Electrics (Diodes/Rectifier) questions for headlights

[G]

I've got a poncy headlight unit for my zx9 (well, as poncy as £29.99 buys you ).
It's got 4 lights, two on each side, with the two outer ones having a different beam to the two inner ones.
I want to get it so that the two outer ones come on when dip beam is on and all four come on when the main beam is on.

I am proposing to do this using something like the attached circuit diagram.
When the main beam is on, it not only lights the main beam lights, but the dipped beam lights through a diode.
When the dipped beam is on the main beam is not lit because of the diode.

Further to that, I would like to have it so that the side lights position on the switch also lights the dipped lights, but through a resistor so they are not so bright.


I did ask about this late last night on IRC and got mixed views.
Keith has suggested that I could wire the main beam to the passing switch if this activates both beams.


So any ideas; will it work? Will it make my bike explode with a cinematic over-fiery explosion?

Any advice on what diodes (I'm told ones that can handle more current are considered rectifiers) I need?
Same with the resistor, though I should be able to work that out easily enough.

[Noggin]

In theory, it looks like it should work, but thats coming from an AS electronics student!!!!


Craig G(Noggin)
____________________
Current bike: kawasaki zx12r 2002
Track bike: yamaha r6 1998
Old Bike: honda NSR 125 1998

[Big Pete]

don`t try to run both filaments at the same time, the lights will overheat and you are likely to fry the cases as well as the bulbs. If the bulbs are 35/35 s (which are common on these things) if you run them all at the same time you will be drawing 140 watts, very nearly 12 amps. Stock looms will not cope with this sort of draw and will overheat as will the handlebar switches if there are no relays in the system (even some stock relays wont cope). There is also a chance that your charging system wont have enough juice and if you ride for a while at night you slowly kill the battery. (but I would think a zx9 would have a 250 watt or bigger system.) If you want better lights, use relays and normal bulbs. Running the dipped beam when the side light switch is on is pretty simple, its just a link to trip the low beam relay. I`ve set up a number of bike looms to do this I will try and get a drawing sorted for you if you want.
____________________
Trust me, I`m an engineer
GarageOfPower.co.uk

[G]

Sorry, should have made it more clear, there are four seperate bulbs, all single fillament, so overheating shouldn't be a problem.

I'm not sure what power they are, but they didn't look very bright, so I wouldn't be suprised if they are as low as 20W, doubt they are over 35W.
They are the type that I could swear are nabbed from halogen house lights.

I have heard of people fitting twin 80W and above bulbs to a standard zx6/zx9 of this age, so I would have thought the total power used should be ok, even if they are 35W.

I don't want the sidelights to just activate the dipped beam, I want it to do it so that they aren't nearly as bright; as you would expect sidelights to be.

Cheers for the thoughts.

[stinkwheel]

You are going to need a resistor with a f'king huge heatsink on it to do that. You might get a ballast resistor from a breakers off a 1970s 100/125 bike with direct lighting (usually bolted on under the headlamp behind a little plastic cover). It would be far easier to just put in a seperate sidelight bulb if this is possible.

I would do it with relays, a single throw one to switch on the dip and a double throw to switch on the beam+dip. This lets you use a seperate, hard wired power supply and a fuse big enough to cope. You might even get away with just using the standard bike wiring for the dip and a double throw relay for the beam+dip.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[G]

Cheers, I was hoping to do it without a lot of extra wiring, I don't intend to be using it on un-lit roads much and when the unit only cost £30 I don't want to spend £lots to do the rest.

I have a feeling the unit maybe designed to use all bulbs at once; not sure, but they aren't actually very specific in the dip/main bits, more one is slightly wider and the other a bit more of a 'spot' focus.

I can bodge a seperate sidelight bulb in somewhere easily enough, just thought it'd be nice to have the effect described.
How about if I got another bulb and wired into in, in series, along with main bulbs instead of a resistor?

[Git]

Personally I would dump the resistors and run a fused feed from the battery to the front and stick a pair of relays in there, lucas srb501 springs to mind, use the original wiring to fire the relays on/off and bobs your uncle job done. Easy as really.

[G]

As I mentioned, I was looking for a quick/cheap way to do it.

When I first got the zx9 I pretty much made up a road-lighting/horn etc wiring loom myself. Am quite happy to not do that again, the same with adding relays (and thus cost, I presume) etc.

[stinkwheel]

[Git]

A man that speaks sense ^^^^^

[G]

[alains]

i am not a big biker , but i am electrician . the max courant admissible by a wire is 5 Amps/square mm so you need 2,5 square mm wire , running from the battery to a relay and in // a second relay (the first for crossing lights , the second for high beam) . then connect to the relays their original destination . now for the relays coils find a ground and connect each on the original wires comming out of your handle switch . it will better also to add a second ground on each pair of lights . put relays 10Amps
____________________
the worst day fishing is better than the best day working

[G]

Can I just re-iterate what I mentioned up there.

I have heard people have fitted twin 80W bulbs to this model and haven't had a problem with standard wiring.
Thus I am not worried by the power 'issues'.

Because I'm stubborn I'm not going to fit a relay until my bike /does/ explode in that ball of cinematic flame .


If anyone's got any opinions on the original question I would however be interested .

[Git]

I think if anyone else mentions relay G is going to erupt

I don't like diodes or rectifiers, I play with 12ac/dc circuits all day and they are generally a pain in the rump unless fitted to sturdy circuit boards and the like where they can get good ventilation and be kept dry, saying that I see them in a far more hostile environment than a bike.

I am very bias, I will grab me coat.

[Smoto Bob]

can i ask why you want to wire it up this way? it will still not be road legal just wire them all on for main beam
____________________
F'it DO WHAT EVER MAKES YOU HAPPY!!!!! Even if it screws over everyone else :p
Titz wrote: "..and my 3rd accident was when this police car....."

[G]

[G]

[alains]

will it be ok , like that ?
____________________
the worst day fishing is better than the best day working

[G]

Each bulb is only single filament, from your diagram I presum you're thinking of twin filament bulbs.

I have tried a Rectifier Diode. It seems to work but the diode gets pretty hot, as the datasheet suggested it would. Might look at fixing it to a heat sink, but will probably just leave it for the mo.

Looking at the bulbs I think two are actually 20W and the other two are 35W... if so that would give me twin 55W; what the bike has as standard.


Cheers for the thoughts everyone, requested or not .

[alains]

ok , like that ?
____________________
the worst day fishing is better than the best day working

[Git]

I find this incredibly unfair, I want to draw something.
Although of no use to G whatsoever I just wanted to get colouring pencils out. Pictures a bit hazy but so are my eyes.

May have another for tomorrow night, diodes

[alains]

ok , that's same scheme as mine !
____________________
the worst day fishing is better than the best day working

[Git]

Very much so, both of no help for this particular application though.

[alains]

srry , sir
____________________
the worst day fishing is better than the best day working

[Git]