LED flashlights that run on 3 batteries (4.5VDC) usually work pretty good off the white wire...I keep hearing about the headlights (and other accessories) that can be powered using the extra wire from the motor. Where can I get one of these?
Tom,You will never have enough illumination trying to rely on the 2 to 3 watt maximum output of the white wire. A 3 watt light, incandescent, or LED will not light up the road in front of you. If you're just looking to satisfy a legal requirement to have a head and tail light, attach a flashlight to your handlebars. The white wire concept is a joke as far as powering a viable headlight that will provide sufficient illumination for safe night riding.
A few members have experimented with using the white wire to recharge a battery. You might research this idea but it still relys on carrying an onboard power source like a small SLA battery.
Tom
Vince,Tom,
I'm not really looking for something that will illuminate like a motorcycle but something like a 3 LED flashlight. Will the white wire provide this much illumination?
My eyes are too old to solder electronics anymore.....but my son's aren't.I am pretty sure I posted this here already, but I have been running 3 LED flashlights on my bike for a while now from the white wire without any problems. The flashlights each have 18LEDs (54 LEDs total), the three of them together light up the road pretty good, definitely well enough for a safe ride. (the flashlights were made to run off 3 AAA batteries ~4.5VDC)
I have put a very basic DC power supply on the white wire consisting of a full wave bridge rectifier and a single filter capacitor. The filtered output from the white wire runs right around 4.5-5VDC so it powers the lights real good and it doesn't effect the way the motor runs or starts, I can start the bike with the lights on. As long as you run a 4.5-6VDC LED tail light I don't see any problem powering it as well.
I also have 6 AAA NiMH batteries connected now (inside the flashlights) and they are being charged by the white wire pretty good. They started out drained and when I am done riding they are always charged, the lights stay on after I kill the motor. Speaking of killing the motor, the kill switch will short out and drain your batteries, so you need to install blocking diodes if you run a battery...
Without rectification you are not utilizing the negative pulse of energy, without the filter cap the voltage may spike a bit high and cause you some troubles. So, not required, but a good idea. Since a couple diodes and a cap are so cheap, small and easy to wire up I see no real reason not to...To use LED lights by powering off the white wire no rectification should really be nescessary if no batteries r used as LED's r diodes & will run off the AC voltage. U might get a bit of strobing but they should b ok. Cheers