Building in CREE light

[Alan Quay]

Yes, you could get away with a t joint as long as you can insulate it suitably. Can't comment on silweld, never used it.

There is no real need to take multiple drop wires, assuming the one you tale off is enough to supply all your equipment. Be aware the current you are talking about here is prior to the dc converter, so a lot lower than the current to the lights.

If you tell us exactly what you are supplying, and power consumption we can tell you min cable size. Alternatively, over spec it. 1mm diameter is good for over 10 amps!

 

[Old_Dave]

I guess I don't even need to cut the 12AWG, could just expose section by removing insulation and solder the tap wire to the main wire by wrapping around as a T-join

Thats the idea..

 

[103Alex1]

Yes, you could get away with a t joint as long as you can insulate it suitably. Can't comment on silweld, never used it.

There is no real need to take multiple drop wires, assuming the one you tale off is enough to supply all your equipment. Be aware the current you are talking about here is prior to the dc converter, so a lot lower than the current to the lights.

If you tell us exactly what you are supplying, and power consumption we can tell you min cable size. Alternatively, over spec it. 1mm diameter is good for over 10 amps!

Fantastic - I can tap the drop wire then rather than the main one ? Will have different circuits at different voltages (9v, 12v, 3.7V at the moment - will be clearer when I can see exactly how to get the lights to work and the voltage I am allowed to run each of them at). Thus need to multi-branch the feed to a number of DC-DC converters.


......


The salvage instinct in me is kicking in now ... I have a perfectly good 3 x CREE T6 light which at present runs off an 8.7V battery pack that has a damaged lead on it rendering the light pretty much useless for now. It’s this light :

HOT 3 x CREE XM-L T6 LED 4000LM Bicycle bike HeadLight Lamp Light Headlamp | eBay

It would be fantastic as my “high-beam” light for flashing at undipped headlights if it could be modified for wiring in, and I already have the diffuser and a mount for it. One little flasher CREE T6 on the handlebars I could fit, the single CREE running lights could go on a bracket on the front forks.
Have found this driver after much googling :

$4.5 | 22MM 3xCree XM-L T6 emitter Led Driver&led circuit board(2*18650,8.4V,2500mAh) Worldwide Free Shipping!!!

It doesn’t look like it’s a multi-mode clicky switch one. The only 3-LED driver sold separately I’ve found after much searching. Took the bull by the horns and ripped open the light to reveal its inner secrets :

Both the battery wires and the single-LED wires are accessible, unlike the single-CREE LED light I have which is pretty much sealed in.

So tentatively, if it is a single-mode driver my thought is to wire it in using the 36V to 9V step-down converter tillson linked, which is rated to 3A, and to swap out the driver board in the light for the new one.

From everything people have said in response to my many threads & posts trying to work this out o), I presume this should work ?

I can then have my light unit at least for a flash-beam and a 3-cree is far more suitable for this than a T6 single LED run at 1400mA. I’m guessing the LEDs in the light unit are arranged “in series” ?

Cost would be $25 with postage – not much more than buying a replacement battery pack – but I could get driver boards cheap for my other LEDs at no extra postage.

Am thinking I would then just (!) have to swap the driver board, cut the battery pack connector off and splice in the new wires from the power supply (I guess over the handlebar switch so flicking this to setting 2 of a 0/1/2 could turn them on ?) ... can’t see how that handlebar switch wiring would work yet but would be great to know it could be done in principle ...

Handlebar switch envisaged is this one :

Handlebar Switch - 3 position lights plus Horn/Kill | eBay

The lights off switch setting 1 would run at a different voltage and be supplied via a separate DC-DC converter.

I’ve sent the supplier of the driver board an e-mail asking for confirmation that the driver board is single mode (hopes !!) but they’re off-line till Monday.

Could this be the light at the end of a long dark quest ?

 

[Old_Dave]

My brain hurts

£24.95

FFS!!

 

[tillson]

Could this be the light at the end of a long dark quest ?

Tragically, no

 

[103Alex1]

My brain hurts

LOL. Stick with me now .... the end may be in sight

£24.95

FFS!!

I know ... but I'm sure it'll be lovely and tactile when you stroke it ... I can be as bad as a woman in a handbag shop when it comes to fittings ...

Tragically, no

Please do elaborate What fundamental concept have I failed to grasp this time ? If it's the different voltages of the lights to be fed and controlled from the 2-setting handlebar switch, could I rig up the flash beam light (9V) to come on when the independent "kill/horn" button is pressed instead (if it would work for that) and have the other lights on the 2-position switch running on the same voltage circuit ?

There surely has to be a way to achieve what I want to do ... there are multiple-setting lights built into dirt bikes, scooters, motorbikes, golf carts and all sorts...

 

[103Alex1]

Two of these lights.

And one of theses rear lights.

tillson, may come back full-circle to going with this ... are the front ones the lights you use wired up this way ? Are they 2-LED lights in a single housing or just 1 emitter per light ?

Also do you know how much current the lights draw each ?

Cheers.

 

[tillson]

tillson, may come back full-circle to going with this ... are the front ones the lights you use wired up this way ? Are they 2-LED lights in a single housing or just 1 emitter per light ?

Also do you know how much current the lights draw each ?

Cheers.

Alex,

I simply feed the two lights with 9 volts from the DC-DC converter which I linked to. I have not modified the lights in any way and use the on / off switch on the light to switch them on and off. The lights have a single T6 LED in each one, which I believe are rated at 3 Watts, so that's about 0.333 amps per light at 9 Volts.

I have retained all of the original plug fittings on the lights, simply replacing the little battery packs which come supplied with a feed from my DC-DC converter. It makes a very simple and neat installation.

If you want more light, there are units with 3 T6 LEDs in each.

 

[103Alex1]

Alex,

I simply feed the two lights with 9 volts from the DC-DC converter which I linked to. I have not modified the lights in any way and use the on / off switch on the light to switch them on and off. The lights have a single T6 LED in each one, which I believe are rated at 3 Watts, so that's about 0.333 amps per light at 9 Volts.

I have retained all of the original plug fittings on the lights, simply replacing the little battery packs which come supplied with a feed from my DC-DC converter. It makes a very simple and neat installation.

If you want more light, there are units with 3 T6 LEDs in each.

3W sounds very low for a single XM-L - I may be wrong but thought they can emit up to 10W per emitter depending on the current they are run at ...

Cree Component XLamp XM-L LEDs

Do you think the lights have on-board current limiters which are limiting the Wattage of light output ? 3W and 1800Lm sound mighty far apart ... am pretty confused by it ... surely you'd only get about 300Lm running the lights at 9V/0.33A ?

Could they be run at higher current to give greater W/emitter simply by supplying a different voltage supply for example as a cheaper way of doing it than getting a 3-LED unit ? What do you think ?

 

[tillson]

Sorry Alex, my mistake I meant 10W, so with my 9 Volt supply, the current from the DC-DC converter will be about 1.1 Amps per emitter.

I think the claims of 1800 Lumens are a bit far fetched, more like 1000 I would have thought.

 

[Old_Dave]

Did you rule this one out... £16.24 with p&p

One of the forum members got one but I cant find the thread.

Ultra bright 3-LED waterproof spotlight
5W each LED of total 15W output,1200 Lumens
Working voltage is 12V-80VDC

eBay item number 261101473285

 

[103Alex1]

Yup, got one of those. Not been convinced to fit it yet. I might initially tap a standalone test circuit and wire it up to try before inserting a DC-DC for a 3-CREE XM-L T6 to try that as a comparison. Wouldn't need a switch initially for either I guess - would just unsolder the lamps after the tests. It's messy though - will end up with live wire ends from the tap feed after disconnecting until the final circuit is decided on. Trying to plan this without being able to actually see the lights operating from the supply I'm intending to feed and decide if they're OK or not is proving pretty futile. I just haven't used enough different lights to know what is going to provide what I'm after.

If I did this, are there cap plugs or something I could put on to make the tapped connection safe and avoid standby current draw whilst I work out what the heck I'm actually going to end up doing ?

 

[Old_Dave]

For testing and quick connection / disconnection the contact strips are ideal....
Why haven't you tried that light yet ?

Maybe that wide angle lens could be used with it

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[103Alex1]

For testing and quick connection / disconnection the contact strips are ideal....
Why haven't you tried that light yet ?

Coz I don't know what those are, where to find them or how to do it Didn't know you could test without wiring in. So how does that work, Dave ?

Maybe that wide angle lens could be used with it

Have a look at last post on this page :

http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/electric-bicycles/13628-new-light-runs-direct-battery-5.html

The 39mm wide angle lens fits the magicshine/gemini housing clones (both 3-CREE and 1-CREE sizes). This light is far bigger (there's actually no lens at all on it) so they don't work unfortunately. I'm still hunting for one that does in order to spread the light out a bit.

By the way, found a nice RED 39mm wide-angle lens which might turn an old 1-CREE into a decent rear light :

Action-LED-Lights — Wide Angle Lens - RED

Those lights aren't really great for mounting on the back of a rack though ... there are bags in the way of a seatpost mount on both my bikes most of the time.

 

[Old_Dave]

The strips are shown in post 31


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[103Alex1]

The strips are shown in post 31

Ah - terminology confusion ! I still need to take a tapping wire off though, right ? My battery has a Deans connectors fitted to the terminals right now.

... and then leave the ends parked in connector block as a temporary measure when I disconnect the lights ?

 

[Old_Dave]

... and then leave the ends parked in connector block as a temporary measure when I disconnect the lights ?

Yep, and then whennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn its all sorted and your a happy bunny you can remove the strip and make a permanent job of it

 

[103Alex1]

Yep, and then whennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn its all sorted and your a happy bunny you can remove the strip and make a permanent job of it

I see. Will look and see if there's any household block lying about somewhere.

For a more permanent solution, manager at Maplins who does guitar amp setups suggested I use one of these (they don't sell 'em) for the positive distribution to the various circuits (effectively up to 4 tapping wires off a single unit with a separate fuse for each which can be housed at the block rather than 4 separate in-line fuses on each tapped supply) :

Kicker KNXFD144 1 In 4 Out Car Amplifier Amp 4 way AGU Distribution Block | eBay

Looks a sensible idea (although the wire gauge ratings are way lower than the ones I'd be feeding in and taking out so suppose I could blob some solder in there to make sure the contacts are sound and stay gripped). I forgot to ask about the negative wires - I'm assuming you need something like this (same sort of thing but not fused) make 1 black into 4 blacks :

Autoleads G2-11 - 4 Way Mini Gold Distribution Block

Don't understand grounding or what negative wires are for yet so that is nothing more than a guess ...

Any thoughts on these blocks (just ignore the prices for now !!) ?

 

[Old_Dave]

For a more permanent solution

One or better two inline fuses .. join, solder, heat shrink, sorted

But we are a long way off that bit yet..

1:1 - In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
1:2 - And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
1:3 - And God said, Let there be light:
1:3a - And 103Alex1 said let me order lots of stuff first
1:3b - After a few months there was light.
1:4 - And God saw the light, and it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness.
1:5 - And God said, that took longer than I thought

 

[103Alex1]

One or better two inline fuses .. join, solder, heat shrink, sorted

But we are a long way off that bit yet..

1:1 - In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
1:2 - And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
1:3 - And God said, Let there be light:
1:3a - And 103Alex1 said let me order lots of stuff first
1:3b - After a few months there was light.
1:4 - And God saw the light, and it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness.
1:5 - And God said, that took longer than I thought

ROFL !

It's funny the different views on stuff though - Mr Maplin wrinkled his nose in horror and disbelief at the idea of direct solder-tapping and wasn't trying to sell me anything. I guess it's the difference between the old days when you made do with what you had and these days where there are 20 different products for everything you can possibly imagine .. and not all of them do anything worthwhile.

I will still have to draw a picture and post a photo about what to do with the negative wires - as no matter how much people write text I can't really understand stuff well without representative diagrams. It's a "wiring thing" ... the mild autism is to blame I think (for a lot of things !!!).

Will also have to find somewhere to buy connector block as I've looked but don't have any. Away for a couple of days now so might just order some - it'll be here by the time I get back and save me going shopping AGAIN.