Upgraded from EL Wire to LED tape. White at the front red at the back.

[ATTACH=full]10420[/ATTACH]

 

Hiya

 

Can I ask source for this led tape ?

 

Is it the waterproof type? And are you running off a 12v source or tapped into main somehow ( via step down )?

 

I have El wire on my wheel rims. Which is great in a tron kind of way but not so practical (and you have to mount battery packs within the wheel)

Just seen this:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/48W-Cree-16LED-Bulb-Work-Light-For-shop-truck-Mining-Car-SUV-UTV-Offroad/221617661792?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid=222007&algo=SIC.MBE&ao=1&asc=20140122125356&meid=f82943a1713c4719857f340869158288&pid=100005&rk=5&rkt=6&sd=251728006800&rt=nc

 

Having trouble resisting as I love to see where I'm going when cycling down the narrow unlit country lanes and I'm sure this would do the job!

Edited January 27, 201511 yr by JamesW

Hiya

 

Can I ask source for this led tape ?

 

Is it the waterproof type? And are you running off a 12v source or tapped into main somehow ( via step down )?

 

I have El wire on my wheel rims. Which is great in a tron kind of way but not so practical (and you have to mount battery packs within the wheel)

 

Hi Kirstin,

 

For EL wire and Tape:

 

This is the cheapest place that I have found and offers stuff that is competitive with China from within the UK

 

http://elwirecraft.co.uk/

(You will need an inverter to run it)

 

(My EL wire is Frame mounted to remove the multiple-battery pack issue)

 

for LED tape I used

http://www.wholesaleledlights.co.uk/led-strip-lights/led-tape.html

 

to get some LED tape before Christmas for a project for my wife. Very helpful, almost too helpful (they soldered stuff on where I didn't want it when I ordered extra connectors - but they didn't know what I was doing with it was very abnormal!)

 

(You can choose your IP rating that you want and finish your joints with silicone after soldering for an IP65 rated finish with the correct tape.)

 

Can't speak for Paul..

 

James

 

P.S. I have a 36V-12V DC-DC converter (and some spare if you want to buy one - I need to order enough to make the shipping not exceed the product cost) then I'm using a 12V inverter to run my EL wire (from ebay for £3/4)

(So I'm running my front light, Rear 12V LED and EL wire all from my 12V circuit - I may need more than 1 12V circuit when all is wired up properly I'm thinking, also hoping to provide 5V to Phone for navigation app to show me time/progress at night on trips off the normal route!)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Busch-And-Muller-Ixon-IQ-Premium-80-Lux-LED-Headlight-With-Battery-And-Charger-/271693684710?pt=UK_SportGoods_CyclAcces_RL&hash=item3f42349fe6

 

You can find the above for less than 50€ in an online bike store.

 

When it comes to personal security (tyres, brakes and lights) I prefer breaking the piggy bank. After all my bike did only cost me 0€!

 

Tony

Excuse my ignorance about the following, as I have never heard of it until now, but what chemical reaction?

 

Being really picky here Eddie and paying more attention than I did on the train this morning, You ask "what chemical reaction"

 

If no chemical reaction takes place, the silicone will not bond to the surface to which it is applied, it will just sit on the top. As this is done at room temp, the reaction is not thermal. so there must be a chemical reaction that causes the bonding to occur otherwise there would be no bonding and the silicone would fall off if a blob was put on a flat surface and upended when dried.

 

Good enough logic for evidence of a chemical reaction taking place?

 

If we follow this on, if a reaction has taken place, it has altered the chemical makeup of the battery pack holder and hence potentially its ability to perform as designed/specified.

 

James

Thanks James, I was actually referring to a reaction between the silicon and the battery cells themselves. It is only adhering to the card at the top and bottom of the battery, as the sides are shrink wrapped, so does it really matter? I can't say that I'm going to let it overly bother me, as the freezer bag, and ensuring that the connecting wire faces downwards idea is simpler, so I'll just go with that idea.

Edited January 28, 201511 yr by EddiePJ

I'm running straight off the main 36v battery, 3 lots of 12v led wired in series (not parallel) runs off 36v fine.

So I've been doing my experiments with the rear lighting system I'm designing, and would like some feed back.

 

The rear light will detect distance to the vehicle behind you, and as it decreases the flashing speed and intensity will increase. Also the unit will beep with its tone and speed increasing to warn the rider.

 

So I've a few designs, one uses an led matrix display to show an animated bike symbol (like brainy bike lights) that then changes to a warning triangle when driver is close.

 

One with just plain red leds like a normal light.

 

Either will have the option to have a bike "paddle" that can be added, it will also have some red led's as well.

 

Possibly could be rechargeable, if that's important to people.

 

Or am I over complicating things?

Do we need a new type of rear light?

What are you making Paul???

 

perhaps you want an option to auto sound a 12V/air horn that the car behind can hear if it gets too close behind/alongside when overtaking - with the ability to switch on/off this function (for passing traffic) and calibrate the distance at which it sounds?

 

I'd love to make this more complicated for you!!!

 

What are you using to detect the distance? Are you detecting speed of approach as well as distance (slow creaping is less dangerous than rushing up fast when the system would need to switch/sound faster and further away to give the same driver reaction time.)

 

James

 

P.S. There is no such thing as over complicated, just very well designed for purpose and highly specialised!

 

Yes we need a new rear light - one that incorporates both a flashing LED and solid LED at the same time. Judging distance to a flashing LED is impossible, but it does tell you that there is a cyclist ahead, a solid LED allows you to determine how far ahead so that you don't end up on top of the cyclist by accident!

I'm using ultrasonic detection for the time being as it's not affected by the light like laser detection can be. Plus it can have a wide pick up zone.

 

LED wise, depending on whether I use an LED matrix (so messages could scroll across) or just bright leds I was thinking static (solid) LED at about 80% brightness then ramping up to 100% and flashing (and some beeping) when a driver enters the danger zone! Daytime mode would leave all lights off until detection happens then flash/beep.

 

Speed detection is tricky but tone and speed of flashing would increase as drivers get closer. I'm thinking changing the tone(from the buzzer) in steps such as:-

 

at 3m mid tones slow beeping 75% volume

at 2.5m slightly higher pitched and 80% volume

2m higher pitch and full volume

1m very loud rapid high pitched

 

0m sound of falling off bike.

The length of cable as fitted to both the light and battery pack on my lights is ridiculously long and I'm fed up looking at the ugly mess of wrapped cable and want to shorten them. Can anyone please advise about which type of plugs to buy and where from? Male and female.

 

 

http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/ae217/eddiejefferies/light%20one_zpsvpbm5ion.jpg

 

I still think that for £17.00 a go with six 18650 batteries per light, and four hours run time per light, you can't go wrong. The yellowish glow of a light on the L/H side is the Fenix BT20. This is normally just left abandoned at home.

 

http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/ae217/eddiejefferies/r1_zpsby4qznak.jpg

 

http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/ae217/eddiejefferies/r2_zps6c4f08d3.jpg

 

Edit.. In relation to rear lights, I have recently bought a few of these. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/121508317138?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&var=420444679613&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT They seem very good considering the price, and are putting with the mud, crud and water that my rides are covering them in. The only thing that I could criticise, but I can't at this price, is the rubber attachment band. It could be slightly thicker and possibly less stretchy.

I did spot that there is a UK listed seller, now offering them a £1.00 a go delivered. Crazy cheap, and worth buying just to keep a spare.

 

 

 

.

Edited March 16, 201511 yr by EddiePJ

Eddie why not just cut , solder and heat shrink the wiring, also the joints will be water proofed doing it that way.

I just butcher standard extension leads to get the plugs and sockets. They are sealed but I use the wire they are attached to and either feed it directly into my lights (I make my own) or join the cable to something else. But yes, for shortening the cables I'd do just as Nealh says!

 

Michael

No need to make a join. Unscrew the front of the light and pull out the guts. The wire is soldered to two pads on the pcb. Unsolder it, cut it to the correct length and resolder it. You have no join then. You can do the same with the battery, but you have to peel off the shrink-wrap to get to the pcb. Wrap it in gaffa tape afterwards.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/151460428290

 

I purchased these as it allows me to make up my own cables and connect them to a DC-DC converter and run all my lights off the E-bike battery.

 

All the Chinese lights (and my Moon XP1500) seem to use the same connector - a 2.5mm jack with centre pin positive.

 

The only thing that seems to vary is that some light sets run from 7V (2S) and some run from 12V (4S) - voltages given are approx. - My Moon has a 2S2P battery pack, as does my light with 5 cree LEDs, my light like yours ones cuts

out when supplied with less than 10V due to the battery pack being 4S.

 

Hope this helps you Eddie.

 

James