Biketronics LED Equalizer - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: tekati
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 03, 2012, 03:29:39 am
content: Usually when you convert your turn signals in a car or motorcycle to LED lights you have to place a dummy load on your positive wire of the turn signal to ground. Most use a 5.6-6OHM resister to do this between the turn signal wire and ground. It basically simulates the same current as the buld would use. The main problem with this approach is heat. You need to run a large resistor with great heat disapation or risk starting a fire as many have done in the past. If you use your turn signals normally you are probably going to be okay most of the time but try running your emergency flashers for a few minutes and chances are a meltdown will occur.Okay on to my question. The guys over at Biketronics have created a module called the BT 801 Smart Equalizer which claims generates no heat or just minor heat.http://www.biketronics.com/products/BT-801-Smart-Equalizer.htmlMy question is does anyone have ANY idea how they might be doing this? It is a much safer way then trying to run even a large aluminum chassis resistor screwed to the frame.I would greatly appreciate any and all idea how they may be doing this. I have a similar situation I need to build one for a similar project and spending 60.00 in hopes I can convert it does not sound very good to me.

author: HackedFridgeMagnet
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 03, 2012, 03:38:14 am
content: Surely it's just a constant current led driver. Maybe buck maybe buck boost.It uses pwm to set the output current to a suitable value through the non linear led load.The claim that it doesn't generate much heat should be true.It should save some of your energy because of this.

author: tekati
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 03, 2012, 03:46:29 am
content: Quote from: HackedFridgeMagnet on September 03, 2012, 03:38:14 amThis particular device only somehow tricks the standard flasher relay into thinking there is still roughly 2amps being drawn by the light bulb. This is the device that allows the flasher relay to blink at a normal rate and not really fast because a LED draws far less current than the bulb does. It actually does not drive the LEDs. The Tail Bones module they sell does that part.

author: HackedFridgeMagnet
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 03, 2012, 05:02:49 am
content: Oh I seesorry I wasn't thinking blinkers. I should read more closely.there are plenty of ways to do it but I can't say how this device is doing it.

author: oPossum
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 03, 2012, 05:54:12 am
content: Maybe a switchmode current sink (electronic load).

author: G7PSK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 03, 2012, 07:12:13 am
content: Would it not make more sense to build a flasher unit that works at the correct current draw for the LED'S instead of the 50 to 60 watts that a typical flasher unit needs. Hella used to make an electronic flasher unit for cars that was used for cars with tow bars so that the trailer light would not affect the flash rate, It would be possible to alter the current sense in a unit like that.

author: thmjpr
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 03, 2012, 07:25:26 am
content: If a 12V battery connection were available, they could dump any excess power back into the battery. These have 12V + Gnd wires:www.customdynamics.com/loadequalizer.htm.Almost seems overly complex, but they are $60-100 so its possible.Or they could just be using the fast frequency 12V input as-is (and in the case of the above box, as a trigger input?). This higher frequency pulse can be filtered to DC, then used to drive a fixed normal frequency switch circuit.

author: AndyC_772
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 03, 2012, 07:35:57 am
content: If a 12V battery connection were available, maybe they could simply use the leakage current through the resistance wire in the flasher relay to turn on a transistor, and actually power the LEDs direct from the battery via that, controlling their flash rate with a separate electronic timer?

author: tekati
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 03, 2012, 07:48:03 am
content: Quote from: oPossum on September 03, 2012, 05:54:12 amWould this still generate heat though?

author: tekati
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 03, 2012, 07:49:37 am
content: Quote from: G7PSK on September 03, 2012, 07:12:13 amThis particular application the flasher relay is built into the ECU/Alarm unit. Very strange implementation indeed.

author: tekati
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 03, 2012, 07:54:20 am
content: Quote from: thmjpr on September 03, 2012, 07:25:26 amYour first suggestion is interesting but I am not sure how it would be done. Could this be accomplished without again generating heat? Any ideas or places I could research?The second idea is also a good one but as stated to another user this application would not work here. The flasher relay is built into the ECU/Security module and actually throws codes and lights the security light to probably notify the driver of a bad bulb.

author: itdontgo
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 03, 2012, 11:26:52 am
content: If it draws 2amps @12v at the normal 100% duty or flash rate duty then it has to produce the same heat as a resistor. That's just the first law of thermodynamics.However if it is a boost convertor it could put that energy back into the battery so the only heat the would be the inefficiency of the process like someone said.

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 03, 2012, 03:29:51 pm
content: I would guess it uses a RC circuit to draw a 2A pulse at the edge of the pulse, probably for 50mS or so, then it draws only a low quiescent current. This pulse will trigger the flasher relay into thinking there is a bulb present, though probably will not work with thermal 2 pin flashers well. Then again the last 2 pin flasher I replaced came with a mod loom to make it 3 wire, one wire just needed a ground connection. Even OHL does not make them any more.