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Headlight voltage regulator (Read 90 times)
Tone2crazy
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Headlight voltage regulator
12/12/21 at 18:09:25
 
Hello all,

So I bought a led headlight, it's super bright but I have an issue I'm hoping you guys can help me with. When I give it any gas, like when I'm riding and the rpms  go up, it start to flicker. It's like the lights kind of start wiggling. When the bike is idling it doesn't happen. So I am assuming when I give it gas the voltage spikes and gives it too much juice.

So my question is, is there an in line regulator I can put on my bike to keep the voltage low?

Thanks
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Gary_in_NJ
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Re: Headlight voltage regulator
Reply #1 - 12/12/21 at 18:25:53
 
An in-line voltage regulator is known as a resistor in the electronics world.

What is your line voltage and what voltage does the LED power supply expect?

Have you considered that your Regulator/Rectifyer is out of spec and is delivering too much voltage?
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Re: Headlight voltage regulator
Reply #2 - 12/12/21 at 18:33:43
 
The voltage will go up from 13v to 14v when you rev it.
Led lights are more responsive to voltage changes.
Might be an issue with the rectifier, not sure.
There are test for the rectifier in clymers if I remember correctly.
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Dave
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Re: Headlight voltage regulator
Reply #3 - 12/13/21 at 02:29:36
 
Before you start fussing with the bike's electrical system.......what kind of LED bulb did you buy (it could be you got a defective or cheap LED)?  Not all LED bulb are created equal - better bulbs cost more and work better...the market is flooded with cheap bulbs that don't work well or control the light output adequately.

LED bulbs that don't have an external driver/controller box are easier to fit into the headlight housing - but without those controls the headlight is more prone to flickering.

I have had very good luck with economically priced LED bulbs from Lasfit, and when you want the best the Cyclops is the premium bulb.

https://www.lasfit.com/collections/h4

https://www.cyclopsadventuresports.com/Cyclops-100-H4-LED-headlight-bulb_p_19...
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Re: Headlight voltage regulator
Reply #4 - 12/14/21 at 14:20:20
 
Digital voltmeter time!
FWIW, older Suzi-Q reg/rec units were known to charge at up to 15.5 volts. That's enough to toast a lot of electronics out there.
If you get crazy high readings, consider using a modern replacement from somewhere like Ricks in NH.
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Re: Headlight voltage regulator
Reply #5 - 12/15/21 at 08:51:11
 
Not to highjack, but a quick question to Dave.
Have you had any luck putting LED's in car/truck headlight housings?  I know they can be "brighter" with significantly more lumens, but sometimes the down-road penetration, or lux, is worse.  Also wondering about LED's in snow storms.  The reflection can supposedly be pretty harsh at night off the white snow.
I'm still pretty happy with my bulb from ADVMonster in the Savage.
Thx.
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Re: Headlight voltage regulator
Reply #6 - 12/15/21 at 10:30:51
 
I have had H4 Led's in my Pontiac Vibe for years.  The first models that came out didn't work well with the rubber boots - now the LED's come apart and most are far easier to get installed a dirt/water is sealed out o f the housing.  (On some early models I had to make PVC adapters to get them sealed).

The light dispersion and vertical cut off is important - some early models were horrible.  Avoid LED's that have thick round stalks to hold the emitters or that have triangular shaped stalks.  The best LED's have very thin slabs on which the emitters are mounted, and they have little wings that block the light on low beam and provide the needed vertical cut off (so light doesn't shine upward into the eyes of oncoming drivers).

I have noticed that some LED lights can affect FM radio reception and make it hard for you to receive weaker signals.  I first noticed this when I was listening to 88.7 on the radio in my garage while I was installing an LED in my motorcycle - and when I turned the headlight on the radio reception stopped.  Installing the little magnetic choke coils on the wiring leading to the LED can help to reduce this interference.

The output and 20,000 hour life that is advertised is most often the information provided by the company that makes the "emitter" units, and not the assembled LED bulb.  When the bulb is assembled and installed in a headlight - the light output and lifetime can change drastically.  If the LED's get hot the life is reduced significantly.

Good LED's that have proper light control can vastly improve the amount of light output.  In some cases the light spread near the car is so bright that it makes you think you are not seeing as far down the road - when you actually can.  Poorly made LED's can make for really uneven light spread with hot and dark light patterns.....I find those really annoying!

I have had very good luck with any light I buy from Superbright LED's, the Lasfit brand is a good economical choice, and the Cyclops are the premier light!
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Tone2crazy
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Re: Headlight voltage regulator
Reply #7 - 12/15/21 at 15:14:31
 
Thanks for the insight guys,

I figured it out, the light fixture actually had a loose light inside of it. I got a replacement and it works perfectly.

This is the one I got, once I got a non-defective light it works great. when I got the bike it already had an aftermarket housing, so I can't say wether or not it will fit in the stock housing

Wisamic 5-3/4 5.75 inch LED Headlight - Compatible with Harley Davidson Dyna Street Bob Super Wide Glide Low Rider Night Rod Train Softail Deuce Custom Sportster Iron 883-Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DZU30S0/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_KR573EYCE1GQY4...

For what it's worth I checked the voltage of the light output and it was 13.6 at idle and it got up to 14.2 with throttle.
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Re: Headlight voltage regulator
Reply #8 - 12/15/21 at 16:36:52
 
Tone2crazy wrote on 12/15/21 at 15:14:31:
Thanks for the insight guys,

I figured it out, the light fixture actually had a loose light inside of it. I got a replacement and it works perfectly...
----------------


Sounds like you had a Jiggly Wiggly.  


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