Would you buy - Self flashing indicators?

[smegballs]

Was playing with some electronics the other day, making LEDs flash using a really simple circuit called a multivibrator. The flash rate is set by the values of resistors and capacitors and can be set withing the legal flash rate for indies.

The circuit costs pennies to make, and could be fitted into an indicator body, especially if using surface mount parts. The end result would be a self-flashing led indicator, all you need to do is apply 12V to the positive terminal and the indie will flash - no need for an external flasher relay. Another bonus is that effectively each indie has it's own internal flasher, should one indicator fail, the other will all continue to flash at the correct rate.

[The Shaggy D.A.]

I wouldn't buy them, but would make some for myself.
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[smegballs]

I'm not surprised, the sort of person who is likely to fuck off their indicator relay and start running wires about themselves is likely to be no stranger to a soldering iron.

In future if I ever have to get new indicators I'll knock up some of these and see how they go. That said I wouldn't buy an indicator relay again, I'd just rig up a 555 to a power transistor and that's that.

[stuarthouston]

Clever idea, but I think I actually quite like the fact that if one bulb blows, the others flash quickly. Lets you know something is awry if you haven't already noticed?
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'96 Honda CG125 BR-T

[fatpies]

Hold on so you're replacing 1 indicator relay which from a motor factors can cost about £2 for four integrated indicator relay things.

Since you already have to run 12v to them anyway, I am not seeing the advantage of this set-up other than if a bulb goes pop, they stay flashing at a consistent rate.

Which is resolved by a 90p bulb from motor factors
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[DottyDuck]

i am going to nod and agree because after reading that my mind has completely been frazzled!
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[Ichy]

I pay less than £1.50 for an electronic flasher relay. You can use with leds or bulbs and the flash rate remains the same even if a bulb blows.


Just a thought, with your set up how do you flash the tell tale on the dash?
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[smegballs]

[J.M.]

Surely with an electronic relay, they continue to flash at a constant rate anyway? Unless the indicators are ran in series.
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2004 R1 & 2018 XSR900

[Ichy]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Electronic-LED-Flasher-Relay-Fix-Turn-Signal-3-Pin-New-/230827912089?pt=UK_Motorcycle_Parts&hash=item35be6a6b99

I've used them a few times and they work just fine. Constant flash rate from 0.2 - 20 Amps.
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[weasley]

Presumably also each side indicator would flash independently, meaning they wouldn't flash in perfect synchronisation, and potentially at slightly different rates. That would wind me right up.
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[silky666]

I dont understand . How does it know when to flash ?

https://coultonsconjectures.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/confused-dog.jpg
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[smegballs]

[stickybackbob]

[smegballs]

[cimbian]

But what about the repeater on the instrument cluster? Isn't this a legal requirement?
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[smegballs]

[Teflon-Mike]

How do you sincronise them?
Read the Construction & Use regulations, lighting requirements.
Not only must all indicators flash at the same rate, they must flash at the same time.
If the indicators are flashed independently, then there is nothing ensuring sync.....
Simpler to use a single flasher to feed all indicators & no risk of sinc error, and I think that that might actually be stipulated in the lighting req's of C&U regs.
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[Marmalade]

[Ichy]

[Marmalade]

Only if it was a constant light or used standard relay otherwise it would be a flashing supply to a flasher on the leds.
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[uberkron]

The fast flash rate is required legally so you know a bulb is out.

With leds, no problem with blown bulbs, but yes, good idea for something like a bike. You could even make the lights communicate with each other to sync the flash rate. Id be annoyed if my indicators got out of time. You could have a revolving pattern for hazards too.
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[Islander]

Overthought solution to an already solved problem IMO but kudos for the ingenuity

The simplest solution as already stated in other posts is to use a load independent electronic flasher relay. It makes sense to keep the control unit centralised - independent flasher controls would need to be synchronised and that would add another level of unnecessary complication. Plus there's the tell-tale as well.

Silky, there's a demon in the relay box and he has electrodes connected to his nipples. When you switch the indicator on, it applies a shock to the relevant nipple and he operates the correct switch at the required rate.

[stinkwheel]

[Ichy]