My LED taillight panels... which version should I use??

Tried2Live · Dec 7, 2003

Kid wita 5oh said:
i can see them now, the server must have been down..

they look sweet! if you ever make a wiring diagram i'd like to see it(i'll pay ya for the diagram if need be) i'd love to do it to mine.

Once I get them in the car and make a few hard launches and abuse them a bit, I might consider selling schematics, or complete assemblies. I wouldn't be too happy if I started selling things and they burnt out, or solder joints broke or whatever.

Cannon Fodder · Dec 7, 2003

Tried2Live said:
Tail lights

Brake lights

In a way I think the first set is cooler since they show off the fact that they're LEDs, but then the second is cool too. I can't decide.

How are you switching between the two intensities in those pics?

Tried2Live · Dec 7, 2003

Cannon Fodder said:
How are you switching between the two intensities in those pics?

Just using resistors. I have no idea what value yet though. I just put a whole bunch of resistors in series and parallel until it was at the brightness I wanted. I'll get my Fluke out one of these days and check it.

Has anybody ever seen blank bases for 3157 bulbs? I'd like to run the wires for these so they can be plugged right in to the taillight plug, but I can't find any bases to use.

StangTtops88 · Dec 7, 2003

Very sweet!

Make sure you post a completed view w/all three lights!

Cannon Fodder · Dec 7, 2003

Ok so your varying the voltage and amperage to them. I'm guessing that they are not going over 5v right?

As far as the bulb bases you can make them, real simple. Some time, some bulbs, a hammer, soldering iron and some heatshrink and tape.

Tried2Live · Dec 7, 2003

Cannon Fodder said:
Ok so your varying the voltage and amperage to them. I'm guessing that they are not going over 5v right?

As far as the bulb bases you can make them, real simple. Some time, some bulbs, a hammer, soldering iron and some heatshrink and tape.

There is a 2V drop across each LED at 20mA. You can wire 1-6 in series if you want, you just have to have the appropriate resistor to take care of that excess voltage.

I was actually thinking I may have to do that for the bases.

BlackFox5.0 · Dec 7, 2003

So are you running 2V for the low brightness, and around 5v at full brightness?

I don't undertsand exactly how you are running them in both series and parallel. How many Leds are running together (in series and/or parallel) on one resistor?

Would you post a close up pic of the back side so we can see how you are wiring them up, or are you keeping this all secret till you decide to market them, or one of us figures it out

Tried2Live · Dec 8, 2003

BlackFox5.0 said:
So are you running 2V for the low brightness, and around 5v at full brightness?

I don't undertsand exactly how you are running them in both series and parallel. How many Leds are running together (in series and/or parallel) on one resistor?

Would you post a close up pic of the back side so we can see how you are wiring them up, or are you keeping this all secret till you decide to market them, or one of us figures it out

I have 18 sets of 5. Each set of 5 has it's own resistor.

Once I make sure everything works fine with no issues, I'll give some more details.

88STANGCONVERT · Dec 8, 2003

subscribe, to damn cool!!!

revoltingyouth · Dec 8, 2003

i love you, you just gave me so many ideas.......

hllon4whls · Dec 8, 2003

www.digikey.com has led's too. Anyone interested may want to check them out.

There is such a thing as a 12V led. Check the cost, the size and the brightness. If you have a 2V led, you can wire 7 of them in series. Each will drop 2 volts for a safe total of 14 volts. No resistors will be needed, but they will be on in full intensity.
If you use a 12v led, you wire all of them in parrallel.

Only bad thing about series is that if one goes (they last a really long time at the rated voltage) then that whole string goes.

Tried2Live · Dec 8, 2003

For any of you ready to attempt this yourselves, but not really familiar with LEDs... the ones I used are over 2000mcd in brightness and have a 45 degree viewing angle. Regular LEDs are only a hundres mcd or something, so make sure you don't get the wrong stuff.

89roadster · Dec 9, 2003

Are you using relays for any of this or are you just using the power already supplied there?

Tried2Live · Dec 9, 2003

89roadster said:
Are you using relays for any of this or are you just using the power already supplied there?

No relays needed... At full brightness all 3 pieces will draw less than 1 amp.

Tried2Live · Dec 12, 2003

Just as an update... the place I had been buying my LEDs ran out of them, and will no longer stocking that exact part anymore, so I have to mail-order them for almost the same price. I ordered 150 more of them yesterday, so I should have them, and get all 3 pieces finished by the middle of next week.

Aside from the three wires that will go to the tail light plug and 2 diodes, the passenger side one is totally finished now though.

hllon4whls · Dec 12, 2003

Tried2Live said:
Just as an update... the place I had been buying my LEDs ran out of them, and will no longer stocking that exact part anymore, so I have to mail-order them for almost the same price. I ordered 150 more of them yesterday, so I should have them, and get all 3 pieces finished by the middle of next week.

Aside from the three wires that will go to the tail light plug and 2 diodes, the passenger side one is totally finished now though.

Any Idea what 2 115x bulbs draw with the bright element on? I need to check. That might save me an amp or two going down the track.

forrealb50 · Dec 13, 2003

I like the second one!

Stang951 · Dec 13, 2003

I've had this idea since I saw it on the Cadillacs, but never got around to trying to make it work. I'll definitely have to try it now. What size LED's are you using? Apparently they are not the same type Radio Shack sells. I found the 2200 45degree ones through Parts Express for about .30 if you order over a 100.

Got any pics yet?

Tried2Live · Dec 13, 2003

Stang951 said:
I've had this idea since I saw it on the Cadillacs, but never got around to trying to make it work. I'll definitely have to try it now. What size LED's are you using? Apparently they are not the same type Radio Shack sells. I found the 2200 45degree ones through Parts Express for about .30 if you order over a 100.

Got any pics yet?

Yeah, those are the exact ones I was using. Parts Express finally (After 1.5 weeks of waiting) informed me they aren't getting any more of them, so I had to order them elsewhere.

Seems that the 2200mcd ones are exactly the right brightness for me. Once I finish these, I may build some for a friend's 66 Nova, but since the taillights are so small, I'll probably use some 6 or 8k mcd units.

68 & 00 GT · Dec 13, 2003

wow that is sweet !

I've been wanting to do that for this application soooooooo bad !

I have the Eleanor front end, so I think the LED's would awesome on this car -
Not to mention my tail / brakes lights are too dim.

If you get around to it can you e-mail me How to do LED's for dummies ?
Wiring diagram, and parts list once your done ?
smithc@mcdcsc.org

Hell I'll pay ya good $ to do mine too.

Tried2Live

wonder why the LED's seem hard to find

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