Neodymium Magnets & Inductive Traffic Lights

[CurvKyle]

So I have a stubborn traffic light at the intersection that leads to my house, it's extremely annoying to deal with everyday. I've read that a Neodymium magnet can produce a high enough magnetic field to make even the most stubborn lights change. I've seen products for sell like Green Light Trigger, now I can buy a magnet off eBay, among other places, at much cheaper prices. So I'm wondering, what power Neo magnet would I need and about how large? I believe the powers range from N24 to N54.

 

Also, these magnets do not hold up well under heat (anything over 175F/ 80C), so I've read. Do you think it would hold up if I stuck it on the inside of my engine bay (on the frame)?

 

Thanks.

[woelen]

I do not know how these traffic lights work. If they simply cycle through all lights around the intersection, then such a thing is of no use at all. Sometimes, the cycles can be very complicated (and annoying). E.g. ABABCABABC...., where C is some smaller parallel street, or for traffic to the left. But still, the cycle is fixed and does not depend on actual traffic.

 

The more intelligent traffic lights do have sensors, but I do not know how these work. I can imagine that they miss bikes and other smaller participants of traffic. I would say, buy a few of these magnets and attach them to the frame (outside). The nickel-plated ones are corrosion resistant and keep up very well in all kinds of weather.

 

Where I live, this issue is solved in another way. Cars and other large traffic are detected by sensors, but people on bikes and pedestrians have to push a button, telling that they are there.

[Sayonara]

Perhaps you should think about whether you should influence the system, rather than whether you can.

 

If this particular set of lights is a problem for you, then they are probably a problem for others as well. It may be worth writing a letter to the relevant authority explaining how the system is failing, to see if they can implement a more permanent solution that is not going to put people at risk.

[woelen]

How is this going to put people at risk? As I understand it, it is not breaking in at the lights, making your one green and the others red. It is just making yourself detected by the sensor system of the lights.

 

But I agree with Sayonara that contacting the relevant authorities may be a more useful solution, which also helps other people. On the other hand, such authorities tend to be sooooooo slooooooow.....

[swansont]

But I agree with Sayonara that contacting the relevant authorities may be a more useful solution, which also helps other people. On the other hand, such authorities tend to be sooooooo slooooooow.....

 

 

Unless they happen to travel on that road.

 

Here's a HSW article on inductive "demand-actuated" traffic sensors: http://auto.howstuffworks.com/question234.htm

 

Part of the issue may be increased use of materials that don't have the magnetic induction properties of iron — like aluminum, titanium, plastics and carbon-fiber — that make it harder for an induction loop to detect you.