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A couple of Aus specific questions

5K views 36 replies 11 participants last post by  timr 
#1 ·
Hi all, I recently asked on here about what tyre pressure to drop to when heading off the tar on to dirt in the Bourke area. It's currently drying out so will be a mix of sand & mud as the area is black and red soil. I will be running pretty light, with mostly empty panniers to assist me when I drop the bike in the mentioned sand/mud.
I am heading into a property so cannot take any other route & the place has been in flood after some recent heavy rain. Any advice on what I should drop to would be greatly appreciated. I'm running tourances with 3/4 tread so should be fine but slippery. I was thinking of lowering to 28 front & 30 back. Once there I will jump on my 1984 DR so will be fine there.
My other question relates to me wanting to add to my current flush mount bulb style indicators on the front & add led to the bark busters. I tried this with and without load resistors in the circuit & could not get any response from the LEDs. The bulbs worked fine & flash normally. Do I need to remove the bulb wires & just run the LEDs on their own or can I run the LEDs in the same circuit but with a load resistor in the led wiring?
Any advice on either subject would be great. I'm
leaving this Monday and will try to sort the LEDs afterwards. I'll post some dirt pictures when back. I've lost all my old pm's somehow & have fitted the bash guard finally, that I bought from a member who lives at Emu Plains. I'll post a picture of this and my led spotlights when I get a chance. Thanks in advance. TimR
 
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#3 · (Edited)
. I've lost all my old pm's somehow & have fitted the bash guard finally, that I bought from a member who lives at Emu Plains.
That was probably me, Tim, if you're the bloke who knows the police dog squad guy who lives at Emu.

Try reversing the connections on the LEDs, they are polarity conscious. Re load resistors, if you are using LEDs with the original lights, the resistors shouldn't be necessary. They are there to get the flash rate right when they replace incandescent bulbs or, but not applicable here, to tell the vehicle's electronics there hasn't been a bulb failure, e.g., when I fitted them to my Range Rover, I had bulb failure messages in the dash message centre.
 
#4 ·
dont remove stock indicators - i have yet to seem a LED indicator incl several OEM Led which gives better overall performances of a modern well designed incandescent bulbs over reflector type indicators.


some aftermarket LED gives brighter directly behind brightness but terrible off-axis visibility. some are bright at night but mediocre during the day.
 
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#5 · (Edited)
On LED's .....
the resistor IS a requirement, otherwise you will not forward bias the LED and hence emit light.

The size of resistor is critical to the brilliance (and operation) of the LED.

Without going into it all here, if you grab a dick smith catalogue, there are all the formulas usually in the back few pages or try the website.

(What p38arover is referring to as in the flash rate, is a ballast resistor, that will affect it, but its not the resistor we need in the cicuit to fwd bias the diode)
 
#6 · (Edited by Moderator)
On LED's .....
the resistor IS a requirement, otherwise you will not forward bias the LED and hence emit light.

Say TF what? forward bias relates to what way polarity to a diode is connected. Leds are an unusual case and are actually reverse biased to emit light. that gives the requirement for a current limiting resistor. otherwise they would be destroyed by the current able to flow once the Knee voltage is reached IE about 1.2 volts for a normal red led.

The size of resistor is critical to the brilliance (and operation) of the LED.

the resistor in this case is to load the normal flasher can. these led indicators already have current limiting build in them

Without going into it all here, if you grab a dick smith catalogue, there are all the formulas usually in the back few pages or try the website.
Yeah sure if you want to build them from scratch.

Your actual problem here has to do with the impedance of the module as against the impedance of an incandesant globe they wont work in parallel

Tom R
 
#8 ·
The catch with LED indicators is that they don't pull enough current to make the bi-metal flasher relays work properly. You can either put a parallel resistor across the lamps (that's the pre-made units, not home made from scratch) or change the indicator relay to an "electronic" (usually just a R/C timer circuit) relay. Either will work, though using the resistor negates any current saving benefits (if that matters to you) and leaves you with potentially hot resistors you have to mount somewhere. I personally replace the flasher relay. If all you're doing is adding EXTRA pre-made LED indicator strips etc on top of the stock lamps you don't need to worry about it. Just get the polarity right and they'll work fine.
 
#9 ·
Buy the electronic flasher unit. It plugs in where the oem one is, I've had mine for a while with no probs
try "Suzuki Flasher Relay LED Signal Light 7 pins" on ebay
I used to run my Tourances at 25psi front and rear on the dirt, but where your going I don't think it will help much.
Enjoy the ride and post up some pics :smile2:
 
#10 ·
Thanks for all of the replies. P38 that was me-the bash plate looks good & is very solid. I will try the LEDs when I get home using the info supplied from here, thank you. I will also try 25 psi, which was what I was leaning towards anyway, when I hit the dirt. Then it'll be a matter of picking the road or a drier line thru the scrub. The property is 64000 acres so there's got to be a drier line there somewhere.
I left last night and am in Orange now. It's -2. Awesome.
The 10w Crees were fantastic last night & I cannot believe how far they light up. I had to dip them when I saw headlights that then took a minute to get to. I spotted a fox from about 800m, although I couldn't tell what it was until about 200, but that's just getting older I guess. Liking the bark busters, but not as big as the original plastics, so was a little chilly.
Time to get out in the cold and see if there's any ice about.
TimR
 
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#11 ·
Best of luck with that Tim. seriously jealous
The road from Bourke to Wilcannia along the Darling is well up on my "To-Do" list.
Talk about bull dust, had a go at it on a Vee a couple of years ago, loaded and 2-up. after having a little lie down and think about it for the 3rd time. I reconsidered about 30 k in and headed back to the blacktop.

Tom R
 
#12 ·
Particularly Offroad

I am sure you would have already fitted a radiator guard.

Have fun
 
#13 ·
I'm just in town at Bourke to fix a flat on the dr. The V made it in to the property really well with 25 psi f/b. Had some fun in the mud & somehow stayed up. Got some great fish tailing going on the slightly damp patches & hit a few really big big holes that were a challenge to get through. A pagero had torn up some parts & made it interesting.
I cannot work out how to get photos on here via my iPhone, but have a few including the v lined up with the other Suzuki farm bikes. My old 1984 dr/ag bike has died a fine death. No idea how many kms it's done but it starts & runs with no brakes & not much clutch & im not going to rebuild it again. Four times is enough.
Off to round up some cattle on the Drs today & I'll head back to Sydney on Saturday. I'll try to get some pictures on then.
Re the bull dust, the water has dried up after 3 days, on most tracks out here & you still get muddy spots, but in between you can expect about 6inches of soft bull dust. Nearly got spat off a few times yesterday! Great fun but was riding behind two others and proberbly ate more dust in 1 hour than most do in a lifetime
 
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#16 ·
No actually it IS a lot of bullshit. Your comments show a complete lack of electronic knowledge.

Coming from a comms tech. been playing with electronics since 1976.

Tom R
 
#19 ·
bye now

Nugget
Don't let the door hit you on the a:frown2::frown2::frown2: on the way out now ya hear.

Tom R
 
#20 · (Edited)
Some reading for TomR and PeteW

Light Emitting Diodes

Light Emitting Diodes or LED´s, are among the most widely used of all the different types of semiconductor diodes available today. They are the most visible type of diode, that emit a fairly narrow bandwidth of either visible light at different coloured wavelengths, invisible infra-red light for remote controls or laser type light when a forward current is passed through them.

A “Light Emitting Diode” or LED as it is more commonly called, is basically just a specialised type of PN junction diode, made from a very thin layer of fairly heavily doped semiconductor material.

When the diode is forward biased, electrons from the semiconductors conduction band recombine with holes from the valence band releasing sufficient energy to produce photons which emit a monochromatic (single colour) of light. Because of this thin layer a reasonable number of these photons can leave the junction and radiate away producing a coloured light output.

light emitting diode construction
LED Construction

Then we can say that when operated in a forward biased direction Light Emitting Diodes are semiconductor devices that convert electrical energy into light energy.


Choosing The Resistor To Use With LEDs

This is of course in LED construction, which you chose to argue over, not pre built auto led's which have the NECESSARY resistor incorporated inside the unit.

Maybe you've been playing with electronics too long and cant see the wood for the trees.

I rest my case, as in what I said was NOT bullshit, as you politely inferred.
 
#21 ·
You might want to rest your case all right, give it a good rest. Go back and read the stuff again. Twice. Then go back to school and pay attention this time. The resistor isn't there to forward bias the diode as you have claimed and gotten stroppy when corrected, it's there to limit the voltage across it at the required current. The diode is forward biased by the applied voltage. Don't believe me? Attach a resistor to a diode in any configuration. Did it light up? No. You have to apply power to make that happen. You also missed the significant point that the questions in this thread pertain to LED ASSEMBLIES, not individual components. The resistors used with such assemblies have nothing to do with the diode at all and are there, connected in parallel with the assemblies, so that enough current passes through a regular bi-metal strip based indicator relay to make it function properly. The resistors simulate the regular incandescent lamps. These resistors can get quite hot after extended use. If you use a different kind of relay you don't need the additional resistor at all.
 
#23 · (Edited)
well again no it is not to limit voltage it limits current. And yes so long as the emf source is unable to supply enough current to harm the led it will function quite well without a resistor in series. hook up an led across a button cell and tell me if it does not light up. Not enough current to burn it out and it will function.

The resistor placed across these indicator modules is to make the resultant circuit draw enough current to make the ordinary flasher can function.
you're are talking about 2 completely different things. one is a discrete led that requires a resistor in series to limit current and the other is a pre-built complete module that requires a resistor in parallel to actually increase the current drawn when the circuit operates.

Tom R
 
#24 ·
Nugget, if you're aware then why did you say it was for something different? Also, the resister is NOT universally required. If you give the LED the right voltage in the first place you don't need it. If you're talking about assemblies then the resister that you add is for something completely different and can be ignored if you run a different relay. In either case adding a resistor is just one way to do it, for two very different meanings of the term "it".

When the question was about ASSEMBLIES then prattling on about components, the specifics of which can be very different, IS talking bullshit.

You've been corrected on your statements multiple times and you still don't want to accept just how wrong you got things, let alone apologise for digging in and slinging even more bullshit to try and cover your own tracks. It isn't working, and you're just digging yourself deeper with every repeated attempt.
 
#26 ·
Not attempting anything other than to say the resistor is required.
In cases where you can get away with it, the resistance will be from internal resistance of the battery.

And if I were to correct someone, I would say so, not tell them they talking bullshit, there is a large difference.
 
#25 ·
Confucius say "when you find yourself at the bottom of a hole, Stop digging"

Tom R
 
#27 ·
nope not a resistor in sight

Well then

led lit!

Nope not a resistor in sight

Please explain

Tom R
 

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#29 ·
Well then

led lit!

Nope not a resistor in sight

Please explain

Tom R
Sigh.... because you have applied the exact current required, therefore no resistor required, this is a unique case and you've used the psu to give the correct current, which is the job of the resistor to correct it and in 99% of cases it isn't correct hence its required.

Whether you break open a pre assembled one or not there will be a resistor in there.
 
#28 ·
Of course I am aware that voltage and current have been limited to a value that will do no harm

Tom R
 
#30 ·
EXACTLY, you've done the job of the resistor.

Glad to see Ive got you doing some research though.

I could go on tit for tat with this, but you all know, like anyone who has any electronic knowledge that the resistor is required, and I am correct,
but,
I'm really getting quite bored with this now.....


N Dark Angel, play with some resistors on that diode that's blocking your thoughts,,,, it might pass current,,,, then youd be....

wait for it.....

Bright Angel!:grin2::grin2::grin2::grin2:

hoo roo
 
#33 ·
Thanks to the quote above I see the ignorant little troll is trying to be a wise ass. Since I've already put the fool in my ignore list I really don't see what more I can do to avoid his rank stupidity if people are going to insist on quoting him. I can only take comfort in the certainty that his "knowledge" of automotive electrics will end up with him setting fire to his bike, and just hope that nobody is dumb enough to follow his lead.
 
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