Proximity sensors?

Hi folks.

I am thinking vaguely of getting some of those parking sensor thingies
that flash cars seem to have as standard nowadays.

My idea was to have a couple on the back of the bikes, and a couple on
the front.

The rear ones connected to a modulated pair of LED warning lights, to
let following vehicles know they are too close, and the front ones
connected to a single wee LED to warn me that I am too close to the
vehicle in front.

Any of you lot know what bits I need, and how they need to be wired up?

I'd like this setup on all three bikes, but a 6 volt bit of kit for the
baby Honda may be too much to ask.

regards,
CrazyCam

 

I think Zener diodes should work for cutting 12v back to 6v, so I
think it's a go. Other here will give you more reliable tech info no
doubt.

You can get zener diodes from Jaycar.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zener_diode


=================

Onya bike

Gerry

 

Has this been done before or was it an original idea? I thought those
parking sensors on cars had quite a limited range, like 1 metre or less.

Another thought.. if you have something on the back of the bike which
gives some sort of active response to the actions of following vehicle,
isn't there a possibility that that is going to actually encourage
tailgating? In the same way that poking a cat with a stick might get
you scratched, but the funny lolcatz video you can record and put on
YouTube makes the potential scratching worth the reward. Ie the reward
of making lights on your bike flash might be more appealing than leaving
a safe distance.

"Hey Thommo, look at the bike. I can make it's lights go on..."
*accellerate*brake*accelerate*brake*accelerate*brake*
"Pass me another tinny mate."

Nev..

 

About 2 metres Nev
Also Cam,
What's wrong with your eyes ??
Can't you tell if someone is too close?
If someone closes up on me too much, then I give it a bit and move away

 

<insert enormous grin here>

I can just see this now. Worst part is I think I know this "Thommo" guy
- and a hundred like him.

How about one of those programmable scrollers on the back of the bike
with a suitably polite message.

Or better yet, rig the bastard up to your brake lights. Or a rear facing
Xenon spotty. Or both!

Muhahahahahahahah

N/

 

On 01/30/11 3:09 PM, George W Frost wrote:

Well, <cough> it's like this..... I had thought, it seems, wrongly, that
parking sensors used infrared light, much like err, hairdryers. ;-)

regards,
CrazyCam

 

You use a hair dryer for parking ??

 

No.
I think he was meaning hand dryers.

(unless it is a height thing)

 

Is Cam so short that he can't reach the hand dryer and has to use a hair
dryer?

 

How about wiring them up to an exhaust mounted flamethrower instead?

I never felt that visibility was that much of an issue on any of my bikes.
Seems a bit silly IMO.

 

I remember once at the bandcamp airport there were no towels and I had
to dry ,....

 

Saw a really neat bike which could do that a year or so ago in Melbourne
It had a helicopter jet engine in it and whoever was behind it when he took
would get a singed face and whatever else.
It wwas odd to hear the whine of the jet motor build up before he let the
brakes off
Then with a whoosh, he was gone up and over the hill

 

From the sounds of it, he needs it the other way around - getting a 6-volt
bike to power a 12-volt accessory. In that case, he'll need a voltage
inverter, which can either be relatively cheap (if the accessory draws very
little current), or painfully expensive.

Given the potential complexities, I'd be more tempted to simply strap a
separate 12-volt battery to the bike and power the transducers from that.
However, the proper solution lays here;

http://www.aaroncake.net/circuits/6-12conv.asp

 

Here's a low-current DC-DC doubler.
http://www.reconnsworld.com/power_voltdoubler.html

 

You're bloody right of course. Again, I've got things arse-about.
Maybe I need re-wiring?


=================

Onya bike

Gerry