LED gauge conversion

[Steve]

Were in the same boat I was hoping you would say: hey yeah I know exactly what that bike has

If I knew exactly what that bike has (or even what that bike was), I would not have asked the question.

Usually the first post anyone makes has the bike info.

And that is only if they do not already have it in their signature.

Guessing its this type, Should be a nice and easy mod.

It's a shame we have to guess, but I agree with you, it will be an easy mod.

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[Agemax]

If I knew exactly what that bike has (or even what that bike was), I would not have asked the question.



And that is only if they do not already have it in their signature.



It's a shame we have to guess, but I agree with you, it will be an easy mod.

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i think adding your bike in your signature should be compulsory when you join the site.you should not be able to complete the joining without filling in "all fields required!"

 

[Steve]

I agree, and it doesn't even have to be 'fancy', like some of us tend to have.

Location can be rather general (look at mine ). Even just a state or a small country is sufficient. Definitely don't need an address.

For signature, just say what the bike is.

Definitely not rocket science.

And, it would also help if some of the forum defaults were a but more user-friendly, but that's another matter altogether.
Most newbies don't bother to set their reading preferences to older posts first and 40 posts per page.
(In all fairness, they probably don't even realize that it's an option. :-\\\)

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[GateKeeper]

This is where good admin staff come in handy......ones that are in tune with the site, to either make the change or implement the change, general housekeeping, etc....

but it is what it is...

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[Road Rash]

Alright, alright! Bunch o' smartasses! I get it! Sheesh! hehe!

Yes, mine is a 78 GS750 with the dual blinkers. I tend to forget that not all of them had duals. I ALSO have forgotten to add my info in my sig, like you guys have so subtly and graciously pointed out!

 

[Guest]

Lol
Sarcasm is only one of the many servics provided here.

 

[Road Rash]

Oh, I can definitely contribute to the sarcasm! Hehe!

By the way, you'll notice I added a sig. And some pics in my profile.

 

[Steve]

I ALSO have forgotten to add my info in my sig, like you guys have so subtly and graciously pointed out!

Subtle?? :-k

Gracious??

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[Call Me Ahab]

Well, yet another inquirer is here to yank this thread back up to the top

I really like the way this project turned out - I was originally searching for some advice on LED's in general and stumbled onto this thread.

I see a LOT of stores online make reference to certain LED power supplies, some sort of BUS controller or some nonsense. I find some of these, and they're pretty expensive for what I want to do...

Are these controllers necessary, and if so - how do I determine which one I need for a mod like the indicator lights, gauge back lights etc?

Also, I'd like to replace my turn indicator bulbs with some Hi-Output LED's, but again, would I need some LED controller or power supply?

I see some bulbs that one of the kind forum-goers posted in this same thread ( http://www.superbrightleds.com/cat/...lts_Typical,12,100,3898:Color,Amber,136,4622: )

Does anyone have experience with these? Do I just want to go with a 12v DC Bulb and damn the power supply? Will I need an LED Turn Indicator Relay?

I can't seem to figure out how some of these LED's work - some look like they're made to be plugged directly into a stock power supply!

Sorry to throw so many idiot questions out at once - I just want to be sure I have all the answers before I jump into another project and find myself way in over my head... again.

Thanks guys, looking forward to your input!
While I wait, I'm pondering using Red and White led's for the gauges... I'm gonna look into that some more, hopefully this works out and I can get this together for less than the cost of one of those damn LED power nodes


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I don't see any mention of these controllers or nodes in the original posts, OR in the directions - I just want to be sure before I cook something

 

[Guest]

Resistors.

That's all you need to drop the 12v to 3.5 needed for the led's.

You should get an led flasher. They don't care what bulbs you use and will apways flash at the same rate.

Some led's are brighter than others its a matter of trying them and seeing what you find is bright enough for you. Some colors of the same type of led will be dimmer than others.

You don't need a power supply. Just use the bikes supply and add a 1kilo ohm resistor in series with the led. You can fine tune the resistance to give the brightness you want but I find 1k is full brightness.

There are led' s purpose built to just drop in as replacements. Your turn signals for example could be replaced with 1156led bulbs. Same for the brake light.

Its realy easy and there is no magic to it.
Just buy some single leds and play with them

We'll be here to help once you get your feet wet.





There are some high power led's like the XML T6 that needs a conttoler and a big heatsink. But just one is brighter than most headlights. 3 is insane but the controler lets you turn the intensity down. With 3 you get more volume of light so you don't need it as bright anyways.
Resistors work here too but you need some big resistors because these lights take 3+amps.

 

[BassCliff]

Hi,

I've done nothing to modify the lights on my gauges. But I did replace all of the turn signals bulbs and tail light bulb with units from superbrightleds.com. I replaced my stock turn signal flasher relay with an off-the-shelf generic unit. The stock flasher unit needs to "see" a specific load in order to operate properly. The LED bulbs do not offer enough load.

Turn Signal Relay Replacement

Bulb tests:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-J1uwfbuwI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHXHNpESTrU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tzCDZ2TDHw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kP7WUkQjQew


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

 

[Steve]

Resistors.

That's all you need to drop the 12v to 3.5 needed for the led's.

Unless you get LEDs that are designed to be used in vehicles. Then, the resistor is already built in, all you have to do is remove your stock bulb and insert the LED replacement.

You should get an led flasher. They don't care what bulbs you use and will apways flash at the same rate.

True, but ...

If your bike has self-cancelling turn signals, installing ANY flasher other than stock will eliminate that feature. If you wish to use LED 'bulbs' and retain your stock flasher, you will need to use load-compensating resistors, but they will not provide any of the energy saving advantages of LEDs.

Some led's are brighter than others its a matter of trying them and seeing what you find is bright enough for you. Some colors of the same type of led will be dimmer than others.

True, there are differences in 'brightness', but viewing angle is also important. Some LEDs will be intensely bright, but only when viewed directly on-axis. Move sideways a few degrees, you will barely be able to tell that they are on.

Also, when putting LEDs behind colored lenses, match the colors. DO NOT use white LEDs behind amber or red lenses, they will be incredibly DIM. Use amber or red LEDs. One exception is that a red LED works decently well behind an amber lens.

You don't need a power supply. Just use the bikes supply and add a 1kilo ohm resistor in series with the led. You can fine tune the resistance to give the brightness you want but I find 1k is full brightness.

As previously mentioned, if you buy LED 'bulbs' that are designed for a car, they are 'plug and play', no resistors needed.

There are led' s purpose built to just drop in as replacements. Your turn signals for example could be replaced with 1156led bulbs. Same for the brake light.

NOW you finally mention it.

.

 

[Call Me Ahab]

Thanks everyone! That clears up my doubts and questions - now I just need to hunt down some bulbs =]

My stock turn relay is cooked so I guess I'll go with an LED relay for the new bulbs rather than the generic "thermal" relay I have now.

I'll look into the LED's for the dash and gauges some more... I'm seriously considering going with red LED's for the gauges... maybe.

Great info here, I really appreciate it!