--- In st2_owners@yahoogroups.com, "Reed Kyrk" <reed.kyrk@...> wrote:
>
> Thanks for all the replies. Back in the day, I wired in a beeper on my 80 BMW and its the signal minder on my winter bike (97 K1100LT) that has me lusting for one on the ST3s.
>
> I'm electrically challenged however. Do you just go to Radio Shack and buy LEDs that suit your fancy and splice them into hot wires to the bulbs? I get it about being too bright at night but I can cross that bridge when I get there...
> Reed
> Central NJ
>
Hi Reed,
LEDs work on low voltages, so those bought at Radioshack will likely be bare and need resistors added for 12v. Better to look in car accessory shops for ones already rated for 12v, which have tiny resistors attached. I can buy sets of four 5mm red ones with at least a yard of cable attached to each one at Halfords in the UK for a few pounds (Prism brand, by Ring Automotive). For my eyes, red is MUCH more noticeable than the usual green signal reminder, and I tried both when I first fitted LEDs. You need then to find somewhere that will have them directly pointed at you and visible in your visor's field-of-view at all times. Don't worry about being blinded; it's not an issue because they need only be in your peripheral vision. The crucial thing is to log into your brain that there is a signalling process ongoing, and those tiny red flashes are an infallible prompt, as they begin the moment you operate the switch.
Once mounted (in a 6mm hole) singly or in multiples, run the cables to the nearest connection of your signal circuit, probably close to the front signals. If you solder-tin the wires, you can just push them down the side of the standard bullet connectors, because they only take a tiny current. One wire to each OEM cable (wired in parallel) and if they don't work, reverse the connections as they are diodes and only work in one direction of current. So long as they are 12v-rated, they won't come to harm however you connect them.
At the expense of finding room for at least two LEDs, you will then be reminded of which side you are signalling, even!
That's the easy way for the electrically-challenged. Currently, I favour a single 8mm super-bright red LED with a couple of extra ordinary diodes attached so I can connect it to both front signal circuits without any interference between them. I can provide a circuit if necessary, but there are more competent electricians here who can advise.
Give it a go! I think it's a major safety feature, and it stays under your control rather than being arbitrary or subject to complicated circuitry and/or feedback from other systems.
NickW, UK
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