Bicycle lighting is not only a decorative item and an attractive detail, it solves traffic safety issues. At night, the brightly glowing elements of the bicycle will attract the attention of car drivers, which will allow them to promptly correct traffic and prevent an accident. Therefore, many cyclists are interested in how to make a backlight for a bicycle. This is especially true if the bicycle is used by young children and teenagers.
For the richest and laziest, all lighting elements are sold in stores. You can buy a ready-made kit, attach tape to the frame and wheels, luminous caps to the nipple, connect to a power source and ride. But the prices of all these attributes are clearly inflated, especially when individual elements cost pennies and it is very easy to assemble them into a common working circuit for illumination. There are several ways to install LED strip or other lighting elements:
The easiest way to illuminate the wheels or frame of a bicycle is to use self-adhesive LED strip.
It easily sticks to the surface of the frame or wheel rim. Before gluing, you need to do a number of necessary actions:
Remember that the tape is cut in strictly indicated places, indicated by the picture (transverse line with scissors). The wires are connected to the power source and between individual sections, observing the polarity “+” red, “-” blue or black.
LED strip with 9 V battery connector The wires are soldered to the corresponding symbols on the tape “+” and “-”.
If you want to make a long-lasting bicycle light with your own hands, use IP65 waterproof tape. The disadvantage of this method is the low power of the 9 V battery; it lasts for several hours. You can use small 12-volt batteries to illuminate the frame, but this is expensive in bright lighting.
A more labor-intensive, but cheaper way is to assemble the lighting yourself. To do this you will need:
Consumables and tools are the usual: scissors, soldering iron, tin, rosin, transparent adhesive sealant and tape.
If you have the required number of LEDs, but you do not know their technical parameters, use the data in the table below.
But for the reliability of calculations, it is better to buy diodes with precisely known parameters. In order not to go into mathematical formulas and methods, we will calculate the resistance parameters using an online calculator (http://cxem.net/calc/ledcalc.php). In addition to the values of the required resistors, it provides a wiring diagram.
LED illumination of bicycle wheels with 8 LEDs on each wheel. The operating voltage of the diodes Un is 2.1 V and the current In is 20 mA, powered by a 9 V battery. We enter these data into the calculation table of the calculator, click the “calculate” segment, we get the diagram and the value of all parameters:
Scheme calculated by calculator Very practical, you can determine the number of diodes yourself, plug it into a calculator and calculate the parameters of the entire circuit.
Such an LED tube can be attached to the wheels of a bicycle, threaded between the spokes, and onto the frame with transparent tape. An economical option for an LED tube is much cheaper than an LED strip; it will work reliably, ensure your safety and attract passers-by with its beautiful illumination.
I bring to your attention detailed instructions on how to make your own lighting for a bicycle frame. The instructions were compiled by me (Rostislav PoZiTiB4ek). When copying, provide a link to the original source and authorship.
In order to equip your bike with LED lighting, we will need the following parts:
1. A bicycle, for example this one
2) Kron type batteries. 9v
How many LED strips? So many batteries
3) 12V LED strip
There are different colors, whatever color you like, take it.
3m was enough for my bike. There's even about 0.5m left.
3) two-core wire. For example an audio wire. Well, in general, whatever you want, the main thing is 2 cores. I took the wires from an old power supply from the computer. Wires for the crown.
4) button or toggle switch
5) ties (plastic clamps) and electrical tape.
6) moment super glue, soldering iron, tin
Let `s start!
Approximate connection diagram:
1. We use 9V Krona batteries as the power source for the backlight. The light will not be at maximum brightness, but we don’t need that.
Why them? Because they are cheap and quite durable. The battery costs 30 rubles.
2. LED strip, single color (blue), insulated, self-adhesive.
We measure according to the frame what size piece we will need. Have you measured it? - Cut it off along the cut line.
On the other hand it's the same.
We also measure the lower part of the fork and cut it off. On the other hand it's the same.
3. We take the button and think about where we will put it. It's most comfortable on the steering wheel. I have it here:
Later I moved it to a slightly different place.
4. Now we are thinking about where we will put the batteries. I have them under the seat, attached with tape and tape.
5. Take the wires and measure the length from:
5.1 From LED strip to button
5.2 From LED strip to battery
5.3 From button to battery.
6. Solder the wires if necessary.
7. Solder the wires to the LED strip.
8. Solder all the wires going to the button from the LED strips (+ wires)
9. Solder all the wires going to the button from the batteries. (- wires)
10. Connect to the button and batteries.
12. We seal all soldering points with electrical tape.
13. Now we glue the LED strip to the frame. DON'T FORGET TO DEGREASE THE SURFACE! (for example white spirit)
14. Attach the button to the steering wheel.
15. Connect to batteries.
16. We tie the wires together with cable ties. We also attach them to the frame.
17. Done!
View at night:
Cost:
3m LED strip. - 780r
Batteries (4pcs) - 120 RUR
Button: 30r
Electrical tape: 15r
Wires for the crown (4 pieces) - 40 RUR
Flagella: 40 rub.
Tin - who knows how much
A bottle of beer to a friend for help: ~ 50 rubles.
Etc. expenses: 100r
From what was already there: glue, tape. wires, scissors, white spirit.
Total: ~1200 rubles.
The installation took us approximately 7 hours.
It took us a long time to sort out the wires. They soldered for a long time. We did a lot of things for the first time, so it was something like this.
Have a nice trip!
Many thanks to: Vlad Guselnikov for his immeasurable help in soldering and attaching everything, everything. A bottle of beer goes to him. Andrey Levitsky for a little help. And to all my friends for small help.
As an LED flash generator circuit for a bicycle brake light, I recommend choosing this one, since it is quite simple and does not require any configuration at all. The most important thing is that the parts used are in good working order, let's look at each of them. 1. We need two LEDs, of any color, approximately 3 volts, choose their brightness yourself. The article used green. The LED has two leads, one longer and one shorter. The one that is longer is + (anode), and the one that is shorter is (cathode).2. Now resistors, you can use either Chinese or Soviet ones. In USSR it will be written 2.2 K, but the resistance of Chinese must be determined by color. Use 0.125 or 0.25 W resistors. The resistor is non-polar.
3. For the bicycle flasher circuit, we need two electrolytic capacitors with a capacity of 470 uF, 16V, or more. You can generally use a different capacitance, then the blinking frequency will change. Our capacitors are also polar, so don’t confuse +/-. The negative on the capacitor is marked with a stripe.
4. Now the most important thing is the transistor. You can use KT3107, or its analogue BC557. The transistor has three terminals: B (base), K (collector), E (emitter). It is very important not to confuse them!
All the details have been sorted out. Now let's move on to the board. You can do without it, that is, do everything with hanging installation. It's up to you to decide. A download board flashing lights can be found here.
1. First, we make a printed circuit board and tin it. Now, to prepare the tracks for soldering, degrease them with acetone or ethyl alcohol.
2. Take two 2.2 kOhm resistors and solder them to the desired location on the board.
3. Next are two electrolytic capacitors of 470 microfarads, approximately 16 volts, maybe more. Don't forget about polarity!
4. Now you need to solder two KT3102 or BC557 transistors. It is important here not to confuse their pinouts, otherwise the circuit will not work.
5. And finally, the final stage of creating an LED flasher is soldering in the LEDs (I have them green). Here it is also important not to confuse +/-; do not forget that the long lead of an LED is the anode (+), and the shorter one is the cathode (-).
All is ready. If you assembled the circuit correctly and applied voltage to it, it will work immediately. All that remains is to secure it in a suitable place or bicycle. Below you can watch a video of the LED flasher in action.
If you need to connect more powerful LEDs, or pieces of diode strip, increase the power supply to 12-15V and install more powerful transistors. Multivibrator assembly and testing: EGOR
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