• Lifetime Power Supply • Bright Nickel Finish
3/32" tall x 5/32" wide x 2" long • Weighs less than 1/2 oz.
#1 Gift for Motorcyclists • SAVES Time & Fuel
Keeps Bicyclists SAFE and Legal • Works on All Vehicles

How Signal Sorcerer® Works

A Very Short and Sweet Explanation

The overwhelming majority of the controlled traffic signals in the United States are regulated by electromagnets. Electromagnets that are used to sense iron, instead of lift it, are called inductive loops. These loops most often appear at controlled intersections as large rectangles (outlined in black) in the road.

Inductive loops detect iron (ferrite [Fe]) not aluminum, rubber, plastic, weight, mass, titanium, etc. Motorcycles, particularly the newer models, rarely have enough iron close enough to the ground to cause the inductive loop to detect their presence at the intersection – ergo, the light does not change. Signal Sorcerer® generates a very powerful field that substantially increases the inductance in these loops, therefore causing the traffic signal to detect the vehicle it's attached to and initiate a cycle change. Inductive loop technology has been employed in this capacity since the early 1960's.

A More Detailed Explanation of Traffic Signal Sensor Systems

Traffic signals in the United States use several different systems to detect traffic in a specified area, such as a left turn, right turn, or straight traffic lane. But laser-based, motion detection, pressure-based, and other experimental vehicle detection systems have never successfully challenged the function, low cost, dependability, and popularity of the electromagnetic system called the 'inductive loop.' The inductive loop, first introduced to traffic detection use in the 1960's, is very inexpensive to purchase, easy and inexpensive to install, highly reliable, requires essentially no maintenance, does not wear out, and is unaffected by the presence of irrelevant objects such as dogs, pedestrians, birds, large insects, etc.

Inductive Loops

A traffic signal-controlling inductive loop is simply a coil of wire that has been buried just beneath the road's surface. The coil is then covered with black tar or rubber for protection from the elements and traffic wear. When a small electrical current is run through these coils, as per the laws of magnetics, they become electromagnets. The inductance of these loops is then measured with a meter. The units of measure are called "Henrys." When ferrite (iron – not aluminum or titanium, etc.), or ferrite containing materials such as some steels, breech the 2)field of the loop, the inductance rises. The signal controllers and switches, which tell the traffic light to cycle, are linked to the meter measuring the inductance of the loop. When the inductance of the loop increases by a preset amount, the timer is engaged and the light initiates its cycle based on the current timer setting. The human body, fiberglass, plastic, aluminum, titanium, rubber and most other substances have almost no effect at all on the level of inductance. 3Ferrite most substantially increases inductance. Ferrite is present, in varying degrees, in almost all steels.

Read more about Inductive Loop Technology:

Busting Traffic Light Myths - Or - Why Can't I Get a Green Light?

It is now easy to see why today's motorcycles, mopeds, bicycles, many small cars, SUVs, and raised 4x4s do not effectively initiate traffic signal cycles. There is actually very little iron in today's motorcycles, mopeds, and small cars. High-tech plastics, alloys, and aluminum account for the majority of the mass of most of these vehicles, and much of the steel, such as the handlebars or roof, is too far from the inductive loop to affect it. The distance from the ground that iron is located is critical to triggering the traffic light. And now it also becomes clear why SUVs and 4x4s have difficulty also: the iron is too far above the road to trip the light.

The Signal Sorcerer® traffic light changer generates a powerful field specially designed to radically increase the inductance of the loop — INSTANTLY. Once a Signal Sorcerer® traffic light changer breeches the loop's field, the signal's cycle initiates. Some traffic lights will change immediately, some are on timers and there is a delay before the light changes – but the signal's cycle HAS been initiated by a Signal Sorcerer® traffic light changer, and the light will change. Most signals have no timers operating during minimal traffic periods, such as 1:00 a.m. through 4:00 a.m. During peak traffic periods, controlling timers on cross-traffic lanes may be set for up to as long as three and even four minutes. Without such settings, these lights would become, essentially, just expensive stop signs.

Check out this site to learn more about Traffic Sensing
Staying in the Loop:
The Search for Improved Reliability of Traffic Sensing System

USEFUL INFORMATION

If you and your motorcycle riding buddy both have a Signal Sorcerer® motorcycle traffic light signal changer installed, it will not matter whether you breech the loop individually, or together. Each Signal Sorcerer® motorcycle traffic light signal changer increases the inductance more than adequately to trip a properly set traffic signal's cycle – and most which are not properly set.

Typical inductive loop configurations and suggested approach paths

Inductive Loop configurations

Red dots indicate the line of travel of your Signal Sorcerer® equipped vehicle.
The Signal Sorcerer® should be as close to the line of dots as possible.

A Signal Sorcerer® traffic light tripper may be attached to any surface without loss of effectiveness. You may attach your Signal Sorcerer® traffic light tripper to the steel frame or skid plate, an aluminum engine component, plastic fairing or cowl parts, leaf springs, transmissions, etc. The most important things are: a) that the unit is located close to the road's surface b) that there is nothing between the Signal Sorcerer® traffic light trigger and the road and c) that placement does NOT interfere with the safe operation or service of your vehicle. Signal Sorcerer® traffic light trigger should never be placed on wheels or on exhaust systems' components.

Both of the Signal Sorcerer® traffic light triggers come packaged with two alcohol cleaning pads for area preparation, and a strip of 3M™ acrylic foam adhesive already attached to it for easy mounting. This is a permanent, industrial grade adhesive. The SS-1 unit will fit nicely, and unnoticeably, on any surface: flat or round, which makes it ideal for locating on the tubular frames of motorcycles, or their cross members.

1* -The Henry per meter (symbolized H/m) is the unit of magnetic permeability in the International System of Units (SI). Reduced to base units in SI, 1 H/m is the equivalent of one kilogram meter per second squared per ampere squared (kg times m times s-2 times A-2).
Permeability is a characteristic of matter, and is important in the design and construction of electromagnets; inductors — such as the inductive loops used to control traffic signals; timers; and alternating-current (AC) transformers. The permeability of a vacuum (also known as free space) is equal to approximately 1.257 x 10-6 H/m, or 1.257 Micro-Henrys per meter (1.257 µH/m).
The Henry per meter is a large unit of permeability. Virtually all substances have permeability far less than 1 [unity]. However, permeability can also be expressed as the ratio of the number of henrys per meter in a particular substance to 1.257 x 10-6 H/m. In this scheme, free space has a relative permeability of 1, and most substances have relative permeability greater than or equal to this.

Back to Article

2 -The field of an inductive loop extends above the loop, beneath it, and to the sides of it. The loop's field strength reduces rapidly the greater the distance from the plane of the loop: ferrite that is 4" above the loop has a significantly greater effect on that loop's inductance than the same ferrite 6" above the loop, which has a significantly greater effect on that loop's inductance than the same ferrite 8" above the loop, and so forth. Hence, ferrite containing materials that are perpendicular to the road's surface do not influence inductance as much as those running parallel to it, per see.
3Ferrite: 1) Any of various yellowish or reddish-brown, crystalline substances occurring in rocks and having the general formula MFe2O4, where M is some divalent metal, as nickel, zinc, etc. 2) One of the forms of pure metallic iron, having high magnetic permeability and occurring as a constituent of ordinary iron and steel.

FAQ’s

Q - How does a Signal Sorcerer® traffic light changer work?
A - When a Signal Sorcerer® traffic light changer passes through the electromagnetic fields controlling most traffic signals in the United States (these electromagnets are also called "inductive loops"), the extremely powerful field of the Signal Sorcerer® traffic light tripper disrupts the static field generated by these electromagnetic loops, and thereby causes the sensors to ‘think’ a much larger vehicle is present.

Q- Why don’t traffic control systems detect my vehicle?
A - The electromagnets used to control most traffic signals only recognize iron - just like all magnets. Today’s modern vehicles have very little iron in them, and much of it is too high above the road's surface to matter to the loop. Engineers have access to lighter, stronger materials such as aluminum, alloys, and plastics that reduce vehicle weight and costs, and improve their efficiency – hence the reduction in iron.

Q- Will the Signal Sorcerer® traffic light tripper trip every type of traffic signal controller?
A – The Signal Sorcerer® traffic light trigger is engineered to work only on electromagnet-based systems (inductive loop systems). This covers the vast majority of systems employed in the US today - as well as in many other countries.

Q - How long does the Signal Sorcerer® traffic light trigger power last?
A - Signal Sorcerer® traffic light trigger has a 10,000 year half-life.

Q - Do lights change the instant I drive over the loop?
A - There are two devices controlling the types of traffic signals under discussion: 1) an inductive loop and 2) a timer. When the inductive loop detects a vehicle in a lane, it starts the timer. These timers are set for varying lengths of time, depending on traffic levels. During peak times 9rush hours), timers may last as long as 4-minutes: meaning you will wait for four minutes after you have tripped the light’s timer. During very slow traffic times, such as from 2 – 4 AM, most timers are set to no-delay: the light will instantly change. The need for timers is inescapable - though sometimes quite irritating. If lights were always set to no-delay, then only one or two cars could get through each signal’s cycle during peak periods of traffic - making traffic signals even less effective and more hazardous to drivers than stop signs.

Q - Do I need to maintain my Signal Sorcerer® traffic light changer?
A - No. You may notice that your Signal Sorcerer® traffic light changer eventually becomes darkened with a very fine dust that you cannot remove. This dust is actually iron which has been removed from the air. Iron is present in this solid, dust form throughout the US. It's almost impossible to remove it from a Signal Sorcerer® traffic light changer, but a soft toothbrush yields the best results. The dust does not affect the function or longevity of the unit.

Q - What if Signal Sorcerer® traffic light tripper fails to trip a light’s cycle?
A - There are several reasons a light won’t trip. 1) The light is not controlled by an inductive loop. 2) The loop for the light is not functioning at all. 3) The loop’s detection meter (a Henry Meter or Magnetometer) and/or loop voltage has not been set properly. (#3 is absolutely most common.) Most cities have a place to contact to inform them that a light is not working properly. [In fact, street departments frequently publish public notices asking for assistance in locating signal errors and deficiencies.] This is usually the same place you call to report that a bulb is burned out on a traffic signal. If you live in the area of a 'problem light,' it is suggested that you contact this department and report an improperly set meter on an inductive loop. They will need to know the intersection, and which lane(s) did not detect your vehicle.