Slow reacting indicators?

[jono035]

One of the things that has always bothered me about the GSX250F that I have is the fact that the indicators are really slow to react to the switches.

Basically whenever I flick the indicator switch in the direction I want to turn, it takes a good couple of seconds for them to come on, regardless of whether I'm holding the switch down at the time or just flicking it across...

Is this usual or should they come on instantly (like I'm used to in the cage)? The guy who I bought the bike off mentioned that the flasher unit had been replaced at some point with an aftermarket one so I'm going to have a poke around and find out what the model of it is.

If noone has any ideas I might just make up a replacement from a microcontroller and a couple of FETs that responds instantly, but it'd be a lot quicker to just fix...

[CookMySock]

The electronic flashers do their "off" cycle before they do their "on" cycle, also you might have a shonky flasher unit.

Pretty much there are only two types of flasher, the electromechanical one (heater element and bi-metallic strip) and the electronic one.

A picaxxe flasher would be cool. You could make it modulate the turn signals in some nasty eye-catching pattern, especially good if they are LEDs.

Steve

[crazyhorse]

Indicators - you use them???

I know guys who stick out their feet LOL

[The Pastor]

Take your switch block apart and clean it with elelctrial cleaner.

[jono035]

They're definitely electronic ones, flashed at the same rate with a bulb gone...

DB - not a big fan of PICs, I use AVRs mostly myself but could make some pretty cool strobe patterns and possibly stick an accelerometer on it to make them self cancel...

Of course, that's the 8lb hammer approach, I think fixing it would eat less time unless anyone else here wants a customisable indicator flasher...

The contacts appear fine because a very quick flick of the switch will set them going, but it still doesn't cut in for a couple of cycles, but I might try find a different microswitch to test em with nonetheless...

Think I answered my own question - the unit has something like 'Flash Wide' and 'MyFlasher' on the top... Although it says 12V 10Wx2 on top, so it probably doesn't like the 23W bulbs the guy had in it much, but taking one out doesn't fix anything so I guess it can stay that way...

[jono035]

Indicators - you use them???

I know guys who stick out their feet LOL

Must give that a try when I'm going slow and noone is watching

[The Pastor]

Open it up and see if its dusty as hell

[Robert Taylor]

One of the things that has always bothered me about the GSX250F that I have is the fact that the indicators are really slow to react to the switches.

Basically whenever I flick the indicator switch in the direction I want to turn, it takes a good couple of seconds for them to come on, regardless of whether I'm holding the switch down at the time or just flicking it across...

Is this usual or should they come on instantly (like I'm used to in the cage)? The guy who I bought the bike off mentioned that the flasher unit had been replaced at some point with an aftermarket one so I'm going to have a poke around and find out what the model of it is.

If noone has any ideas I might just make up a replacement from a microcontroller and a couple of FETs that responds instantly, but it'd be a lot quicker to just fix...

Aside from the usual issues of poor earths etc the fitted bulbs must match the stated wattage of the flasher relay. Otherwise the bi-metal inside it doesnt make and break at the correct frequency. For a warrant of fitness the flashers much have a frequency of between 60 - 120 flashes per minute.

[xwhatsit]

Open it up and see if its dusty as hell

It's nothing to do with the switch, he's saying when he flicks the switch there's a delay before they start flashing.

Do they flash at normal rate? I have an aftermarket electronic flasher on my 6V Cub... unfortunately it does the same thing. It also speeds up (until it just stays on constantly) when the bike revs too high.

I thought electronic flashers were a good idea (don't have to match bulb wattages exactly) but I'm starting to think they're a bit crap. Is there a good brand?

Otherwise... yeah... even something like a 555 timer driving a relay would do it. Only problem is voltage varies hugely on a bike, the normal little linear 5V voltage regulators (like the 78xx series) have a 2.0V dropout voltage... so you need at least 7V (which is no good for the Cub, I think). 12V system would be OK though I think -- maximum voltage is like 30V or something even for the 7805.

[mister.koz]

I think you are right in that its an electronic flasher unit, if it was a bi-metal one then changing the bulbs would change the rate.

Because its electronic its probably using a rc circuit or crystal oscilator to produce the flash (dunno which one would be more common)

Can you get the flasher case open? might be something in there thats adjustable? Variable cap or something?

I don't know how much of an effect it would make but how's your charge circuit and battery voltage? if the flasher uses a feed from the battery (rather than in series with the lights) it could be timing itself on the voltage?

Grabbing at straws

HTH

[The Pastor]

It's nothing to do with the switch, he's saying when he flicks the switch there's a delay before they start flashing.

Do they flash at normal rate? I have an aftermarket electronic flasher on my 6V Cub... unfortunately it does the same thing. It also speeds up (until it just stays on constantly) when the bike revs too high.

I thought electronic flashers were a good idea (don't have to match bulb wattages exactly) but I'm starting to think they're a bit crap. Is there a good brand?

Otherwise... yeah... even something like a 555 timer driving a relay would do it. Only problem is voltage varies hugely on a bike, the normal little linear 5V voltage regulators (like the 78xx series) have a 2.0V dropout voltage... so you need at least 7V (which is no good for the Cub, I think). 12V system would be OK though I think -- maximum voltage is like 30V or something even for the 7805.

well i had the same problem and i fixed it by cleaning my switch gear.....

[jono035]

Yeah, will give that a shot RM for sure...

It's definitely an electronic one, and the voltage shouldn't change the flash rate for anything that is decently made...

xwhatsit - it's pretty easy to find linear regulators that have dropout voltages around 300mV at up to 1.5A, failing that can always use a switch-mode supply... A 555 will run off pretty much anything too!

[xwhatsit]

xwhatsit - it's pretty easy to find linear regulators that have dropout voltages around 300mV at up to 1.5A, failing that can always use a switch-mode supply... A 555 will run off pretty much anything too!

You're right, I just looked up a data sheet, says they'll run 3V-15V. So, perfect. If it does the off-cycle first then just run it through an inverter

[imdying]

Complete waste of time. There are literally millions of electronic flasher relays in service that have been doing so for over a decade. Reinventing the wheel in that respect would be as retarded as desiring drum brakes on a road bike.

[jono035]

Really? And when it'll take me about 10 minutes to write the code, I have a bunch of spare microcontrollers sitting around and can grab a couple of power-FETs from work for free and stick it all on veroboard in a $4 plastic enclosure, how exactly does that not make sense?

I admit it is a sledgehammer solution, but it's a hell of a lot cheaper than buying a replacement flasher I'd guess, especially when I don't know for certain it's not going to do the same annoying thing...

Xwhatsit - You've gotta be careful in case that approach leaves your indicators on all the time

It seems to spend longer than 1 flash off before it comes on to me, and when I was looking at my watch it takes around 2 seconds to come on, which is exacerbated by the fact that I don't trust that it is actually on and end up looking at the indicator light, which I'm pretty sure is a terrible idea...