Lights at Idle?

[l008com]

My manco indo has a 6.5hp subaru engine. This engine has a power out that went to an incandescent headlight. I don't remember why but that headlight was removed very early on so I don't really remember it's behavior.

But here's the deal, I want to install an AC DC converter, and a bright LED headlight - like I did on my snow blower. However I also want to put a red taillight, and then a second headlight facing backwards. All three lights on switches. I think the headlight I already got, one of those square off road likes, is 18w.

So what I'm wondering is this: is this engine going to output enough power to light up one of these 18w lights at idle? Without flickering?
Note I only plan on using one of them at a time. I'm thinking if we're doing some trail maintenance after dark, it might be very handy to be able to park the kart nearby, turn on the rear light and let it idle while we make some quick repairs.
It's been so long since I've used a headlight on this cart, close to 20 years, I really don't remember what it's behavior even was.

 

[Functional Artist]

Does your vehicle have a 12VDC battery, on board?

If so, 12VDC lights are usually "powered" by that 12VDC battery
...& the engines charging system mainly helps to maintain the battery (while riding around but, maybe not at idle)

If not, it would be easy enough to just try-n-connect the "headlight you already have" to that "power out" you mentioned
...& simply "test" to see "if" it will light up with the engine at idle

 

[l008com]

No battery. And I'd have to mess with the wiring near the engine and it's so cold out :/

 

[Thepartsguy]

I highly doubt that robin has an actual stator.

Maybe a set of coils or worse only one lighting coil ABOVE the flywheel?

If the coils are under the flywheel search for an 2 wire ac stator upgrade and wire in a $12 gy6 regulator.

I‘m working on a 12v 6.1 amp charging system for a briggs now.

 

[l008com]

I don't know what it has, but I know it did come with an incandescent headlight so its gotta be capable of putting out at least around 40 watts. So I figure I should be able to run bright LEDs no problem, hopefully.

 

[Rat]

No battery. And I'd have to mess with the wiring near the engine and it's so cold out :/

Without a battery or even a capacitor, the Led light will flicker unless that's a 3 phase system which I find unlikely because there would be 3 wires out, not one.
The issue is going to be the pulsed DC signal, at least that's the case with a standard full wave bridge rectifier. The flicker is least noticeable at any RPM above 3k.

The sole advantage of traditional incandescent bulbs is that they don't care about AC or DC, have power good to go.

You can try it without, but I am quite certain you'll need a battery or capacitor to act as a voltage buffer to eliminate the flicker. I run an exclusively LeD system

 

[l008com]

This is what I used on my snow blower: https://www.superbrightleds.com/12v-ac-to-dc-converter-module-3-amps No flickering at speed. I'm not sure if it flickers at idle. It spends so little time idling. Next time is snows, if it ever snows again, ill pay more attention to how it runs. Although I think snow blower idle may be a much higher RPM than go kart idle.

 

[Rat]

This is what I used on my snow blower: https://www.superbrightleds.com/12v-ac-to-dc-converter-module-3-amps No flickering at speed. I'm not sure if it flickers at idle. It spends so little time idling. Next time is snows, if it ever snows again, ill pay more attention to how it runs. Although I think snow blower idle may be a much higher RPM than go kart idle.

Yeah idk about that little job. I do know I'm kicking around a whole helluva lot more than just 3A.

A snow thrower or any equipment engine is generally not going to "idle" at all and even at the lowest throttle speed likely won't fall below 3k, if it does it certainly isn't by much

 

[l008com]

It's a shame I can't take it out of gear and set it to idle at a higher RPM for when I want to use a rear spotlight. even though that will be a situation i would very rarely be in.

 

[Rat]

It's a shame I can't take it out of gear and set it to idle at a higher RPM for when I want to use a rear spotlight. even though that will be a situation i would very rarely be in.

You could if you had room for a FnR gearbox, and just block off the lever from being able to go into reverse. Then you'd only need to run the idle speed screw in a turn or two while you do whatever you need the light for.

 

[l008com]

I do need some kind of gearbox but thats a whole other project.

 

[Rat]

I do need some kind of gearbox but thats a whole other project.

Got a thread on that one?

 

[l008com]

I had one a couple years ago but there are so many other things i need first, who knows when or if a gearbox would ever happen. But I think i'd like something kind of like a riding mower gearbox with a 1:1 forward gear, plus a few lower forward gears, plus a reverse. All that still connected to a torque converter. But I don't know when or if that would ever happen. I like the idea of being able to drive it normally for having fun, or in a low gear for doing work, and of course reverse.

And back on topic, if the light really became an issue, I do have MTB lights with batteries that last hours, I could always use that if needed.

 

[Rat]

And back on topic, if the light really became an issue, I do have MTB lights with batteries that last hours, I could always use that if needed.

Nah, a capacitor stuck up under the seat to act as a sine wave buffer would eliminate the flicker. Not sure what μF size would be needed but I can't imagine it would need to be a significantly large one.