Functional rear brake light?

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runnermike

runnermike

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Nov 18, 2012
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My new brake setup has wires for a rear brake....so when I pull the lever the brake light will light up.

Does anyone know where I can find a light like this....for a bicycle.?
 
2door

2door

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Sep 15, 2008
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Littleton, Colorado
What voltage?
I've used automotive clearance lights for brake lights and tail lights. I run a 12 volt SLA battery system. Most lights are 12 volts that you'll find at auto parts stores.

The wiring is easy. 12 volt to the light, broken by a switch (in your case the switch in your brake lever) and the light grounded back to your power source.

Tom
 
BarelyAWake

BarelyAWake

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Jul 21, 2009
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The clearance lights 2door refers to do make excellent low-draw taillights, rugged & very tolerant I've used the same LED truck side marker with the chrome bezel removed on four different bikes now lol, even though they're often only $2 or less;

http://www.amazon.com/THG-Pieces-Diodes-Clearance-Trailer/dp/B00D2JOTPS

...I've run it on anything from roughly 9v AC (white wire output, HT), variable 9-18v DC (hub dyno) to 12v DC (voltage converter 48v ebike) only catch being they're singles, no "high/low" brakelight & taillight ability so you'd need to run two or find something similar, tho likely larger.

 
turnofftheradio

turnofftheradio

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Sep 4, 2012
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America's Hi-five
I use clearance lights for brake and running light as well. similar to the ones posted above. Thats a nice price too. My tip on this is that some come with two wires, some come with one, using the mount as ground.
they look cool on a fender
 
The_Aleman

The_Aleman

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Jul 31, 2008
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el People's Republik de Kalifornistan
Amazon has a bunch of inexpensive aftermarket taillights that would work with a small 12v battery and are more robust than typical bicycle lights.

These lights typically have a running and stop light, most have turn signal capability and some have license plate lights.

I have this one for example: http://www.amazon.com/Motorcycle-Signals-Integrated-Kawasaki-Eliminator/dp/B006W25ZAU/

If you don't need a license plate holder/light, then smething like this would wrk great: http://www.amazon.com/Motocycle-Integrated-Taillight-Standard-Motorcycle/dp/B00ID46FLI/

These LED lights take very little power, so a small 12v system that you plug in would do the job nicely.
 
BarelyAWake

BarelyAWake

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Jul 21, 2009
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Going2Hell said:
you would have a resistor in the running light portion of the light (on whole time) and the switch for the brake would have to bypass this resistor giving it a higher current (brake indicator)
Click to expand...
This is a very clever workaround for making single filament bulbs & fixtures have a dual effect, the only issue being is the above non-dimmable LEDs while tolerant of a surprising current range - don't have much if any difference in perceivable light output regardless of that current, they're pretty much on or off... or you've let the smoke out ;)
 
G

Going2Hell

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Nov 22, 2013
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This is a very clever workaround for making single filament bulbs & fixtures have a dual effect, the only issue being is the above non-dimmable LEDs while tolerant of a surprising current range - don't have much if any difference in perceivable light output regardless of that current, they're pretty much on or off... or you've let the smoke out
Click to expand...
Nice catch... I use standard 5mm red LEDs and they work pretty well for button press indicators on some of my projects. You can vary the voltage supply by 10v in either direction without an increase in brightness... however the current (in this case mA) if varied by 15mA in either direction will produce a large difference in brightness.

As far as the LEDs in the marker lights, there are already current limiting devices on the board behind the LEDs. You would have to bypass their board with your own build to do this.
 
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