LED lights

gerrelt · Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2008 8:02 pm Post subject: LED lights

Hi,

I've been playing around with LEDs, see www.gerrelt.nl. And click on "LED lights" in the top left corner.

Greetings,
Gerrelt.
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ElusiveStranger · Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2008 10:49 pm Post subject:

Looking good mate.

You can alter the beam angle by filing the lens, then polishing.

If you want to make the dash lights dimmable build a 12V PWM (Pulse Width Modulator).

I bought one for a 12V mini drill (like a dremmel) to control my heater fan, 5A max current:
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=30310

If you fancy blue dash lights:
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=218015

Can you get these over there? You'd have a field day. I've stuck 12 (6 per side) in the back of the van for "night lights" and they're very bright.
Add a couple of red LED's and you'd get purple.
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gerrelt · Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2008 10:38 am Post subject:

Thanks, Stranger!

How do you polish a LED?

BTW, I can still dim the dashboard lights using the original dashboard light dimmer.

Those LED strips are nice. I am still looking into building LED Daytime Running lights. That way I don't have to have the
headlights switched on.
But I want to hide them in fog lights or something (wouldn't that be a nice product for oldtimers!!).
So the LED strips might be nice for that. But the ones you posted aren't bright enough. I think I need something like 1500 mcd or more.

Greetings,

Gerrelt
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ElusiveStranger · Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2008 10:45 am Post subject:

Polish with fine "Wet & Dry", then metal polish/polishing compound. You can use toothpaste (great for jewellery too!)

There are white LED strips on that site but they're expensive.

Click on one of the links above and type "LED strip" in the "product search" box
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The advice you receive on here is worth the paper it's written on.
Your experiences are worth shed loads to others, including the f'ups - live and learn.
Wouldn't YOU rather learn by someone else's mistakes? So would they.

'78 Bay, 2 litre 091 box, EJ20 NA & the ashtray's on the 'right' side.
I don't lean forward for hills any more Grin

Bugger, missed out on "Live fast, die young"

sven · Jedi Guardian Joined: 27 Dec 2006 Posts: 814

I like LED's, your front bulb replace is great!

gerrelt · Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 7:32 pm Post subject:

Thanx!

Yep, LEDs are great, I think it won't take long before every new car has them.
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ElusiveStranger · Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 9:29 pm Post subject:

Only prob with them is...

I can see the rapid flashing of some of the PWM'd ones. The PWM is used to give you the tail light, it switches to high power on breaking. There's a fair few more who can see it too
(I can see a CRT monitor flash up to around 70Hz)

Have you seen the direct swap out LED bulbs?
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The advice you receive on here is worth the paper it's written on.
Your experiences are worth shed loads to others, including the f'ups - live and learn.
Wouldn't YOU rather learn by someone else's mistakes? So would they.

'78 Bay, 2 litre 091 box, EJ20 NA & the ashtray's on the 'right' side.
I don't lean forward for hills any more Grin

Bugger, missed out on "Live fast, die young"

gerrelt · Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2008 6:55 pm Post subject:

I too can see a CRT monitor flashing at 70 Mhz, it's pretty annoying.

I don't see my taillights flash, so I think these are not PWM ones.

I have seen the direct swap LED bulbs, but I read bad things about them. And I can imagine why they won't work so good. I discovered the LEDs need to be close to the taillight glass to work properly. And it's important to use the same colour LED as the glass, ie red LEDs in a taillight, amber LEDs in turn signals etc.
I've got the LED taillights mounted so that the 4 LEDs that are originally meant for a license plate are now pointing to the side. These LEDs are white and look less red when seen through he red taillight.
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ElusiveStranger · Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2008 8:29 pm Post subject:

gerrelt · Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2008 9:08 pm Post subject:

ElusiveStranger · Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2008 9:24 pm Post subject:

I fell asleep cause I couldn't understand Dutch.

Yup, LEDs are very specific on their wavelength emissions (colour)
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The advice you receive on here is worth the paper it's written on.
Your experiences are worth shed loads to others, including the f'ups - live and learn.
Wouldn't YOU rather learn by someone else's mistakes? So would they.

'78 Bay, 2 litre 091 box, EJ20 NA & the ashtray's on the 'right' side.
I don't lean forward for hills any more Grin

Bugger, missed out on "Live fast, die young"

richbaker78 · Teacher of Padawans Joined: 31 Jan 2006 Posts: 1298

well that explains my scrapyard wanderings of several years ago when i noticed that BMWs use yellow LEDs behind a green lense to get amber....which makes sense however they then put a red outer lens over it...I presume so the amber would still be amber even though it was through a red lense?