. If no action within a day, write to the council and copy in the local cop shop.

[Bonez]

Do you mean when the light won't change? Or in everyday traffic?
Eitherway, I think thats highly illegal, since you would need to use some portion of the footpath (since if you didn't, you would have to use the road to get to the crossing, which would mean you ran the red light). I'm fairly certain it's illegal to operate a motor vehicle on a footpath.
Note the PUSHING bit!

[Milky]

my physics are a bit rusty now, but its a hall effect sensor they use no?
no not at all... hall effect sensors measure the potential at right angles to a current carrying item and a magnetic field. Any electrons/positive holes travelling along the item will experience a force to perpendicular to both the field and the current. This creates a charge seperation in the same direction, and hence a potential - called the hall voltage - which is what is shown by a hall effect sensor :yes:

[clint640]

We got caught bad by the ones in Welly when coming off the fast ferry one night. We'd put in a pretty solid days riding and were fully looking forward to a hot shower, so we saddled up and got off the ferry 1st, only to arrive at the lights onto (Lamton Quay?) 4 trailbikes would not set it off and the traffic was such that we had to wait for ages for a gap. It was bloody frustrating 'cos we were in sight of the backpackers where we were staying. Moral of the story - don't be 1st off the fast ferry.

Cheers
Clint

[Zapf]

What if I say I found a toy that will help bikes trigger traffic lights? Would you pay 40~50 bucks for one if it comes with a money back Guarantee?

(might become an importer now :P )

[FlyingDutchMan]

I've never had a problem in Chch. I think they sense inductive coupling rather than steel - as my cibby has only a tiny bit of steel in it. So as long as your bike can conduct electricity you'll have no problems. Only carbon-fibre push bikes might experence problems. And for maximal pick-up at interesctions you should put the bike directly above one of the sides of the loop. Bah! Poor explanation, I'll just put a picture in.

http://www.uccc.canterbury.ac.nz/tttt/sensor.gif
So you can park the bike on either side, and it will pick you up better than if you were parked in the middle

[Jonty]

We got caught bad by the ones in Welly when coming off the fast ferry one night. We'd put in a pretty solid days riding and were fully looking forward to a hot shower, so we saddled up and got off the ferry 1st, only to arrive at the lights onto (Lamton Quay?) 4 trailbikes would not set it off and the traffic was such that we had to wait for ages for a gap. It was bloody frustrating 'cos we were in sight of the backpackers where we were staying. Moral of the story - don't be 1st off the fast ferry.



Those are the same ones I am getting stuck at!!

[Posh Tourer :P]

Those are the same ones I am getting stuck at!!

Register a complaint with the council...