Adding Lights to Our Yard Kart

P

pjoe

Member
Messages
26
Reaction score
26
Gonna do some night karting. Purchased a light bar, two spotlights, some strip LEDs, a battery tray and a four gang switch set. Kill switch will be one of the 4 switches. All powered by 12V. Can you folks post some pictures of your lighting setup? Can you suggest a battery/charger setup that'll give a couple hours of lighting? Engine is HF Predator 212, we do not have an alternator.

Thank you
 
Hellion

Hellion

Moderator
Messages
8,519
Reaction score
3,616
We…have…the technology. Lighting coils on small engines. They had them aplenty on early minibikes and due to those lights and legit transportation features they were used as legit transportation (licensed as scooters) but I digress.

Some people have retrofitted the alternator and flywheel from a lighted Baja/Coleman 196cc minibike or similar and put it on a Predator but it can’t be that easy. The issue is does it have the same taper on the crank?

With LED tech I am less concerned about battery duration. Just make sure your battery has a hefty milliamp hour rating.
 
P

pjoe

Member
Messages
26
Reaction score
26
Hellion said:
We…have…the technology. Lighting coils on small engines. They had them aplenty on early minibikes and due to those lights and legit transportation features they were used as legit transportation (licensed as scooters) but I digress.

Some people have retrofitted the alternator and flywheel from a lighted Baja/Coleman 196cc minibike or similar and put it on a Predator but it can’t be that easy. The issue is does it have the same taper on the crank?

With LED tech I am less concerned about battery duration. Just make sure your battery has a hefty milliamp hour rating.
Click to expand...
I agree
 
Sparkwizard

Sparkwizard

Well-known member
Messages
510
Reaction score
605
Location
Richlands ,NC USA
You could mount a pulley on your axle, run a belt to an alternator. It would only charge while moving.
Small deep cycle batteries can be had, and you should go very conservative on your amp draw. You do not need to try lighting the whole neighborhood.
 
Hellion

Hellion

Moderator
Messages
8,519
Reaction score
3,616
pjoe said:
Purchased a light bar, two spotlights, some strip LEDs, a battery tray and a four gang switch set.
Click to expand...

I don’t even know what one of those are. Can you post some pics of your purchases, I really like seeing what others buy? If not photos, Amazon links?
 
Hellion

Hellion

Moderator
Messages
8,519
Reaction score
3,616
Sparkwizard said:
You could mount a pulley on your axle, run a belt to an alternator.
Click to expand...

That’s a great idea and it brings to mind the older lawn tractors (and other equipment) that used a belt driven alternator/generator that ran off a pulley mounted to the flywheel. Problem is, those may have been electric start only and it would be a real challenge to have an external pulley where the recoil starter assembly is on a modern engine. The really old engines had a legitimate *rope starter* there which was where you wound a length of rope (clothesline really) around a pulley that had a notch in it (for the knot on the end of the rope). It begs the question whether those rope pulleys were large enough to hold a V-belt…

An automotive style 12V alternator would be a real humdinger and I imagine it would be really effective in the application.

Pulley on axle would do nicely but one on the crankshaft/PTO would do nicer. You’d need a longer than average PTO though to handle clutch/CVT and pulley….🤔

Edwin Spangler said:
Just a panel that holds 4 switches.
Click to expand...

Oh great, now I won‘t get to see the stuff :mad2: :censored::surrender::cornut:
 
P

pjoe

Member
Messages
26
Reaction score
26
GPS (and others) sell a two coil charge coil harness and a flywheel with two magnets that replace the standard flywheel on a Predator 212 engine. Connected to a solid state voltage regulator (also available from GPS), it generates 12V to keep your battery charged. I'm ready to pull the trigger on this, has anyone else?
 
Master Hack

Master Hack

Well-known member
Messages
4,125
Reaction score
6,538
Location
Mountain top Labratory
Hellion said:
An automotive style 12V alternator would be a real humdinger and I imagine it would be really effective in the applicatio
Click to expand...
With enough stupidi.... ERRR... I mean creativity. It can be done. Not recommended for children over 50.
Pay no attention to all the other crap attached to the engine. Not for real kart use, experimental use only. It did win the $100 bet however.

DSC_0017.JPGIMG_3025.jpeg
 
Hellion

Hellion

Moderator
Messages
8,519
Reaction score
3,616
Functional Artist said:
Totally different suggestion :cornut:
...maybe leave the engine & "drive train" alone
...& just use a 12V lithium power tool battery, to "power" the lights on your kart ;)

Could have extras "on board" for longer rides
...& just re-charge 'em overnight, in the garage :cheers2:
Click to expand...

No you are steering the convo back to the original very simple and easy premise: Battery and lights. I’d want the most absolute efficiency from the LEDs and the battery just because losing your lights in the middle of a night run can be disheartening. So, less lights, more battery.

I just think we went backwards to the “easy route” and the established norm of engines with alternators like your riding lawnmower with headlights.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top