can i wire a switch into this light?

[happyjourney]

i wanted to get one of these

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1800-Lumen-...210?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27c4020cba

but i want to have one of these to switch it

http://www.amazon.com/Technologies-...12-0055CN/dp/B0031BCGTS/ref=pd_sim_sbs_auto_3

i was thinking of making the high beam setting the actual on setting and the low beam setting my running lights/parking lights. the light itself has the switch on the rear of it but i wanted something i don't have to let go of the handlebars to switch. i don't know whats inside of one of those wires when you cut them open thats why i'm asking. i'd assume its two electrical lines of current but on those type of wires (ones with the barrel connectors) but the don't just have two wires in them usually do they? is it usually one wire in the middle with one layer of insulation then a netting of wire wrapped around that? i'm kinda clueless but i'm thinking its possible as the cord seems perfectly rounded.

 

[Al.Fisherman]

What I'm thinking is that it can work. If I was to do something like what you want, I'd go into the light and disconnect the on board switch and wire the handlebar switch into the wires. You would be trading one switch for another one.

 

[happyjourney]

is there two wires in those cables or one with a shielding wire surrounding it is what i want to know. i think i want to leave the normal switch because it has four settings and theres electronics and things my brain can't comprehend easily. i wanted to use the switch to connect and disconnect the power cord basically. is this an easy solder job?

 

[happyjourney]

i answered my own question with the right words typed into google.

http://www.fonerbooks.com/laptop_7.htm

once again, the interwebs is my friend

 

[Al.Fisherman]

i don't have to let go of the handlebars to switch.

As long as you want just a ON/OFF switch, you can cut the lead. I can't understand why you would want a ON/OFF switch at the handlebars...turn it on before motoring, off when finished. To use the other features on the light, you still have to take your hands off the handlebars.

 

[loquin]

That light is a multi-mode one; I assume that it has a rubber-covered momentary switch on it somewhere. Press the switch once, it goes to hi. Press it again within a second, it then goes to low. Press it again, within a second, it starts flashing. Press it again within a second, it goes off. If you delay for longer than a second (apx) at any one of the three light modes, when you press the switch, the light goes off.

When you plug in the batteries, the light doesn't go on until you press the momentary switch, to tell it what mode it needs to be using.


If you add a toggle switch incline with the power, you can certainly turn the light off. The new toggle switch will be a sort of kill switch. But, to turn the light on, you'll have to turn on the toggle switch, then select the mode by pushing the momentary switch, one to three times, anyway.

PS - If I were still installing an extra 'kill' switch in this lighting circuit, I would wire the switch into a male and female power plug, rather than cutting the wire. Ref the sketch, below. This way, if you ever decide to sell it, the light will not have been 'tampered with.' Just unplug the extra switch, the the light is back to the showroom status.

 

[happyjourney]

i know this is a bad idea so lets forget it. i wanted to wire up a 55watt motorcycle headlight to this handlebar switch but i saw a review that somebody wrote on amazon and it said that this switch burnt up in twenty minutes wired up to a 55watt headlight. now i'm thinking maybe a 35watt will work. or maybe i'll just get 40 minutes out of it. i was going to setup a whole motorcycle/moped like rig with turn signals and relays with brake lights and parking lights low beam and high beam with a horn running off a car battery i would have in a basket on a back rack. i figured i could charge the battery up every night. think it will work? this is a learning experience for me and i'm learning as i go along here. i'm willing to jump in head first with my cash and take a chance at frying something.

 

[happyjourney]

http://www.frontiercycle.com/Chrome...Style-Headlamp-12-Volt-35-35-Bulb-33-0596.htm

heres a 35 watt i'm considering

 

[HeadSmess]

this is what relays are for. the switch cant take hi currents, the relay can.

the switch controls the small "pull in" current needed by the relay instead.

55 watts. bright but your battery wont last long.

whereas a 4W 4LED downlight off ebay for $4 produces almost twice the lumens. and with 1/12 the power consumption.... go figure



back to the LEDs... the beam options are controlled by a small microprocessor. switch tells it which option to select. processor then "chops" the voltage, the percentage of "on" to "off" time determines brightness.

you can make them turn on by placing them near a welder or other source of interference (unsupressed ignition systems )

YOU DONT NEED LOW BEAM ON A BICYCLE! just blind the $#^ and make sure they know youre there!

 

[happyjourney]

do i have to have some special led conversion kit to make a bulb like that work in a normal teardrop spotlight? i'm gonna do some more searching.