Free Alternative Power Sauce

I have been looking at led's as an additional rear brake light. Just need to find the right strip with 'personality'. For engine lighting, I'm thinking of trying solar powered ones like you put in your yards around flower beds, bases of trees and walkways. Super cheap so throwing the housing away is no worry, and wireless, no restriction on where you can fit the led (I don't think the wife will miss 1 or 2!). I think just regular indirect daylight would give them enough of a charge so the solar patch needn't be in sight. Maybe velcro'd to the underside of the triple tree or somehwere. Gang them on to a spst switch. I'll see if this works this summer.

Now that would be interesting to see

Is there a reason for doing it on solar power Mike such as you are already ruuning maxed out on power draw or simply because you like the idea of it

would be interesting to see what you could actually run from solar on a bike or even wind power sending the power in to a slave battery for storage

captain crash wrote:

Is there a reason for doing it on solar power Mike such as you are already ruuning maxed out on power draw or simply because you like the idea of it

I am guessing that it is simply down to the need to modify, one things for sure if Farmboy does decide to do it we will get an interesting write up

captain crash wrote:

would be interesting to see what you could actually run from solar on a bike or even wind power sending the power in to a slave battery for storage

That is actually a very viable idea, wind would be ideal.

it's just something that's been in the back of my mind for awhile. No one else has done it and I'd like to find out why. Led's take no power to speak of, it's just...different.

Farmboy wrote:

I think just regular indirect daylight would give them enough of a charge so the solar patch needn't be in sight.

Just phoned Doc Cox as he is always building things to run on free energy and he said you were right indirect sunlight is OK.
This thread has really got me thinking & as the solar is being looked in to I think I will have a go with a small wind turbine to power some lights.
The main issue I will have is making it small enough so that it doesn't stand out like a sore thumb but powerfull enogth to do the job.

Just been nosing about on the net and I reckon your on to a winner with the solar powered led's, I have found a link HERE where a manufacturer is running 6 bright led's from one panel. I wonder if a strip of solar panels could sit behind your screen at the bottom somewhere, all you would see is a thin black strip (possibly) and this would give enough power to light up the engine as well.

Doc Cox on other hand has been looking in to the wind turbine idea for me and getting enough voltage could be a real issue even with a voltage multiplier If I want to stay small enough to not look like a nutter.

it would be neat to see if a couple of 'flats' of solar panels could sit on or behind a pair of lowers. Hide them in plain sight!

A thing to remember is that a small slave battery would have to be used if the solar power gained was wanted after dark but then if Farmboy does start with the idea of playing with some solar garden lights at least the battery pack is already there

Yes CC I would imagine that that was probably why he decided to go that route to begin with.
It does however give me a possible sauce for a battery pack for my wind powered ones.

Good evening and Happy New Year to you all, interesting bit of conversation going on here, Hi Farmboy, solar panels could possibly work but don,t bother with the cheap garden light ones, have run a few tests on these and you would have to cover your bike with them to get enough power, it is surprising how much power it would take to power the Led,s, the solar lights use what is called a Joule thief to boost the power, there is plenty of info on you tube on the joule thief, have a look on ebay for small but more efficient solar panels, also have a look on Instructables.com, there is a vast amount of info about led,s and solar panels. Looking into a small wind turbine for Mr I ntruder to charge a small slave battery, may have to use a voltage doubler to up the current, look on REUK.com for info on these and many other electronic projects, also had an idea of running a small slave battery being charged from the main alternator, a small 12v or 6v sealed battery could be neatly concealed somewhere on the bike and give you enough power for Led,s, but there would have to be diode in the charging circuit to prevent power being drained from the slave battery when starting, Have just finished boosting Mr Intruders battery with a desulphater and was surprised how small they are, to find out more about desulphaters go to YUKU and look for desulphaters, easy to make, regards to all Doc Cox. E=MC 2