Postby DewCatTea-Bob » Fri Feb 12, 2010 3:04 pm
> From DesmoDog's 1st Feb.11th post .....
" 1) The parking light option is moot, I'll never use it. "
____ The handlebar (160 master) switch lets the lights be run by either the battery-juice, OR the alt.juice ! _ I think you ought to consider (and seem to be interested in) retaining that neat option.
" 2) Is the AC input for the horn ok? Can I tie into the red or 4th wire before it connects to the rectifier? "
____ I don't understand the reason for that circuit... The stock-horn is 'DC' (powered by the batt.), are you intending to use an AC-horn ?? _ (Or did your eye just slip while tracing the stock horn wire-scheme?)
" 3) The lights used to be AC powered. If I connect both "power in" leads on the handlebar switch to the DC power, everything should work. "
____ That's quite correct! _ That versatile 160-switch would then be relegated to send only DC-juice to the lights in either MAIN or PARKING positions.
" 4) The switch on teh side of the shell isn't used for anything, neither is the second indicator lamp. I'm ok with that. "
____ Even so, it would be nice to give them a use! _ (I'm sure I could think of something for you, if you like.)
" Main reason to do the mod is I want to run the lights off the battery and don't want the battery to go down around town... "
____ The stock-160 electrical set-up barely charges the battery well enough to keep it charged while running the tail-light & "town/parking-light". _ So to run the head-light by the battery as well, requires a modification for keeping the battery charged! ...
You could full-wave rectify the AC power-juice of the alternator's LIGHTING-power-coil, (which is the best way to go), for helping the battery run the lights,, or you could (more simply) tap-into HALF* of the AC power-juice made by the alternator's IGNITION-power-coil, (*that's actually unused & wasted by the stock ignition-system anyhow!). - The 'break-even'-RPM won't be as low but, you could get-by with it using a 25-watt headlight.
(I believe the thread I've been using with/for 'Desmoto-M.3', covers that system-modification.)
" As I see it, witht his set up the lights will work with teh engien off and the engine will run with a dead battery, correct? "
____ Correct. _ Just as does the stock 160 set-up! (Pretty NEAT!)
" I'm staring at this and thinking... if the engine is running, the only reason to turn the key would be to allow the battery charge? And with the key off, there is no fuse in the system? "
____ I'm not sure I'm following you on this. - (Don't know where you're looking at for sure.)
If you're referring to YOUR 1st scheme, (not the stock one), then you should keep in mind that the stock key-switch performs two SEPARATE circuit-connections at once, with the insertion of the key! ... While the key's use CONNECTS the battery to it's various loads, it also UNconnects (a kill-switch) at the same time, and is used to UNground-out the ignition's power-juice! - (As a normal 'kill-switch' in unactivated-position.) _ Thus THAT circuit-connection is COMPLETED when the key is OUT! - (NOTE that your diagram indicates THAT switch-circuit as if key is INSERTED, thus braking that circuit & allowing spark! _ While AT THE SAME TIME your diagram also indicates the battery/load-circuit of the key-switch, as if key were REMOVED!)
ONLY the battery/load-circuit is COMPLETED when the key activates it's STOCK-switch. _ So hopefully your replacement key-switch can not only do just that normal operation, but also make another circuit-connection when the it's turned-OFF.
Also, the only thing that TURNING the stock-key, (after being fully inserted), does,, is keep it held in place!
" I need to see if the key can disconnect three things at once,"
____ Right, to connect & disconnect 3 separate wire-leads also with one action, would be a bit useful, as well !
" and do I consider adding smaller fuses for separate functions? "
____ A 30-amp fuse on the battery-ground side would be sufficient by itself but, it could be useful for trouble-shooting purposes, to use a 15-amp fuse for the horn & brake-light circuit, and also another 15-amp fuse for all other lights. - (Perhaps even an extra 2-amp fuse for the instrument-lights & long run back to the tail-light.)
> From DD's 2nd Feb.11th post .....
" I don't see much reason for a battery at all with the stock set up... parking light? "
____ The battery was NEEDED not just for the 'TOWN' / parking-lights function, but also (primarily) for the brake-light & horn !
And if-I-were-you, I'd take further advantage of the battery by wiring the high-beam to light-up when the brake-light does. - (Ya just need a cheap diode to keep the brake-light off when-ever the high-beam's turned-on.)
" I have to decide how much a no engine = no lights set up would bother me... "
____ I don't see why, as that would only have to happen when your battery is out of charge!
" I suppose I could set it up so the "park" position lit up the head light and tail light too... "
____ The park-position already lights the tail-light, so all that's needed is to simply jump-wire to the Hi/Lo-feedwire, for lighting the head-light as well.
" so then the second indicator could show I was running off the battery and not the alternator... "
____ That'd be sorta neat! _ And I'm sure there's at least one way to accomplish that but, how were YOU thinking of doing that? _ With another twin-switch? _ (I can see where using a diode would allow it to light-up with AC & not with DC.)
> From DD's 3rd Feb.11th post .....
" but here's one that disconnects the battery and the rectifier from each other and the rest of the system,
Am I correct in thinking that if the rectifier is left connected to the battery, it will drain the battery when the engine isn't running? "
____ Rectifier-diodes are weird in that they have very little resistance one way and a whole-lot the other! _ But unfortunately, they're NOT like a perfect reed-valve, without any (reverse-flow) leakage! _ So thus they do tend to drain a battery (SLOWLY but surely!). _ So while not real necessary, (Ducati didn't bother), it's nice to break any rectifier's connection from the battery's circuit when not in use.
" As I see it - this system would allow the lights to work with the engine not running if there is a charged battery, and also allow the lights to work with no battery if the engine is running? "
____ That's correct! - Both with the stock set-up (using DC & AC), and with the set-up which you have diagrammed (using DC & PDC).
Fun-Cheers,
DCT-Bob
PLEASE NOTE... If this-post is not-yet signed-off with '-Bob', then I'm still in the process of completing it,, and if not also included with 'DCT' near bottom as well, then I may edit this post's wording at a later time. - Dct.Bob