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/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> Connect passing light switch to strobe /cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1372162554 Message started by Dave on 06/25/13 at 05:15:54 |
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Title: Connect passing light switch to strobe Post by Dave on 06/25/13 at 05:15:54 I have been considering the possibility of adding a strobe light to be used when you want cars to notice you. This could be used when approaching an intersection and someone is likely to turn left in front of you, pull out in front of you, etc. There is a wire in the harness that connects to the passing light that could be used as the power supply, and the light would only flash when you pulled the passing switch on the left handlebar control. My initial thought was that I could drill a hole in my headlight reflector and install a stobe light - however most of those systems require a power supply that is pretty bulky and made to run several lights. There are now LED lights that are self contained and do not require seperate power supplies. Here is one possibility that could be mounted on the lower triple clamp just below the headlight. http://www.strobes-r-us.com/closeup.asp?cid=14&pid=695&offset=0 Does anyone know of a more compact or better system for use on a motorcycle? |
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Title: Re: Connect passing light switch to strobe Post by justin_o_guy2 on 06/25/13 at 06:11:34 i flash mine manually,, im on low beam, i hit pass a few times, |
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Title: Re: Connect passing light switch to strobe Post by Dave on 06/25/13 at 06:23:15 617E787F62655464546C7E72390B0 wrote:
I also do this......and most of the time it works fine. I do worry however that in this part of Kentucky when you flash your headlight it is often done as "permission" to go ahead and pull out! I don't think a white strobe would be confused....and it would be more noticeable if it was really bright. |
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Title: Re: Connect passing light switch to strobe Post by arteacher on 06/25/13 at 06:47:29 Look for headlight modulators. The one I bought flashes the light from low to high to low to high maybe 3 times per second. It plugs into the back of the bulb and a wire runs to a light sensor that mounts on the handlebar. The sensor defeats the modulator when it gets dusk, to keep you legal. (You are not supposed to use them at night.) During the day to turn it on you just switch to high beams on, at night the high beam switch works like normal. I have been told by people I ride with that it is very attention-getting. Sorry, I can't remember where I got it or how much it cost. |
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Title: Re: Connect passing light switch to strobe Post by justin_o_guy2 on 06/25/13 at 08:44:23 063D3027363A21273C343926550 wrote:
I also do this......and most of the time it works fine. I do worry however that in this part of Kentucky when you flash your headlight it is often done as "permission" to go ahead and pull out! I don't think a white strobe would be confused....and it would be more noticeable if it was really bright.[/quote] well,, when im runnin 40 mph at a car in a left turn lane id sure hate to make them think i was saqyin go for it, ill just pull back on the bars & go over you |
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Title: Re: Connect passing light switch to strobe Post by paulmarshall on 06/25/13 at 13:08:11 I like the concept Dave. Anything that can make riding safer I support. |
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Title: Re: Connect passing light switch to strobe Post by Blinky-FSO on 06/25/13 at 13:20:15 Dave, I bookmarked this page last year and never followed up. Looks interesting. For what it is worth. Good hunting http://screaming-banshee.com/ |
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Title: Re: Connect passing light switch to strobe Post by verslagen1 on 06/25/13 at 14:18:55 would be useless to me... my low beam is brighter than my high beam. |
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Title: Re: Connect passing light switch to strobe Post by arteacher on 06/25/13 at 14:22:16 150611100F0204060D52630 wrote:
It's the flashing aspect that makes it eye-catching. |
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Title: Re: Connect passing light switch to strobe Post by verslagen1 on 06/25/13 at 14:49:27 424949404C434258592D0 wrote:
It's the flashing aspect that makes it eye-catching.[/quote] Brighter than muzzle flash? :-? |
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Title: Re: Connect passing light switch to strobe Post by arteacher on 06/25/13 at 15:11:15 OK, you will have to explain that, please, Versey. :-? |
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Title: Re: Connect passing light switch to strobe Post by 12Bravo on 06/26/13 at 05:43:23 5E4D5A5B44494F4D4619280 wrote:
It's the flashing aspect that makes it eye-catching.[/quote] Brighter than muzzle flash? :-?[/quote] It depends on what powder you use, some powders produce a brighter muzzle flash than others ;) |
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Title: Re: Connect passing light switch to strobe Post by Dave on 08/12/13 at 08:17:47 I am just about to make the order and begin the installation. This is the most reasonable and compact design I have found after searcihing for a few months. It is self contained and does not require any drive unit outside of the light itself. I plan on mounting it to the bottom triple clamp just below the headlight, and hooking it up to the passing switch. I will use it when I feel like I need to be seen.....like when approaching an intersection and you are not sure the other drivers see you. I will probably order the one with the white and amber lights that alternate....as I could not make up my mind if a sinigle color of white or amber would be more visible. http://www.strobes-r-us.com/closeup.asp?cid=13&pid=923&offset=0 |
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Title: Re: Connect passing light switch to strobe Post by PhantomII on 08/12/13 at 09:40:59 Hook it to the horn instead nobody can hear it anyway but maybe they can see you with the strobe light. |
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Title: Re: Connect passing light switch to strobe Post by Serowbot on 08/12/13 at 09:41:19 Slightly off-topic,... but there is an effect called "urban blindness" or "urban camouflage" that occurs particularity with motorcycles... because we create such a vertical silhouette.. The vertical line of our oncoming view can blend with background poles, and trees, and lines in the road... It has been recommended that you weave slightly (as in going from left car tire groove to right, and back),... to separate you from background objects... when entering busy intersections... I try to do this, if I think someone might not see me... There's a video on you-tube from the UK that explains it better, ... but I can't find it... |
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Title: Re: Connect passing light switch to strobe Post by Dave on 08/12/13 at 09:59:49 Serowbot: I had heard about that.....and I found and read this article last week. http://www.motoress.com/readarticle.asp?articleid=730&c=technique On Saturday afternoon I rode over to Rabbit Hash, Kentucky, and I tried to use the methods when approaching intersections....hoping to make myself more visible. |
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Title: Re: Connect passing light switch to strobe Post by Serowbot on 08/12/13 at 10:05:58 Thanks for finding that, Dave... ;)... |
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Title: Re: Connect passing light switch to strobe Post by justin_o_guy2 on 08/12/13 at 10:51:53 Ive beenb using that for a long time, had no idea why my motion across the lane made me more visible, I could just tell I was seen better,, |
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Title: Re: Connect passing light switch to strobe Post by Dave on 09/23/13 at 05:51:36 Well I finally had a rainy Saturday morning to get this thing completed. In order to connect the new LED warning light to the Passing Switch I had to remove the side panels, seat, tank, and left handlebar electrical control so I could tap into the switch and run a wire to the new light....and I hate wasting good riding weather while tearing things apart. Things went smoothly and it works well. The light has 19 possible patterns and I have not yet picked out for certain the best one to use. Originally I had planned on installing a strobe in the headlight - but those all take "drivers" that are boxes that must be mounted somewhere else, and they are made big enough to handle 4 or more lights....so they are somewhat big and heavy for what I needed. I finaly found an LED light that is all self contained and easy to wire. Here is what the LED Warning light looks like under the headlight. http://i43.tinypic.com/1pdweg.jpg And here is what the light looks like with the current flash mode....I have 18 other patterns and need to see which one I like best. View My Video (http://tinypic.com/r/28us3zl/5) |
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Title: Re: Connect passing light switch to strobe Post by babyhog on 09/23/13 at 08:08:19 Sweet! I like it. Where's the instructions and in-progress pics? ;) |
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Title: Re: Connect passing light switch to strobe Post by Dave on 09/23/13 at 08:34:26 Babyhog: I wasn't too good about documenting the process. This is where I got the light. They have several - I picked the smallest one. http://www.strobes-r-us.com/closeup.asp?cid=13&pid=923&offset=0 This is what the light looked like after I made a bracket for it: http://i40.tinypic.com/2hn1dvl.jpg http://i39.tinypic.com/2nkueiu.jpg One wire goes to ground, one wire goes to the power and a second wire is attached to it for the alternating left/right lights, another wire is unused as it connects the warning light to other warning lights if you want them synchronized, and the last wire is temporarily touched to a ground to change the flash pattern. The electrical control on the left handlebar with the flasher has a yellow wire that is connected to another yellow wire in the wiring harness....about 4 inches down from the control....one wire is connected to the passing switch and the other wire is from the high beam switch. I had to open up the harness, cut the yellow wire off, and then connect it to a wire and thread it through the harness that goes to the headlight bucket. If you don't have a passing switch you could install an extra switch somewhere....or as someone suggested earlier you could connnect the light to your horn button. Here is another light they sell that has a housing and bracket built into the light. It is a bit more expensive and slightly bigger width and depth wise - but would be easier to mount. http://www.strobes-r-us.com/closeup.asp?cid=32&pid=695&offset=0 |
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Title: Re: Connect passing light switch to strobe Post by babyhog on 09/23/13 at 09:31:54 Thanks Dave. I might just try it this winter. I used to work at a place that sold lights like that, but I moved from that area. I still have the connection, so maybe I'll email them a pic and see what they have similar. Surely less than $60! On another note -- wonder if there are any regulations to running strobes? Like I know here, blue lights are reserved for police. But I guess if you aren't running it constantly, it shouldn't be an issue. It was super foggy this morning, waayyyyy to foggy to ride or be seen, but I could see strobes really helping out if you get caught out in heavy fog. |
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Title: Re: Connect passing light switch to strobe Post by Dave on 09/23/13 at 09:42:47 Babyhog: I am sure we can't run red or blue lights - those are for the emergency folks. Purple is for funeral.....so that is out. I have also seen that the brake light is illegal to have flash.....for more than just a few flashes after the initial application.....it has to stop flashing and burn steady. The construction folks around here run their white and yellow flashing lights all the time.....even on the run down the highway to get lunch. They never seem to have any issues and just drive on down the road with their lights flashing. I also was on the interstate and a Honda Goldwing had very bright white spot lights on the sides of the headlight....and they flashed alternately the entire time he was riding. It was so annoying in my rear view mirror I slowed down so he would pass me. I only intend to use this LED Warning light when I am not sure if someone sees me. The original high beam passing light was intimidating to me, as a lot of people in this area flash their high beam in order to give you permission to pull out...which is not what I want to happen. If you get a light and want help.....let me know. Dave |
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Title: Re: Connect passing light switch to strobe Post by misterbbq on 09/23/13 at 10:18:27 here is a good video explaining the effect of the 'smidsy' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqQBubilSXU i put a headlight modulator on my bike http://www.comagination.com/modulator.htm it works pretty well.... though i have a had a few oncoming cars flash their lights at me for some reason. |
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Title: Re: Connect passing light switch to strobe Post by strang on 09/23/13 at 12:52:37 this is a great idea - another upgrade to add to the list :) |
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