Lol, pretty much all of these links are already highlighted purple in my browser.
Alternative wiring for a motorcyle/lighting and charging system
- Thread starter Reece Murray
- Start date
ignitionyemi
- Joined Jun 1, 2016
- 4
Okay so as promised, here are the results.
This was with the engine running at about 2.5k to 3.5k RPM
The lighting coil: 29.5 - 30VOLTS | 7.9 - 7.95 AMPS
The lighting coil with the headlight on: 14- 14.5 VOLTS | 6.43 AMPS => The light got hot very quickly and the volts dropped to 3.2VOLTS
The charging coil: 15.8 - 16.3 VOLTS | 11.10- 11.15 AMPS (yeah, I checked more than once)
So I couldn't get the values at a high RPM, because I currently have no one to rev up the bike. Going to try again shortly, just waiting for her to cool, she's air cooled so running while idle for so long takes quite a bit.
I did notice that if I revved up to about 6k RPM one of the lights on the odemeter than I had connected got very bright and popped.
This was with the engine running at about 2.5k to 3.5k RPM
The lighting coil: 29.5 - 30VOLTS | 7.9 - 7.95 AMPS
The lighting coil with the headlight on: 14- 14.5 VOLTS | 6.43 AMPS => The light got hot very quickly and the volts dropped to 3.2VOLTS
The charging coil: 15.8 - 16.3 VOLTS | 11.10- 11.15 AMPS (yeah, I checked more than once)
So I couldn't get the values at a high RPM, because I currently have no one to rev up the bike. Going to try again shortly, just waiting for her to cool, she's air cooled so running while idle for so long takes quite a bit.
I did notice that if I revved up to about 6k RPM one of the lights on the odemeter than I had connected got very bright and popped.
Okay, so at about 6k RPM:
The lighting coil: 66VOLTS | 8.9 AMPS
The charging coil: 41 VOLTS | 13.3 AMPS
To charge a 12volt 3ah battery, similiar to this one HERE.
How much current and voltage would the regulator need to put out?
Also, I'm looking at a TL431 type shunt regulator, would this work?
How much current and voltage would the regulator need to put out?
Also, I'm looking at a TL431 type shunt regulator, would this work?
Do you need the battery?
In my country you do for road legal bikes as the stop light & side lights must work when the engine is not running.
Unless you need indicators, horn, stop light, oil & neutral lights – don’t bother with a battery or reg/rect.
That just leaves you with the lighting regulator which would often just be a ‘ballast resistor’ on older bikes. A cheap and dirty work around would be to control a scr (or even a relay) via a Zener to switch in a ballast resistor (or extra bulb) when the voltage exceeds (say) 13.5v. This will result in ‘flickering’ of the light when its near the switching value. You could make this into a multi stage regulator by having two circuits switching in extra loads at different voltages. Its difficult (and expensive) to use a silicone regulator for this kind of application but if you need a light of steady brightness – it is the way to go.
(In case you are) Do not test the current of your alternator by setting the meter to amps and putting it across the terminals. You will overload (at least) the alternator. Connect the highest power bulbs you expect to use (45w front plus 7w rear?) and measure the current drawn by them. Monitor the voltage whilst raising the revs and don’t let it reach 14v. If you find the voltage doesn’t reach 13v then the load is too much for the alternator and you either need to rewind/replace the lighting coil or use lower power bulbs. I'm remebering these as 12v bikes - let me know if I'm wrong, it was a while ago!
In my country you do for road legal bikes as the stop light & side lights must work when the engine is not running.
Unless you need indicators, horn, stop light, oil & neutral lights – don’t bother with a battery or reg/rect.
That just leaves you with the lighting regulator which would often just be a ‘ballast resistor’ on older bikes. A cheap and dirty work around would be to control a scr (or even a relay) via a Zener to switch in a ballast resistor (or extra bulb) when the voltage exceeds (say) 13.5v. This will result in ‘flickering’ of the light when its near the switching value. You could make this into a multi stage regulator by having two circuits switching in extra loads at different voltages. Its difficult (and expensive) to use a silicone regulator for this kind of application but if you need a light of steady brightness – it is the way to go.
(In case you are) Do not test the current of your alternator by setting the meter to amps and putting it across the terminals. You will overload (at least) the alternator. Connect the highest power bulbs you expect to use (45w front plus 7w rear?) and measure the current drawn by them. Monitor the voltage whilst raising the revs and don’t let it reach 14v. If you find the voltage doesn’t reach 13v then the load is too much for the alternator and you either need to rewind/replace the lighting coil or use lower power bulbs. I'm remebering these as 12v bikes - let me know if I'm wrong, it was a while ago!
Yeah, I require a battery. It will be used to on road, so I'll need the battery for the horn and turn signals.
Think you could come up with a circuit for a shunt type regulator that might work with the readings I posted?I was looking at this at 6 AM. I find the drawing impossible to read and I didn't know this was a, "dump the excess" system, so I couldn't help. (I thought it was a field coil excitement regulator.) TS (Reese) is talking about a linear regulator. The more I thought, the more holes I punched in that theory...until I gave up.
I'm glad there are people here way better than I am with motors and generators!
I've tried sourcing a regulator, but it's just too expensive to import. Almost always $100+.
