Electrical systems give me a jolt.
Electrical systems confuse me. I think the problem is that I can’t see those little electrons racing around through those conductors. If I have a problem with a sprocket chain, I can see what is wrong and usually I have it fixed in a few minutes. I can see gasoline dripping or cracks in cast iron parts. If the brakes won’t brake or the clutch won’t clutch, I can usually find the problem just by looking. But electrical problems are invisible. Things just sit there looking normal, but not working. An non-functioning electrical part looks just like a functioning one.
Most of my scooters have six volt systems. Well, by actual count, all of them but one. Six volts is not enough juice for a car. It took car makers a long time to figure that out. But shouldn’t it be enough for a scooter? Nope. If you add any accessories, you are probably going to be short on electricity. Besides, it’s hard to find anything that works on six volts anymore.
People talk about amps, volts, and watts like they know them personally. But have they ever even seen one? They can’t even talk about them without slipping into math mode, and who can understand that?
From what I’ve heard, a scooter can get electricity from a number of sources. Some have a battery that makes electricity from chemical energy. Others use magnetic gadgets like generators and alternators. They may also have a magneto, which is a dandy device for firing spark plugs, but it’s not good for much else. Most Cushmans have an extra coil or two inside the magneto to power the lights, but only the ones with electric starters have batteries. My Eagle has an electrical system somewhat like a car. That’s the one that has 12 volts, a sealed beam headlight, a lawn mower battery, and even a brake light. Cushman scooters never came with turn signals. I guess in the Cushman era, hand signals worked OK.
My ’47 Cushman has a high beam and a low beam. The lights are powered by a 6-volt Permalite generator and there is little chance that the high beam would blind anybody. It never had a brake light, but that would have been more useful than a dimmer switch. At idle, it takes a really dark night to tell if the headlight is even on. I’m thinking of adding a battery powered brake light. There is one available that lights up some LED’s when you hit the brake, but it isn’t wired in to the scooter’s own electrical system. It might keep me from getting run over.
Howard
Most of my scooters have six volt systems. Well, by actual count, all of them but one. Six volts is not enough juice for a car. It took car makers a long time to figure that out. But shouldn’t it be enough for a scooter? Nope. If you add any accessories, you are probably going to be short on electricity. Besides, it’s hard to find anything that works on six volts anymore.
People talk about amps, volts, and watts like they know them personally. But have they ever even seen one? They can’t even talk about them without slipping into math mode, and who can understand that?
From what I’ve heard, a scooter can get electricity from a number of sources. Some have a battery that makes electricity from chemical energy. Others use magnetic gadgets like generators and alternators. They may also have a magneto, which is a dandy device for firing spark plugs, but it’s not good for much else. Most Cushmans have an extra coil or two inside the magneto to power the lights, but only the ones with electric starters have batteries. My Eagle has an electrical system somewhat like a car. That’s the one that has 12 volts, a sealed beam headlight, a lawn mower battery, and even a brake light. Cushman scooters never came with turn signals. I guess in the Cushman era, hand signals worked OK.
My ’47 Cushman has a high beam and a low beam. The lights are powered by a 6-volt Permalite generator and there is little chance that the high beam would blind anybody. It never had a brake light, but that would have been more useful than a dimmer switch. At idle, it takes a really dark night to tell if the headlight is even on. I’m thinking of adding a battery powered brake light. There is one available that lights up some LED’s when you hit the brake, but it isn’t wired in to the scooter’s own electrical system. It might keep me from getting run over.
Howard
posted by Howard at
11:10 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home