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The Great LED Experiment, Part 3 (Uni-Go Success!)
Written by CalvinFold on 10/5/2004 at 11:46 pm


--- In ipcrc@yahoogroups.com, i_ mungo <i_mungo@y...> wrote:
> So if I may ask, have you assembled a parts list and
> approximate cost for this project? I don't pull a
> trailor, although the pics of yours makes me want
> one.. how absolutely neato.. so I won't have the
> trailor conversion expense.. I have followed the
> process you have gone through, but a listing of parts
> and thier ballpark cost would be a lot handier when I
> start gathering materials. Sounds like a great winter
> project, and I am sure I am not the only one who is
> considering following your lead here.

For the Uni-Go, 3 of the Red Hardwire 1.85" Radiantz Arrays:

3208-18, $44.95 ea.

2 of the Ambers:

3208-28, $44.95 ea.

A roll of the adhesive strips to help secure it all at odd angles:

$3.50 per foot

So, $200-ish or so for the conversion so far, not including two other minor
tweaks I have planned (LED reflector, possible "Turn Signal Conversion Kit"
from eelectrical COnnection). Probably about $300 when I'm all done.

The PC800 is going to have 13 1.85" arrays (9 red, 4 amber) plus a
replacement flasher module, for about....sitting down?....$700. Add some
"extras" I have planned for that conversion and it starts to push $1000
(Ultimate Light Bar, Running/Brake inline converters for LED Reflectors,
lighted Honda logo, Turn Signal Conversion Kit).

Any cager who claims they didn't see me will have to claim legal blindness. ;-
)

BUT, and here's the key, while I will have made myself bright and visible, it
will not be at the expense of being utterly annoying to cagers. For example,
the Ultimate Brake Light has a great flash pattern, but it is brief...initial
attention getter, then it behaves normally (and not as bright as the new LED
arrays I'm using). LEDs replacements for the bulbs are super-bright, but don't
flash. Been very careful not to get lulled by "flashing gizmos save lives." No
Hyperlights or Back-off planned, no headlight modulator planned, for
example.

One finishing touch will be trying to find one of those Glo Bulbs Pogo is so
fond of...will have to mail order one special, since I can't find a Philips-
Lockhart dealer locally that carries them. Silverstars are nice, but not that
big
of an improvement over a standard headlight bulb, and I'm not willing to go to
the higher wattage (100/80?) bulbs. In the meantime I have my fog lights, and
have purchased an E.C. voltage reducer unit so I can toggle them between
"need all that light" and "let's save a few watts but still get people's
attention."
In the end, this might mean the Silverstar is enough coupled with running two
55w lights at lower wattage (35w ea.?).

Okay, I admit to becoming something of a zealot about lighting on the PC800
lately, but the last Y2K+4 trip was a real eye-opener and proved to me that
simply going to higher-wattage incandescents was not enough...not nearly
enough. It's expensive as hell to do this right, but then again, still cheaper
than a new bike (and none of the new bikes really suit me). ;-)

Kevin
San Leandro, CA
---
1996 Honda Pacific Coast 800 ("Red Dwarf")
49,500+ miles || HRCA #HM729375
<http://www.quosig.com/pc800/>
---
2002 Uni-Go Trailer ("Starbug 1") || Trailer #499
<http://www.quosig.com/pc800/uni-go/>
---
Tuesday, October 5, 2004 || 4:45 PM PST