Heated jacket for $zero

[CookMySock]

I found some thin (0.25mm dia) insulated wire and threaded 6 meters of it through my DriRider jacket liner. Hook it up to 12V and it draws about 4 amps, or 48 watts. The wire doesn't get so hot it will damage the jacket. Dropping the soldering iron on it will though.. :whistle:

Zip it back into jacket and do a ten minute open road test 4pm this afternoon - its not a large quantity of heat so it can be left running. Maybe it can be a bit more powerful. Longer road test required.

It won't last very long coz the wire is solid 0.25mm dia so it will snap real easy (already broke it once). I need 12m of stranded wire about 0.4mm dia.

But it works, and it was fun!

DB

[Number One]

Tinkering bugger :lol:too much time on yer hands man :laugh:

[Winston001]

Hmmm...well done. I just looked at an old electric blanket a few minutes ago, how would that it go? Probably need a bit more amperage than a bike would produce?

[enigma51]

Hmmm...well done. I just looked at an old electric blanket a few minutes ago, how would that it go? Probably need a bit more amperage than a bike would produce?



OOOOOOR you can just harden the fuck up!


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[chester]

try copper wire ......

[CookMySock]

Hmmm...well done. I just looked at an old electric blanket a few minutes ago, how would that it go? Probably need a bit more amperage than a bike would produce?Electric blankets run on 230V so if you put 12V into them you will get 12/230 of the heat outa them, ie, piss all.

You MIGHT be able to yank the wire out of them and cut a length of it so it draws about 4-5 amps. That will work, but the wire might only be 1m long. Worth a crack if someone has an old electric blanket.

edit
try copper wire ......Yeah the wire I'm using is copper.

The wire resistance needs to be about 2.5-3 ohms for 30-40watts.


Steve

[skelstar]

Awesome, I love shit like this and will be having a go myself next winter. Was wondering about insulation of the wire melting in the heat, but hadn't investigated it closely enough.

Been playing around with making a Heated Grip controller at work... that Drew will benefit from in the next couple of weeks since I won't be riding. Heater wire (nichrome wire, about 1.7Ohms/ft) wrapped around grips and covered with Mountain Bike Innertube for the elements.

[CookMySock]

Been playing around with making a Heated Grip controller at work...Good fun. Do you want a fried Oxford grips controller ? Looks like my H.I.D inverter fried it (and about three others) so you are welcome to it. Dunno if its just bricked it or actually damaged it physically.

DB

[skelstar]

Cheers but no ta. Have made a micro-controlled PWM type unit, driven by one button and one LED. Quite trick, you can set the 'default' startup mode by holding the button down in your prefered power mode. Has a 30sec timeout at the start too so the poor battery isn't cranking a big twin AND the heated grips... just gotta teach Drew how to drive it yet :weird:

Anyway, geeking it up a little too much there :)

[CookMySock]

Anyway, geeking it up a little too much there :)heh, not at all. Lemme know if you need a beta tester. an you fit two controllers in one housing ? One for my jacket and one for my grips ? :laugh:

DB

[BASS-TREBLE]

Why not try some of this kinda stuff?


http://search.dse.co.nz/search.php?sessionid=4875cba5083a1958273fc0a87f3b0 6c7&asug=&site=&w=resistance+wire&submit.x=0&submit.y=0&submit=Go

[P38]

Hmmm...well done. I just looked at an old electric blanket a few minutes ago, how would that it go? Probably need a bit more amperage than a bike would produce?

Or you could plug it into a really long extension lead.......

Well it seems to work on the cartoons :apint:

[CookMySock]

Why not try some of this kinda stuff?

http://search.dse.co.nz/search.php?sessionid=4875cba5083a1958273fc0a87f3b0 6c7&asug=&site=&w=resistance+wire&submit.x=0&submit.y=0&submit=Go

The resistance is too great. The whole jacket needs about 3 ohms, and that stuff is 6 ohms / meter.

DB

[Steam]

What happens when the wire breaks? Do you get smoke and flames and screaming as jacket burns?

[CookMySock]

What happens when the wire breaks? Do you get smoke and flames and screaming as jacket burns?Pfft, I wish!! Nah it just stops.

DB

[The Pastor]

You should make a seperate vest instead of using a jacket, that way you can take it off when you dont need it or if it catchs fire.

[pete376403]

I made a heated jacket using wire from an electric blanket - one of the old "Safasleep" models that had a transformer. IIRC the transformer output was about 20volts. The wire from one single blanket was enough to wire two jackets (sleeveless windbreaker type) These have lasted about 8 - 10 years so far and the heat , especially around my lower back, is most excellent. Next project is to make some sort of PWM controller, at present the heat is regulated by unplugging the connector

[Radar]

I read about this a few months ago. Here is the link:

How To Make Electric Motorcycle Clothing
http://www.shadowriders.org/faq/electricvests.html

Excerpt from the article:

wire: 30 gauge, multistranded, teflon coated copper, usually comes in a 100' spool, Order form any electronics supplier. I ordered from Newark Electronics who have locations everywhere. In Schaumburg IL, call (84 7) 310-8980. Their product was called "hook-up wire, "part 36F61OWA. Price in 9197 was $14.20

Maybe this sort of wire could be purchased at Jaycar or DSE. Anyone check?

[skelstar]

Why not try some of this kinda stuff?


http://search.dse.co.nz/search.php?sessionid=4875cba5083a1958273fc0a87f3b0 6c7&asug=&site=&w=resistance+wire&submit.x=0&submit.y=0&submit=Go

Actually that DSE stuff is quite good. 2m isn't too much if you wrap it around a little (sleeves?) and its solderable. I can't solder my nichrome wire stuff.

[CB ARGH]

try copper wire ......

You would find that mlost electrical wiring these days IS copper...

I wouldn't go as far as attatching it to your jacket, but you could always try getting a thermal long sleeved shirt and put the wires and stuff into that, which you'd wear under the jacket. Just don't put any wires where the nipples are, you don't want a burn hole through those, milk might come out! :shit:

[Qkchk]

I feel the cold tremendously, so watching and scheming with great interest.............

[mowgli]

Doing the sums and considering the outside risk of burning oneself or one's expensive riding jacket I think several shorter loops of higher resitance wire would be preferable to a long single loop. I'm also thinking cotton and wool would be better fabrics to use compared with artificial fibres which could melt.

Hmmm, now to dig out the multimeter and find some suitable wire. Thanks DB, I love this shit +1

Edit: I wonder what the voltage drop on braided core CAT5 is? It's small diameter, cheap and available.

[CookMySock]

You should make a seperate vest instead of using a jacket, that way you can take it off when you dont need it or if it catchs fire.Well it is in the jacket liner, so I can zip it out. The cord folds up and goes in the inner pocket - completely invisible when not in use.



I made a heated jacket using wire from an electric blanket - one of the old "Safasleep" models that had a transformer. IIRC the transformer output was about 20volts. The wire from one single blanket was enough to wire two jackets (sleeveless windbreaker type) These have lasted about 8 - 10 years so far and the heat , especially around my lower back, is most excellent. Next project is to make some sort of PWM controller, at present the heat is regulated by unplugging the connectorYeah thats the story. It might be cheap enough to buy a new blanket like this one and vandal it.



Doing the sums and considering the outside risk of burning oneself or one's expensive riding jacket I think several shorter loops of higher resitance wire would be preferable to a long single loop.The problem is, then all the heat is concentrated in one point, overheating the fabric.



I'm also thinking cotton and wool would be better fabrics to use compared with artificial fibres which could melt.foo, you need to plan it so no part of anything will get THAT hot.. :whistle:



I wonder what the voltage drop on braided core CAT5 is? It's small diameter, cheap and available.This is true ! Hrm, I have cat5 AND hookup wire in the shed and I'm off to aucks for the weekend so I can't fiddle with it.. bugger! Ah well, lets see your cat5 heated jacket when I get back ! :laugh:

I'm gunna throw my toolbox in the back of the car and take it with me! whee!


Steve

[avgas]

wow thats awesome - what happens when it gets wet?

[mowgli]

Doing the sums and considering the outside risk of burning oneself or one's expensive riding jacket I think several shorter loops of higher resitance wire would be preferable to a long single loop.
The problem is, then all the heat is concentrated in one point, overheating the fabric.
Actually no, but then didn't provide enough detail to explain why. In my sums 5x1.2m loops of 13.77ohm/m nichrome rigged in parallel is roughly the same wattage as 1x6m length of 0.5ohm/m hookup wire.

The biggest advantage of multiple loops is that by varying the length of each you could concentrate more heating in the places that need it most without overheating other areas.

Wife's gonna hate you DB cos she's now lost me to the shed for at least part of the weekend :)

[mowgli]

wow thats awesome - what happens when it gets wet?

Everything shorts out, killing your bike and turning your torso into a flaming beacon that can be seen for miles around :devil2:

[skelstar]

The biggest advantage of multiple loops is that by varying the length of each you could concentrate more heating in the places that need it most without overheating other areas.
Problem with that is that if one of the multi-loops breaks, then the rest share the current/power, thus getting much hotter, another breaks and the problem compounds. Make sense?

I can see your reasoning but one strand sounds more fail-safe to me.

[mowgli]

Problem with that is that if one of the multi-loops breaks, then the rest share the current/power, thus getting much hotter, another breaks and the problem compounds. Make sense?

I can see your reasoning but one strand sounds more fail-safe to me.

Not quite. As each loop in parallel fails, the total resistance increases. Current in each loop remains the same while current draw (on the battery) reduces. Nevertheless, I've realised since posting that the distribution of heat is just as easily accomplished with a single strand by varying the spacing of the wire loops.

I now think the only real advantage of a multi-loop setup would be that you could selectively turn sections off or vary the balance dynamically. Say for instance if you're wearing a backpack you might want to turn the loops on the back off. In DB's case with both a heated jacket and grips (essentially two loops) you could ensure the total current drawn from the battery remained below a certain threshold by including a current limiter in the circuit.

[skelstar]

Not quite. As each loop in parallel fails, the total resistance increases...
You're right. I'm a retard. Ohms Law 101 :weird:

[skelstar]

I now think the only real advantage of a multi-loop setup would be that you could selectively turn sections off.
Reckon that your back doesn't really get cold, it would be more important to warm your ribs around the side, maybe your chest etc... arms would be nice.

[BiK3RChiK]

Well, we just took the liner out of the daughters Mohsin Jacket and I have spent an hour sewing in about 20 meters of insulated wire on my Bernina with a cording foot and the widest zig-zag stitch possible. :2thumbsup: Test drive coming up!

[Subike]

Along these lines I have been looking at a pets electric blanket,
about the size of a kitchen tea towel.
Comes with a 230/12 volt transformer, so me thinks that this stiched into you seat befor covering it may work. Wired via a reostate to the ignition side of fuse box so it cant be left on.......
Warm Butt = many comfy miles

[CookMySock]

Well, we just took the liner out of the daughters Mohsin Jacket and I have spent an hour sewing in about 20 meters of insulated wire on my Bernina with a cording foot and the widest zig-zag stitch possible. :2thumbsup: Test drive coming up!Thanks for ya help with that BiK3RChiK. The wire is about 1mm diameter stranded PVC-insulated hookup wire. Any thin insulated wire will do - the trick is to figure out how much wire draws about 5 amps. I use a $400 fancy schmancy DC clamp meter to test it, but any meter than will measure up to 10amps DC will do, or else enroll the help of your friendly auto-electrician. Just put the wire across the terminals of the 12V battery in your car. WARNING!!! IF the wire is too short it will INSTANTLY go up in flames and burn your hands badly. Thin wire MUST be longer than 10 meters AT LEAST. Eyes wide open and no distractions doing this please.


Along these lines I have been looking at a pets electric blanket, about the size of a kitchen tea towel. [...] me thinks that this stiched into you seat befor covering it may work.That would work good. I would be tempted to just shove it down my jacket.

DB

[BiK3RChiK]

I feel the cold tremendously, so watching and scheming with great interest.............

Qkchk, like you I feel the cold... check out the heated vest I just made as above. I can plug it into the cigarette lighter in the car too.. On my bike at the mo I'm using one of these..

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Parts-accessories/Other/auction-164601225.htm

I highly recommend them...

M

[blossomsowner]

Well, we just took the liner out of the daughters Mohsin Jacket and I have spent an hour sewing in about 20 meters of insulated wire on my Bernina with a cording foot and the widest zig-zag stitch possible. :2thumbsup: Test drive coming up!

that looks great........can't wait to hear the result sof your test

[offrd]

On the latest news:

Motorcyclists randomly going up in balls of flames.

Investigation shows some dangerous bastard tinkering and telling others for fun…

Hope you guys are using fuses!


But bloody good idea!

Hmmmmmmmmm

Wire.....

[BiK3RChiK]

that looks great........can't wait to hear the result sof your test

It needs a bit of tidying up with regards to the end of the wires but we quickly attached a cigarette plug to it, put the liner back into the jacket and plugged it into the car and it works real well! A longer test is needed... tomorrow. But so far, I'm stoked and so is the daughter!

[BiK3RChiK]

On the latest news:

Motorcyclists randomly going up in balls of flames.

Investigation shows some dangerous bastard tinkering and telling others for fun…

Hope you guys are using fuses!


But bloody good idea!

Hmmmmmmmmm

Wire.....

LOL Living dangerously since ages ago:confused:

Seriously, yeah, USE FUSES! We sure are..

[portokiwi]

Qkchk, like you I feel the cold... check out the heated vest I just made as above. I can plug it into the cigarette lighter in the car too.. On my bike at the mo I'm using one of these..

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Parts-accessories/Other/auction-164601225.htm

I highly recommend them...

M
I use to use hand warmers in my gloves and in my inside pockets. They are disposable cost only a few dollers and you can buy them at any camping store or army desposal store.
I use to put one by the small of my back. Great to use watching the sports on a cold sat morning:Punk:

[CookMySock]

Seriously, yeah, USE FUSES! We sure are..uh, no we're not. :innocent: Ok ok already, we'll use fuses. Grumble 80's technology sheesh :weird:

DB

[pete376403]

Well, we just took the liner out of the daughters Mohsin Jacket and I have spent an hour sewing in about 20 meters of insulated wire on my Bernina with a cording foot and the widest zig-zag stitch possible. :2thumbsup: Test drive coming up!
Thats the same way I made my ones although I just used the standard presser foot with next to no pressure.

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?p=1107945#post1107945

[BiK3RChiK]

Thats the same way I made my ones although I just used the standard presser foot with next to no pressure.

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?p=1107945#post1107945

wow! I hadn't seen your post... I should look, eh!:doh: Using the cording foot meant that the machine 'feeds' the wire through without having the needle breakage and without sewing the wiring. :eek: Good stuff!

[BiK3RChiK]

uh, no we're not. :innocent: Ok ok already, we'll use fuses. Grumble 80's technology sheesh :weird:

DB

Ya smart bastard! You told me it was fused before I put it on and plugged it in!!!:blink:

[CookMySock]

Ya smart bastard! You told me it was fused before I put it on and plugged it in!!!:blink:oh that. :pinch: Well it sorta was and sorta wasn't.. ;)

DB

[CookMySock]

Update! The tiny 0.25mm dia wire in my first jacket has kinked and broken. again. This solid wire isn't going to work, and was a lot more effort to install than the stranded wire that BiK3RChiK sewed in for me. Its a pity coz it heated up sooo fast. Oh well.

Also BiK3RChiK sewed more wire into the sleeves of the mohsin jacket. This brought the current down to the design point at 4 amps. In hindsight, 4 amps (50 watts) might be a little low, but we still havent tested this on a real open-road trip. My GT650R has a 350watt alternator so theres plenty of power as the HIDs only draw 35watts.

Next to make an auxiliary switch panel for the bike so I can turn stuff on and off. I found some rubber boots to fit over tiny toggle switches at jaycar.co.nz so now I need to make the panel, mount the switches, and put a decorative finish on it. Other things need to plug into it such as the detector and the grips.

DB

[pete376403]

these guys http://www.tpimotorcycleparts.com/ have a nice looking range of heated gear under apparel

[FLYMO]

till eithe side bit of wire digs in to ya ribs and fries ya internally lol

[1 Free Man]

:doh:Geez you guy's. Just shove a news paper inside ya jacket /shirt what ever. You can read the sucker when you done and wipe your ass on it if you get caught short on a ride. Try wiping you bum on wire what ever the thickness.:doh: Sparkie from last century.

[1 Free Man]

On the latest news:

Motorcyclists randomly going up in balls of flames.

Investigation shows some dangerous bastard tinkering and telling others for fun…

Hope you guys are using fuses!


But bloody good idea!

Hmmmmmmmmm

Wire.....
:clap::clap::clap::clap::clap::clap::clap:

[1 Free Man]

:laugh:I'm waiting on one of you dudes to wire up ya undies. :wacko: get a short in ya shorts and roast ya chesnuts.:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl: Bugger of a place to put sticking plaster!!:eek5:

[Rollestonchick]

omg:laugh::doh::niceone:

[skelstar]

Thing is it's not just about staying warm, it's also about being trick enough to do it yourself.

:doh:Geez you guy's. Just shove a news paper inside ya jacket /shirt what ever. You can read the sucker when you done and wipe your ass on it if you get caught short on a ride. Try wiping you bum on wire what ever the thickness.:doh: Sparkie from last century.

[xgnr]

All good fun eh... being a gadget guy I love this sort of stuff.

However I did some research on this a while ago and this may help.

1. Use the Internet. There are quite a few articles on making your own gear. The flexible cable that has high resistance is not easy to find (IMHO .. without hunting around a lot) and single strand wire just wont do the job over time. I would suggest the Electric Blanket wire as a good option as it is flexible and coated/ Hi resistance.

2. Vests are good as they provide another layer (power on or off... make sure its insulating fabric and thin) and you don't get all compressed in the sleeves.

3. The Vest MUST be close fitting. When it gets really cold you wont notice the heating unless close to the body. Heat in the lower back (kidneys) area is fantastic.

4. You should have a thin layer between said vest and body

5. Connectors should be easy to disconnect as you will always walk away from the bike whilst plugged in. Gotta be solid quality.
Add an on-off switch in the cable to the bike,. forget the temp control. Too fiddly.

I bought a second hand BMW vest a couple of years ago and modified it a bit as it was (ahemm) too small. A bloody life saver when on loooong cold rides.

Any dick can be cold and miserable. It takes brains to be warm and miserable :banana:

Good luck

Stu

[skelstar]

Reckon that an RCA connector would be the business... just like the audio connector in the back of ya CD player. Be sure to socket on the batt side and plug on the vest side, saves the batt shorting on frame. Also outter ring connector as ground.

[alanzs]

My electric vest is a life saver on those cold long rides. Congrats to DB for making one. I'd be afraid I'd electrocute myself. :shit:

[alanzs]

5. Connectors should be easy to disconnect as you will always walk away from the bike whilst plugged in. Gotta be solid quality.
Add an on-off switch in the cable to the bike,. forget the temp control. Too fiddly.

I have a temp control on mine that I put in the pocket of my riding suit. I can crank that baby up so hot, I can damn near bake a potato. :clap:

[CookMySock]

xgnr, many thanks. Some good hints there, especially about the jacket being close fitting. In a way, modding the liners is flawed in that respect - its just the convenience of never forgetting it and it costing little or nothing for me to do. (brokeass currently)


Reckon that an RCA connector would be the business... just like the audio connector in the back of ya CD player. Be sure to socket on the batt side and plug on the vest side, saves the batt shorting on frame. Also outter ring connector as ground.hmm thats a good idea. Thanks for that.

DB

[Radar]

1. Use the Internet. There are quite a few articles on making your own gear.


In case some of you missed it, here is a repeat of my post #18:

How To Make Electric Motorcycle Clothing
http://www.shadowriders.org/faq/electricvests.html

Excerpt from the article:

wire: 30 gauge, multistranded, teflon coated copper, usually comes in a 100' spool, Order form any electronics supplier. I ordered from Newark Electronics who have locations everywhere. In Schaumburg IL, call (84 7) 310-8980. Their product was called "hook-up wire, "part 36F61OWA. Price in 9197 was $14.20

Maybe this sort of wire could be purchased at Jaycar or DSE. Anyone check?

[CookMySock]

Maybe this sort of wire could be purchased at Jaycar or DSE. Anyone check?Yeah. no got.

DB

[BiK3RChiK]

Well, Steve put some connectors on it this morning, and off we went to Taupo for the day. Got back this evening, and I can report it worked damn fine! In fact, considering I have Raynauds Disease, I was warm as toast! It was great!! My hands which normally are absolutely numb, were quite warm!

Now to make another one!

M

[SlashWylde]

The wire resistance needs to be about 2.5-3 ohms for 30-40watts.Steve

Depends what losses there are in the cables supplying the heating wire and hence the voltage applied to the heating wire.

2.5-3.0 ohms of heater resistance will give you 57.6-48.0W respectively at 12.0v, Since P = V*V/R in a DC system.

When the bike is running, the nominal battery voltage will be 14.4v (possibly more), so 2.5-3 ohms will dissipate a maximum of 82.9-69.1W respectively of power.

The thicker the cable leading up to the heating wire is, the higher the voltage applied to the heater will be and hence more power will be dissipated as heat in the wire.

[mowgli]

... and made this.

Tested well attached to a benchtop supply. Surprisingly comfortable inside my glove.

[CookMySock]

haha! awesome! What is the wire from?

Steve

[mowgli]

haha! awesome! What is the wire from?
Cheapie electric blanket from the red shed. 48cm loops deliver just under 100mW per cm at 13v. Mmmmm toastie.

[CookMySock]

100mW per cm at 13v, uhhh, that is one megawatt per kilometer, uhh divided by thirteen squared, duhhh, how many thirteen squareds in a kilometer? :pinch: :o

Steve

[mowgli]

100mW per cm at 13v, uhhh, that is one megawatt per kilometer, uhh divided by thirteen squared, duhhh, how many thirteen squareds in a kilometer? :pinch: :o

Steve
Haha. Yuppy, Northerners always talking things up :bash: Your Hyosung couldn´t carry a km of wire let alone generate a megawatt or 10KW even

The wire appears to be nichrome. An inner and an outer core wound axially. In parallel they measure about 0.8 ohms per cm. Heat is concentrated at the wire so comfort (pain) is related to power per length. Overall warmth is related to power per area (wire spacing). By experimentation I found that more than 100mW per cm was pretty hot close to the skin so this determined my ideal loop length of around 48cm. 3x loops = 1 amp = 13W + toasty fingers.

What´s that dear? My spirulina is ready? Just wait while I find my pocket protector and glasses ;)

[Irontusk]

It's the gloves that I would really really want, but my winter gloves are irritating enough to get on with my jacket as it is..
Before seeing this thread I saw an ad for 'Venture' products in a RoadGuide book I was given at Cycletreads, the website is http://www.roadguide.co.nz/searchresults.aspx?terms=venture+heated and fuck is it expensive! Nearly $1400 for the lot.

[CookMySock]

It's like buying expensive speakers - they completely renew your experience and they are not something you will sell in the foreseeable future.

Steve

[mossy1200]

I found some thin (0.25mm dia) insulated wire and threaded 6 meters of it through my DriRider jacket liner. Hook it up to 12V and it draws about 4 amps, or 48 watts. The wire doesn't get so hot it will damage the jacket. Dropping the soldering iron on it will though.. :whistle:

Zip it back into jacket and do a ten minute open road test 4pm this afternoon - its not a large quantity of heat so it can be left running. Maybe it can be a bit more powerful. Longer road test required.

It won't last very long coz the wire is solid 0.25mm dia so it will snap real easy (already broke it once). I need 12m of stranded wire about 0.4mm dia.

But it works, and it was fun!

DBIf your vr breaks down you should be able to feel the heat difference before it does any damage to yout cdi unit.Bonus

[cheesemethod]

DangerousBastard - you really are a dangerous bastard - points for ingenity tho.

[CookMySock]

DangerousBastard - you really are a dangerous bastard - points for ingenity tho.Thanks. :sunny:

Naw, plugging it into the mains will be dangerous. :laugh:

Steve

[Gixxer peter]

Have made my own heated vest and have been using it now for about 4 years , same build as yours but i managed to find some fine stranded wire to sew in, it was not as fine as i would like, so more wire had to be sewn in than i wanted, i built mine using a leather vest and then sewed in a quilted liner with the wiring sewn in, it works great.
I tried to make heated glove liners but they became uncomfotable, and made some heated innersoles but these were using nichrome wire and they broke down after a few rides, i have since bought a couple of pairs of heated socks and a pair of heated gloves from http://www.gerbing.com/ and they work super. of course i also use headed grips on the front with "rain offs" on extra cold days.

Call us wimps but come see us at the brass monkey and say it to our faces

[CookMySock]

Yeah we went to stranded wire in the end. A fooken LOT of it.. 40 ish meters from memory. The jacket is quite a lot heavier now. We just chose enough length to get 5-6 amps.

I think a vest such as yours will be far more effective. I wanted to do that with my last jacket build, but I decided against it, mainly because I wanted to always have my heated gear with me - ie its part of the jacket itself and can't be left at home unless I remove the liner. In the summer, I'll remove the liner anyway.

I'm thinking about a microcontroller with glove sensor to thermostatically control the jacket, but I wonder if that is even necessary. I have hotgrips also, and they run on full the whole time (powered directly from the headlamp relay) and being able to control the temperature of them is just a gimmick.

Steve

[tigertim20]

anyone done this with socks? I get cold toes. really fuckin cold toes. I would love heated socks in me boots. how would I go about that?

[Brownstoo]

I'm thinking about a microcontroller with glove sensor to thermostatically control the jacket, but I wonder if that is even necessary. I have hotgrips also, and they run on full the whole time (powered directly from the headlamp relay) and being able to control the temperature of them is just a gimmick.


Ehh turn on when it gets cold, turn off when you start cooking...

I'm thinking of making an attempt at temperature control for my heated gloves (which I haven't really finished yet), but other than the satisfaction of working it out I kinda don't see the point of it...

[pete376403]

anyone done this with socks? I get cold toes. really fuckin cold toes. I would love heated socks in me boots. how would I go about that?

The pics are the boot liners that are part of the heated flying suit I bought at Surplustronics a long time ago. Could never get it working on the bike as well as it should have as it is 24v. The two domes on the back were the power connectors to the wiring in the suit legs. The zig zag stitching is where the heating wire is sewn in.

[CookMySock]

Ehh turn on when it gets cold, turn off when you start cooking...


I'm thinking of making an attempt at temperature control for my heated gloves (which I haven't really finished yet), but other than the satisfaction of working it out I kinda don't see the point of it...Your hands get warm or cold depending on whether your core temperature is tending high or low, so as such your hands are good indicators of an excess or deficit of core heat, and therefore it's a good idea to locate a sensor in the glove.

If you put the heater too close to the sensor, the system will short-cycle and not regulate particularly well - the result is poor heating.. Even heated grips will upset the regulating process. Different story completely with a heated jacket no heaters near the hands and a sensor in the gloves. Warm hands = warm core, and vice versa, so the system can easily evaluate and regulate.

It's all just a gimmick though - I spent two hours on the road today with jacket and grips on full power (theres no part-power setting.) Not too warm and not too cold. Hands on face feel warm as toast. No regulation needed. We'll see what happens as the weather warms.

Steve

[hayd3n]

anyone done this with socks? I get cold toes. really fuckin cold toes. I would love heated socks in me boots. how would I go about that?

what would chopper reid say?>

[hayd3n]

The pics are the boot liners that are part of the heated flying suit I bought at Surplustronics a long time ago. Could never get it working on the bike as well as it should have as it is 24v. The two domes on the back were the power connectors to the wiring in the suit legs. The zig zag stitching is where the heating wire is sewn in.

go into jar car and get a12/24v converter

[pete376403]

I did look at a dc-dc converter but the current draw of the full suit was too high for the commercially available ones - also they they are to go from 24v to 12v to allow for fitting standard 12v stereo/radio/cbs etc in 24v trucks. I don't think they go the other way.

[CookMySock]

Just plug them in and use them on 12V. They will run at 1/4 power, but I bet they still work ok.

Steve

[twotyred]

anyone done this with socks? I get cold toes. really fuckin cold toes. I would love heated socks in me boots. how would I go about that?

lots on the net although they all seem to be AC or battery-pack powered,someone clever with electrickery could probably sort that though...

[mowgli]

Just plug them in and use them on 12V. They will run at 1/4 power, but I bet they still work ok.
Maybe not. 1/4 the power will not feel 1/4 as warm. It may not feel warm at all.


lots on the net although they all seem to be AC or battery-pack powered,someone clever with electrickery could probably sort that though...

Probably the easiest fix would be to trace the zigzags to find the mid point and then add a tap at that point. Rewire the plug with the tap on one terminal and the two other ends combined on the other terminal. You'd create two loops of half the original resistance. When you halve the volts the current draw and total power remain the same. There'd be no energy lost in pumping a coil and no bulky converter to hide under the seat(?).

[Itchy_Kiwis]

Maybe not. 1/4 the power will not feel 1/4 as warm. It may not feel warm at all.



Probably the easiest fix would be to trace the zigzags to find the mid point and then add a tap at that point. Rewire the plug with the tap on one terminal and the two other ends combined on the other terminal. You'd create two loops of half the original resistance. When you halve the volts the current draw and total power remain the same. There'd be no energy lost in pumping a coil and no bulky converter to hide under the seat(?).

Awesome solve mowgli !
:clap: