LEDRider LED Floods and Spots - FJR Forum discount

[TripperMike]

Just ordered.

 

[Justin]

Just ordered.

Thanks, Mike - got you down for the free dimmer. Should ship tomorrow. Finally starting to catch up

 

[TripperMike]

Fan-freaking-tastic!

Thanks Justin.

 

[Justin]

Favor needed from the masses

Please let me know if the wiring instructions on the following URL are clear, concise and easy to follow.

https://ledrider.com/dimmer-wiring/

Feedback and suggestions welcomed.

 

[ahchiu]

I would like to get a blemish dimmer

 

[SFCJCA]

Favor needed from the masses

Please let me know if the wiring instructions on the following URL are clear, concise and easy to follow.

https://ledrider.com/dimmer-wiring/

Feedback and suggestions welcomed.

White wire on white background isn't visible. Other than that, they are easy to follow.

 

[Chuck35]

Favor needed from the masses

Please let me know if the wiring instructions on the following URL are clear, concise and easy to follow.

https://ledrider.com/dimmer-wiring/

Feedback and suggestions welcomed.

Looks good here.

The warning about not using the High Beam signal directly makes me wonder if shorts on this terminal of the controller have been seen?

Has there been a high failure rate or did the lawyers put that in?

 

[TXFJR]

I have a similar question as Chuck. I sent you a PM about, thanks for the super fast response BTW! It was confusing to me after seeing the diagram you did on post #157, and then reading the warning about using a relay in the instructions. I thought that since the High Beam wire was only a "trigger" sort of like the one that "triggers" the relay in my FZ1 fuse box.

I plan on doing the install tonight, I had already run all the wires from the FZ1 to the mounting locations, so I just have to mount the lights and switch, plug in the fuse in the FZ1 and ready. However, now I am concerned about not running a relay...so I have the same kind of question...is this more of a CYA type thing? or do I REALLY need to run a relay for the H-B "trigger"?

 

[Justin]

Looks good here.The warning about not using the High Beam signal directly makes me wonder if shorts on this terminal of the controller have been seen?

Has there been a high failure rate or did the lawyers put that in?

I have not seen any failures on these units, and no lawyers involved. However, the thought of what the possible downsides to a failure in the headlight circuit was put in my head in another discussion. And that goes for any dimmer, or anything else that taps into the headlight circuit.

I have a similar question as Chuck. I sent you a PM about, thanks for the super fast response BTW! It was confusing to me after seeing the diagram you did on post #157, and then reading the warning about using a relay in the instructions. I thought that since the High Beam wire was only a "trigger" sort of like the one that "triggers" the relay in my FZ1 fuse box.
I plan on doing the install tonight, I had already run all the wires from the FZ1 to the mounting locations, so I just have to mount the lights and switch, plug in the fuse in the FZ1 and ready. However, now I am concerned about not running a relay...so I have the same kind of question...is this more of a CYA type thing? or do I REALLY need to run a relay for the H-B "trigger"?

I actually changed my thoughts after I sent out the first batch of instructions, and I apologize for the confusion that caused. My thinking was (and still is) that using a relay to power the trigger would be safer since a relay contains two fully isolated circuits, and are super simple. But, I can't in good faith suggest attaching anything to a critical circuit.

 

[ionbeam]

Just speaking generally, there shouldn't be a big risk hooking any reasonably well designed power controller to the headlight high beam circuit. At the simple end, if the power controller has an internal 1k Ω or larger resistor in series with the sensor wire or better yet, an optoisolator ($0.15 ea) connected to the signal wire there would be almost no chance of a failure in either the headlight circuit or power controller causing any problems.

 

[Bungie]

Interesting.

I was looking to hook my LR4's up to both the high beam and the horn circuit. Guess I'll cobble together some isolation.

 

[Eric L]

yeah I guess I'll pull the trigger off the headlight and wire it to the horn. Should be even more irritating than the PIAAs alone.

 

[VMaxChuck]

Just speaking generally, there shouldn't be a big risk hooking any reasonably well designed power controller to the headlight high beam circuit. At the simple end, if the power controller has an internal 1k Ω or larger resistor in series with the sensor wire or better yet, an optoisolator ($0.15 ea) connected to the signal wire there would be almost no chance of a failure in either the headlight circuit or power controller causing any problems.

Maybe an explanation of how to hook up the optoisolator in this circuit for us "electrically challenged" folks?

 

[ionbeam]

Just speaking generally, there shouldn't be a big risk hooking any reasonably well designed power controller to the headlight high beam circuit. At the simple end, if the power controller has an internal 1k Ω or larger resistor in series with the sensor wire or better yet, an optoisolator ($0.15 ea) connected to the signal wire there would be almost no chance of a failure in either the headlight circuit or power controller causing any problems.

Maybe an explanation of how to hook up the optoisolator in this circuit for us "electrically challenged" folks?

The optoisolator or other current restricting/isolating components are something that should be designed into the power controller by the designing engineer and be part of the LED power controller circuit board. An external relay would work just about as well for Justin's power controller.

For what ever reason Justin is paranoid very cautious about a direct connection to the headlight high beam wire, as always, please follow the sellers instructions.

I don't know what's in the box (the power controller) but I suspect that you could get away with putting a 1k Ω 1/4 watt resistor in series with the trigger wire that connects to the headlight high beam wire and it would restrict current flow to 0.014 amps maximum which is enough to protect the headlights and power controller should something go wrong.

Beyond this point thar be dragons. Only the brave and bold should adventure below the line. You assume all risks to your mental health, balance and eye sight.


An optoisolator/opto coupler is an interesting device that completely isolates the control switch from the output circuit. <omitting much detail> This device would let the switching be done by the motorcycle's electrical system and let the output control circuit use the voltage inside the power controller, without the two voltages mixing. This is why this type of device is most effective when designed into the power controller. There are several ways this device can be connected to make it match the power controller's needs, here is one way:

You would hook pin 1 to the high beam wire.

Hook pin 2 to the motorcycle ground

Hook pin 5 to a power source inside the LED power controller --or-- hook pin 5 to a 1 amp fused source in the motorcycle like a power distribution block

Hook pin 4 to the trigger wire of the power controller

When the high beam turns on it supplies 12 volts to (light emitting) diode inside the IC and makes the LED inside the IC turn on

The light is conducted to the photo transistor causing it to turn on

When the transistor is turned on it will start to conduct the 12 volts from pin 5 and go out pin 4 which is connected to the trigger wire of the LED power controller

Because the switching is done by light there is total electrical isolation. For this to work as intended it needs to be in the circuit board of the power controller.

If you want to use an optoisolator outside the LED power controller there is no real advantage, a relay will perform just as well.

 

[Fred W]

Justin,

What is the nominal current draw on the blue "dimmer control" wire? I doubt that it is very significant. There is no great risk of tapping into the switched high beam power, as the headlight circuit is fused at 25A. So, if you use an inline fuse on your trigger wire of anything significantly smaller (you suggest 2.5A) and the dimmer module shorted out, that 2.5A fuse would certainly open up first.

As for the red, main power feed to the module and lights, I'm assuming that should be switched 12V power unless you want your LED lights to continue running when the bike is switched off, right? That is what should be on the power relay coming from the battery.

 

[ionbeam]

Justin, What is the nominal current draw on the blue "dimmer control" wire...

I agree that there is minimal risk (approaching zero) with a correctly installed system. Justin needs to talk with his LED power control designer about risk management and let the designer specify how it should be hooked up (and perhaps how it should NEVER be hooked up).

 

[Justin]

The optoisolator or other current restricting/isolating components are something that should be designed into the power controller by the designing engineer and be part of the LED power controller circuit board. An external relay would work just about as well for Justin's power controller.
For what ever reason Justin is paranoid very cautious about a direct connection to the headlight high beam wire, as always, please follow the sellers instructions

******SNIP******

If you want to use an optoisolator outside the LED power controller there is no real advantage, a relay will perform just as well.

Sorry for the delay, busy day here. Ionbeam is correct on all counts. Especially the part about me being paranoid very cautious.

What is the nominal current draw on the blue "dimmer control" wire? I doubt that it is very significant. There is no great risk of tapping into the switched high beam power, as the headlight circuit is fused at 25A. So, if you use an inline fuse on your trigger wire of anything significantly smaller (you suggest 2.5A) and the dimmer module shorted out, that 2.5A fuse would certainly open up first.

Less than .1 amp. My ammeter doesn't read lower. I thought of the scenario you mention above. I'd like to do a test with a 25a and 2 amp on the same circuit and short it out. I thought both would go even though one was rated lower as it would be an instantaneous full draw. Correct me if I'm wrong.

But yes, Ionbeam is spot on. I'm just being very cautious. I am confident in the dimmer design, but even well designed electronics fail. People are free to draw their own conclusion from the discussions and ideas presented. My official public opinion is that accessories should not be tapped into the headlight circuit.

 

[Fred W]

What is the nominal current draw on the blue "dimmer control" wire? I doubt that it is very significant. There is no great risk of tapping into the switched high beam power, as the headlight circuit is fused at 25A. So, if you use an inline fuse on your trigger wire of anything significantly smaller (you suggest 2.5A) and the dimmer module shorted out, that 2.5A fuse would certainly open up first.

Less than .1 amp. My ammeter doesn't read lower. I thought of the scenario you mention above. I'd like to do a test with a 25a and 2 amp on the same circuit and short it out. I thought both would go even though one was rated lower as it would be an instantaneous full draw. Correct me if I'm wrong.

No, it doesn't work like that or else every time you had a short circuit anywhere on the bike the 50A main fuse would blow. But it doesn't. The smaller rated fuse will melt first and protect the bigger one.

 

[TXFJR]

Ok, this is getting WAY above my head! I'm leaning towards just taping off the blue wire and just using the dimmer switch!

 

[Justin]

No, it doesn't work like that or else every time you had a short circuit anywhere on the bike the 50A main fuse would blow. But it doesn't. The smaller rated fuse will melt first and protect the bigger one.

Thanks, Fred. That's what I had thought. But someone else the other day told me that was not the case who is much more versed than I. Or, I was mistaken in my interpretation. So it sounds like adding a 2 amp of so fuse to bypass wire is the simple solution to protect the headlight circuit, for those that want to travel to the realm of Dragons