Timbone
Well-Known Member
This strange little thing is my latest idea: a brake light set up.
I have already wired and soldered a 6V led into my rear taillight assembly that already had a closed 12V bulb that serves as running light.
What you see there is the 4 AA batteries (rechargeable) wired in series and an ugly little metal tube. No need to clean any of this up - it will all be wrapped tightly and epoxied after the electrical connections are made.
That metal cylinder is the switch, which I hope to perfect. It's a closed metal tube that houses a steel ball bearing. One end is soldered metal; the other end is stuffed with an insulator but penetrated by a small machine screw.
The idea: I'll place the tube at a slight angle down towards the rear of the bike. When braking force is applied, the ball bearing will roll forward, touching the machine screw terminal closing the circuit and lighting the brake light bulb. Forward acceleration or still, the ball rolls back and the light goes off!
I'll solder it all up tomorrow and do some tests.