green light trigger

6039 Views 15 Replies 14 Participants Last post by abobotek, Jun 6, 2010

Sirdash

Discussion Starter · Jun 8, 2006

Anyone got one of these (green light trigger) for the stop lights. Do they really work? Yeah I do run the red after waiting awhile but I'm bound to get caught one of these days.

1 - 16 of 16 Posts

RonStewart

· #2 · Jun 8, 2006

Is it a big hunk of iron? If not, I doubt that it would work.

I read, but have not confirmed, that your best bet is to stop just inside the circle or rectangle of the sensing coil. Supposedly this will work better than the centre of the area.

gruntled

· #3 · Jun 8, 2006

Ive tried magnets & they didn't do any good. I have been surprised to find that my Majesty does a better job of tripping the lights than my 750 cc motorcycle does.

MinnMax

· #4 · Jun 8, 2006

So far the reports I've read indicate that these devices makes little to no difference in getting a traffic light to register your motorcycle/scooter is there.

I did run into an interesting article on how the traffic light sensors work. Here's the link for those so interested.

http://www.howstuffworks.com/question234.htm

ctpaddler2000

· #5 · Jun 8, 2006

I saw this item in the JC Whitney catalog: http://www.signalsorcerer.com/home.html

...and found a review of it at http://www.harley-performance.com/signal-changer.html

Disclaimer: I have never used this product and have no affiliation with any signal changer company. I just run the red lights if they won't change for me. :twisted:

Blexcroid

· #6 · Jun 8, 2006

I haven't heard about anyone having success with the magnet-type units. I have heard of several people recently who got busted for having a Mobile Infrared Transmitter for Emergency Vehicles (MIRT) on their bike or car. The unit flashes an infrared laser at a traffic light causing it to trip to green.
I don't know about other states, but they are illegal in Texas. There have been stories in the last several months about a couple bikes and one car getting busted in the Houston area for using the units. They were caught by examining the video from the cameras of the intersection and noting the consistency of certain vehicles at the intersections.
Since they're intended to allow ambulances and other emergency vehicles to more safely get through intersections, I'm glad they're busted. :wink:

myhrdly

· #7 · Jun 10, 2006

I have the signal sorcerer on my Maj. As far as I can tell it works great!
Before I got it I had to run a light in folsom CA. everytime! Except when a car pulled up behind me!! I bought the sorcerer and now it changes everytime!!!

It will not change a light that is on a timer. So in the early morning it will change the lights as soon as it can. But in the afternoons I have to wait the for the timed lights!!

So basically, it works for me! I give it a thumbs up!!!

Kim

Sirdash

Discussion Starter · #8 · Jun 10, 2006

Thanks all for the info..I orderd the signal sorcerer and will give it a try..

CajunBass

· #9 · Jun 11, 2006

The only light I've found yet, my Majesty doesn't trip is the one leaving work. If I waited for that one the first time, I'd still be there I suspect. I just turn right on red, go down, make a U-turn and come back.

Sirdash

Discussion Starter · #10 · Jun 13, 2006

I git the signal sorcerer today and put it on and yes it works great for me..Thanks for the advice on this gadget..I cant believe how small this thing is but it trips the light that i always had a problem with now...Now what else do i need next,,hummmm :idea:

hazegray

· #11 · Jun 14, 2006

According to the July 2006 issue of AMA's "American Motorcyclist" Idaho, Minnesota, Tennessee and Arkansas have now passed a law that permits you to proceed through an intersection "as soon traffic permits" if the signal fails to recognize the presence of your vehicle.

Sad to say, but if you ride you eventually have to get invloved state, local governments.
The good news is that is one the very active areas of the AMA.

Richard
In Cincinnati

Hazegray and underway

Socalmike

· #12 · Dec 17, 2009

RonStewart said:
Is it a big hunk of iron? If not, I doubt that it would work.

I read, but have not confirmed, that your best bet is to stop just inside the circle or rectangle of the sensing coil. Supposedly this will work better than the centre of the area.

If I can see a circular or rectangle line, I try to ride directly ON that line. Works 99% of the time. No magnets or anything needed.

rjdoles

· #13 · Dec 19, 2009

My wife rides a Reflex and I have a Majesty. We have run into problems with a couple of the traffic loop detectors.

Before I retired, I worked for a scale company and we installed these in the approaches to the highway truck scales. These things work on the same principle as the metal detectors at the airports only these aren't calibrated to trigger on a few ounces of metal. They do have a sensitivity adjustment on them. Sometimes the traffic engineers doesn't turn the sensitivity up to the point where they will detect something as light as a scooter (only 300 -500 lbs of metal). You can call the traffic engineer for the city/county area and let them know about a sensor that is out of adjustment and they should come out and readjust the sensitivity of the detector.

In Columbus, there are several intersections where the loop detectors are installed more than a car-length back from the intersection. They won't trigger till at least two cars are waiting to turn. I guess they figure the first car can turn left after the light changes from green to red.

I pointed out the loop detectors in the pavement to my wife and suggested that she pull right over the saw cut in the pavement. That way the distance from the scooter to the wire buried in the pavement is at a minimum. It seems to work a little better than stopping in the center of the loop.

By the way, my wife calls them detonators. Since we live in Ohio not Afghanistan that is probably not the right term for them but I got a chuckle out of it.

We wish everyone a safe and happy holiday.

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jcanavera

· #14 · Dec 23, 2009

hazegray said:
According to the July 2006 issue of AMA's "American Motorcyclist" Idaho, Minnesota, Tennessee and Arkansas have now passed a law that permits you to proceed through an intersection "as soon traffic permits" if the signal fails to recognize the presence of your vehicle.

Sad to say, but if you ride you eventually have to get invloved state, local governments.
The good news is that is one the very active areas of the AMA.

Richard
In Cincinnati

Hazegray and underway

Missouri just passed a similar law.

Jack

GTGTbangbang

· #15 · Jun 5, 2010

http://www.wikihow.com/Trigger-Green-Traffic-Lights

summary ;
Dipole loop (single visible loop cut)- Put both wheels directly on one of the sawcuts at either the right or the left. If you're still not detected, lean slightly towards the center.

Quadrupole loop (double visible loop cuts)- Place both wheels on the center sawcut, which has two wires and is more sensitive. If the traffic light doesn't change, lean slightly towards one of the outer lines on either side.

Diagonal Quadrupole - Designed to sense two-wheeled vehicles more easily. If a two-wheeled vehicle isn't detected, the sensitivity of the loop might be too low in general.

Attach neodymium magnets to the vehicle. The magnets have a lot of rules for safe handling. Familiarize first !

abobotek

· #16 · Jun 6, 2010

The electromagnetic physics (science) of the loop detectors is that they are not affected significantly by small magnets. They are affected by large metallic structures that conduct electricity. The coils induce currents in the vehicles overhead, and the system senses the resulting change in impedance. Large conductive rings work very well.

In simple terms, magnets don't work, but wheels placed as close to the perimeter of the coils (as others have posted) maximize the likelihood of triggering the sensor.

There are many people who will tell you magnets work and that magnets around the gas line will improve mileage, etc. Aside from placebo effect, neither theory nor objective experiments show any benefit of either.

1 - 16 of 16 Posts

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