Originally, I had written a very extensive article about helmet lights with LED strip lighting. The entire story included more than just LED lighting. I wanted a chance to cover the entire world of flexible lighting. Since the LED lighting showed that there was way more than enough awesomeness to put into one article, I never had a chance to talk about another affordable way to pimp out virtually any motorcycle helmet (or anything really) you want to by using the EL wire. More to come on that later… EL wire also known as Electroluminescent wire. It is probably one of the simplest solution for adding light within a project. EL wire is a very thin copper texture that is flexible and gives off a very bright glow along the whole length of the article. When looking at it, it is not unlike a chemical glow stick. It is also waterproof, very cool, can be sliced to any size or length that you may want, and as long as each one of the joints are properly isolated, it will not wind up shocking your body through the electricity that goes through it.

Each one of those (along with its more than passing resemblance to the piping on one of the Tron outfits) make it a very popular choice for light up costumes, clothing, and many other accessories. Since it is very energy efficient, EL wire is also used for lighting indoors, and in different types of vehicles. EL wire does require an alternating current source, which means that you will need to connect to a transformer. dirt bikes for sale gtaUsually a small battery powered box that can be tucked away somewhere on your project, or inside your costume, making it harder to be noticed. motorcycle repair langleyGreater lengths of EL wire will require you to use more power.stx motorcycle for sale EL wire is layered with a phosphor that is also wrapped with a very thin wire that is made up with a copper wire.vespa scooters for sale new jersey

The wire is protected by a layer of PVC sheathing, and another PVC sheathe is used to color the light that the wire produces. Once an alternating current is applied to The core and also The wrapping wire, it then excites the thin layer of phosphor that separates The two, which in result causes it to glow brightly. EL wire is almost a miracle when you look at it because it is so simple, that you can pretty much slap it on anything. Yes, that means you can sew it into your clothes, and go full Tron Guy. There are mane more subdues uses for it as well. For instance, you can line a bag with EL wire, wrap The handlebars or top tube of a bicycle. You simply tuck the wire into the corners of a small box or container, a drawer, a display case, or even The engine compartment of your car. Personal experiences have taught me that you can also make cat wear using EL wire sort of like a collar, but my cat does not like it. If you want to Get just a bit more technical, you can hook multiple strands of EL wire up to a sequencer, which is a micro controller that turns All The strand on and off according to a program.

Which is much like The LED strip/Arduino setup that I wrote about last time. If you enjoy the smooth look of EL wire, but you find that it is too wiry, be aware that you can also buy EL tape or EL panel. Both of these work The same way as the EL wire, and provide The same continuous, even The illumination. The only difference is that EL tape does come in thick flat band, and the EL panel is sold in 10cm x 10cm squares. Like EL wire, they both can be cut down to a certain shape or size, for what you are working on. EL wire is also sold in a large amount at commodity prices, so if you search around you will find EL wire available at hundreds of stores worldwide. You can also find EL wire in tons of colors and with many different effects to choose from. Personally for helmet lights and if you are just starting out with EL wire, I would recommend that you start with a starter kit from one of the major supply sites such as; Make, Ada-fruit, or Spark-fun. You may wind up paying an extra dollar or two, but you will get a little peace of mind, knowing that you have the right transformer, and you will also know that you are dealing with a company that you can trust.

Has anyone experimented with EL wire before? I would love to hear about any project’s that you may have created. The images above are from a Kickstarter Project called Lightmode Helmets. Being  a supporter of crowdfunding – where the customers and market gets to choose who gets funded- I wanted to show my support here and recommend that you check out the crowdfunding project. It’s great to watch the direction of modern innovation 🙂 Here are 10 of my favorite Lightmode Helmets Here is the promo vid:All New S Kits All New 'S' KitsSmaller/Detachable Controller, Water Resistant, USB-RechargeablePre-Order Now All New S Kits Free US & Canada shipping. Order now and SAVE 25% on the new S Kits Pre-order discount will end without notice. Expected delivery date: May 2017. 1st Gen KitsFree US & Canada Shipping.Order Here Which Kit Is Right For You? Easy to installWatch Video →Visit our Instagram → Watch Our Latest Video

SubscribeNew product launches, promo codes, and early bird specials. LightMode - Electroluminescent Motorcycle Helmets LightMode has created a permanent helmet modification that surrounds your helmet with electroluminescent (EL) materials in true 360° fashion. The modification helps riders become more visible in night settings by illuminating the highest point of the rider: their helmet. For riders, getting noticed is not just about the ego boost, it's also about safety. Motorcycles are roughly 1/6th the size of a 4-door sedan. That translates to a significant reduction in visibility which every rider, and rider's family, has to accept. According to a study published by BMJ (formerly the British Medical Journal), the use of a white helmet was associated with a 24% lower risk compared to wearing a black helmet. Evidently, the visibility of one’s helmet plays a significant role in rider safety. A major issue is that riders are very likely to forgo safer gear for better aesthetics.

But we ask, why not give them both? HJC FG-17 LightMode Helmet Every LightMode helmet modification is powered by a small controller that has three mode selections: constant glow, blink, and off. The controller uses two AA batteries and lasts 13 hours when using 2000 mAh NiMH rechargeables. The controller easily clamps onto the helmet via the space between the shell and the padding or via a curved adhesive mount. All LightMode controllers mount to the right side to keep the left side free for Bluetooth communication devices. The EL components are fixed to the helmet using a special combination of super strong glue and a chemical accelerator. Create your own design! We offer two complete Do-It-Yourself Kits. Kit A ($69) contains the following: 3 meters of EL wire 50 cm of EL tape (Yes! It can be cut) Controller with 3 mode selections 3 meters of design string The package comes in 5 colors: aqua, red, white, green, and blue. No prior knowledge of electronics is required!

Due to the unique features and contours of each helmet, EL Tape may not always easily fit into your design. EL Tape is not as flexible as EL Wire, so this package contains 4.5 meters of EL Wire and no EL Tape to accommodate your needs better. 4.5 meters of EL wire 4.5 meters of design string This package comes in 7 colors: aqua, red, white, green, blue, yellow, and pink.  Don't have the time or confidence to build a LightMode helmet yourself? Order a fully functional, complete, HJC FG-17 LightMode helmet with 3 meters of EL wire, 50 cm of EL tape, and controller with 3 mode selections already fixed onto the helmet. Helmet color is available in black, matte black, silver, and white. Comes in 5 EL colors: aqua, red, white, green and blue. Please note: Complete LightMode helmets will be shipped after the LightMode kits as they take longer to make. Designs of the additional helmets will be similar to the HJC FG-17 LightMode helmet. The song used in the Kickstarter video was produced by the creator of LightMode himself.

Support our project by supporting his music. Use this chart to help you determine your EL colors The goal of this project is to raise enough funds for bulk orders. The cost of each individual component necessary to create a LightMode helmet needs to be driven down, and the only way to do that is by ordering large amounts. All necessary research has already been conducted. We're ready to go, but we need your help to bring the per-unit cost down. The big unknown is quantity. Since this market has not been tested, approximating the number of backers is a difficult task. To account for this uncertainty, we have taken the 'worst case scenario' approach in all of the part sourcing. We have ensured that all our suppliers are capable of producing quantities in the hundreds, if not thousands. Since we make all the helmets and kits at home, there won't be any downtime in terms of labor. The quantity of orders will play a determining factor in the swiftness that we can get each order out the door.