Skip to main content
Boman.Biz

Boman.Biz

Go Search
Home
Mobile Monger
  

Boman.Biz > Categories
LED Headlights for SYM Bolwell Red Devil

Today is Fathers Day – and there is no better way to spend it than with your Dad.  We spent a few hours tinkering with my scooter to add LED headlights using left over LEDs from a previous project.  These extra headlights although not particularly effective at lighting the road, add eye-catching visibility for other drivers on the road – and you can’t have too much of that.

Ingredients:

  • 1 Bolwell SYM Red Devil Scooter. Mine is black :)
    BlackDevil
  • 2 x 1 Watt White LEDs.  Stronger 3 Watt LED's could be used for brighter results, but these are what I had handy.
    productLarge_8892
  • 1 x Bridge rectifier.  This one is rated at 6Amps which is over-kill for the 150ma’ish load.
    productLarge_2801
  • 1  x Current limiter. This little device varies the voltage supplied, until it reaches an optimal current for the LED’s.
    productLarge_11011

After drilling some holes and mounting the LED’s using some epoxy, the existing parking light can be disconnected.  Since the headlights are directly attached to the alternator for the bike, the power coming through is AC – not suitable for use with LED’s so it needs to be hooked up through the bridge rectifier first and then into the current limiter.  After everything was soldered, glued and reassembled I’m really happy with the result!

DSC05293 DSC05300

Is CO2 caused Climate Change the new WMD's?
Okay - this is a pretty over-analysed topic, but CO2 caused climate change is starting to smell to me like a Weapon of Mass Destruction, i.e. everyone is sure it exists without evidence, until it doesn't.
 
(Being clear here CO2 caused climate change as opposed to climate change in general, which has happened many times before in history, and at times much hotter than now.)
 
What has really shocked me is some independant work looking into how data from weather stations in Darwin Australia have been used by the "scientists" we trust with our future: http://wattsupwiththat.com/2009/12/08/the-smoking-gun-at-darwin-zero/ 
 
Reveals that for unknown reasons, the data has been "Homogenised" from showing cooling to showing warming. 
 
 
Now, my personal position is that I believe that climate change is happening, but am unconvinced as to the cause.  I base this on nothing but what I hear and see and experience.  I know when I was a kid the winters were colder, sometimes the grass would even be crunchy in the morning, something I have not seen in many, many years.
 
So why do the scientists have to artificially skew the data so badly to convince people?  I would have believed it without the adjustments.  Personally I would prefer them focus on what the cause of climate change is.
 
I don't mind us switching to renewable energy sources, as burning oil and petrol at the mercy of the middle-east has generally never been a good plan for the future - but I don't like us being forced to do it under the guise of responding to a fictional WMD-like threat of CO2.
 
I worry that too many people have placed themselves in industries that now rely on the "Climate-Threat" to remain real so they maintain their own livelyhoods.  "Knights of the C02 Footprint" or some such thing almost treating it as a new religion.  So much so, if anyone tries to question rationally the basis for whats going on they become a "skeptic". 
 
It very closely reminds me of the loss of rational thought that happens to people when they buy Apple hardware - but that belongs in a separate rant.
 
J.
Pratik's Photo Log
Pratik a work colleague has started to keep a log of his photos.  My car got snapped as part of his first round of photos! Check them out here.
 
 
My MINI parked at work
Lumiere Rooftop

On the weekend I got the key to the roof of my building.  After suiting up with a safety harness I climbed onto the roof and took some snaps.  After using Microsoft ICE and DeepZoom composer, I now have some Silverlight panoramas.

Click on the Photo Icons () below to view the panoramas. 

Lumiere South East CornerLumiere North East CornerLumiere North West CornerLumiere South
As well as the panoramas, other features include:
 
Solar Panels
Solar Panels
 
Hot Water Heaters
Hot Water Heaters
 
Possible Hot Water Storage
Possible Hot Water Storage?
 
The Pool Area from above
The Pool Area from Above
Picture from Bondi

Once you start down the dark path forever will it dominate your destiny.

Daffodil-rific
Its that time of the year again for Daffodils!
 
Daffodil
Windows Sharepoint Services 3

I thought Boman.Biz needed a bit of a lift so I have changed from the old DotNetNuke site to the new and shiny WSS3.

After getting the installation and configuration of this sucker sorted out (Thanks McBear for your help) I am left with a place to Blog :)

So maybe now I have this toy to play with I can make a few more regular posts ..... Hmmmm somehow I doubt it - but we will see!