Indicator Alarm

It does still work, it just takes much longer to trip it.

I think its great as it was very embarrassing sitting at a busy roundabout and the thing starts beeping at you

I recently installed an old fashion turn signal buzzer in my Vectrix if anyone is interested I could go into some detail about the installation.

I recently installed an old fashion turn signal buzzer in my Vectrix if anyone is interested I could go into some detail about the installation.

Yes, please!

yeh .deto seems silly that someone has thought to change the time warning indicator from 15 seconds .to 20 seconds. why o why have the time incressed should be decricied if any change 10 sec/15sec max
may even saves lives come on vectrix should of been asked first.

It does still work, it just takes much longer to trip it.

I think its great as it was very embarrassing sitting at a busy roundabout and the thing starts beeping at you

The old software in the Vectux turns the beeper off as soon as the bike stands still. I found the time delay quite appropriate.

This really opens up a lot of interesting philosophical and legal questions.

The key points:

To keep your warranty you must let Vectrix install software updates.

They change key parts of the bikes functioning without any informed consent, as if they owned it.

They do not own it, though.

Even after the new software was installed it seems to have been harder than pulling teeth for some owners to get official advice about the new features.

For example the range reduction and reduced acceleration introduced with the Oct 2008 update could possibly be seen by some as some form of wilfull damage. The bikes were initially sold with grossly inflated range claims and with insufficient thermal protection for the battery, as well as a rudimentary BMS that apparently cannot protect cells from reverse charging and destruction. That is why so many batteries fail and had to be replaced. Many more are likely to have sustained damage to parts of the battery (the bikes with the disappearing bars syndrome), which might be covered up by the software changes so that the batteries make it through the warranty period. But how much longer?

I fear that these problems of not communicating with the owners/ riders will not go away until Vectrix is no longer traded on any stock exchange. Until then, it is their legal obligation to maximise shareholder returns, or minimise the losses, above all else.

They change key parts of the bikes functioning without any informed consent, as if they owned it.

They do not own it, though.

I know what you are saying .. but, isn't there a different way of looking at this? e.g. On your computer do you allow the vendor to install updates to the system software?

There's a very clear analogy here .. in both cases the vendor has available software updates. These can be fixed bugs, closed security holes, and new features. In computer operating systems and software applications the vendor will do small updates for free (e.g. every 2-3 months Apple sends out a point release of Mac OS X) and then on longer time intervals they do a major update and charge for the privilege to "buy" the update. I have an iPod Touch which I've jailbroken a couple times, similarly an AppleTV which I've jailbroken, and in both cases Apple's later software updates unjailbroke "my" devices. When Apple came out with iPod Touch firmware 2.0 I had to pay $20 or so for the privilege to "buy" the upgrade.

Vectrix is in a way a software vendor, and they give you the motorcycle as a receipt.

Uh, that was a recycled quip from a former big whig at Sun Microsystems (my former employer). This big whig used to say "Sun is a Software company who gives away hardware as a receipt" as a different way of stating Sun's business than the normal characterization that Sun sells computer systems.

What would be interesting is whether it's reasonable for Vectrix to offer a major software upgrade at some time which they charge money to "buy". The word "buy" is in quotes because "purchasers" of most commercial software aren't buying the software, they're buying a right to use some software but that distinction is hidden in a sea of lawyerly gobbledygook. I don't know but maybe Vectrix also has legalisms in place that they retain ownership of the software running in the bike...???

And seeing your use of Tux, I personally prefer to use open source software...

I recently installed an old fashion turn signal buzzer in my Vectrix if anyone is interested I could go into some detail about the installation.

Yes, please!

Sorry about taking so long to post about my installation of a turn signal buzzer but I forgot about how involved a project it was until I tried to write about it. Instead of just showing what I did I also answered questions that I thought someone might have who wants to install a buzzer themselves.

For a professional electrician by just taking off the seat you can cut the large wire loom (attached at some places to the left tubular frame by wire ties) length wise to tap the relevant wires and because the wires aren't color coded you'll need a digital DC mini clamp meter to identify them.

For every one else including myself you'll have to take off allot of parts to get access to where the wires connect to the rear turn signal lights.
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Piezo Buzzer;
The finished installation attached with Velcro


The Piezo Buzzer I use ( HJ-650, specifications are; 95 DB, 4-28 volts @ 15 MA, 43 MM diameter, waterproof ) isn't commonly sold any longer as far as I can find out but I assume there are similar ones available. I'd get a large one because a 30 MM diameter piezo with about the same specs isn't nearly as loud as the 43 MM above one ( when both are using 2 volts ).

Why do you need a buzzer this loud ? the answer is to compensate for the LED lights that only use 2 volts. This buzzer puts out an acceptable volume at 2 volts but is designed to be much louder at 4 - 28 volts.

Only use piezo buzzers and piezo buzzers that have a driver or built-in oscillator circuitry which without it is totally useless and could also damage the scooter. As a precaution test it first by connecting it up to a 12 volt battery using a 1 amp in line fuse in the circuit to verify it works.
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Getting to the wiring

To begin first remove the seat #1 and in order to remove it open the trunk then take out the two bolts in back of the front seat and slide it forward.

To remove the seat rack #3 you first have to remove the small panel #2 that's on the top back of the rack by removing the two screws underneath it.

Take off the rear seat #4 there are two washers 1.5 MM thick that are used as spacers when I took my seat off one came off, if this happens to you you'll have to glue it back in place, the product Goop works well.

A tricky part is removing the chrome plastic parts #5 that fits on around the rear turn signal lights. After you take out the two screws then the only thing holding it in place is ( B ) that goes into a push-on type fastener. Referring the picture below gently slide #5 out in the direction of the arrow by pushing on it from position ( A ). Note because #5 is flush to surface at position ( A ) you'll first have to move it out just enough to be able to push on it.

Two hidden screws (total of 4 for both sides). you can see #6 from below and #7 is deeply inset.

You don't need to completely remove the side panels.
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Wiring

Always have the ignition off when wiring !!! Who knows if you miss wire something or short out a wire it might damage the main board.

Initially when you first tap into the turn signal wires verify it has the same electrical polarity as my scooter as shown in the schematic picture. Because the voltage is pulsating a dial multimeter set in the 5 volt range works well.

If possible don't cut the Vectrix wiring your taping into.

Use a grounded type soldering iron.

I soldered all electrical connections except the ring terminals connections to the buzzer, ran most wire in 1/4" split loom tubing, used 22 gauge stranded wire, used wire ties and electrical tape where necessary and used heat shrink tubing for the diodes.

One thing I found out is the turn signal switch on the handle bar uses a low power level current so you wont be able to directly operate a piezo buzzer using wiring from there.

Anderson,

While I have no use for the buzzer, I just wanted to thank you for taking the time with your photos and photoshop work to show how the panels come off and in what sequence. Never know when that will come in handy! :-)

I hope some day we can get a complete body removal documented with photos and sequence, just so we know how to get to stuff that might need fixing later on or how to get panels off for painting, repair or other custom stuff.

Thanks again for the tedious work! :-)

I recently installed an old fashion turn signal buzzer in my Vectrix if anyone is interested I could go into some detail about the installation.

Yes, please!

Sorry about taking so long to post about my installation of a turn signal buzzer but I forgot about how involved a project it was until I tried to write about it. Instead of just showing what I did I also answered questions that I thought someone might have who wants to install a buzzer themselves.

Thank you very much! Good to see that you have taken the plunge and started to improve what you have; and in addition you put in the considerable effort needed to document it!

I agree with the description of the fairing dismantling procedure, well done.

But I have a number of issues with the details of the description of the electrical components. Don't get me wrong, politeness is not my forte.....but I'll try!

For a professional electrician by just taking off the seat you can cut the large wire loom (attached at some places to the left tubular frame by wire ties) length wise to tap the relevant wires and because the wires aren't color coded you'll need a digital DC mini clamp meter to identify them.

You do not need to cut the loom: It can be taken apart and put together again at the T-junctions. Totally non-destructive.

You can also identify the cables by having a close look (no gadgets needed at all except maybe for a pair of illuminated magnifying glasses):
It is true that the cables are not colour coded, but they are marked in a much better way: They have a code printed along their length at intervals. It might be pot luck if you find a print right where you look, but I did find them.

For every one else including myself you'll have to take off allot of parts to get access to where the wires connect to the rear turn signal lights.

The front fairing is harder to take off I believe - I have never done it yet. An extra-long phillips-head screwdriver is apparently needed. But it might be easy to locate the wires to the front indicators after removing the windscreen only.

I'd get a large one because a 30 MM diameter piezo with about the same specs isn't nearly as loud as the 43 MM above one ( when both are using 2 volts ).

Why do you need a buzzer this loud ? the answer is to compensate for the LED lights that only use 2 volts. This buzzer puts out an acceptable volume at 2 volts but is designed to be much louder at 4 - 28 volts.

Well, if you had installed the buzzer anywhere other than under the thick front seat foam, it would be a lot louder!

I did not measure how many volts the LED lights actually use, because the Interface Control Module (ICM, or wherever else these cables originate from) senses immediately if there is no LED connected when I try to measure; and then the ICM does not send a proper signal at all.
So, instead, I resorted to those illuminated magnifying glasses again (great for soldering, too!): The indicator light connector female part is imprinted with a bunch of information, just like the brake light, and the number plate illumination light, and probably everything else. All cables I have checked so far are both marked, and labeled, and tied down fairly well.

According to the markings, the indicator lights use 4V (3W max), not 2V.
" + " and " - " are also clearly marked, in small print, inside the connectors!

Here is a bunch of photos which I took in the process of investigating options for hazard lights. (It takes way too long to post everything all the time! I have plenty more photos, I take lots of them because it often helps to put stuff back together the way it was...)

Have a good look at them and you'll work out to what part of the above text they belong.

Thanks again for sharing your piezzo-mod with us; I don't want to be critical, but it's important to get accurate information out there so we don't all have to start from scratch again each time!

I'm sure my posts also contain errors, and would be very grateful if they get corrected asap.