How to connect 2-pin Flasher Relay

Thread Starter

sanmakk1001

Joined Jul 13, 2014
18
I am doing a simple project in which I need to connect flasher relay. The indicator (LED) dont seems to be flashing which part I did wrong in wiring the circuit. The flasher is working fine on my motorbike but I cant see the inner wiring of the motorbike to replicate the circuit. Or there is something else required to flash the indicator? Thank you
 

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Reloadron

Joined Jan 15, 2015
7,501
This is a very common problem when going from incandescent lamps to LED on a motorcycle. The flasher needs to see a heavier load to work and a LED will not supply that load. On motorcycles they use the term "turn signal equalizer". This amounts to placing a load resistor to ground on the left and right sides, turn signal to ground. A Google of "motorcycle turn signal load equalizer" will bring up a dozen hits. On my bike I just used some 5 Ohm power resistors but this can vary bike to bike. Here is a good little video on the subject. This is what Dogydave is getting at in his post.

You need to put a bulb on the light output to make the flasher work.
You will also notice when you do get flashing the load determines the rate of flash.

Ron
 

Thread Starter

sanmakk1001

Joined Jul 13, 2014
18
This is a very common problem when going from incandescent lamps to LED on a motorcycle. The flasher needs to see a heavier load to work and a LED will not supply that load. On motorcycles they use the term "turn signal equalizer". This amounts to placing a load resistor to ground on the left and right sides, turn signal to ground. A Google of "motorcycle turn signal load equalizer" will bring up a dozen hits. On my bike I just used some 5 Ohm power resistors but this can vary bike to bike. Here is a good little video on the subject. This is what Dogydave is getting at in his post.



You will also notice when you do get flashing the load determines the rate of flash.

Ron
The flasher I used is specially design for LED use and have a variable resistor for flashing rate. What should I do to make it work ?
And the arrow indicator has total 18 small SMDs which I think can draw enough current ?
Link to the flasher : https://goo.gl/bJG3go

You need to put a bulb on the light output to make the flasher work.
Hooking the bulb will drain the battery pack quickly as I am not using acid battery for longer life. The project should be compact thats why I am 2xAA batteries.

They rely on current and an LED does not draw enough.
Then how I can make it work. Thanks
 
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Reloadron

Joined Jan 15, 2015
7,501
The flasher I used is specially design for LED use and have a variable resistor for flashing rate. What should I do to make it work ?
And the arrow indicator has total 18 small SMDs which I think can draw enough current ?
Link to the flasher : https://goo.gl/bJG3go
I looked at the link and scrolled down to the Illustration of the L-Output clearly pointing to the B connector and the B-Input clearly pointing to the L connector. You have to love this stuff. My guess is the drawing is incorrect? B-Input could represent B for Battery and the L-Output could represent L for Lamp. No clue what will or did happen if the thing was connected in reverse? You may want to try connecting the B to your power and L to your lamp and the other side of the lamp (LED) to ground. Make sure the LED polarity is correct also but from your picture it appears the LED is wired correct as it is lit.

Ron
 

Thread Starter

sanmakk1001

Joined Jul 13, 2014
18
I looked at the link and scrolled down to the Illustration of the L-Output clearly pointing to the B connector and the B-Input clearly pointing to the L connector. You have to love this stuff. My guess is the drawing is incorrect? B-Input could represent B for Battery and the L-Output could represent L for Lamp. No clue what will or did happen if the thing was connected in reverse? You may want to try connecting the B to your power and L to your lamp and the other side of the lamp (LED) to ground. Make sure the LED polarity is correct also but from your picture it appears the LED is wired correct as it is lit.

Ron
As @Dodgydave pointed me to hook the bulb and i did and it worked. Now I am sure its all about the current drawn from flasher relay. And yeah I connected the negative to the "B" its surely wrong and fixed it.

Looking at your drawing, I'd say it's wired wrong , swap B+ L pins, and adjust the preset, i still think your batteries are too low for the current supply.
Yeah it was wired wrong and I fixed it and hooking the bulb actually make the flasher work. Now need to flash the arrow indicators. Thanks
 
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Reloadron

Joined Jan 15, 2015
7,501
So How should I flash them using a load resistor ?
Well all of this is enlightening. :)

You want to try a load resistor in parallel with the Right & Left turn signal lines. This is hard to call since the thing was supposed to work with and be designed for LED lamps. I would start by placing a maybe 20 Ohm resistor across the LED load and work down from there. If 20 Ohms isn't working try something lower like 15 or 10 Ohms. You also need to use a power resistor, you want about a 20 or 25 watt rated resistor. If you look at the video I linked to earlier I believe they used 50 Watt aluminum housing resistors.

Again, this thing is not supposed to even need a load resistor as it was supposed to be designed for the light current load of a LED.

Finally this is all designed around a 12 volt system. I assume your bike is a 12 volt system?

Ron
 

mcgyvr

Joined Oct 15, 2009
5,394
So How should I flash them using a load resistor ?
You don't..
It doesn't need it.. They were pulling at straws and gave 2 answers as to what the problem may be.. It turned out that you just had it wired wrong..
It works now so their second statement about the battery being too low does not apply...
 

Thread Starter

sanmakk1001

Joined Jul 13, 2014
18
Well all of this is enlightening. :)

You want to try a load resistor in parallel with the Right & Left turn signal lines. This is hard to call since the thing was supposed to work with and be designed for LED lamps. I would start by placing a maybe 20 Ohm resistor across the LED load and work down from there. If 20 Ohms isn't working try something lower like 15 or 10 Ohms. You also need to use a power resistor, you want about a 20 or 25 watt rated resistor. If you look at the video I linked to earlier I believe they used 50 Watt aluminum housing resistors.

Again, this thing is not supposed to even need a load resistor as it was supposed to be designed for the light current load of a LED.

Finally this is all designed around a 12 volt system. I assume your bike is a 12 volt system?

Ron
I even try using different energy sources like 12V adapter, 12V acid battery and the 8xAA batteries as shown in the picture. But the LEDs dont flash the Bulb does..
 

Thread Starter

sanmakk1001

Joined Jul 13, 2014
18
Well all of this is enlightening. :)

You want to try a load resistor in parallel with the Right & Left turn signal lines. This is hard to call since the thing was supposed to work with and be designed for LED lamps. I would start by placing a maybe 20 Ohm resistor across the LED load and work down from there. If 20 Ohms isn't working try something lower like 15 or 10 Ohms. You also need to use a power resistor, you want about a 20 or 25 watt rated resistor. If you look at the video I linked to earlier I believe they used 50 Watt aluminum housing resistors.

Again, this thing is not supposed to even need a load resistor as it was supposed to be designed for the light current load of a LED.

Finally this is all designed around a 12 volt system. I assume your bike is a 12 volt system?

Ron
According to the specification of the flasher the Switching Power is : 0.02A to 12A
 

Reloadron

Joined Jan 15, 2015
7,501
According to the specification of the flasher the Switching Power is : 0.02A to 12A
My guess is your LEDs were above 0.020 amp (20 mA). Yet the thing wasn't switching (blinking). A 10 Ohm resistor would give it about a 1.2 amp load and again based on 12 Volts applied. The flasher is designed for 12 volt use.

Ron
 

Thread Starter

sanmakk1001

Joined Jul 13, 2014
18
My guess is your LEDs were above 0.020 amp (20 mA). Yet the thing wasn't switching (blinking). A 10 Ohm resistor would give it about a 1.2 amp load and again based on 12 Volts applied. The flasher is designed for 12 volt use.

Ron
It will get back to you after I tried doing it
 
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