I installed the Signal Sorcerer on my Fat Boy. I went back to the intersection, where the light wouldn't change and it still wouldn't trip it. I was with another bike so we were stopped along side each other. Since then, I found another left turn lane that won't change lights, since I put on the Signal Sorcerer.I know both areas work with cars.
Tom

 

Common problem. Mostly, there are three types of traffic light sensors in the US. Weight, magnetic, and optical. The rare earth magnets sometimes help with the magnetic sensors. The weight sensors are usually more sensative just inside the marker lines. The optical sensors respond to movement and/or light. You need to contact the city and find out what kind they have.

I just run the light. It's only illegal if you get caught.

 

I found this while I was loking up redlight law for Ga
apologies if its been circulated here already a damned good reason to keep an eye to the rear and not to stay in the middle of the lane and to run red light..
when you go to the site scroll down 3 or 4 pics to see the wreck

http://www.bikernation.net/stoplightbill.htm

 

The volunteer fireman friend does not have a clue. If a traffic signal has an OPTICOM flashing the headlghts will do nothing. An opticom works with a high intensity strobe with a special strobe pattern. The strobe pattern has to be recognized by the receiver. Half the time it wont work when we are trying to go through a light.

Lately in my area when they redid a road the used optical sensors that are mounted on the traffic light and sense the roadway.

 

I also suggest you contact your city's traffic engineers. Here in Sugar Land, TX I called and they met me at the two lights that did not recognize me in my immediate area. They blocked the left turn lane off, and had me stop my bike on each pad (cut out rectangle in the road) and they adjusted the sensors so it would detect my bike.

I also asked about some of the things I have seen mentioned on here. The engineer said magnets don't work and that he'd have to see it happen before he believed it. As far as where to stop, he said the best place was at an angle with your front tire on one edge of the loop, or cut in the road, and the back tire on either edge of the curcuit loop. He said it also depends on the sensors at each intersection, some types see you as you cross one of the pads, but if you stop between pads then they think you left and are no longer there. In oyher words, also stop on a pad, with the bike near the edge of the pad and the front wheel on the edge of the pad.

At least where I live, the city is gradually changing the way you are detected from these loops buried in the pavement to the traffic cameras (not the one that give tickets). A computer detects a change in the pixelation of the images from the camera and that triggers the lights on these new systems. Seems the new systems will be able to detect bikes much better, but as he said...they have thier problems too.

If I come to a light that doesn't see me, I wait for one complete cycle of the lights or maybe 30 - 40 seconds if the lights are not changing at all, and then I go when it is clear.