LED Motorcycle Indicator Advice

[ABBARBER]

Morning Guys,

After some advice on how to get my LED indicators to function at full brightness.
In brief this is the history of what I have acheived so far:
a) I have a normal bulb rear indicator and want to install Front LED indicators which I have already purchased
b) In order to get the flasher unit to operate the two different styles of light I need to add resistors to the circuit to make up for the resistance that the bulb front indicator used to create.
c) Forgetting resistors if I simply connect the LED to the circuit (12V) it lights up to full brightness, but it and the rear light do not flash they simply hold on.
b) Through trial and error I have worked out that between 5 and 6 ohms of resistance on the circuit allows both lights to flash BUT the LED is no where near full brightness.

QUESTION
I need to work out how to get the LED to be brighter?  It obviously can be brighter but when I add resistance to the circuit it drops the current so much that the LED does not operate very brightly AND secondary issue is that I need to use a number of resistors in parallel to spread the heat that is created.

I do not have any info on the rating for the LEDs I have purchased (darn EBAY! lol), but I have been using 2 x 10W10ohm resistors to get the 5ohms resistance that I currently have found will get the lights to flash.

ANY ADVICE APPRECIATED CAUSE I REALLY GETTING SICK OF TRIAL AND ERROR  !!

[cadstarsucks]

Morning Guys,

After some advice on how to get my LED indicators to function at full brightness.
In brief this is the history of what I have acheived so far:
a) I have a normal bulb rear indicator and want to install Front LED indicators which I have already purchased
b) In order to get the flasher unit to operate the two different styles of light I need to add resistors to the circuit to make up for the resistance that the bulb front indicator used to create.
c) Forgetting resistors if I simply connect the LED to the circuit (12V) it lights up to full brightness, but it and the rear light do not flash they simply hold on.
b) Through trial and error I have worked out that between 5 and 6 ohms of resistance on the circuit allows both lights to flash BUT the LED is no where near full brightness.

QUESTION
I need to work out how to get the LED to be brighter?  It obviously can be brighter but when I add resistance to the circuit it drops the current so much that the LED does not operate very brightly AND secondary issue is that I need to use a number of resistors in parallel to spread the heat that is created.

I do not have any info on the rating for the LEDs I have purchased (darn EBAY! lol), but I have been using 2 x 10W10ohm resistors to get the 5ohms resistance that I currently have found will get the lights to flash.

ANY ADVICE APPRECIATED CAUSE I REALLY GETTING SICK OF TRIAL AND ERROR  !!

I've got two words for you: switching and regulator.  And, since the flasher is based on the current of the regular bulb heating a bimetalic strip, I'll throw in a third: oscillator.

Ideally you want a current regulator to compensate for voltage differences from LED to LED.  .... hold the phone...

Tying LEDs directly to 12V would have blown them out.  That would not happen to be a 12V based LED would it?  If so it is already set up properly for a 12V system and needs no limiting resistor.

Dan

[ABBARBER]

HI Dan,

Thanks for the advice - makes sense.  I had been advised by the supplier that the LEDs are 'plug n play' ie. they shouldn't need need any adjustment in order to work on a 12V motorbike system.

So when I put them staight into the circuit they light up (and so does the rear indicator which is a incandescant bulb) BUT neither of them flash.

This lighting but not flashing normally occurs on my indicator circuits when either of the previously fitted incandescant bulbs was blown or not connected.

It appears that my leds are set for 12V as they light up well when connected to the circuit (and they don't blow) but it also appears that the flasher units requires more resistance in order to trip the flasher on and off - correct???

Catch 22 then - any suggestions on what i can try from here?

thanks,

[justDIY]

visit a motorcycle supply store (or automotive supply) and see if you can get a "solid state" flasher module to replace the factory flasher.

alternately, you'll need some beefy resistors to take the place of the waste the old hot-wire bulb created.  grab a bunch of 10 ohm 5 watt sand resistors from a surplus shop and wire them in parallel with your LEDs.

[cadstarsucks]

HI Dan,

Thanks for the advice - makes sense.  I had been advised by the supplier that the LEDs are 'plug n play' ie. they shouldn't need need any adjustment in order to work on a 12V motorbike system.

So when I put them staight into the circuit they light up (and so does the rear indicator which is a incandescant bulb) BUT neither of them flash.

This lighting but not flashing normally occurs on my indicator circuits when either of the previously fitted incandescant bulbs was blown or not connected.

It appears that my leds are set for 12V as they light up well when connected to the circuit (and they don't blow) but it also appears that the flasher units requires more resistance in order to trip the flasher on and off - correct???

Catch 22 then - any suggestions on what i can try from here?

thanks,

DIY brought up something i did not know about... electronic flasher modules available.  It is an intentional trick from the dark ages to let you know a bulb is blown.  The current the bulbs require heats up a bimetalic strip which bends and breaks the circuit.  When one of the bulbs is blown there is not enough current to cause it to flash telling you your bulb is blown.  The LEDs take less power and will not run the flasher.

I do not know if the electronic flasher will work or not.  It would depend on if it is set up to register the LED current levels or the bulb current levels.

Dan

[justDIY]

I do not know if the electronic flasher will work or not.  It would depend on if it is set up to register the LED current levels or the bulb current levels.

that tends to be the fly in the ointment with electronic flashers.  cheap ones often times don't do current sensing and will happily pretend to flash burned out bulbs.  the better quality ones however, have current sensing, and try their best to emulate standard mechanical flashers.

i guess the OP should inspect the packaging, it may advertise "Works with LED lights" or something similar

[cadstarsucks]

I do not know if the electronic flasher will work or not.  It would depend on if it is set up to register the LED current levels or the bulb current levels.

that tends to be the fly in the ointment with electronic flashers.  cheap ones often times don't do current sensing and will happily pretend to flash burned out bulbs.  the better quality ones however, have current sensing, and try their best to emulate standard mechanical flashers.

i guess the OP should inspect the packaging, it may advertise "Works with LED lights" or something similar

Which brings us right back to roll your own...

Dan

[justDIY]

definitely - roll you're own all the way

here's one option

http://forums.linear1.org/index.php/topic,325.msg4767.html#msg4767