Aux Lights

[dakarjim]

hi

I've just picked up a set of lights to use on the Dak

they are 6.5cmx5cm

i've also ordered a relay, and am confident with wiring them up. I am probably going to mount them underneath the indicators on some sort of homemade brackety-type affair.

i do, however, have two questions to put to the collective wisdom of the forum:

1. do you think i should have them wired as switched spots, ie only on with the main beam; or wire them to be on both dip/main (and if this is the case, does it need a seperate on/off switch?)

2. is there any legal restrictions for the UK? i dont want something that needs removing come MOT time.

thanks in advance

Jim H

 

[brassmonkey001]

Hi Jim lad, are they spots or fogs?
Personally, if fogs, I would wire them via a switched relay off the sidelight circuit. Or if they are spots I would do the same but take the feed from the main beam circuit.
This way you have the choice to switch them on when required and off when not. If they are fogs fed by the sidelight then once switched on they will remain on whether your headlight is on dip or main. If they are spots you only want them to come on with main beam.
If you take the feed from the dip circuit then they will only come on with dip and will go off when you switch to main. It all depends what they are and when you feel you need that extra light.
You could even wire one off the sidelight and the other off main if you like but you will need another relay for this.

 

[dakarjim]

it says spotlights on the box

only really need the extra light on unlit roads anyway, and if there is an oncoming vehicle that puts extra light my way anyway


think i'll wire them to switch with the main

maybe get some fogs as well tho

could use the same SPCO relay for both too

 

[motobiker]

Wire them to be activated by the sidelight - with a seperate on/off switch.

this way you can have them 'on' with either sidelight/dip or main. or 'off' of course.

IMHO - thats the best of all worlds.

This is how I have mine.. with the beam angle adjusted to 'fill out' the 'dip' and as a side effect - fill the 'dip area' with light when the main beam is on. Also means it wont upset oncoming traffic when on 'dip' - but is still VERY visible.

In Daylight hours I have them on with the sidelight - extra visibility - with a third less draw on the battery/power supply.

 

[VAL. H.]

Have a look at this

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=165769

This is a thread I put up a few months ago re; brackets.

On the other hand it shows where I put the aux lights on SWMBO's 650gs.

They are wired independently straight to the battery and activated via solenoids by the Hi & Lo beam switch, aswel as being independently switched so you have the choice of all on, one set on, none on.

As for the law and MOT etc (As I see it) you will need to have spots that must switch off with the Hi beam. Fogs can be activated independent of the Lo beam, but must switch off when Hi beam is activated.

Our system was relatively easy to wire up (I'm no expert) once I found a good place to tap into the Hi-Lo switch. I did this in the connection box located in the neck of the frame just in front of the base of the battery above the radiator.

Val.


PS: I think I have one set of brackets left if you'd like them.

 

[dakarjim]

Val

i did find that thread, but just assumed that you would have none left. they look really good - a lot more proffessional than something i could do with hand tools anyway.

if you do have a set left i'll take them, i can do cheque/paypal, whatever suits, drop us a pm and i'll sort it out

i think with these i'm going to wire them in with main beam as spots - will use a scotchlok connector onto the main beam supply to switch the relay (just as soon as i can figure which wire it is)

also has the advantage of allowing a second set to be fitted as fogs if i decide to later on

 

[motobiker]

scotchlok connectors suck - they're illegal in some countries for use in vehicles - for good reason.

far better to solder and then bind/wrap the connection - this will last the life of the bike.

 

[Onwalkabout]

Fog lamp Information;

http://www.motuk.com/bike/1-1.asp

http://www.motuk.co.uk/manual_110.htm

It appears that front fog lamps are considered 'Additional Positon Lamps' and are not subject to an MOT. Only rear fog lamps on our four wheeled friends are considered. If you have the lamps wired as driving lamps, they must switch off in the dipped setting, but fog lamps only need to be individually switched.

 

[dakarjim]

Onwalkabout - thanks for posting the links, want the install to be above board when complete!

VAL H - the brackets are here, many thanks they look great will post photos when i've fitted them

 

[dakarjim]

to resurrect an old thread........................

i now have the brackets fitted (cheers VAL H they look great), and the majority of the wiring in. The only wiring left now is the switched supply for the relay, which i'm hoping to do next week (i dont have a garage so its weather dependant)

another question has popped up though, as the bulbs in my spots are H3 and they have a really weird connector on them

i've put this piccy in to show it. it seems that nothing i have is the right fit for it, so i'm guessing that you need a proper female connector for it. google hasnt turned anything up

anyone know where to get the proper connector, or should i just chop them off and fit my own?

thanks

Jim H

 

[Thunder]

to resurrect an old thread........................

i now have the brackets fitted (cheers VAL H they look great), and the majority of the wiring in. The only wiring left now is the switched supply for the relay, which i'm hoping to do next week (i dont have a garage so its weather dependant)

another question has popped up though, as the bulbs in my spots are H3 and they have a really weird connector on them

i've put this piccy in to show it. it seems that nothing i have is the right fit for it, so i'm guessing that you need a proper female connector for it. google hasnt turned anything up

anyone know where to get the proper connector, or should i just chop them off and fit my own?

thanks

Jim H

You can get a female connector at Halfrauds or any decent auto parts store.

 

[Doofus]

Hi

You may have already decided how you want to switch the lights, but if not, with a couple of cheap maplin diodes you can get both options. I've done this so that the aux lights are (1) always automatically on with high beam, and (2) can also be switched on with a separate switch when on dip.

To do this you wire up the lights with a relay as normal, but connect two trigger lines to the relay, with each trigger line having an in-line diode (with the end of the diode with the ring connecting to the relay).

If any one of the trigger lines is high, the aux lights are on, and the diodes mean the current from a high trigger line cannot "go back up" the other trigger line. (It does not matter if both triggers are high - i.e. if I have aux lights switched on with dip by the switch, they just stay on if I go to high beam.)

Works a treat for me.

Darren

 

[tallgug-09]

Are you sure about the ring to the relay, I'm pretty sure the ring is the positive supply side of the diode, it's the vertical symbol on the diode.

Hi

You may have already decided how you want to switch the lights, but if not, with a couple of cheap maplin diodes you can get both options. I've done this so that the aux lights are (1) always automatically on with high beam, and (2) can also be switched on with a separate switch when on dip.

To do this you wire up the lights with a relay as normal, but connect two trigger lines to the relay, with each trigger line having an in-line diode (with the end of the diode with the ring connecting to the relay).

If any one of the trigger lines is high, the aux lights are on, and the diodes mean the current from a high trigger line cannot "go back up" the other trigger line. (It does not matter if both triggers are high - i.e. if I have aux lights switched on with dip by the switch, they just stay on if I go to high beam.)

Works a treat for me.

Darren