traffic light sensors

[cowprint]

they also have these same sensors at carparks, a trick i learnt when I was an ATM Technician was to come in the car park again if it was an expensive one with a shopping trolley, 9 times outta 10 it would register the metal in the trolly and presto a new time stamped ticket and with some caparks you have ten minutes to get out if you dont wanna pay the high city price for parking...

Not that Id ever do something like that myself...
but yeah its coils in the road that activate them, I think its also the same for the auto tollways, Ive found that if you ride to one side it doesnt register you on a bike and I havent had any beeps going off or infringment notices, kinda payback for charging bikes the same as cages.

[aardvark]

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/question234.htm

Or, do like we do in the patrol cars and flash your headlights 3 times in quick successsion!

[icebreaker]

I never have problems with traffic light sensors, in fact if I'm lane splitting up the outside and the Turn Right lane is free, I have to make sure I cut close the the lead car otherwise i'll trigger the Turn Right arrow and I'll be sitting there for longer..

[Yankee]

cowprint!

putting technology to good use!

[Ment]

I though my simple and direct answer was still the best.

You guys with you long and drawn out answer...

[Flakey]

I find if the sensor doesn't work, it helps to push the pedestrian crossing button...

[mrmina]

smitty is right in what he said, but sometimes u wonder if the bloody things are working or not.

[Smitty]

I find if the sensor doesn't work, it helps to push the pedestrian crossing button...

correct Flakey!

lil' story
Black Rob and I (and others went on the Teev last year)
and after the show we rode thru the city..came to an intersection
with lights and stopped and waited and waited and waited
I cracked it..
got off bike and went and punched all the ped crossing buttons...
Robs sitting on the bike larfing his head....
the lights DID eventually change
and orf we motored...

cheers

[08IGK]

The detectors at traffic signals work by 4 or 5 loops of wire cut into the road usually in a rectangle or a figure eight. When a vehicle goes over the detector it registers a change in the inductance of the detector and the computer that runs the traffic signals registers this and the signals change according to the programming of the intersection.
All intersections have a minimum time that they must sit in the main phase so this may be what you are experiencing. It does not take much to trigger the traffic signals, even a small metal bucket or tool box can be enough if the sensitivity is set correctly. Even push bikes can set them off.

It is amazing how many different stories there are out there about how traffic lights work, it is fun to sit back and read all the different ideas.

[Smitty]

The detectors at traffic signals work by 4 or 5 loops of wire cut into the road usually in a rectangle or a figure eight.

depends...
in Vic
we usually have one large rectangle at the 'head of the queue'
sometimes bisected by another wire
although of late..in response to problems with them not triggering a cycle
a single starter wire at 90° to the lane is being put 6-10 m before the wire loop at the end of the lane

cheers

[Greyice]

I have found that because motorcycles don't generally have enough mass (read: not weight) to set off the traffic sensors, I give the engine gentle revs to induce an electical field over the coils.

Now you can all laugh and say silly things but you need to understand how the induction coils in the sensors work.

It's not by weight. Maybe years ago but not now. They use a coil to detect a ferous mass passing over it. Bikes generally have aluminium not iron in quantity so we don't set them off.

..So to cheat the sensor, give the engine a rev or two whilst slowly moving over the coil to trick the coil.

All those people into electronics out there should be actually be able to name the law that I damned well can't remember.

Greyice.
ZZR600

[RG]

The detectors at traffic signals work by 4 or 5 loops of wire cut into the road usually in a rectangle or a figure eight. When a vehicle goes over the detector it registers a change in the inductance of the detector and the computer that runs the traffic signals registers this and the signals change according to the programming of the intersection.
All intersections have a minimum time that they must sit in the main phase so this may be what you are experiencing. It does not take much to trigger the traffic signals, even a small metal bucket or tool box can be enough if the sensitivity is set correctly. Even push bikes can set them off.

It is amazing how many different stories there are out there about how traffic lights work, it is fun to sit back and read all the different ideas.

That right mate, u've got it, the word 'induction'. I suppose that u r a electrical/electronic person too eh?

Yes, it is interesting to see we have all kinds of idea out here... hiak hiak hiak

But I still enjoy the rain dance tat Tanya did.

[RG]

All those people into electronics out there should be actually be able to name the law that I damned well can't remember.

Faraday's Law of Electromagnetic Induction

[Nanna10r]

All those people into electronics out there should be actually be able to name the law that I damned well can't remember.

Faraday's Law of Electromagnetic Induction

Top stuff, give that young man a "Seafood basket"
Onya 'Snapper"
Cheers Brett

[Smitty]

Faraday's Law of Electromagnetic Induction

Faraday's Law of Electromagnetic Induction is-

The induced e.m.f (e volts) is equal to the negative rate of change of flux.

thank you

hehehe