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KG4CGC
04-03-2014, 11:53 PM
... spend time very often thinking about simple electronics anymore.


As you know I have a scooter. It runs 2 35/35w headlights. Last Fall one light burned out and no one carried a 35/35w bulb in H1 (hs1?) configuration. 55/60 yes, 35/35 no. Online they sell for $25. In the auto parts store, 55/60 sells for $10. I replaced one with a new 55/60 bulb and used the old burned out base to make an 8 LED set up, 4 high beam, 4 low. The single 55/60 actually seems to make a better light and beam path than the two 35s together.

Now having said all that ...
My next plan is to remove the headlight with the LEDs. Move the running 55/60w headlight to the center of the headlight frame with a little fab work. Add more aerodynamics etc. This means I'll have a spare power cord from the old light to run a low power device such as under body LED lighting or aux near field LED lights on either side of the now center mounted headlight to illuminate the close area. The area within a 6 foot radius of the front of the scoot so it is easier to see the road shoulder and curbs etc that are closer to me and out of the main light's path.

The spare power lead from the other light, of course, has high and low beam. My concern is if I wire the hi/low together so that whatever I use stays on when I switch to hi, will that cause both hi and low in the main headlight to both burn together. OK, let's just assume that it does. What diodes would I use to place on the spare light wire's hi and low positive supplies to prevent current from bleeding from one to the other. Make sense?

Some basic info. The stator is built to supply 70 watts to the lights and this is why I'm only running one new light instead of running the 35/35 and the 55/60 together. It would run but it would tax my battery and charging ability possibly running my battery too low on a long trip.

Just throw out your questions. I'm not sure I made the issue clear.

W7XF
04-04-2014, 03:05 AM
IIRC, H1 60W bulbs are single filament (used as high beams in quad lamp setups). Motorcycles/mopeds use dual filament bulbs for headlights; universally the H4 60/55W bulb. There are LED H4's being made but they're not legal for street use here yet, so you probably won't find any of those bulbs. Supposedly, those are < 10W consumption for light output equaling HID. Another thing to consider: HID conversion. Those use around 30W. And they're legal.

But you are right about one thing: If you put a jumper in the light plug between high beam B+ and low beam B+, you're going to supply both filaments.

Just remember, if you reduce your lighting loads, you run the risk of boiling your battery...that excess current has to go SOMEWHERE...

As always, YMMV.

KG4CGC
04-04-2014, 04:16 AM
So, which diodes? I just want to use the soon to be left over cable to power something else and have it stay on when I switch to high beams.

KG4CGC
04-04-2014, 04:37 AM
I don't know if this helps.


http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c79/bebop5/001/CableDiagram_zps2475830e.png

PA5COR
04-04-2014, 06:15 AM
Just get 2 HID 30 watt hi/lo beam lamps installed, 3 times the light of standard halogen light, no adaptations because it stays within the 35 watt old restrictions.

KC2UGV
04-04-2014, 06:16 AM
Just remember, if you reduce your lighting loads, you run the risk of boiling your battery...that excess current has to go SOMEWHERE...

It shouldn't boil the battery. Reduced current draw should reduce required torque on the alternator, which in turn would just get converted to extra "umph" for the vehicle (Or, better gas mileage).

NQ6U
04-04-2014, 09:32 AM
Just remember, if you reduce your lighting loads, you run the risk of boiling your battery...that excess current has to go SOMEWHERE...

The voltage regulator should prevent this from happening. Reducing the lighting load is a good thing—it will reduce the amount of power required to turn the alternator and free it up to move the bike.

W7XF
04-05-2014, 04:08 AM
Corey and Your HolyShitness....mopeds/low end 50cc scooters rarely have any voltage regulation, as they use the generator as a magneto to fire the spark plug.

KG4CGC
04-05-2014, 04:25 AM
Well it actually does have voltage regulation and a computer.
So anyway, I'm am running one stronger headlight. It was 2.
Now I have an extra cable to power something else up to 10 watts.
It is linked to the other headlight, thus, if I switch to highbeam, if I only wire it to the low side, when I switched to high the thing I have hooked up to the spare cable would lose power. If I twist the high and low on the left together, both high and low will light at the same time on the right.
If I use 2 diodes, one on each B+ of the left cable, I could tie them together past the diodes, keep power to the new device regardless of hi/lo switch and not affect the way the right light works.
So my question is, which diodes do I want?

n2ize
04-05-2014, 10:38 AM
Corey and Your HolyShitness....mopeds/low end 50cc scooters rarely have any voltage regulation, as they use the generator as a magneto to fire the spark plug.

You are thinking of the old mopeds from decades ago. The ones that even had bicycle pedals on them that were used for starting and for helping the motor make it up steep hills. The new ones are much more sophisticated. And they don't have pedals.