Well, it ought to be possible to arrange it so that the sign only uses power when you want to use it. I doubt displaying 'Please Wait' for a few seconds would then have a significant affect on the overall power budget.
Solar trailer rides again!
- Thread starter matthewslack
- Start date
Scary is the word, after some close passes I toyed with the idea of a fish emblem to suggest a wavy path.
Looking at the cars across the street I see their rooves edge-on, my half metre advantage doesn't take effect until I'm almost next to them. So for a car closing fast your 'presence' could be 70cm wide at first, and 1.6m on closer(!) scrutiny, too late to decide to react at A road speeds.
Looking at the cars across the street I see their rooves edge-on, my half metre advantage doesn't take effect until I'm almost next to them. So for a car closing fast your 'presence' could be 70cm wide at first, and 1.6m on closer(!) scrutiny, too late to decide to react at A road speeds.I'm thinking maybe a curious front seat passenger would scan it with their phone, or people seeing the bike parked might do so, or maybe dashcams might get sufficiently clever!
Whatever I do, I want it to have a calming effect. I aspire to be a slow but collaborative and cooperative road user.
Whatever I do, I want it to have a calming effect. I aspire to be a slow but collaborative and cooperative road user.
It could lead to a "Buy Now" page for your bike trailer safety device! Bulk discounts for copper pipe lagging and reflective tape are available. You could also sell solar panels, Burleys, batteries, bikes, and large format scenic framed photographs - all at competitive prices. Might they like a photo of their vehicle passing by?
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You can get Neopixel RGB strips to make up a scrolling message sign, they can be driven with an Arduino.
The strips are waterproof with a self adhesive backing.
A 72 LED neopixel strip that is 0.5M long, weighs 20g.
7 strips would be enough to display a static message of 9 characters, scroll the characters for longer messages.
Assuming you have a backing to stick the 7 stips on, the strips, electronics and wiring might weigh circa 250g.
You could set up the Arduino such that the display only consumes power when you want to display a message.
The strips are waterproof with a self adhesive backing.
A 72 LED neopixel strip that is 0.5M long, weighs 20g.
7 strips would be enough to display a static message of 9 characters, scroll the characters for longer messages.
Assuming you have a backing to stick the 7 stips on, the strips, electronics and wiring might weigh circa 250g.
You could set up the Arduino such that the display only consumes power when you want to display a message.
How about this flexible waterproof beacon - attached horizontally to the trailer, on the passing side? 12/24V. Only 15.5 cm long, according to the listing.
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Yes it links to:
Safety on the road - ebikesolar.co.uk
I choose cycle paths and designated cycle routes whenever I can, then minor roads instead of main roads where possible. Sometimes there is no reasonable alternative route, and I need to use a main road. Even then, I will choose to ride those sections outside of the busiest times of day. I don’t...
ebikesolar.co.uk
I was rather hoping it would brick car electronics!
I couldn't work out how to scan it with my own phone!Yes it links to:
Safety on the road - ebikesolar.co.uk
I choose cycle paths and designated cycle routes whenever I can, then minor roads instead of main roads where possible. Sometimes there is no reasonable alternative route, and I need to use a main road. Even then, I will choose to ride those sections outside of the busiest times of day. I don’t...ebikesolar.co.uk
I was rather hoping it would brick car electronics!
On android, press and hold on image, then Search with Google lens from the menu. Click the link.
There is always a way! Or three! I'm still a new user to my three year old smartphone.
This is brilliant, but also in another way terrible that you feel you have to do this.
It's great to be able to engage with motorists and get them to understand what you are doing and have them invested in your progress etc. However, there are a lot of drivers out there who will just not care and see you as a nuisance, no matter how much you try and reason with them.
It is terrible that in this day and age you feel like you have to almost apologise for doing something completely legal and within your rights - to cycle along a public road.
My experiences on this journey have made this issue a whole new interest for me. I work in a safety critical role, safety per se is already in the front of my mind, so seeing the issues in a different situation is very interesting.
Twenty days, 1,455 miles, and the return home starting tomorrow is a huge data resource now, and a very concentrated window on road behaviour in different situations. Almost all that distance is on camera at 2fps, mostly forward facing from the handlebar mount, some rear facing and some forward facing from the front offside trailer corner.
My second camera arrived this morning, so the return trip will be filmed both forward and rear facing. When I get home, I will be looking for a means of creating split screen clips of my footage to show both ways at once. Might need a new PC!
The driver behaviour on the worst roads has patterns to it, so with the right interventions at the right level, which I don't feel are necessarily individual prosecutions, I believe there are ways to make the improvements needed.
A friend told me about a visit to France, and mentioned that even on dual carriageways, drivers were being really careful around cyclists. Apparently the presumption of blame approach is now in force there, and seems to make a difference.
Now there's some in depth knowledge! I was rereading the same rules in the last few days.
My speed is typically within the range 10 to 15 mph on the flat. Probably quite hard for those drivers who know that 10mph threshold to judge the difference.
More likley that very few drivers know that a specific speed is quoted for 'slow moving'.
And if a driver knows the limit and cannot judge the 10mph, then they should not overtake.
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