Hitchcocks Forum

Scalyback's Bullet LED guide



Covering...



Pilot lights (Tigers eyes)

Speedo - main beam, neutral, indicator idiot lights

Tail/brake light.



Firstly, let's go watch a video.



http://youtu.be/hMCSEraYCxM





Stuff required...



Pilot and speedo including indicator...



2 x White
1 x Blue
2 x Green ( usual speedo ) OR 1 x green, 1 x Orange ( India speedo )


http://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo ... b-4-led/6/








Tail light...

http://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo ... b/170/767/




I managed to install the tail light the wrong way round, so if yours is bright all the time, then you have done the same, even with the offset bayonet pins!



Hope this helps!


These are all direct swap and work perfectly in Thunderbolt, my EFI.

Oops! List should have been...

2 x White

1 x Blue

2 x Green ( usual speedo ) OR 1 x green, 1 x Orange ( India speedo )

oh bugger, try again...




2 x White

1 x Blue

2 x Green ( usual speedo ) OR 1 x green, 1 x Orange ( India speedo )

I'll just slink away now...

Hi Simon, so is the BA9S an LED that can be fed in 2 directions using the other side of the indicators as an earth, unless the wiring has been altered I can't see how it can work, would love to know how it is done

LED's explained



LED stands for Light Emitting Diode.


In older incandescent lamps, a minute coil of wire is heated up until it is near white hot, emitting light in the process. That is why they get hot as well.


Electronic diodes are made of silicon or germanium and work in the same way that transistors and modern computer chips do. They conduct electricity in one direction only.


Somewhere along the way, some bright spark found that you could make a diode emit light and around the 1970's, LED's started to appear as those little red or green domed lights in power units and "Hi-Fi's".


OK, back to lamps.


BA9 refers to the type and size of the lamp base ( or holder ). We are familiar with bayonet cap and Edison screw, as these are the lights we use in our houses. BA9 only specifies the physical base, not the voltage. Those of you with a Bally pinball machine will find that the back box and play field are lit with BA9 lamps, but of a lessor voltage.


BA9 LED's from superbright...



From memory, all diodes, either led's or others, start to conduct at about 0.7 volts and go "Bang!" at a little over 1.4. Volts. Inside the 'package' that is the BA9 LED lamp, are several components. A resistor to drop the voltage down from 12 volts, and four more diodes which form a 'bridge rectifier' allowing the lamp to be connected in either direction ( known as an AC diode ). This allows them to be used in indicator circuits, where the power will flow in both directions. This also means that these can be used in older equipment that uses the positive earth system.



Therefore, they act the same as a normal bulb, and can replace them directly UNLESS...



The actual indicators themselves usually use a flasher unit that depends on the correct power to flash correctly. Putting an led in the tell tale lamp has no noticeable effect, but changing the main flasher bulbs to led will stop then from flashing or even not working at all. However, you can get a replacement ( digital electronic ) flasher unit for under a tenner that will run from zero to 120 W. With this unit, you can use led's or 10 W lamps or even 23 W lamps, just by changing them. I believe that in an emergency, you could have a mixture of different wattages or 1 led and one 10 or 23 W and it would still work.

I NOT ever want to do this on an iPhone again! ( will be glad when laptop return from repairers )

Simon

Ok thanks Simon so what you are saying is I have to chase a 12 volt A/C LED?

Well, yes! The link in the first post goes to the place I got mine!

Hi Simon, glad I woke up today, still early morning and I have learnt something already lol

Hello all, bought these from fleabay, 10 LED bulbs for the grand total of £1.98 and apart from the indicator light in the speedo they work a treat and are nice and bright, only took a couple of days to arrive as well......http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10-x-WHITE-BA ... 3747252%26

Thanks Scalyback. Useful info to know... Was thinking about changing the speedo bulb to LED

Happy with the light but when riding in winter chill the hot bulb warming the air seems to fog the speedo glass.

Just wondering if the LED is a "cool operator" thus clear glass... gwilly.