$35.00 Heated Jacket Liner (DIY)

[Kestrel]

Originally Posted by JensEskildsen

Hey guys, thanks for all the guides.

Can somebody help me to get the right wire, would love to find it on ebay ect which is very easy to buy and par for small items like that.

Would something like this work: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=320998251394 if I can get it in a 30ft spool?

The dimmer switch and misc plugs is eays to find. Uh, I have a question regarding the dimmer... If I turn it halfway down, does it only use half the power? (I think it does)

Anther question, how do you "mount" the string on the jacket, I see not everyone sews it on. Are you just using tape, glue or whatever?

Cant wait to start adding heat. Want a jacket for starters, dont really know about pants yet, havent decided. Have anyone run their jackets on batteries? With about 5A af current, I can see the limitations, even on lithium batteries. But if you were able to turn down the dimmer to save current it should be manageable.

Aprreciate the help, which im sure will come. Thanks in advance.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/30-ft-Strand...item3a7c73ecd0

^ This stuff was exactly what I used. Seems to work pretty well, and I haven't had any issues aside from the one sliced wire, which may have been my fault.

The LED dimmers don't necessarily limit the voltage, but rather just limit the amount of time for one 'cycle'. The dimmer cycles on and off at a very rapid pace, which gives you a lower average voltage and current draw from the bike. So, turned down halfway, you're essentially using an average amount of power that should be about half.

My jacket was done by simply threading the wires through the jacket's mesh liner. Most of the wire is between the mesh and the outer liner.. Every so many inches, I simply threaded the wire through the outside, and then back inside... Here's a photo to show that.



I measured the jacket's dimensions, and estimated how many 'loops' I could do, and how tight the spacing would need to be, in order to ensure I'd have enough wire to 'get back' to the other side of the jacket, where the wire was first threaded in.

Not running on batteries, but part of the appeal of wiring it right to the bike is that there are no batteries to worry about, and it'll work all day, every day. The wire to the bike has been a non-issue for me. Because I simply slip the controller in the jacket pocket, the plug comes out right around my upper thigh. My battery tender cable comes out from under the seat right between the front of the seat, and the gas tank... So it's very simply to hook up, allows me to move around the saddle during more sporting rides, and doesn't get in the way at all. It's a good setup, especially for the cost.