6v to 12v Step-Up

PNWRider

New Member
First post in quite a while, school and a wrist surgery have really kept me out of the shop and anything fun in general really. Wondering how plausible it would be to convert a 1972 Yamaha LT2 Enduro to 12V using one (or multiple) of these: http://www.amazon.com/DROK-Voltage-Regulator-Transformer-Converter/dp/B018QPW6HA/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1454311113&sr=8-5&keywords=6v+to+12v+step-up.

Has a 120W capacity (alledgedly), so I would think that would be enough for an old two-stroke thumper. Anyone else have anythought?

-Cheers, Wyatt
 
You're only getting 12A, according to that ad. So that 120w would be at 10v with a 12A capacity. It would at least depend on what you're converting to 12v for. Is this for lighting? Oftentimes, it's just a matter of running a 12v regulator, since the alternator often produces more than 12v even on a 6v bike. That said, Sparck has something in the works, and this may be it. He may need a beta tester.
 
http://www.dotheton.com/forum/index.php?topic=68907.msg802997;topicseen#new
 
Yeah I saw his post and I'm pretty interested, but the bike currently isn't street legal (headlight isn't hooked up, no turn signals, no tail light, and only registered for off-road use) so I'm not sure if I exactly qualify haha. I was planning on converting the lighting to LED so from my understanding 120W/10A should be more than enough for that.
 
Keep in mind you may not be getting the full 10A out of this unit - it will depend on what your 6V system can run into it as to what it outputs. V=IR, so if you're converting 6V to 12V you'll need twice as much current input as what you'll get coming out.
 
A lot of it will come down to the wattage requirements of your new components. For lighting, 12V bulbs generally have higher resistance than 6V bulbs, but may be rated at the same wattage.

W = V * A

So a 12W bulb rated for use at 6V will require 2A, but a 12W bulb rated at 12V will only draw one.

In my mind, the main reason to upgrade from 6V to 12V is for the use of LEDs, which require a lot less current than their incandescent cousins. There should be a net gain of wattage in your system after the upgrade.
 
Yeah the only reason I was wanting to convert was to go to LED lights all around. As I said before the bike doesn't really have any lighting so I figured now would be the time. On average what would you say the average wattage/current requirement is for LED blinkers, headlight, and tail light. I don't have anything specific in mind so any general knowledge would help.

I also found this wiring diagram with the voltages (6V duh) and wattage requirements for the different components if that helps at all.
 

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PNWRider said:
Yeah the only reason I was wanting to convert was to go to LED lights all around. As I said before the bike doesn't really have any lighting so I figured now would be the time. On average what would you say the average wattage/current requirement is for LED blinkers, headlight, and tail light. I don't have anything specific in mind so any general knowledge would help.

I also found this wiring diagram with the voltages (6V duh) and wattage requirements for the different components if that helps at all.

Very little wattage is needed for most LED lights. Headlights are always the most: Anywhere from 15W to 30W. Turn signals and brake lights are usually in the 4W-6W range and running lights about 3W.
 
Yeah the blinkers I ordered are 12W ones. Just to clarify, the step-up circuit I originally posted should be fine for this yes? Or should I go with a smaller unit for each system?
 
The unit you posted will be just fine to run the turn signals, but IIRC, some f the lights on your bike are AC, not DC. You'll need to tweak a bit before those can be converted as well.
 
Cool thanks.Now to get to experimenting ;D. We're doing quite a bit with circuits and what not in the electronics manufacturing class I'm taking right now so maybe I'll actually be putting that to use lol
 
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