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Building a "dimmer" for heated vest

Started by Monsterlover, March 19, 2009, 05:28:54 PM

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Monsterlover

March 19, 2009, 05:28:54 PM
I scored a Wider heated vest at a garage sale and it came with this enormous control box with a knob on it to adjust the heat.

Two problems:

A) It's make the beast with two backsing gigantic.  I want to permanently mount a knob to the bike.  I want to just plug in and call it a day.

B) I don't think it actually does anything.  I used a battery charger to power the box, and an auto turn signal bulb on the other side of the box.  Turning the knob does nothing.  In the off position, the bulb is off.  At "1", the bulb is on.  At "10" it's still just as bright.

What am I missing here?  Should this controller be doing something it isn't?

I'd like to build my own, tiny, version of this.  I have little electronic knowledge so I'll need help, or a link that might help.

Help.

;D
"The Vincent was like a bullet that went straight; the Ducati is like the magic bullet in Dallas that went sideways and hit JFK and the Governor of Texas at the same time."--HST    **"A man who works with his hands is a laborer.  A man who works with his hands and his brain is a craftsman.  A man who works with his hands, brains, and heart is an artist."  -Louis Nizer**

aaronb

#1
March 19, 2009, 06:29:37 PM Last Edit: March 19, 2009, 06:31:49 PM by aaronb
how many watts is the vest?  if the knob goes between 20 and 200 watts a 15 watt bulb will always be bright.   (i think that is how it works [laugh] )

check the resistance with a multi meter
Milwaukee, WI
'07 s2r1k, '81 honda cb400t

Ducnial

#2
March 19, 2009, 06:57:25 PM
Quote from: aaronb on March 19, 2009, 06:29:37 PM
how many watts is the vest?  if the knob goes between 20 and 200 watts a 15 watt bulb will always be bright.   (i think that is how it works [laugh] )

check the resistance with a multi meter

Yea, you gotta put a load on the output equivlentto the vest.  Better yet, used thevest and Use a volt meter instead of a lightbulb.

http://www.elecfree.com/electronic/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/high-current-variable-voltage-regulator-2-36v-10a.jpg

Be sure to use a big heatsink..

aaronb

#3
March 19, 2009, 07:24:59 PM
Quote from: Ducnial on March 19, 2009, 06:57:25 PM
Yea, you gotta put a load on the output equivlentto the vest. .....

that is what i was trying to say, thanks. 
Milwaukee, WI
'07 s2r1k, '81 honda cb400t

Monsterlover

#4
March 19, 2009, 08:09:21 PM
Quote from: aaronb on March 19, 2009, 06:29:37 PM
how many watts is the vest?  if the knob goes between 20 and 200 watts a 15 watt bulb will always be bright.   (i think that is how it works [laugh] )

check the resistance with a multi meter

Good point.

My meter is MIA.  So I came up with the bulb idea.

Good point on the wattage.  Looks like the vest sucks up 33watts at full boil
"The Vincent was like a bullet that went straight; the Ducati is like the magic bullet in Dallas that went sideways and hit JFK and the Governor of Texas at the same time."--HST    **"A man who works with his hands is a laborer.  A man who works with his hands and his brain is a craftsman.  A man who works with his hands, brains, and heart is an artist."  -Louis Nizer**

Monsterlover

#5
March 19, 2009, 08:12:40 PM
Quote from: Ducnial on March 19, 2009, 06:57:25 PM
Yea, you gotta put a load on the output equivlentto the vest.  Better yet, used thevest and Use a volt meter instead of a lightbulb.

http://www.elecfree.com/electronic/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/high-current-variable-voltage-regulator-2-36v-10a.jpg

Be sure to use a big heatsink..

FWIW the controller that I have now is *much* less complicated internally that what's on that diagram.  And I don't even know what all's on that diagram [laugh]

Turning the knob puts screw tension on a metal bar.  Looks like a big X in there.  One wire to one leg of the X, one wire to the other.  They're some how insulated from each other, except where current passes through the center post.  There's also a little coil of wire, and a green thing.  [laugh]

The green thing jumps the + and - (I think)

"The Vincent was like a bullet that went straight; the Ducati is like the magic bullet in Dallas that went sideways and hit JFK and the Governor of Texas at the same time."--HST    **"A man who works with his hands is a laborer.  A man who works with his hands and his brain is a craftsman.  A man who works with his hands, brains, and heart is an artist."  -Louis Nizer**

ducpainter

#6
March 19, 2009, 08:19:20 PM
Quote from: Monsterlover on March 19, 2009, 08:09:21 PM
Good point.

My meter is MIA.  So I came up with the bulb idea.

Good point on the wattage.  Looks like the vest sucks up 33watts at full boil
Get yourself a 3 or 4 amp rheostat and call it good.
"Once you accept that a child on the autistic spectrum experiences the world in
 a completely different way than you, you will be open to understand how that
 perspective
    is even more amazing than yours."
    To realize the value of nine  months:
    Ask a mother who gave birth to a stillborn.
"Don't piss off old people The older we get, the less 'Life in Prison' is a deterrent."


mookieo2

#7
March 19, 2009, 08:28:22 PM
You`re actually should look for a DC motor speed controller. It works on Pulse width modulation. I had a link for one for about $25 I was going to use for a heated jacket I made; I`ll see if I can find it.

ducpainter

#8
March 19, 2009, 08:41:24 PM
Quote from: mookieo2 on March 19, 2009, 08:28:22 PM
You`re actually should look for a DC motor speed controller. It works on Pulse width modulation. I had a link for one for about $25 I was going to use for a heated jacket I made; I`ll see if I can find it.
Thanks for the correction...

"Once you accept that a child on the autistic spectrum experiences the world in
 a completely different way than you, you will be open to understand how that
 perspective
    is even more amazing than yours."
    To realize the value of nine  months:
    Ask a mother who gave birth to a stillborn.
"Don't piss off old people The older we get, the less 'Life in Prison' is a deterrent."


Howie

#9
March 19, 2009, 08:47:44 PM
Quote from: mookieo2 on March 19, 2009, 08:28:22 PM
You`re actually should look for a DC motor speed controller. It works on Pulse width modulation. I had a link for one for about $25 I was going to use for a heated jacket I made; I`ll see if I can find it.

I don't know what Wider uses, but Gerbing and Warm&Safe use a pulse width modulator.  A rheostat would get kinda warm.

Popeye the Sailor

#10
March 19, 2009, 10:30:07 PM
Some reason you cant put on the vest, set the controller to one, wait ten minutes, then turn it to ten and see if it gets hotter? that would sort of tell you if it was working.
If the state had not cut funding for the mental institutions, this project could never have happened.

Monsterlover

#11
March 20, 2009, 05:04:28 AM
Lazyness ;D
"The Vincent was like a bullet that went straight; the Ducati is like the magic bullet in Dallas that went sideways and hit JFK and the Governor of Texas at the same time."--HST    **"A man who works with his hands is a laborer.  A man who works with his hands and his brain is a craftsman.  A man who works with his hands, brains, and heart is an artist."  -Louis Nizer**

mookieo2

#12
March 20, 2009, 06:36:05 AM
Here it is!

http://store.qkits.com/moreinfo.cfm/MX033

If you wanted you can unsolder the Pot and attach some wire to it to remotely mount it near your bars or wherever you would like. You can get a case from Radio Shack for it for a few bucks.

DEVO!

#13
March 20, 2009, 01:51:27 PM
I have the same vest! does the on/off switch look like it came off a lamp?  [laugh]
I never use the box that it came with it the knob looks like one of those oven timers you use in the kitchen I have just learned to turn it off if it gets too hot. It works great best $15.00 bucks I ever spent!

Monsterlover

#14
March 20, 2009, 02:38:04 PM
Here's a pic of the control box I have now.

The knob is in the middle of the X, obviously, and spreads the two bars apart the more you tighten it.

"The Vincent was like a bullet that went straight; the Ducati is like the magic bullet in Dallas that went sideways and hit JFK and the Governor of Texas at the same time."--HST    **"A man who works with his hands is a laborer.  A man who works with his hands and his brain is a craftsman.  A man who works with his hands, brains, and heart is an artist."  -Louis Nizer**
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