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Tutorial - How to make a LED Switch

Started by peaandham, Nov 19 2008 09:17 PM

16 replies to this topic

#1 peaandham

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Posted 19 November 2008 - 09:17 PM

Disregard the method i used was probally unsafe with cutting the plugs and what not.

Edited by peaandham, 07 August 2010 - 04:38 PM.

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#2 TheyDontWantMusic

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Posted 20 November 2008 - 06:21 AM

this post is near useless without at least a drawing of what you're talking about.

I'm not even sure what you've typed makes sense, and if it does, its pretty much impossible to follow anyway.

oh, and if you're switching an LED, you're going to need a resistor in there... somewhere...

Edited by TheyDontWantMusic, 20 November 2008 - 06:23 AM.

#3 sean

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Posted 20 November 2008 - 12:36 PM

I would update to rewrite some of what has been written using the correct terminology :) Also I would solder and heatshrink my wire junctions rather than use those crimp on plastic joiners. The LEDs that he's using (or neons) already have the resistor built into the unit. Best way to find out which polarity the bare wires of the neons go to is to open up the lighter casing (if applicable) and see which terminal they end up at - positive is the fused terminal.
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#4 TheyDontWantMusic

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Posted 20 November 2008 - 04:44 PM

sean, on Nov 20 2008, 12:36 PM, said:

The LEDs that he's using (or neons) already have the resistor built into the unit.

seeing as neons and leds are completely different things, I think the title should be corrected.

#5 peaandham

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Posted 20 November 2008 - 10:39 PM

Tried to clear thing up with a diagram ! See above

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#6 {Chips}

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Posted 20 November 2008 - 10:45 PM

It is also probably a smart idea to hook things like neons and stuff up using a relay. other wise people might go crazy with them, hook to many up, and start popping fuses.
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#7 TheyDontWantMusic

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Posted 21 November 2008 - 04:25 AM

you're not meant to connect ground to the fuse.

#8 kingswoodproaudio

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Posted 21 November 2008 - 01:58 PM

TheyDontWantMusic, on Nov 20 2008, 06:21 AM, said:

this post is near useless without at least a drawing of what you're talking about.

I'm not even sure what you've typed makes sense, and if it does, its pretty much impossible to follow anyway.

oh, and if you're switching an LED, you're going to need a resistor in there... somewhere...

NO ur wrong, the light bars are designed to run fron a cigarette lighter, the plug on the end does not have resistors in them, and its not hard to follow, simple cut the plug off and wire into some 12v power source in your car, simple, i mean if u can install a stereo speaker then u can do this as its the same level of work

Edited by kingswoodproaudio, 21 November 2008 - 02:00 PM.

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#9 Neon

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Posted 21 November 2008 - 03:52 PM

kingswoodproaudio, on Nov 21 2008, 01:58 PM, said:

, the plug on the end does not have resistors in them, and its not hard to follow, simple cut the plug off and wire into some 12v power
actually some neon/LED's do have resistors in the cigarette lighter plug. so it would be best to check first before you go chopping off the plug

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#10 TheyDontWantMusic

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Posted 21 November 2008 - 05:49 PM

Neon, on Nov 21 2008, 03:52 PM, said:

actually some neon/LED's do have resistors in the cigarette lighter plug. so it would be best to check first before you go chopping off the plug

some neons have the powersupply for them in the cigarette lighter plug, so if you cut that off, they don't work :P

also, the title doesn't say "led strips designed for car use"

it says LED's

#11 icacha

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Posted 21 November 2008 - 06:55 PM

after skipping through i have one question, does anyone know why this thread has so many people arguing over bloody lights and how to wire them up?

i didn't think it was that hard to connect lights to a switch, you can bypass all the BS and connect the ground of the lights to your door switch and the power to constant via a fuse and the lights will turn on when the door is open and off when you close the door.

argue over that simple solution to a switch that you don't need to have :rofl:

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#12 FL0SSIN

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Posted 21 November 2008 - 08:43 PM

cos its awesome to have led's and neon's going when your driving, aspecially at night cos everything reflects off the glass on the inside and ya cant see crap!
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#13 Braiden Michetti

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Posted 09 February 2009 - 05:49 PM

SPL_Lancer, on Nov 20 2008, 11:45 PM, said:

It is also probably a smart idea to hook things like neons and stuff up using a relay. other wise people might go crazy with them, hook to many up, and start popping fuses.

Neons / LED strips draw SFA anyway. 1 milliamp or something. I think you would struggle to do fuses. Even so, if you did pop a fuse, then you'd know it were time for a relay (assuming all other relevant troubleshooting had been done prior).
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#14 MrMally

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Posted 10 February 2009 - 01:17 PM

just put it into your interior light circut.

splice into a intereo light switch wire, and use that as an earth.
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#15 phunkdust

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Posted 17 April 2009 - 12:53 PM

I got two lengths of self-adhesive SMD led strips and put them in the footwells, wired up to the internal lighting circuit. They'll dim nicely with the rheostat so for late night highway or country driving I can dim the whole lot right down for better visibility. They're red to match my dash and don't really affect my night vision anyway. They're designed to run from 12V and they're a neat little alternative to neons or LED tubes, just cut to length, peel and stick anywhere.
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