finally fixed my rear light!

[russ996duke]

My old GS1100 goes well, but the rear light unit is definetly showing its age, works only when it "feels" like it....so decided to try and fix it...so I took it off to have a look

all the contacts "gone" and even the reflective coating on the plastic reflector
turned to dust!

So, taking a leaf out of Greg Masters book on converting turn signals into running lights, a few LEDs bought and I now have both standard rear stop and tail AND an LED rear light, which should mean that even if the bulb blows, I still have a rear light!

And all it cost me was a bit of time when it was too hot to ride anyway!

First had to replace the knackered bulb holder, so out with the drill and all that crap removed and a new bulb holder glued into place
Second, out with a can of spray paint in anice shade of aluminium and reflector is as good as new
Then drill holes for the 5mm leds, glue 'em in and wire them up with resistors
(www.ultraleds.co.uk)
the connect them into the wiring for the replacement bulb holder and Robert is your Fathers brother!
I will try to post piccys, wish me luck!

 

[russ996duke]

and here is another piccy
(and I do so look forward to the comments on my lack of abilities as a sparky!

 

[russ996duke]

and the proof that the leds do work!

 

[russ996duke]

and the reassembled rear light in place, I have more piccys of the detail if anyone is interested....or should I get my coat now?

 

[Gas'd Off]

Looks like a good job to me Russ Fancy posting details of the wiring diagram & resistor values? And maybe a link to the required items/part numbers from Maplins website

 

[russ996duke]

Looks like a good job to me Russ Fancy posting details of the wiring diagram & resistor values? And maybe a link to the required items/part numbers from Maplins website

Hi mate, er, wiring diagram???

Well, the leds need a resistor in line to drop volts down from 12v or so of the bike to whatever they run at....but the led supplier also very handily sells the right value resistor
here is linky to the leds
http://www.ultraleds.co.uk/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=10+5mm+white'

and here is linky to the resistors
http://www.ultraleds.co.uk/single-resistor-stronger-p-140.html

maplins are ok, but Ultraleds seems to have pretty good prices, bits cost less then tenner plus a bit of post

wiring is simple, just solder 1 resistor to each of the anode leads on the led (longer of the 2 leads that sprout out of them), then connect/solder all of these leads together, and run a power (+) supply to them.
connect/solder all the shorter led wires together (ie, all the cathodes) and run a wire from them to the earth on the bike

in fact all the leds run in paralell, if you have a look at greg masters thread on the wide side lights this gives more detailed description of the sort of wiring needed for leds with pictures too...I thought about wide side lights but maybe in the winter when theres no riding to be done
by the way the replacement bulb holder was obtained from M&Ps as part of a two light rear unit they do which I had laying about, just glued in place!

 

[russ996duke]

here is another piccy of the led wiring in progress

 

[russ996duke]

and another, this is fun, isn't it!!

here the cathodes are "daisy chained" together ready for earth wire to be attached

 

[russ996duke]

and here the resistors are soldered to the anode wires, again ready to daisy chain them together to conect to the (+) power supply wire but before I used heat shrink to insulate them a bit before shoving them, er, I mean gently coaxing them into their final positions in the back of the light unit!