Need help with electrical stuff

GoldenMotor.com

darkdragon11487

New Member
May 31, 2010
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G'ville, NY
So I've got to apologize if this has already been brought up, I tried looking quickly but couldn't find anything. What i want to do is use one of the bicycle light generator kits and use the generator as an alternator to charge a 12v motorcycle battery that will power the headlight, tail light, and turn signals. First is this possible and secondly what would i have to do as far as any regulators, or other electronics. Or does someone have a better idea for an on board charging system. zpt
 

Dan

Staff
May 25, 2008
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Moosylvania
Howdy Dragon. I'm working on a thing to use primarily solar with a charger back up. Using 2 6Vs in series. Walmart sells a replacement 6V and charger for kids electric cars and bikes. But the reason I am doing 2 6s, I have a really cool 6V head light made from a emergency exit sign light. And using solar because the producing of electricity, takes a lot of energy. Even though a generator spins freely in your hand, when an electrical field is generated, there is a great deal more resistance. I am really just parroting what I have been told or researched, so please take it with a bit of salt. There really is a whole bunch of good info on the subject here and some amazing light rigs. Am sure some one more knowledgeable then I will have more to offer

There are a bunch of threads on this. Comes up a lot.

Post on what ya end up doing.

....And welcome to the forum! Some great folks here

.flg.
 

dag_29307

New Member
Jul 1, 2009
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Enoree, Sc.
Wow hey Kevlar I don't work for NASA nor am I an electrician but that diagram just looks cool! lol I have no idea if this is anything similar to that but this is what I am running on one of my MBs and it charges my 6V SLA and lights just fine.....

HT 6v Charging System w/- ground - MotoredBikes.com: Motorized Bicycle Forum

Here's the setup, The completed job and the parts list. Most of which you can get at Radio Shack.

Terminal strip - Radio Shack 274-679
WHITE 18g wire – to motor
RED 16g wire – to light, horn, switches, etc.
BLACK 16g wire – to motor or to ground
D1 – rectifier diode, I used Radio Shack 276-1141
Z1 – zener diode, 6.8v, 5w - 1N5342B
R1 – power resistor, 10ohm, 5watt, I used Radio Shack 271-132
F1 – fuse, I used a 5 amp fuse
B1 – 6v lead acid battery, I used a 1.3ah SLA
Battery box – 2.0x2.5x5.0 plastic Radio Shack project box
Mounting brackets – plastic conduit clamps from Home Depot

These are the lights I am using with the system

http://www.instructables.com/id/BIKE-LIGHT-500-Lumen-"Mt.Bike"-for-under-10-bucks-/
 

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dag_29307

New Member
Jul 1, 2009
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Enoree, Sc.

Kevlarr

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Jul 22, 2009
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Mi
Wow hey Kevlar I don't work for NASA nor am I an electrician but that diagram just looks cool! lol I have no idea if this is anything similar to that but this is what I am running on one of my MBs and it charges my 6V SLA and lights just fine.....
It's just a simple little circuit designed by the guy who runs the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory at MSU. Funny thing is he probably didn't design it himself, I'll bet a buddy of mine that works in the Physics Dept. did. laff
 

TheE

New Member
Jun 26, 2009
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Canada
Anyone know if with the difference in voltage would it be as simple as going for a 12 volt zener diode and a bigger resister?
Not off the white wire. You'd need to step up the 6V output to >12V and unfortunately, this would result in under 1/2 the max output current that you had at 6V =/
 

Cabinfever1977

New Member
Mar 23, 2009
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Upstate,NY
He said a bicycle light generator kit not white wire.

Either use a 6volt generator,6volt lights,6volt battery or
use a 12volt generator,12volt lights,12volt battery
 

darkdragon11487

New Member
May 31, 2010
4
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G'ville, NY
I think im a little confused here. In the wiring diagram provided by dag is the white wire coming off the engine? Because what i was thinking of is using a 12 volt generator driven by the engine to charge the battery. this way when the engine is running the generator provides the current and when im stopped the battery will provide power. I want to use the first diagram provided by Dag cause its extremely simple. So with that said does anyone know what diodes and such i would use with a 12 volt system instead of the 6 volt.
 
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dag_29307

New Member
Jul 1, 2009
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Enoree, Sc.
To answer your question. Yes the white wire is from the motor. The whole design is to use power from the white wire to trickle charge the 6V batt. while using the lights.

Here is an explanation of current flow in the zener system.

motor off, lights off – No current flows.

motor off, lights on – Current flows from the battery to the lights.

motor running, lights off, battery fully charged – When white wire voltage is below the battery voltage, no current flows. When the white wire voltage rises above 6.8v, current is shunted through the power resistor.

motor running, lights off, battery below full
– When the white wire voltage rises above the battery voltage, current flows into the battery to charge it.

motor running, lights on
– Current flows from the battery to the lights. All white wire current flows to the lights. The white wire only flows current when it produces a voltage that is higher than the battery voltage.

the parts are listed in this post earlier some have the part numbers for Radio Shack because that's where I got my parts from. I have since sold the MB that had that set-up but I am probably going to build another one.