Question for the electrical nerds

[StrtLegal]

I just got new guages. The speedo has the idiot lights in it. Does anyone know how/ where I would put in a zener diode so that my whole bike doesn't blink when I turn on the turn signals? Do I just hook up the two positive wires from each signal (front and rear) into a Y on the diode? A diagram would be rediculously helpful, I'm stuck!

P.S.- Just kidding about the Nerd thing.

[posplayr]

Diode Magic for "wanta be nerds"

Not really sure what you are trying to accomplish or fix but i don't think you mean "zener" diode and lights together.

There are techniques for doing what is called "diode oring" using diodes. There even used to be simple logic "Diode Logic" or DL for short that allows diode oring (high side control) or diode anding (low side control)

http://www.play-hookey.com/digital/electronics/dl_gates.html

Depending upon the behavior you want trying to control a single light (load) from two sources you could try either. This does not only work with just two inputs it would work with multiple inputs on the high side and the low side.

Again these are normal diodes that must carry the full load current and there will be about a +0.8V forward drop across any diode that is conducting.

here is an example of taillight/running light controls using diodes. This is not my schematic but the link is currently dead so I used google which had cashed the following site.

This is high side control with the outside lights being controlled by running lights or turn signal. The inner lights are also high side control of running lights or brake lights. The only twist to this is that the running lights have a series resistor (at the top of the schematic) to dim them so that when the turn or brakes come on they are brighter.

As indicated in the schematic 3Amp 50V diodes can be had at radio shack among many other sources.

With this little tutorial you should be able to figure out how the diodes are used and how to use them for what you want.

Remember current will only flow through the diode when there is a positive voltage across it and current can flow from + to - in the same direction as the arrow in the diode symbol.

Good Luck. :-D

Posplayr

Greg Bender - Turn signals as running lightsNeither my 1971 Moto Guzzi Ambassador nor my 2000 Moto Guzzi Quota came with running lights (the Ambassador didn't even come with turn signals originally). ...
www.thisoldtractor.com/gtbender/turn_signals_as_running_lights.htm - 26k - Cached - Similar pages

[StrtLegal]

Okay, I need to apologize because I wasn't spacific enough...I have a tendency to do that. The old guage cluster has 2 idiot lights for the turn signals (one for left and one for right). However, the new guage only has one idiot light that right and left signals need to share. There are no running lights. Am I just way over complicating things? Can I just wire up the left and rights and feed them into the one idiot light?

Sorry for the confusion...

L R
\ /
|
Guage

[posplayr]

Simplest explaination

Just take the two wires that used to go to the two old blinker lights. Put a diode (anode) on each leg with the "cathodes" tied together and wired at the new idiot light. Cathodes are on the side with the band. This is the same circuit in the lower right hand or left hand corner. See attachment

http://www.kpsec.freeuk.com/components/diode.htm

What the diodes are doing is allowing current to only flow toward the load (lamp) and NOT back through the other diode and power your entire blinker circuit on the opposite side. This would make all the blinker lights flash together.

Posplayr

Okay, I need to apologize because I wasn't spacific enough...I have a tendency to do that. The old guage cluster has 2 idiot lights for the turn signals (one for left and one for right). However, the new guage only has one idiot light that right and left signals need to share. There are no running lights. Am I just way over complicating things? Can I just wire up the left and rights and feed them into the one idiot light?

Sorry for the confusion...

L R
\ /
|
Guage

[beergood]

You could also just forget about the idiot light and try to remember that you just turned and shut the blinker off, or would that be too nerdy for you?

All snarkyness aside, posplayer has the answer you were looking for.

[derwood]

Or... change the flasher to one with 3 terminals, the third being a Pilot lamp driver, and run 1 wire

[StrtLegal]

Thanks for the help!