Turn Signals

stanz

100 W
Joined
Apr 10, 2009
Messages
223
Location
Western MA, USA
I found three threads on turn signals, but nothing recent so here goes:

I've been cycling and riding motorcycles since the 1970s, yeah I'm old, and motorists have not gotten smarter. Half the time when I signal for a right turn the motorist will wave back at me.

I'm looking for the brightest possible rear turn signals out there. I would like a motorcycle style control on the left side since my throttle is on the right. I haven't seen a commercial system that looks bright enough.

The best system I ever saw on a motorcycle was a custom job on a Harley. The guy had a high sissy bar with big tractor trailer LED arrows mounted up top, one pointing in each direction. There was NO WAY you could miss it when he changed lanes.


Harbor Freight has these 40 LED lights and the store is close by: http://www.harborfreight.com/12-volt-magnetic-led-towing-light-kit-66186.html

My thought is that I will have to build something unless you guys/gals have anything in mind.

Any thoughts?
 
I am not sure what you are really after but this is what I use on my trike.
http://www.winkku.co.uk/index.php

I really like them. I got a set, left & right side mirrors. The forward white LEDs are bright enough for a SEE ME light and the red tail lights are actually not bad for brightness. The turn signals (yellow) are reasonable in brightness. With them being LEDs, in the daylight they are not real bright, but at night they really stand out. The turn signal will turn off the tail light option while they are blinking, then the tail light option will resume once the turn signal shuts off.

A great side benefit is that at night with the tail light option on, cars that pass you, seem to give you a real wide birth.

Tom
 
I saw those but they're not my ideal. They need to be really visible in daylight and the winkku set has a separate switch for each side.

thanks though
 
On eBay I found 4" running/tail lights/turn signals(arrows) for $35. (incandescents)

I've mounted them on my rear battery box and can definitely be seen during the day and at night, they're annoyingly bright.
For the front I have square 2" incandesents that I use..
Even though people can see the turn signals, half the time, they don't believe you're turning, the other half of the time, they don't care.
 
Just remember, if you build your own, you've got to use an electronic (or thermal with additional high-current resistor) flasher.

Cameron
 
oldpiper said:
Just remember, if you build your own, you've got to use an electronic (or thermal with additional high-current resistor) flasher.

Cameron
Buy a flasher relay at pep boys/advance autoparts/etc for $8 and done
 
This is what I did. It might provide some ideas starting around post #121:

http://www.bentrideronline.com/messageboard/showthread.php?t=53793&highlight=eleqnt

You'll have to register to see the pics...
 
I think bigger would work better than brighter, in many cases. ;)

So in that way of thinking, perhaps these would work best:
http://www.allelectronics.com/make-a-store/item/RTL-2/RED-LED-TRAFFIC-STOP-LIGHT-120-VAC-USED/1.html
or the directional arrow version:
http://www.allelectronics.com/make-a-store/item/RTL-1/RED-ARROW-LED-TRAFFIC-LIGHT-120-VAC-USED/1.html
If I had the money for them, I'd've bought a set of at least two of each, and tried them out on my CrazyBike2. This is a photochop of what it might look like for the taillight only (but you can imagine the turn signals to either side, preferably on the back of the cargo pods, whcih are a tad narrower than the lights themselves).

They are probably wired for 110V right now, but that's fairly easy to fix by cutting the series strings of LEDs, if they are all wired as one string. If they are running on driver electronics, then it may be easy to bypass or modify the main powersupply and run it off DC-DC converter from the traction pack instead.
 
amberwolf said:
I think bigger would work better than brighter, in many cases. ;)
or the directional arrow version:
http://www.allelectronics.com/make-a-store/item/RTL-1/RED-ARROW-LED-TRAFFIC-LIGHT-120-VAC-USED/1.html

Holy crap those things are 12" in diameter! If you had two of those plus one stop light the rear of your bike would be 36" wide or nearly a meter in the rest of the world.

I'm thinking more in the 4-6" size range.
 
The most important thing about this is brightness. If you're gonna make something it needs to be as bright as automotive bulbs, I looked it up they're around 400 lumens. Not easy with LEDs unless you use a bunch.
 
stanz said:
The most important thing about this is brightness. If you're gonna make something it needs to be as bright as automotive bulbs, I looked it up they're around 400 lumens. Not easy with LEDs unless you use a bunch.

Not so hard. I'm at the moment using a pair of Q5's rated @ 240 lumens for my headlights:

http://cgi.ebay.com/CREE-Q5-WC-LED-...6862598?pt=US_Flashlights&hash=item27ba274e06

Looks like you can get a single Cree Q5 LED to give you 400 lumens (@ 7W, must be overvolted a little, or have a higher current limit in the driver card):

http://cgi.ebay.com/CREE-LED-400-Lu...8184124?pt=US_Flashlights&hash=item4159b934bc

Then, there's the SSC P7, at 900 lumens:

http://cgi.ebay.com/UltraFire-900Lu...7463077?pt=US_Flashlights&hash=item19c281b625

Or go nuts with a 2000 lumen setup (but this is the LED array only, you'll have to supply the other stuff):

http://cgi.ebay.com/BRIGHTEST-25W-2...002?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4aa4b5549a

Of course, there are torches with multiple LEDs already in them to make a blinding beam (i.e., 6xq5 for 1600 lumens):

http://cgi.ebay.com/FULL-SET-T6-160...9476708?pt=US_Flashlights&hash=item2a0e5b1564

And so on, and so on.

Cameron
 
stanz said:
I found three threads on turn signals, but nothing recent so here goes:

I've been cycling and riding motorcycles since the 1970s, yeah I'm old, and motorists have not gotten smarter. Half the time when I signal for a right turn the motorist will wave back at me.

There's quite a few of us old'uns here. I was born in a house without electricity, on a farm still worked by horses, and I can remember looking up at the moon and wondering if anyone would ever get there! :wink:

Signals have to be BOLD. My own are a little unorthodox, but seem to be effective. On a roundabout, or in similar situation, I point directly at the exit I am about to take, as if I were about to shoot it with a pistol, and defy anyone to come between that point and my finger. If someone looks like coming past me where it is not safe, I stick my arm out on the passing side, elbow bent, spread palm facing and pushing back. I don't think I've ever had anyone ignore that signal. Once it's safe, I wave them on through. I will often do that anyway, just to let people know that I'm aware of their presence.
 
oldpiper said:
Not so hard. I'm at the moment using a pair of Q5's rated @ 240 lumens for my headlights:
Cameron

Cameron,

Are those headlights bright enough to drive by?

stan
 
amberwolf said:
I think bigger would work better than brighter, in many cases. ;)

So in that way of thinking, perhaps these would work best:
http://www.allelectronics.com/make-a-store/item/RTL-2/RED-LED-TRAFFIC-STOP-LIGHT-120-VAC-USED/1.html
or the directional arrow version:
http://www.allelectronics.com/make-a-store/item/RTL-1/RED-ARROW-LED-TRAFFIC-LIGHT-120-VAC-USED/1.html
If I had the money for them, I'd've bought a set of at least two of each, and tried them out on my CrazyBike2. This is a photochop of what it might look like for the taillight only (but you can imagine the turn signals to either side, preferably on the back of the cargo pods, whcih are a tad narrower than the lights themselves).

They are probably wired for 110V right now, but that's fairly easy to fix by cutting the series strings of LEDs, if they are all wired as one string. If they are running on driver electronics, then it may be easy to bypass or modify the main powersupply and run it off DC-DC converter from the traction pack instead.
Instead of "photochop".. How about a video.. Like this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SO2Xq0cxjVU&feature=youtube_gdata_player

My current setup. :). No one can say they don't see me turning..
 
sangesf said:
Instead of "photochop".. How about a video.. Like this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SO2Xq0cxjVU&feature=youtube_gdata_player

My current setup. :). No one can say they don't see me turning..

Yes, where did you source the arrows?
 
stanz said:
oldpiper said:
Not so hard. I'm at the moment using a pair of Q5's rated @ 240 lumens for my headlights:
Cameron

Cameron,

Are those headlights bright enough to drive by?

stan

They're bright enough for me. However, when I'm driving at night, it's on a reasonable street (no 50 mph traffic, I'm not going 50 mph, either), not through the woods at warp speed. Of course, once you have something, you do start pining away for the upgrade - first to wire it to a 5V DC/DC coming off my batts, then to 400 lumens +++. Next time, I think I may just get the LED mounted in a reflector and set up my own voltage/current regulator (won't have to cycle through the "bright - half - blinking" modes every time I turn it on).

Cameron
 
I found a pair on ebay, ouch $45 for a pair:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2-4-Led-Arrow-Turn-Tail-Lights-Grommets-Pigtails-Red-/160559588399?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item256218e42f
 
Look for these keywords...
4" Led Arrow Turn /Tail Light

And you'll see them..
Just make sure you pick the correct colors you want... There is amber and red.
If you get the ones without the grommets and pigtails (unneeded) then it's $35 a pair..
They are a bit pricy, but they're easily seen during the day, and annoyingly bright at night!
 
Thanks,

I found them and put a bid on a set. I was going to order from his website but the shipping is $10.95 on the website and $5.95 on ebay.

I can never understand that one. You'd think he'd charge less since there's no ebay fees!
 
They are sealed, so no issues with weather on these..
I received them in 3 days after payment. And they are awesome!!!
I just need to figure a better front facing diectional light system.. Right now it's just a couple of amber 2" rectangled 20w incandescent lights..
Any ideas?
 
sangesf said:
They are sealed, so no issues with weather on these..
I received them in 3 days after payment. And they are awesome!!!
I just need to figure a better front facing diectional light system.. Right now it's just a couple of amber 2" rectangled 20w incandescent lights..
Any ideas?

I'm not that worried about front lights but I would use scooter or motorcycle lights up front.

Are you using the full light for braking or just the arrow portion?
 
stanz said:
sangesf said:
They are sealed, so no issues with weather on these..
I received them in 3 days after payment. And they are awesome!!!
I just need to figure a better front facing diectional light system.. Right now it's just a couple of amber 2" rectangled 20w incandescent lights..
Any ideas?

I'm not that worried about front lights but I would use scooter or motorcycle lights up front.

Are you using the full light for braking or just the arrow portion?

As you could see in my video, I already have a rear/stop light (the end of that video was me hitting the brakes..
So I'm only using them for arrows...
In Florida they want want red rear lights, not amber..

I figured since every car and motorcycle uses red running/stop lights and amber turn signals, that I'd do the same.
 
So, I'm at Tractor Supply Company looking for a portable shed to hide my popup trailer. (My neighbor complained to the town so I gotta cover it.)

I come across these lights on the shelf with a "try me" button on them. They are annoyingly bright for $17 or a complete trailer wiring kit for under $40:

http://www.tractorsupply.com/trailers-towing/trailer-parts/trailer-lighting/trailer-lights/blazer-led-submersible-trailer-light-kit-for-trailers-under-80-in-wide-1683178

I don't see the round light for $17 on the website, sorry.
 
The seller accepted my offer, I have a set of the arrow lights on the way for $35.94 including Priority Mail shipping.

Now I need to figure out how to integrate the stoplight function into my brake levers while not compromising their ability to function with my controller...
 
stanz said:
The seller accepted my offer, I have a set of the arrow lights on the way for $35.94 including Priority Mail shipping.

Now I need to figure out how to integrate the stoplight function into my brake levers while not compromising their ability to function with my controller...
They way to do it is to have TWO electric brake lines..
One for the cutoff/regen to the controller.
Second one for the brake light..
(I have a 12v lifepo4 system to run my accessories, so all I had to do was run the negative side to negative on the battery and the "brake function line" to one wire on the ebrake line and the other line to 12v+, so when you hit the brake, the circuit is completed)
 
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