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[REGGAB]

Stuff arrived from Ride Time Technologies yesterday.  Not a terribly difficult install.....except for the bullet turn signal lenses.  Still not not sure they're on there correctly, as they look "cattywompused," but feel secure.  Not sure how I'm supposed to hold those 48 LED pods in place, quickly get my fingers out of the way, and snap the lenses in place before the LED pods move.  Anyone who has done this with success, please advise your method.  Mine are hangin' until I get it figured out.
What's up with the Badlands Illuminator making the radio, speedo, and tach back lighting flash....as well as turn signal indicators when activating/deactivating the alarm?  Why, when four ways are activated, and ignition is turned off, do the rear LEDs flash, fronts do not, speedo, tach, and turn signal indicators do flash and speedo/tach needles jump?  Very strange piece of equipment. 

[Twolanerider]

Did all that a few days ago Henry.  Box of parts showed up from Ride Time.  Put LED signals front and rear on the red bike.  Also put LED signals front and rear signals on the SERG along with tour pak LEDs and side lights and a rear fender tip light.  Both bikes got the Illuminator module.

The hazard flashers will work differently with this module installed.  Ignition switch on, engage flashers, ignition switch off.  Flashers will stay on that way.  To disengage flashers you'll have to first turn the ignition switch back on.  All this comes with one small caveat though.

There is an orange leg coming out of the Illuminator module.  You need to take it out of the plug it's in and take it to A+.  It's the input to the load equalizer on the module and needs to be at an unswitched power source on a bike with the security system.  Take that orange wire to the battery and the weird dash lights and radio blinking with the hazards engaged will go away.  At least it did on both of mine.

[REGGAB]

Did all that a few days ago Henry.  Box of parts showed up from Ride Time.  Put LED signals front and rear on the red bike.  Also put LED signals front and rear signals on the SERG along with tour pak LEDs and side lights and a rear fender tip light.  Both bikes got the Illuminator module.

The hazard flashers will work differently with this module installed.  Ignition switch on, engage flashers, ignition switch off.  Flashers will stay on that way.  To disengage flashers you'll have to first turn the ignition switch back on.  All this comes with one small caveat though.

There is an orange leg coming out of the Illuminator module.  You need to take it out of the plug it's in and take it to A+.  It's the input to the load equalizer on the module and needs to be at an unswitched power source on a bike with the security system.  Take that orange wire to the battery and the weird dash lights and radio blinking with the hazards engaged will go away.  At least it did on both of mine.

Saw this on the module.  Orange lead comes out of module, into a plug, (which plugs to the harness going to TSSM), out of same plug/same pin (double tap) to next plug (which plugs to the harness going to rear lighting).  Instructions with module aren't very clear (wish I had a schematic for the module).  Question is, did you remove the orange wire from both plugs and run it directly to an unswitched hot, or did you just remove the double tapped pin from it's plug and run it to an unswitched hot?  Did you fuse the modification?  Seems prudent, in order to protect wiring, module, and everything downstream in the event of an overcurrent condition.

How'd you get your lenses in place over the LED modules.........properly?  I'm considering using an old set of lens covers for test, and filing off 1/16" of each tang and seeing if I can get them to snap in place.  Very frustrating at this point, but I'll figure something out.  Right now, I'm worried the lens covers will pop off while rolling down the highway. 

[Boatman]

You two going to post any pictures?     

[Twolanerider]

Saw this on the module.  Orange lead comes out of module, into a plug, (which plugs to the harness going to TSSM), out of same plug/same pin (double tap) to next plug (which plugs to the harness going to rear lighting).  Instructions with module aren't very clear (wish I had a schematic for the module).  Question is, did you remove the orange wire from both plugs and run it directly to an unswitched hot, or did you just remove the double tapped pin from it's plug and run it to an unswitched hot?  Did you fuse the modification?  Seems prudent, in order to protect wiring, module, and everything downstream in the event of an overcurrent condition.

How'd you get your lenses in place over the LED modules.........properly?  I'm considering using an old set of lens covers for test, and filing off 1/16" of each tang and seeing if I can get them to snap in place.  Very frustrating at this point, but I'll figure something out.  Right now, I'm worried the lens covers will pop off while rolling down the highway. 

Henry, they have two sets of instructions mixed together there.  Not well differentiated.

One could tie to the TSSM as they mention.  Or one could take that same orange lead straight to A+.  But it's not a mix of the two.  On any bike with a security module installed the more stable option would be to go straight to battery with it. 

Find the orange lead coming out of the module.  Before it gets to the plug that mates the interconnect to the bike.  Cut it and take the leg coming out of the module to an unswitched source or directly to the battery.  This leg energizes the load equalizer that is part of the Illuminator module. 

It needs to be energized before the TSSM signals.  If not not only will the TSSM not recognize proper loads the module will backfeed.  That's what would cause the dash lights to flash in hazard mode.  It might also discharge with a bit of a spike at shut off.  That might manifest in shortened life spans or a nasty little pop in the speakers when you turn the switch off.

On the red bike I already had an A+ source behind the battery that was fused.  Just used it.  On the SERG simply made the short hop from the module to the battery. Did use an inline fuse.  5 amp.

Don't follow their instructions for tapping the TSSM leg.  That's only going to address very specific questions and might allow other issues to persist.  Energizing the load equalizer all the time will do what tapping off the TSSM would have and address other issues as well.  My guess is you're seeing generational instructions on their part that they never cleaned up as time progressed.

Not sure what to offer on the lens installs.  I didn't have an issue.  Make sure the wire from the sockets are coiled behind the PCB and are not between the board and the housings.  From there I just had them laying in place and actually used the lenses to guide them back to their final resting place.  One thought occurs if it's too much of an annoyance.  Use a couple of small dabs of silicone.  Stick the boards in he housings where you want them.  LEDs will last close to forever (relative to the bike's lifespan) anyway.  And it's not as if it would not still be a simple removal if you ever needed to.

[Twolanerider]

You two going to post any pictures?    

Really not much to picture Bob.  Just some new bulbs.  The module that might be problematic in some installs is a plug in piece at the rear light harness behind the battery.  On bikes with TSSMs it might need this alteration we're discussing though.  Could also easily see tolerances in the electronics make it where some bikes would work fine without the change though.  Normal crap of us being responsible for making aftermarket work in our created environments.

The red bike has a lot going on back there.  Trailer harness ties in.  Spoiler lights and saddlebag latch lights.  It actually worked without the wiring change.  Three times out of five.  Easier not to screw with and just make the change.  Then it'll work everytime and won't have to be screwed with.

The manufacturer's insructions pretty specifically say that change isn't required on bikes as old as the SERG.  But it's a problem between the relationship of the new module and the TSSM.  And I added the security system to the SERG.  So I fully expected it to behave the same way.  And it did.  Badlands has a nice little module there.  But their written guidance on it isn't all it should be.

[Boatman]

The red bike has a lot going on back there.  

Back there, under there, etc, ect..   

[Hoist!]

What's so special about them Don and how are they different from other types of these LED setups? I used the stuff from Custom Dynamics, that offers members here, and The Garage, a discount. It included all the LED's and the Load Equalizer. It was completely plug and play. No cutting or splicing wires, the boards fit nicely in the housings, and no problem snapping the lenses on. What am I missing here?

Hoist!

[Twolanerider]

What's so special about them Don and how are they different from other types of these LED setups? I used the stuff from Custom Dynamics, that offers members here, and The Garage, a discount. It included all the LED's and the Load Equalizer. It was completely plug and play. No cutting or splicing wires, the boards fit nicely in the housings, and no problem snapping the lenses on. What am I missing here?

Hoist!

Some of the items from Custom Dynamics are the same pieces as this Ride Time company sells Howie.  I also had no problem setting the LED boards in place and snapping the lenses back in.  Though with a little reflection I could see how if an LED's board wasn't laying flat and the installer were concerned about damage that they might be worrisome.

Have seen other load equalizers that would be just plug and play.  And other lighting management modules that do what this "Illuminator" module does (it's one of the several competitive products out there that "mixes" the rear lights so that rear running lights also gain turn signal and brake light functionality).  It brings the light management and load equalizer functions together in one module though.  There may be others that do this also. 

The Harley branded product to mix light functions in the rear, for example, is one that wouldn't play here.  It makes the brake and tail functions in the rear corners by dropping voltage.  That's fine with incandescent bulbs.  LEDs would just look at you funny though.  This Illuminator piece is just the first one I found that stayed in a small form factor and did both jobs in one unit without any big hassle.

Depending on some tolerances in the TSSM and the modules themselves these modules likely would be plug and play some of the time.  It's just so easy to go ahead and make the load equalizer function of the module energized all the time so that it and the TSSM simply always behave well vis-a-vis each other that there wasn't a good reason not to do it.

[Hoist!]

I already had the HD signal/brake light module in. Is that why why there was nothing weird about the install? I only added the load equalizer and the 4 LED boards. Mine does running, TS, and brake thru the rear TS. But no TS thru my saddlebag spoiler lights, brake and running only. Does yours do all 3 functions using ALL your rear lighting with that module? Thanks Don.

Hoist!

[REGGAB]

Henry, they have two sets of instructions mixed together there.  Not well differentiated.

One could tie to the TSSM as they mention.  Or one could take that same orange lead straight to A+.  But it's not a mix of the two.  On any bike with a security module installed the more stable option would be to go straight to battery with it. 

Find the orange lead coming out of the module.  Before it gets to the plug that mates the interconnect to the bike.  Cut it and take the leg coming out of the module to an unswitched source or directly to the battery.  This leg energizes the load equalizer that is part of the Illuminator module. 

It needs to be energized before the TSSM signals.  If not not only will the TSSM not recognize proper loads the module will backfeed.  That's what would cause the dash lights to flash in hazard mode.  It might also discharge with a bit of a spike at shut off.  That might manifest in shortened life spans or a nasty little pop in the speakers when you turn the switch off.

On the red bike I already had an A+ source behind the battery that was fused.  Just used it.  On the SERG simply made the short hop from the module to the battery. Did use an inline fuse.  5 amp.

Don't follow their instructions for tapping the TSSM leg.  That's only going to address very specific questions and might allow other issues to persist.  Energizing the load equalizer all the time will do what tapping off the TSSM would have and address other issues as well.  My guess is you're seeing generational instructions on their part that they never cleaned up as time progressed.

Not sure what to offer on the lens installs.  I didn't have an issue.  Make sure the wire from the sockets are coiled behind the PCB and are not between the board and the housings.  From there I just had them laying in place and actually used the lenses to guide them back to their final resting place.  One thought occurs if it's too much of an annoyance.  Use a couple of small dabs of silicone.  Stick the boards in he housings where you want them.  LEDs will last close to forever (relative to the bike's lifespan) anyway.  And it's not as if it would not still be a simple removal if you ever needed to.

Thanks, Don.  Silicone cured the lens cap annoyance.  Heat gun is loaned out at the moment.  I'm not a fan of unsealed splicing (may as well use wire nuts  ), so will take care of the wiring mod this weekend.

[Twolanerider]

I already had the HD signal/brake light module in. Is that why why there was nothing weird about the install? I only added the load equalizer and the 4 LED boards. Mine does running, TS, and brake thru the rear TS. But no TS thru my saddlebag spoiler lights, brake and running only. Does yours do all 3 functions using ALL your rear lighting with that module? Thanks Don.

Hoist!

That's it Howie.  The Illuminator module just accomplishes in one piece what you're doing with two.  Still getting the same job done though.

You could get t/s functions in your spoiler lights.  Would require a small bit of rewiring.    Rather than the isolated running light and brake light legs going to them now would need to feed them with running light and turn signal feeds.  The brake/signal module would then make the off-side turn signal behave like a brake light.  You'd also need to pick up their feeds at the interconnect behind the seat (behind the module) rather than from the accessory connector up front. 

Even then since the HD branded module drops voltage to the running light side it might make the LEDs in the spoilers function poorly.  Probably not worth screwing with.

[Twolanerider]

Thanks, Don.  Silicone cured the lens cap annoyance.  Heat gun is loaned out at the moment.  I'm not a fan of unsealed splicing (may as well use wire nuts  ), so will take care of the wiring mod this weekend.

I made the connection with crimped on weather tight enclosed terminal connectors (heat gun here and begged to shrink something!).  Just male and female connectors.  That way kept them sealed, took almost no time to crimp them on and maintained the easy quick connectivity of the module all behind the battery for when the time comes it needs to be removed for service or other reason.  Also put a mating terminal on the other (now unused) side of the orange lead ahead of the plug so the module can be returned to complete OE spec easily and immediately someday if ever need be.

[REGGAB]

Just finished the wiring mod.  Blinking speedo, tach, and radio when engaging 4 ways and security system went away as did the same plus jumping speedo and tach needles with 4 ways engaged and ignition off.  The only two challenges that remain are with 4 ways engaged and ignition off, front turn signals do not flash, and when engaging/disengaging security system, as well as triggering security system, front turn signals do not flash.  Other than that, system works as advertised.

[Twolanerider]

Just finished the wiring mod.  Blinking speedo, tach, and radio when engaging 4 ways and security system went away as did the same plus jumping speedo and tach needles with 4 ways engaged and ignition off.  The only two challenges that remain are with 4 ways engaged and ignition off, front turn signals do not flash, and when engaging/disengaging security system, as well as triggering security system, front turn signals do not flash.  Other than that, system works as advertised.

Sitting here bored in a hotel catching up on old threads and just saw this Henry.  What you're experiencing is a quirk of the bulbs.

When I first noticed this had to take a moment to remember how the fronts were fired during hazard flasher mode.  They're just left and right.  So it made no sense that the fronts would go off independently when the ignition switch was turned off.  Then I realized what else was going on.

Turning off the ignition switch does turn off the running lights to the front.  These LEDs are energized by the feed for the running lights.  The feed from the turn signal side only makes them flash.  Iit turns them on and off--does not vary their intensity.  They are a single intensity  bulb.  All bright all the time for (apparently) best visibility.  The turn signal on/off/on/off makes the bulb flash by cycling the bulb off.  It does not turn it on.  Only the running light feed does that.

So...  When the hazard lights are turned on with the ignition switch on the running lights are still turned on.  So the front lights are.  They flash then because the turn signal feeds (to both sides since the hazard lights are on) flash them on and off.  Turn the ignition switch to off or accy, however, and the running light feed is turned off.  So no more front lights.

This doesn't effect the rear as they're 1156 rather than 1157 style bulbs.  No dual feeds.  It's obvious what's going on once you notice how the bulbs work.  With these bulbs that's the way it's going to work though.  Getting hazards back in the front would require either using different bulbs or the creation of one of two new circuits.  A circuit to hop the front t/s feed to the running light side when the ignition switch is off or a circuit to power the running light side when in hazard mode when the switch is off leaving the current t/s feed in place to cause it to cycle on and off.