DIY Heat Troller

[jaster]

My heated grips came in today but it may be a week or so before I can get them installed. I keep hearing that a Heat Troller is a great addition to the heated grips or heated gear in general. Since the heated grips were only $26, I have a real hard time justify $70 retail for something to control them. I also have enough electrical experience to not understand what justifies that kind of price (other than it's a motorcycle accessory and people will pay the price).

So today I was looking around trying to figure out how to build a Heat Troller myself (I was certain I wasn't the first to have this thought). I'm pretty handy with a soldering iron so I'm willing to assembly my own if it'll save me money. Here's what I found:

Schematic is about half way down the page followed by some pictures. A couple pages later he mentions the 47K ohm should be a pot, not a resistor.
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=113134&page=3

Or just order something like this:
http://store.qkits.com/moreinfo.cfm/MX033

My only interest is for the heated grips but the MOSFET transistor in the first link is rated for 12A so it has room to spare (the grips are 3A on high). Aside from the obvious issues of an enclosure and weather proofing, does anyone see a major issue with these? Anyone have a better idea besides just forking over the money for a Heat Troller?

[forgitaboutut]

no ideas here, but this is going to be my approach....just on/off...(clothing)
keep it off till i get chills....and turn on (or on all the time when it is below 30F...)I've seen this recommended,http://store.qkits.com/moreinfo.cfm/MX033 no responses or reviews on how well it worked....
If you try this and like it,please let me know....

[Rob Hephner]

The Heat Troller is not a restrictive load it is a pulse width modulator that cycles energy to not waste power. Thus if you are not asking for full power you are not using full power. (It probably costs about $30 to $45 to build, but I'll give them the money for packaging, support and marketing.)

Any variable potentiometer or resistors you put in line simply tie up power and create heat (waste power) elsewhere instead of your grips or jacket.

555 circuits are notorious for not working properly in an automotive setting, but hey it only costs time and money to learn.

BTW, for heated grips I use a switch. ;) (When they get too hot I just turn them off.)

[jaster]

The Heat Troller is not a restrictive load it is a pulse width modulator that cycles energy to not waste power. Thus if you are not asking for full power you are not using full power. (It probably costs about $30 to $45 to build, but I'll give them the money for packaging, support and marketing.)

Any variable potentiometer or resistors you put in line simply tie up power and create heat (waste power) elsewhere instead of your grips or jacket.

If you look at what I posted, they are both PWM circuits and not a pot (I'll buy the Heat Troller before I use a pot). As far as the Heat Troller costing $30 to $45 to make, I haven't seen one in person but I can't imagine why it would be that expensive. From what I can tell it's a box containing a pot that controls a timing circuit. That circuit feeds a power transistor that pulses power to your gear. This should be very cheap to make considering mass production on an assembly line. My assumptions could be wrong...


555 circuits are notorious for not working properly in an automotive setting...

Care to elaborate? I've only used 555 circuits in a controlled environment but I don't see a problem as long as it gets good power. If you know of some issue, it could save me the hassle of making something and being disappointed.

For now I'm just going to use the grips as they are. I'm looking into this in case I decide I need more adjustment and because I'm curious.

[jaster]

I've seen this recommended,http://store.qkits.com/moreinfo.cfm/MX033 no responses or reviews on how well it worked....
If you try this and like it,please let me know....

I've seen that. The more I look at it, the more I don't like it. Shipping is $10 so you're half way to a Heat Troller and you still don't have an enclosure or cables. I'd probably build my own before buying that one.

[Rob Hephner]

If you look at what I posted, they are both PWM circuits and not a pot (I'll buy the Heat Troller before I use a pot). As far as the Heat Troller costing $30 to $45 to make, I haven't seen one in person but I can't imagine why it would be that expensive.

Then make one and undercut their price by half...sounds easy at least, doesn't it? (There is a lot more to a product than parts...)



Care to elaborate? I've only used 555 circuits in a controlled environment but I don't see a problem as long as it gets good power.

Good power comes from a good ground and vehicles that use an alternator to make DC power have AC ripple all over the ground. 555's usually false trigger a lot when used in other vehicles. (Cars and trucks.)

Now, that being said, I have never tried them on a bike. Which is why I said you should try, as the price to learn is not that high.

[Rob Hephner]

I've seen that. The more I look at it, the more I don't like it. Shipping is $10 so you're half way to a Heat Troller and you still don't have an enclosure or cables. I'd probably build my own before buying that one.

So, 29.99 and then you need to waterproof it, make the package smaller, add LED's and viola, you have a Heat Troller.....about the price I stated...right? ;)


BTW, remember that I said use a switch. I am not pushing the HT purchase.

[Blrfl]

Good power comes from a good ground and vehicles that use an alternator to make DC power have AC ripple all over the ground.

That's pretty easily cleaned by putting a 100-ohm resistor between the 12V supply and Vcc and a 100 uF capacitor across Vcc and ground.


Personally, I'd probably just buy the Heat-Troller heated grip kit and get all of the parts in a ready-to-use package. Building stuff from scratch is fun, but it's time-consuming. These days my time is at a premium, and $80 is a bargain compared to what I'd spend re-inventing the wheel.

--Mark

[Bones]

Being able to dial in a desired toastiness factor is something I really like. The Heat-Troller does that job very well. Mark and Rob are spot on about this (as usual).

[jaster]

Then make one and undercut their price by half...sounds easy at least, doesn't it? (There is a lot more to a product than parts...)

I have no interest in that business. It's an enjoyable hobby but that's as far as I care to take it. Not to mention no bank would loan me the money to get a business going to do the job right.


Good power comes from a good ground and vehicles that use an alternator to make DC power have AC ripple all over the ground. 555's usually false trigger a lot when used in other vehicles.

That makes sense. As Mark mentioned, that can be cleaned up with a little effort. Another group has mentioned using something other than a 555 due to it's limitations. Apparently a 555 will limit you to an adjustment range of 5% - 95% so you'll never get full power. I'm curious to see what they recommend as a replacement (they're too busy with Christmas stuff right now).

[nybryan]

http://www.farklemasters.com/

I get my heated stuff here. For twenty bucks over the cost of making it im not going to play with it
bryan

[juddspaintballs]

I didn't read the whole thing at all, but I have found this (someone may have already posted it).

http://store.qkits.com/moreinfo.cfm/MX033

should work the same way.