Trouble with Triton EL13 A-1 flasher

[Tomhae]

Hi folks,


I recently purchased a heavy duty Triton EL13 A-1 alternating flasher to replace the faulty canister flasher in my old Smith and Wesson bar. When I installed it it just makes a buzzing sound and one light stays on steady. I also had similar trouble when I was bench testing it with different lights. The unit has three prongs labeled "L", "L" and "X". From what I can guess, the two L's are for the lights you want to alternate, and the X is 12v positive. The unit does not have a ground wire or any ground point that I can determine. When testing I grounded the lights, wired each pos light lead to one of the "L"s on the flasher and put positive 12v to the X lug, and got the same buzzing effect with one light steady on. I searched online for some time, and read that it buzzes when wired wrong, but I'm out of ideas. Any help would be greatly appreciated.


Thanks, Kevin

 

[Richard P]

Hi folks,
I recently purchased a heavy duty Triton EL13 A-1 alternating flasher to replace the faulty canister flasher in my old Smith and Wesson bar. When I installed it it just makes a buzzing sound and one light stays on steady. I also had similar trouble when I was bench testing it with different lights. The unit has three prongs labeled "L", "L" and "X". From what I can guess, the two L's are for the lights you want to alternate, and the X is 12v positive. The unit does not have a ground wire or any ground point that I can determine. When testing I grounded the lights, wired each pos light lead to one of the "L"s on the flasher and put positive 12v to the X lug, and got the same buzzing effect with one light steady on. I searched online for some time, and read that it buzzes when wired wrong, but I'm out of ideas. Any help would be greatly appreciated.


Thanks, Kevin

youre using a battery charger arent you"?

 

[Tomhae]

youre using a battery charger arent you"?

Yep! Sounds like you have a theory, although I'm not sure why that would explain it not working in the S&W bar...

 

[Richard P]

Yep! Sounds like you have a theory, although I'm not sure why that would explain it not working in the S&W bar...

I have an answer lol. electronic flashers dont like force fed amperage. battery chargers force, 2 amps, force 5 amps, 10 and so on. flashers need to take their respected amps. used a battery, itll work.

 

[Tomhae]

So I tried powering the setup directly from a battery, and it worked using a federal signal flasher, but not the Triton. I guess there is a possibility I burned it out already with the battery charger. Is it something to do with new solid state flashers? The flashers in my old CTS and Aerodynic bars have always worked on the battery charger.

 

[Richard P]

So I tried powering the setup directly from a battery, and it worked using a federal signal flasher, but not the Triton. I guess there is a possibility I burned it out already with the battery charger. Is it something to do with new solid state flashers? The flashers in my old CTS and Aerodynic bars have always worked on the battery charger.

The old thermal can flashers quite often worked on chargers, newer electronic and solid state dont like chargers one bit

 

[timmy]

Hi folks,
I recently purchased a heavy duty Triton EL13 A-1 alternating flasher to replace the faulty canister flasher in my old Smith and Wesson bar. When I installed it it just makes a buzzing sound and one light stays on steady. I also had similar trouble when I was bench testing it with different lights. The unit has three prongs labeled "L", "L" and "X". From what I can guess, the two L's are for the lights you want to alternate, and the X is 12v positive. The unit does not have a ground wire or any ground point that I can determine. When testing I grounded the lights, wired each pos light lead to one of the "L"s on the flasher and put positive 12v to the X lug, and got the same buzzing effect with one light steady on. I searched online for some time, and read that it buzzes when wired wrong, but I'm out of ideas. Any help would be greatly appreciated.


Thanks, Kevin

I had a problem with a flasher unit when i was using my battery charger as a power source. it drove me crazy and i even bought a replacement flasher unit. once i switched to a better power supply (i really should have just tried a battery) the problem just went away. in my case the lights alternately flashed like they should but it was way to fast and the lights didn't even have time to come on fully.


just a thought


timmy

 

[Clarence H]

Most battery chargers do not produce "clean" DC power. A lead acid battery can absorb the "ripples" as it is charging, an electronic device cannot. A battery charging pack is a better option.


Clarence