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Christ 12-15-2009 06:45 PM

LED selection resources
 
Places to buy:


SUPER BRIGHT LEDS

LEDLight.com: Online Shopping for LED Lighting Products








Forums and Resources:
LED emitter light output comparison
Comparison of light output of various LEDs and their current draw in mA.
HID Retrofit Parts Projectors Ballasts D2S Bulbs - Forum related to lighting with helpful members and information on DIY LED lights.

Christ 12-15-2009 06:45 PM

I'm going to be making some LED lights for my TwinStar project, and I'd like to compile a list of resources in this thread that others might be able to use, as well as myself, to enable themselves to create a wide range of different types of lights for use wherever LED's are appropriate.

For starters, my TwinStar has a 6V electrical system. I plan on replacing all the lights on the bike, including the headlight, with LEDs. I want to keep the wattage as low as possible, so that the alternator will see as little load as possible, but the lights must still be bright enough to be safe during daylight and night time conditions.

Any input that anyone might have will be greatly appreciated.

I will also update this thread with links and such as I have the time and find the resources.

Daox 12-15-2009 07:36 PM

SUPER BRIGHT LEDS home is where I have heard of most people getting their LED replacement lights.

RobertSmalls 12-15-2009 07:40 PM

ledlight.com has a good selection.

My bicycle has a 12V sealed lead-acid battery, a 3W headlight, and an LED trailer taillight that I bought off the clearance rack at the auto parts store. The taillight is total overkill. The headlight is not.

hth

TomO 12-16-2009 12:21 PM

Registering at HIDPlanet.com is also recommended. Info for making your own LED lights is available and there are some very helpful people there.

Christ 12-16-2009 09:51 PM

First post updated to reflect recent additions. Thanks guys! Keep 'em coming!

NeilBlanchard 12-17-2009 08:59 AM

Has anybody used some of these or these or these in a taillight or the amber ones for turn signals?

Daox 12-17-2009 09:06 AM

Personally, I wouldn't bother with any intermittent lights (turn signals mainly) since they aren't on enough to make a noticeable draw in power. I'd just do running lights.

Christ 12-17-2009 09:58 AM

In the case of many cars, aren't the running lights and turn signals in the same bulb?

What about the case such as the brake/tail/turn lights? They'd all be governed by 3 circuits going to the same bulb, right?

So you'd have a dual intensity LED setup with a blinker added in, in that case.

I dunno, if I were going to make lights for a car (or other vehicle) I'd just make them for all the lights to keep things looking the same.

Question -
Has anyone ever checked the energy use before the blinker relay? Relays use energy, too, so the total value for the turn signals would be all the signals and the relays for that side, and blinking. Doesn't it take more energy to turn an incandescent bulb on and off than to leave it on for a minute? (Or is that a myth?)

cfg83 12-17-2009 12:11 PM

NeilBlanchard -

Quote:

Originally Posted by NeilBlanchard (Post 148332)
Has anybody used some of these or these or these in a taillight or the amber ones for turn signals?

I am doing sizing calcs right now for my front amber running light and my rear red running/brake light. I can only fit a 1" diameter brake light into my lens housing, so I have to be careful.

I agree with Daox, I am not interested in brake lights because they are not continuous load.

Christ -

The "1157/2057" bulbs have double bottoms, so I think they operate at two amperages/intensities :

http://www.superbrightleds.com/image...s/bases_02.jpg

For example :

Current Draw @ 12 Volts (Unit: mA.) for a 1157-R(ed)18-T = 35 mA / 115 mA

CarloSW2

solarguy 12-17-2009 06:13 PM

"Doesn't it take more energy to turn an incandescent bulb on and off than to leave it on for a minute? (Or is that a myth?)"

Yup, that's a myth. It's just like the myth, "If I turn the thermostat down in my house, it will take way more heat/money to get it back up to a comfortable temperature once I get home."


On brake lights, you may want to use LEDs just because of the faster response time. I'm making it up from memory, but somebody did the math and, at 45 mph, the faster response time keeps the car behind you 5 feet further back from your bumper. Not a trivial distance.

HTH,

troy

Christ 12-17-2009 09:50 PM

Thanks for covering that. I never actually checked to see, but out of convenience, I still usually leave the light on if I'm coming right back in.

NeilBlanchard 12-17-2009 11:27 PM

Yes, I was going to say the same thing about the "speed" that LED's light up -- they are virtually instant, and I think they grab your attention much better than "slow" incandescent bulbs. The cyclops (center) brake light on my xA is LED and it is more noticeable than the main brake lights.

On my car, the taillights are dual intensity, so I get the brake lights as LED's "for free". And I like the turn signals to be "fast".

The marker light on the front of the xA could work as driving lights by providing a little focused light (like dim DRL's). Of course, the headlights are where most of the lighting energy is used...

[Edit: it is the old tube fluorescent fixtures with ballasts that take ~10 minutes of power to start up, so if you would need them again in a shorter time, just leave them on. CFL's are better, but I think the time is just a couple of minutes -- maybe this is what you were thinking about, Chris?]


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