my white wire powers a tail light and I have a rechargeable front headlight (nite-rider mini dual system) it has three settings hi beam , lo beam , and flash check out their website! NiteRider Cutting Edge Cycling Gear & Lights
who has used the white wire to power lights?
- Thread starter jak stoll
- Start date
Normans light kit includes both a headlight and a tail light, and it works great!
I know it's a pain to look through the past posts, but the technical stuff regarding this has been covered.
The White wire is connected to a coil...The mag was wound with this extra coil to power a headlight just like the other guys said...It's not magic...It's just a coil.
When the magnet flys by the coil, a voltage and current is produced...add a low amperage light, and Thomas Edison will be proud of you!
Jim
I know it's a pain to look through the past posts, but the technical stuff regarding this has been covered.
The White wire is connected to a coil...The mag was wound with this extra coil to power a headlight just like the other guys said...It's not magic...It's just a coil.
When the magnet flys by the coil, a voltage and current is produced...add a low amperage light, and Thomas Edison will be proud of you!
Jim
I went back through and read all the posts:
The magneto coil is incredibly simple. Norman and I have both dismantled a coil to gain first hand knowledge of what's going on. It wasn't really necessary, but mechanics want to know.
The simple fact is that there is a 300 turn coil wound around the laminated frame. The white wire is connected to this 300 turn coil. This coil ofers a small current that will power a light...Done, dinghy, diddly...nothing more complicated to add.
There is a second coil that is wound around the first...It is 3,600 turns. The blue wire is connected to one end of this coil. The blue wire is connected to the CDI.
The opposite end of each of these coils, (the end that is not connected to either the blue or white wire), is attached to the laminated frame, (the part the coils are wound around),or ground.
It is best to connect one of your kill switch wires to the white wire, the other to ground.
The reasoning is simple...If you connect one of the leads from the kill switch to the blue wire, you risk a static discharge through the CDI. I know this is unlikely, but considering that both the blue and white wire coils share a common ground...common sense says use the white wire for your kill switch.
Yes you can connect a light and the kill switch to the white wire. It will not do a nuclear meltdown when you hit the kill switch, I promise.
Now; with this newfound bit of knowledge we can delve into why the use of the white wire coil for lighting has caused some to loose spark.
The white wire coil and the blue wire coil share the same ground. A light that draws more current than the white wire coil can produce, essentially becomes a kill switch with a built-in resistor, (the light filament). Due to the fact that both coils share the same ground, an overload of the white wire coil affects the blue wire coil...less out put from the blue wire coil = a weaker spark.
It's simple, don't exceed the output capacity of the white wire coil.
Norman's light kit works great! I put one on the last bike I did.
Jim
The magneto coil is incredibly simple. Norman and I have both dismantled a coil to gain first hand knowledge of what's going on. It wasn't really necessary, but mechanics want to know.
The simple fact is that there is a 300 turn coil wound around the laminated frame. The white wire is connected to this 300 turn coil. This coil ofers a small current that will power a light...Done, dinghy, diddly...nothing more complicated to add.
There is a second coil that is wound around the first...It is 3,600 turns. The blue wire is connected to one end of this coil. The blue wire is connected to the CDI.
The opposite end of each of these coils, (the end that is not connected to either the blue or white wire), is attached to the laminated frame, (the part the coils are wound around),or ground.
It is best to connect one of your kill switch wires to the white wire, the other to ground.
The reasoning is simple...If you connect one of the leads from the kill switch to the blue wire, you risk a static discharge through the CDI. I know this is unlikely, but considering that both the blue and white wire coils share a common ground...common sense says use the white wire for your kill switch.
Yes you can connect a light and the kill switch to the white wire. It will not do a nuclear meltdown when you hit the kill switch, I promise.
Now; with this newfound bit of knowledge we can delve into why the use of the white wire coil for lighting has caused some to loose spark.
The white wire coil and the blue wire coil share the same ground. A light that draws more current than the white wire coil can produce, essentially becomes a kill switch with a built-in resistor, (the light filament). Due to the fact that both coils share the same ground, an overload of the white wire coil affects the blue wire coil...less out put from the blue wire coil = a weaker spark.
It's simple, don't exceed the output capacity of the white wire coil.
Norman's light kit works great! I put one on the last bike I did.
Jim
Buy the wire, switches, reflector with housing , light bulb and led tail light locally.Hi
I would like to buy the lights offered here
But s/h costs would kill me, so I must look for options
Jose
What i did to create a suitable headlight was locate some high power leds found here:
3 x 1 Watt 12V MR16 CREE LED XLamp XRE WHITE Wide Angle - eBay (item 220357675526 end time Feb-14-09 00:20:22 PST)
These 3 leds are equivalent to a 27 watt filament bulb. I also found that i needed 3, 2.7 ohm, 5 watt resistors to correctly power the leds in parallel without burning them up.
2.7 Ohm 5 Watt Power Resistors Wire Wound RCD 2.7 Ohms - eBay (item 350119662651 end time Mar-02-09 11:41:30 PST)
I disassembled the led housing until all that remained was the leds on a circuit board, still attached to the aluminum heat sink. I then took a razor blade and broke the copper leads that linked the leds together (they were originally wired in series for 12v). I then inserted the leads from the resistors through holes already in the heat sink/circuit board and then soldered each resistor to the positive terminal on each led (one led gets one resistor). Once that was completed I then soldered the resistors together (the ends that are not connected to an led) and attached a wire to connect to the positive side of a power source. I then utilized extra copper leads that i trimmed from each resistor before i soldered them to the leds, to solder all of the negative terminals together and attached a wire to connect to the negative side of a power source. I utilized 4 "AA" batterys in a battery holder (batteries in series therefore 4x1.5v=6v) to power my headlight and taillight but have not tried to wire it to the engine although i cant see why it wouldnt work. EDIT: didnt realize that the mag produces a/c voltage and most leds are very intolerable to reverse current. -Justin
3 x 1 Watt 12V MR16 CREE LED XLamp XRE WHITE Wide Angle - eBay (item 220357675526 end time Feb-14-09 00:20:22 PST)
These 3 leds are equivalent to a 27 watt filament bulb. I also found that i needed 3, 2.7 ohm, 5 watt resistors to correctly power the leds in parallel without burning them up.
2.7 Ohm 5 Watt Power Resistors Wire Wound RCD 2.7 Ohms - eBay (item 350119662651 end time Mar-02-09 11:41:30 PST)
I disassembled the led housing until all that remained was the leds on a circuit board, still attached to the aluminum heat sink. I then took a razor blade and broke the copper leads that linked the leds together (they were originally wired in series for 12v). I then inserted the leads from the resistors through holes already in the heat sink/circuit board and then soldered each resistor to the positive terminal on each led (one led gets one resistor). Once that was completed I then soldered the resistors together (the ends that are not connected to an led) and attached a wire to connect to the positive side of a power source. I then utilized extra copper leads that i trimmed from each resistor before i soldered them to the leds, to solder all of the negative terminals together and attached a wire to connect to the negative side of a power source. I utilized 4 "AA" batterys in a battery holder (batteries in series therefore 4x1.5v=6v) to power my headlight and taillight but have not tried to wire it to the engine although i cant see why it wouldnt work. EDIT: didnt realize that the mag produces a/c voltage and most leds are very intolerable to reverse current. -Justin
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What bulb exactly have people used, voltage? designed current draw? incandescent/led? any resistors used? If you could post a picture or a circut diagram thatd be great.
PM Moderator Norman. His lights are about $40 shipped to USA, with headlight and led taillight.
EDIT recently he said he was still selling them. (within 1 month). This is an old thread. Not sure if he's still doing them.
Last I saw he had some really good ones with a skull lens cap.
EDIT recently he said he was still selling them. (within 1 month). This is an old thread. Not sure if he's still doing them.
Last I saw he had some really good ones with a skull lens cap.
Hi
I would like to buy the lights offered here
But s/h costs would kill me, so I must look for options
Jose
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Bell sells a common tire generator and light kit for about
$15-20. I've heard mixed reviews on how it works/survives with the motor power.
$15-20. I've heard mixed reviews on how it works/survives with the motor power.
Edit: in another thread, Norman suggests 2-3 max.
How much wattage can the white wire on a grubee 2st produce consistently; does anyone know (maybe people with testor equipment)?
Did you have to use a certain spark plug type or re gap it to work with the lights?
How much wattage can the white wire on a grubee 2st produce consistently; does anyone know (maybe people with testor equipment)?
Did you have to use a certain spark plug type or re gap it to work with the lights?
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No spark plug mods are nessisary.
The coil for the white is 25 gauge wire; it is rated to take .457 amps (call it .5). Putting out this full amperage the voltage off of the engine is 6-9V depending on rpm. so that's 3-4.5 watts max.
However, if you do not draw the full .5 amps, the voltage can jump as high as 30V+, so if you are running a small load like an led, be sure to rectify it and use a few capacitors to smooth it out, then hook up resistors accordingly.
I have hooked up 9 Led flashlights and a rear blinker using the white wire and they work fine, though they will blink at lower rpms. Now im working on a separate 12v coil to run some real headlights...
The coil for the white is 25 gauge wire; it is rated to take .457 amps (call it .5). Putting out this full amperage the voltage off of the engine is 6-9V depending on rpm. so that's 3-4.5 watts max.
However, if you do not draw the full .5 amps, the voltage can jump as high as 30V+, so if you are running a small load like an led, be sure to rectify it and use a few capacitors to smooth it out, then hook up resistors accordingly.
I have hooked up 9 Led flashlights and a rear blinker using the white wire and they work fine, though they will blink at lower rpms. Now im working on a separate 12v coil to run some real headlights...
Pocketbike (groan....) engines have a cheaply made 12v alternator and pull start. I wonder why the grubees and happys don't have 12v setups.
O well. I have ordered Norman's light kit and figure that will be good enough.
I found a 9v dual lamp krypton bulb work light at Walmart, which could be bolted on a bike handlebar with simple mods. http://i.walmartimages.com/i/p/00/03/99/53/51/0003995351934_215X215.jpg
$14.88 Walmart.com: Brinkmann Krypton Lantern Spotlight with Adjustable Handle: Camping
I don't know if it will work with the "6v" bike system, but here's an idea for tinkerers.
O well. I have ordered Norman's light kit and figure that will be good enough.
I found a 9v dual lamp krypton bulb work light at Walmart, which could be bolted on a bike handlebar with simple mods. http://i.walmartimages.com/i/p/00/03/99/53/51/0003995351934_215X215.jpg
$14.88 Walmart.com: Brinkmann Krypton Lantern Spotlight with Adjustable Handle: Camping
I don't know if it will work with the "6v" bike system, but here's an idea for tinkerers.
This noob is now really confused. my kit says to hook the blue to the kill and now i'm reading that could cause a static discharge and do damage
I'm afraid to try and start mine for the first time now
E
I'm afraid to try and start mine for the first time now
E
Actually - a tightening of the plug gap is sometimes needed (and advised by Norm), depending on the condition/quality of the magneto... always kinda random w/these kits lol