50W 6Amp Alternator for Bicycles that WORKS!

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Pics of mounted headlight

Aussiesteve, that is one EXCELLENT BUILD!

I was faced with a problem when deciding where and HOW to mount my batteries.

After seeing your battery box, I can now get away from the ugly duct taped batteries!

I was going to build a fiberglass pod to enclose them, but I LIKE your battery box/attachment idea better!

I also see that you have room for a mini alternator behind your seat post even with the jackshaft kit!

I've been wondering if a jackshaft kit would fit on my bike with the alternator installed. I think so after seeing your bike.

EXCELLENT!! That's where I'm going next!
 
Thanks. I wondered how well it would go together, but so far everything's fitted nicely.
The generator is going where you say, driven from the jackshaft and the regulator box is going just behind that, above the rear brakes , where the reflector is at the moment. (There's a ton of room for either of our systems, even with the shift kit, on my bike. Mind you, I'm rapidly running out of space. The expansion chamber will be tricky to fit.)
The reg box is about 3½" x 2½" x 2". I'll paint it black to suit the rest of the bike.
(A pic of the box below. In the background is the headlight that this system replaced. A whole 3W.)

If you can fit it, a shift kit is a MUST. It makes these things so much nicer to ride.
 

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Yes I've bought from them before. I suppose I'll research what motorcycle regulator/rectifier will operate properly at my alternators output.

I even thought about using the same ford voltage regulator that my F-100 uses.

It will handle up to a Ford 100 amp alternator! Only problem is its size.

It'll look too bulky. That's the reason I tried using a scooter regulator/rectifier first.

As we all know there's just so many places on a bike to mount things, and the size of the components is critical on a bicycle because there's no place to hide the added electrical stuff.
 
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I know my motorcycle stator puts out 170 watts, im pretty sure if i throw that regulator on my setup it wont fry. granted that a motorcycle stator is a 3 phase system and our alternators and generators put out single phase AC. Granted the 3 phase (motorcycle) regulator wont be as efficient as a single phase (scooter regulator) it should handle all the output the alternator will put out.

I hooked up a scooter regulator to my 250watt 24v motor, which i will be using as my generator. It seemed like it worked fine, then the motor developed a huge load that would have stopped the engine if i didnt rev it up. and it got very, very hot and inflated the epoxy back on the back of the device. since i have multiple regulators i am wondering if wiring them in parallel would help alleviate the load problem.
 
it got very, very hot

I'm trying to figure out why it would get hot. Voltage stays the same in a parallel circuit, while the current divides (splits).

I guess if you wire your regulators in parallel, the total current will be divided between the two regulators

In a series circuit current adds, and the voltage drops across the components.

I guess those Chinese scooters have an awefully weak electrical system.

Sounds like something internal shorted in your reg that caused an excessive current condition.

Voltage can be doubled by some circuits, and it sounds like thats what happened to your reg somehow when it shorted.
 
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well i defiantly could have wired it wrong, unfortunately they are not labeled. I have 2 more i will test later., I do know these things are pretty much a shunt regulator, so it gets warm to get rid of excess voltage. but i think i wired it wrong.
 
Scooter Voltage Regulator/Rectifier Pin Diagram

Here is a pin layout for the chinese reg/rectifier units. The B markings are the Pos, Neg DC battery outputs.
 

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Photos of My 25watt Headlight in a Dark Room

Here are a few photos of my 12V lighting system turned on in my apartment. Its much brighter with the engine running.

The photos are Hi beam, lo beam, and from the front. If I had a better camera I wouldn't have to narrate them.

It'll darn near blind you! Its just as bright as my trucks headlights. Now I can SEE the road, and be seen!

The LED headlights sold on ebay cant throw light like this! HooBoy!
 

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Looks like it does the job well. Similar to mine, but mine throws a little more light to the sides and less to the front. Yours throws a better 'beam'. Isn't it good to be able to see where you're going, for once?

The regulator is the only annoying part of all of our setups. I want to finish designing and building mine, but can't seem to find the time lately. It's slowing things down.
An off-the shelf regulator would be really convenient.

At one stage, early on, I tried a (small) scooter rectifier/regulator and it didn't work. I had the connections right - I made sure I bought one with a diagram.
(Unless the eBay seller supplied the wrong diagram.)
 
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