Rear Light Conversion

[1olbull]

Isn't the rear blub a 1157 ? If it is, why dismantle the lens ?

Chris @barbagris is trying to design a LED array to fit within the OEM til light that would be FAR superior to any 1157 incandescent or to any 1157 fake LED bulb.

 

[1olbull]

I installed a standard LED bulb in mine before I converted to what I have now. Not sure why you’d want to take the light apart?

The OEM tail light is woefully inadequate.
The light it puts out is not bright or safe enough.
I have measured the tail light illuminance and it SUX.
The newer vehicle tail lights are each MUCH righter . . . and they have two of them!
Next time you are out look at tail lights and compare your own.
Following other Rockets and vehicles offers a great opportunity for comparison.

The rear light setup I have now garners many comments like, "holy crap your rear lights are bright!" Exactly what I'm after!
If you've ever been rear-ended by a 4,000 pound (or more) cage, you'll for sure NOT want to do it again!

 

[Bernard Vinet]

Instead of modifying my light I used the back rest as brake light holder. A little like the center brake light of cars on the road today. Just the fact of it being higher and in your face seems to work. People that I ride with found my solution to the brake intensity different. Installed a small led strip.

 

[barbagris]

The OEM tail light is woefully inadequate.

That it most certainly is. And oddly It seems to have been designed thus. The lens is quite heavily faceted and the reflector is a weird stepped thing that will never make full or correct use of any 1157 type bulb. Even if it is a LED "bulb". My aim is to use proper 3*3LED lighting arrays - 10Watt RED and about 400 REAL lumens. I already have some hidden inside the stock indicators . I know from experience that these 10W LEDs get HOT - so it will require a BIG-ish heatsink (PC CPU heatsink) . Will probably go for 1*10w for tail and another 3*10W for brake. I also have some Audi A8 headlight LEDs on heatsinks that may do the job. White but fecking bright.

Hot water it is then.

Something to do tomorrow.

 

[AnthonyD]

Here's the panel I put in:

I tried to capture it so you could see the size relative to the lens and housing:

Lit up just Tail:

And Brake:

 

[DEcosse]

My aim is to use proper 3*3LED lighting arrays - 10Watt RED and about 400 REAL lumens.

You have a link to the device?
Is it these (or similar) 10w white/warm white red blue green yellow led Chip Bridgelux 45 mil led light | eBay

Interesting specs -
Wavelength:

royal blue 445-450nm, red 610-625nm,

green 510-525nm, blue 460-465nm, yellow 585-595nm

DC Forward Current: 900mA

Luminous Intensity: 950lm

Viewing Angle: 120 Degree

Forward Voltage: Red Oragne Yellow 6-7VDC, Green Blue 9-12VDC

That suggests you could run two in series - it will also cut down on the total current requirement (with running two pairs of two in series, your total current would be 1.8A (vs 3.6A)
I would use a PWM and drive all of them - done in SMD this would take up minimal space on the PCB

 

[barbagris]

You have a link to the device?
Is it these (or similar) 10W 20W 30W 50W 100W LED COB SMD Chip Cool Warm White High Power Light Lamp UE | eBay

Much like those, Ken. I have seen some that offer two shades of RED too.

Here's a shot of the indicator inserts in the R&D phase. Amber and red at the rear.

Affixed to the Ali backplates (screwed on from rear) with thermal paste - No way they will dissipate heat of a LED left on solid for much more than 6s.
I flash the red ones on braking using Multifunctional Timer - Off Delay Timer Relay at 3rd Brake Flasher

 

[DEcosse]

Are you driving those directly with 12V then?

Power dissipation another good reason for using PWM (for running condition)
And if using a PCB, I wonder if using both sides of the copper for heatsink would be adequate ....
Much easier to fabricate too if that would work ......
I might get some to play with too

 

[DEcosse]

My main concern I think would be the heatsink - for constant running light (vs brake or turn applications) once the thermal mass of the heatsink is saturated (regardless of the medium used) there is nowhere for the heat to go enclosed inside the lamp

 

[barbagris]

Are you driving those directly with 12V then?

Power dissipation another good reason for using PWM (for running condition)
And if using a PCB, I wonder if using both sides of the copper for heatsink would be adequate ....
Much easier to fabricate too if that would work ......
I might get some to play with too

Yup - straight off 12V - I tried with a specc'd 12V-1A driver but they got just as hot. We want LIGHT - I mean- LIGHT!

If you can arrange airflow then it's not as big an issue - BUT getting airflow inside a Triumph Indicator with no water ingress is tough. I have a load of PC-CPU heatsinks.

From the size of the heatsinks Audi uses - I doubt a PCB would take long to get hot and cause gating. And there's a shed load of room inside.