Heated Gloves/Insoles Voltage Controller Problems...

[Ambergnat]

Hi Chaps,

Having some problems with my bodge-job voltage controller.

I'm the first to admit that I'm a bit of a numpty as far as electrics are concerned.  I can do the basics - changing plugs and a bit of soldering etc... but much beyond that and I'm out of my depth. This has me stumped.

The story so far:

Last winter I bought a pair of Keis heated gloves & insoles (@ 60 quid a pop!) and fitted them to the bike.  They were/are fantastic, but unless it was absolutely effing freezing, they were a bit too good. Anything above 4 or 5 degrees C and they were definitely too hot.

The 'official' heat controllers come in two flavours; basic at £30 each and 'digital' at £60 each - meaning that if I want to use them I'm looking at £60 minimum, and I ain't made of money.

Sooo, I looked online, found some cheap 12V voltage regulators*(details below), bunged them in a box, wired it up with a nice little push switch and plugged them in.

From the first use they were less than half as hot as they should be, but I couldn't work out why  - as, on 'maximum' the voltage regulators shouldn't (and don't) affect the voltage at all - I.e 12V in 12V out -  and on 'minimum' I got zero V out - but, as the weather was warming up it soon stopped being an issue.

However, it's getting cold again and I've still got the same problem, and far too few skills/brains etc. to fathom out just what the hell I'm doing wrong. I still get 12V output at every point, but only half the heat. Don't get it.

Obviously I'm losing current somewhere, but measuring it is also beyond me - I know I could probably work it out if I could work out the resistance the gear is creating, but I don't seem to be able to get my multimeter to tell me anything useful either.

I'm looking at wiring in a bypass switch so that I get the option of full beans off the battery when I want it, but it kind of feels like cheating, and it pisses me off that I don't understand it (but not enough to go and learn electronics  )

Any Ideas? - am I missing the blindingly obvious?

*details on the regulators: 12V 3A Pulse Width Modulator - and here's an eBay site I used earlier... 
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Newest-12V-24V-36V-3A-Pulse-Width-PWM-DC-Motor-Speed-Regulator-Controller-Switch-/201296588424?hash=item2ede362e88:g:au0AAOSwNSxVD9ZC

[greywolf]

Could you have the outer gloves powered by the £29.99 heavy duty controller? If so, what you missed could be from http://www.keisapparel.co.uk/product/keis-heavy-duty-controller/

Please Note: The Keis Heavy Duty Controller can not be used in  conjunction with Keis Outer Gloves. - See more at: http://www.keisapparel.co.uk/product/keis-heavy-duty-controller/#sthash.Vxn5aCvP.dpuf

[Ambergnat]

Could you have the outer gloves powered by the £29.99 heavy duty controller? If so, what you missed could be from http://www.keisapparel.co.uk/product/keis-heavy-duty-controller/

Er... I'm sorry Greywolf - I'm not sure I understand what you mean (I could just be tired though...).  What did I miss?

...Aaah - I did forget to specify that the gloves are the 'inner' ones, but I would still need to buy two controllers at £30 each for the gloves and insoles, I was well aware of the keis versions though - hence the following:

The 'official' heat controllers come in two flavours; basic at £30 each and 'digital' at £60 each - meaning that if I want to use them I'm looking at £60 minimum, and I ain't made of money.

I may have to bite the bullet and buy something like that, but I'm allergic to being fleeced and thought I could knock up a cheap alternative... (famous last words ) - the problem is getting the bloody things to work properly!

[UK_Vstrom650]

No idea - sorry,  but if you do figure it out let me know as I bought the insoles and they're far too hot. Like you, I'm not made of ££ nor do I like being fleeced.

[Note: I have a Keis Heated Jacket which has a dedicated plug to power the insoles. I had thought the jacket controller would have reduced the heat of the insoles but it doesn't and Keis say I need another controller ]

[Firestorm]

I used Keiss heated insoles for a trip to the Elefant last year and I also had issues with them being too hot. Being tight, I wired in a handle bar switch so they could be on or off and it worked a treat. 10 mins on - toasty feet which lasted for an hour or so then another 10 mins on. Worked for me.

[V-Strom3]

I have gerbings heated gloves and socks.
I've used the old Oxford rotary switch to be able vary the output but it controls both instead of the heated grips.
So its either cool feet cool hands or hot feet and hot hands, usually go for the latter.