DIN charging kit - can it be powered off bike battery ?

[103Alex1]

Came across this kit - wondered if it can be rigged up to run off bike battery ..... ?

Motorcycle Hardwire Battery Charging Kit for Samsung Galaxy S3 Hard Waterproof Case

 

[Deleted member 4366]

I'mguessing that it's designed to run off 12v, then the little box steps it down to 5v USB. You could consider installing a DC to DC converter in your box to convert from 36v to 12v, and then use a standard car charger for your phone. You could step the voltage down to 5v directly, but if the DC to DC converter fails, you get 36v in your phone, which would then smoke nicely. The car charger gives you insurance against that. If you wanted to be really neat, you could mount the car charger inside the box as well and either have a retractable lead or mount a small connector on the outside.

These converters work quite well and are good for 3 amps, so you can use them for lights as well.
LM2596HV DCDC Step Down Converter Adjustable + Heatsink | eBay

 

[103Alex1]

I'mguessing that it's designed to run off 12v, then the little box steps it down to 5v USB. You could consider installing a DC to DC converter in your box to convert from 36v to 12v, and then use a standard car charger for your phone. You could step the voltage down to 5v directly, but if the DC to DC converter fails, you get 36v in your phone, which would then smoke nicely. The car charger gives you insurance against that. If you wanted to be really neat, you could mount the car charger inside the box as well and either have a retractable lead or mount a small connector on the outside.

These converters work quite well and are good for 3 amps, so you can use them for lights as well.
LM2596HV DCDC Step Down Converter Adjustable + Heatsink | eBay

I like it a lot ... can you use that step-down converter to feed more than one circuit ?

think what I'm going to do, Dave, is initially pop the battery and gubbins in a rack bag for on-road testing and until Speedict sort out the Bluetooth issues (or if they can't then until I've sorted out another control setup via 3-speed switch opr something like that ... tbh didn't get my head round all that on account of plan to use Speedict but as that's going to be delayed likely a month now realistically may as well test out the workings on the more basic options).

In order to get on with it, could you possibly direct me to where to find a Hall sensor connector array to swap out the connectors on the controller / connect to motor lead, or else pop the spare motor lead connector you have in the post ? I can always remove it if I wire the motor lead direct to the controller once everything to go in the box is here and it's built. This will at least enable me to get the bike on the road for a test soonish.

I've got XLR connectors on order to swap out the battery charger down the line but for now I can use the kettle plugs till they arrive.

The fog is all starting to clear a bit, step by step

 

[103Alex1]

These converters work quite well and are good for 3 amps, so you can use them for lights as well.

LM2596HV DCDC Step Down Converter Adjustable + Heatsink | eBay

One converter for both lights and phone off different circuits or 2 converters, one each for lights / phone ?

 

[Deleted member 4366]

I'll try and get the connector block in the post tomorrow.

You can drive as many circuits as you want with that converter as long as you don't go over three amps. The problem is rear llights are normally 3v, those single Cree T6 X-ML front lights are 8.4v and your phone charger's 12v. If you want all off the same source, yoou need to find some good 12v LED lights.

 

[103Alex1]

I'll try and get the connector block in the post tomorrow.

Thanks a lot.

You can drive as many circuits as you want with that converter as long as you don't go over three amps. The problem is rear llights are normally 3v, those single Cree T6 X-ML front lights are 8.4v and your phone charger's 12v. If you want all off the same source, yoou need to find some good 12v LED lights.

Ah .. so all circuits coming off it must be same voltage ? (i.e. if I step down to 12v then I need to power everything off it at 12V also otherwise I need another step-down converter to set at a different output ?

Is this all back to V=IxR ? ... whilst I managed an 'A' in Physics GCSE back in the day (somehow by cramming - goodness knows what that says !), I remember literally nothing at all about it Must confess my brain used to ache and eyes swim in Physics classes

 

[103Alex1]

Powering front lights off the step-down converter

I found these which look good ... they draw 0.66A per light but are 14.5Vdc.

BikeVis Store | Cree LED Running Lights v3

First off are they compatible with the step-down converter ?

Am I right in thinking that since 14.5V >12V I would need a separate 2nd step-down converter to set at 14.5V to run these and have another one set at 12V to run the charger ?

 

[Old_Dave]

Dear old way of doing it, lol

A decent led bike light that runs straight from the battery is only £6.99 'ish


12V 24V 36V 48V 60V-80V 3W High Power LED Spot Light for Motor E-Bike(63mmx52mm)

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[Deleted member 4366]

By 14.4 V, they mean 12V - the voltage that most cars/motorbikes run at.

I'd stick with one of those single Cree T6 X-ML lights that are miles brighter.

 

[103Alex1]

Dear old way of doing it, lol

A decent led bike light that runs straight from the battery is only £6.99 'ish

12V 24V 36V 48V 60V-80V 3W High Power LED Spot Light for Motor E-Bike(63mmx52mm)

These ones ?

12V 24V 36V 48V 60V-80V 3W High Power LED Spot Light for Motor E-Bike(63mmx52mm) | eBay

How do they compare to the CREEs ?

By 14.4 V, they mean 12V - the voltage that most cars/motorbikes run at.

I'd stick with one of those single Cree T6 X-ML lights that are miles brighter.

Can I get one or even a pair which will run off bike battery tho' ? Do you just cut off the cable battery connector and wire them in instead ? If I install a pair of 1000Lm / 1200Lm ones it will be plenty I reckon.

I've been using the Cree T6 X-ML ones for a while now but the battery charging is getting a pain (I keep forgetting - have front dynamo backup on my Kalkhoff so not a problem but won't have this safety net on the Trek). The cables of both lights have suffered damage inside 3 months having them on and off the bike every day for security. I am not great with stuff which isn't able to take a hammering and remain intact

Keen to find a way to have a neat solution with less batteries to think about plugging in. Mr unbelievably forgetful here - it's why LIPOs scare me and I have to set buzzers to remind me my dinner's cooked lol.

 

[Old_Dave]

Yes those are the ones

How do they compare you ask.... Well T6's they ain't

But as a simple decent bike light that will connect to any battery, they are great value

Yes... Get 2




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[103Alex1]

How do they compare you ask.... Well T6's they ain't

But as a simple decent bike light they are great value

View attachment 5046


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They're definitely amazing value and will bear in mind - a far cry from £100 ! Still, if I'm going to the trouble of wiring in and using the bike on very dark lanes / off-road (which I will with this one much more than the Kalkhoff) then I guess it makes sense to wire in the powerful lights which would otherwise involve constant charging.

Will await D8veh's advice on how to get a T6 wired in and cost it all out.

 

[Old_Dave]

What does d8veh know.... He howls at the moon cos his lights are as bright as the sun


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[103Alex1]

lolz ..... Is it a bird, is it a plane .... no it's d8veh's Star Wars bike

Right - seeing as my cycle computer didn't come in it's time I warmed up the soldering iron and fitted a connector !

 

[Scimitar]

I found these which look good ... they draw 0.66A per light but are 14.5Vdc.

BikeVis Store | Cree LED Running Lights v3

First off are they compatible with the step-down converter ?

Am I right in thinking that since 14.5V >12V I would need a separate 2nd step-down converter to set at 14.5V to run these and have another one set at 12V to run the charger ?

How Frigging Much?
Jeez, they know how to soak the customer, sure enough.
For cheapskateness, I just recieved one of these today...
10W Waterproof LED Flood Spot Light Lamp 12V/85V-265V Warm white/Cool White/RGB | eBay
... 12V flood (flat lens) and it's ok build quality, not great, but ok with weatherseals front and back. I'm messing around with converting an old hand-held flashlight or two and was curious - turns out this is as bright as I want - probably between 600 - 800 lumens on 3 x 18650 cells and I can slot an old condenser lens in front for a nice spot beam.
Might even put a couple on the bike, too.
ps they are available with a convex lens by order, I might get one of those next to see how spotty it is. I doubt if it's as spotty and long -distance as the old projector condenser lens though

 

[103Alex1]

Okay I'm confused now. Dug this up on Alibaba :

High Power Cree Xml T6 Led Bike Light 12v - Buy Cree Xml T6 Led Bike Light 12v,Bike Bicycle Light,Inton Bike Light Product on Alibaba.com

Description says 12V light but it's powered off a battery pack @ 8.4V in description below. Can you not just cut the connectors off these lights (I already have one that runs off a similar battery pack to that) and wire them in to a 12V circuit instead ?

Otherwise this looks nice and is cheaper than those UK-sourced ones :

http://dx.com/p/cyt-waterproof-6w-1300lm-5-led-cool-white-light-motorcycle-headlamp-for-yamaha-ybr125-12v-167423

..... and would this pass for an acceptable rear light ? Could fix it to my pannier rack lol :

http://dx.com/p/cool-skull-head-style-10w-led-yellow-light-tail-lamp-for-motorcycle-silver-151640

 

[Scimitar]

Okay I'm confused now. Dug this up on Alibaba :

High Power Cree Xml T6 Led Bike Light 12v - Buy Cree Xml T6 Led Bike Light 12v,Bike Bicycle Light,Inton Bike Light Product on Alibaba.com

Description says 12V light but it's powered off a battery pack @ 8.4V in description below. Can you not just cut the connectors off these lights (I already have one that runs off a similar battery pack to that) and wire them in to a 12V circuit instead ?

There will be a buck (reducer) driver in the light head which will probably cope with feed voltage in excess of the 8.4V supplied by the battery pack and reduce it to the 3.3-ish V for the current limiter and LED.

Otherwise this looks nice and is cheaper than those UK-sourced ones :

CYT Waterproof 15W 1300lm 5-LED Cool White Light Motorcycle Headlamp for Yamaha YBR125 (12V) - Free Shipping - DealExtreme

Oh, thanks for the heads-up on that - I see there's a rectangular one, too.
Waterproof 15W 1300lm 5-LED Cool White Light Motorcycle Headlamp for Suzuki GS125 / ZJ125 (12V) - Free Shipping - DealExtreme
Which would suit me, as I'm keen to rid the old charging system of the filament loading. I don't see what they're doing about dipping though; and while it's not a legal requirement for bicycles, on motorcycles, it certainly is. I suspect a lot of these units are being sold into areas where people don't care about such niceties.

..... and would this pass for an acceptable rear light ? Could fix it to my pannier rack lol :

Cool Skull Head Style 10W LED Yellow Light Tail Lamp for Motorcycle - Silver - Free Shipping - DealExtreme

Just the thing