ANOTHER PROJECT BUILD!

Been a long time.

Say your awesome bullet-style tail light on your cafe racer is too small and you live in the wild west where drivers are all maniacs: You're going to need MOAR TAIL LIGHTZ! (how did I survive two years without getting rear ended?)

This particular example was found on ebay for a low, low price and was claimed DOT compliant, but was still lacking. Seen here in all it's daintiness:



I first tried to fix the problem the simpliest (and therefor best) way I knew, with a bigger bulb. Somewhere outside of Montreal, sitting in traffic, the lens melted. (it remained deformed for several years)



Cheapness turned out to be the ultimate asset because I was able to buy a second victim unit to use for mock-up purposes. Obviously LEDs were needed. (i do that you know. LEDs. Professionally) The problem was packing all the photon punch into a small package.

Step one was smaller components. This relay on the right looked pretty small... until I found the one on the left. (why did I need relays? It involves science)



The relay was combined with a resistor-adjustable constant current driver, a heat sink (which in this application is more of a heat... capacitor) and some wires, in a boxy-bullet shape.



The innards of the old light needed to come out, but I was able to practice the surgery and test fit the bits on the second unit. Started like this:



This all came out:



Hook up some wires...



Jam it in the HOL!- Insert cautiously. Pack perimeter with foam. (Like I said, Heat capacitor. Though hours of bench testing reveals that the running light does not produce a perceivable temp change in the heat sink, and since these things are fine to like 90C, my judgment says we'll be operating "within spec.")



Conclusion: MOAR BRIGHTNESS. Obviously I finished with a new red plastic lens cover but pics do not convey the red lumen face punch. The three points of light are obviously discernible so I've lined up a diffusion material to smooth it out, but that shit robs lumens, so I may leave it be for now. And because the light is pointed slightly downward, I'm pretty sure followers will not be blinded. This weekend's cross-New Mexico adventures will reveals the truth.