Removing push button switch from bicycle LED light

Thread Starter

Skibbles

Joined Sep 15, 2017
16
Purchased some bicycle lights with hopes to use them as auxiliary lights on a 125cc motorcycle. 2 wire. Images of the lights are below
A universal motorcycle light switch was also purchased - 2 wire

Need to find a way to remove the push button switch located behind the light which switches it on as well give 3 light modes, high low, medium. Hold for strobe / flashing

is their a way to by pass the switch so it switches on and off using the Universal motorcycle switch. I'm happy having it on one setting, preferably high beam.

Anyway Connecting the light and switch as it is simply powers the led indicators on the light unit and has to be manually switched on using the button located behind the light however can be switched of using the motorcycle switch. In convenient due to the position of the light being so low and not in reach.

have attached some images if it helps.. look forward to hearing your thoughts

Any suggestions for alternative lights also welcome, has to be below 40mm diameter or height, Thanks
 

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Sensacell

Joined Jun 19, 2012
3,432
Those lights have a micro controller inside.
You cannot reprogram it.
Short of using another fancy circuit to simulate the button press...

You need to hack directly to the LED to bypass the micro, eliminate it entirely.

At that point, you need to think of it as an LED and a housing- starting from scratch.
 

Thread Starter

Skibbles

Joined Sep 15, 2017
16
Okay thanks for clearing that out.

Have attached some images taken recently of the light in question. The images above showing the circuit were used from the internet however upon opening my lights it looks much different.

Is their still any hope....

Is it possible to wire the switch directly to the red and black wires connecting in the pictures below, so connecting directly to the led lights bypassing the circuit board. Will install a fuse inline with the switch once complete...

thanks in advance
 

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Thread Starter

Skibbles

Joined Sep 15, 2017
16
Will a resistor used in this case solve the issue of voltage load when connecting the switch directly to the Lights removing the board?

or how about just removing the push button switch and soldering the other universal switch to the board instead if that makes sense
 
Last edited:

ian field

Joined Oct 27, 2012
6,536
Purchased some bicycle lights with hopes to use them as auxiliary lights on a 125cc motorcycle. 2 wire. Images of the lights are below
A universal motorcycle light switch was also purchased - 2 wire

Need to find a way to remove the push button switch located behind the light which switches it on as well give 3 light modes, high low, medium. Hold for strobe / flashing

is their a way to by pass the switch so it switches on and off using the Universal motorcycle switch. I'm happy having it on one setting, preferably high beam.

Anyway Connecting the light and switch as it is simply powers the led indicators on the light unit and has to be manually switched on using the button located behind the light however can be switched of using the motorcycle switch. In convenient due to the position of the light being so low and not in reach.

have attached some images if it helps.. look forward to hearing your thoughts

Any suggestions for alternative lights also welcome, has to be below 40mm diameter or height, Thanks
They look SMD and a PITA to remove without scorching things.

Presumably they're normally open push contact, so just wire whatever in parallel.

A throw type switch will give whatever mode you get holding the button down, using it to trigger a monostable would make it possible to select modes.
 

Thread Starter

Skibbles

Joined Sep 15, 2017
16
Thanks for your reply, have tried to wire the switch to the + and - wires by the copper coil. These wires are on the reverse side of the push switch pictured above, these wires also connect to the board and run directly to the lights. Assumed connecting the switch to this would act allow it work as a second switch however still on works using the push switch.

I'm sure i'm not doing it right due to my experience. If not to much trouble to simply point out for me were the switch will need to be soldered?
will be it better to remove the push button switch from the board and expose what's beneath if anything and trying wiring directly to this? Hope that makes sense

Please excuse my lack of knowledge on the matter.
 

Thread Starter

Skibbles

Joined Sep 15, 2017
16
throw switch is a brilliant idea..

just not sure on where it should be wired/soldered with the board.. Any idea on this? I'm not familiar with the layout of the circuit board. Do you mean removing the current push switch and in it's position place a throw switch or anything suitable. Anyway no reference to the circuit board online, Please let me know if more images help..
 

Thread Starter

Skibbles

Joined Sep 15, 2017
16
have since decided to just use the lights above as they were designed.

Cost under £10 so just decided to order a new set which is pre wired to a remote switch..

appreciate the help otherwise, thanks
 

Tonyr1084

Joined Sep 24, 2015
7,853
I had the thought to just solder a jumper wire across the switch so that the unit thinks the button is always being pushed. I'd expect that when you turn on your main switch, when power is applied the micro controller would just assume it's been pushed once for the first push. I'd expect all the lights to come on at full brightness and just run at that. Maybe I'm wrong, but I have a few lights on my workbench that - push the on button once and the light comes on full brightness. Push it a second time and it goes dim. A third time turns on a rapidly flashing action. It's also been my experience that if I turn it on, wait, then turn it off then back on really quick I can get it to go into the next stage of operation, be it dim or flashing. Using your switch it may be possible to select dim or flashing modes simply by quickly switching off and on. Not sure why you'd want a dim setting but a flashing mode might be useful.
 

Thread Starter

Skibbles

Joined Sep 15, 2017
16
Thanks for sharing. i'm okay with just a main high beam, for the reasons you mentioned. Anything else will be a bonus.
Also more focused with viewing the road surface and path ahead before anything else. The low beam will likely not be used much at all, due to the position of the light being so low to the ground in my case as well as under the bike nose, the beam shouldn't interfere with oncoming drivers so will just leave it on high at all times for best visibility..

In fact the light unit just ordered which is already wired to a remote switch has only the high beam setting available. The push button switch has been removed from the housing completely. So i'm guessing the company offering these has done something similar to what you said and just by passed the switch and settings..

Anyway once we remove the push button casing we a circular metal plate a few mm above metal connectors which when pushed completes the circuit and so soldering it together should be straight forward.

Just tested the light, by manually holding the switch down and powering up at the same time just to see if it works before moving onto soldering. It lights up right away once it gets power so having it always on by using a jump wire across the switch as you mentioned will work good. I'm confident connecting the remote switch should take care of the rest. Only issue i'm experiencing is lights can't switch between modes and only start on the lowest setting(low beam) which is no use of course. Perhaps the bicycle boards are designed differently to work lights, not sure. Anyway Sure their is a way round it as you described, just a matter of trial and error and will have a few more attempts later..

The new light ordered below was just over £10 so will likely just use this instead saving the hassle.. using the current light as something to experiment on in the future

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2x-Motor...var=512127266191&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649


Anyway appreciate the support and advice, it's been a pleasure as always
 

Tonyr1084

Joined Sep 24, 2015
7,853
Again, as I said before, turn the light on. If it's in a mode you don't like then rapidly flip the switch OFF and then back ON. That'll probably toggle between modes. Do that again and you could get the rapid flashing light, useful in an emergency I'd think.

The few I've had operate by starting out on their high setting. Toggling the switch will turn them to the low setting. Toggle again and it's flashing. Toggle AGAIN and it's back to high beam. If you have it on one of the secondary functions (low or flashing) shutting it off for five seconds then turning it back on returns it to its initial setting of high. Now, if yours start out on their high function then all is well. But keep in mind, rapidly toggling the switch off and back on again should move you through the secondary functions. I say "Should". No guarantee but I'd suspect that is what would happen. IF yours comes on at a low level light then a rapid toggle should switch it onto high mode. A bit of a pain to be sure. Hopefully its initial setting is the high. But you can bench test that easy enough.
 
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