LED interior "ambient Lighting

[Woodstock]

Will these LED lights last for years as it says? I want to switch everything to LED lights, however; I want to get a good quality LEDs because the LED i got burned out after 1 month..

 

I heard you have to get the one with a power supply, or else it will burn out fast.

[TSiWRX]

^ Most of today's LEDs will last nearly forever. There's really little to no "quality" worry to be had - which is, in-truth, a thing of the past.

 

When I got out of the flashlight hobby (custom and high-end production) in mid-2004, high-powered (80+ lumen output), regulated LED flashlights using Luxeon Stars were going for well over $300, retail. A well-made custom would run at least $100 in materials alone.

 

I finally had the occasion to buy another flashlight just a couple of weeks ago - I wanted something cheap to bash around the garage, small (to replace my ARC LS that I'd been using for that purpose - my other main garage flashlight is a custom-made 3W Luxeon, with a semi-custom 3x123 battery tube).

 

The $40 Fenix that I ended-up getting, using a CREE star, is every bit as impressive as the $300 (at time-of-purchase, in 2004) SureFire L6 that I carry in my trunk. It's various mode selection works every bit as well as (and is even easier to actuate) than my NightOps Gladius, purchased at nearly $200, years ago. Its output/selection is as extraordinary as my MrBulk VIP. It's as well-built as the SureFire E1e/KL1 and E2D that I EDC, at a fraction of their (individual) costs.

 

The various interior and exterior LEDs in my Legacy are all sourced from various specialized LED/specialty-lighting resellers. "Performance," or longevity/durability/reliability, with current technology and manufacture, is no longer the issue.

 

But still, you've got to realize, Woodstock, that anything you add, aftermarket, can potentially malfunction. Heck, take a look at OEMs, at the traffic that surrounds you in, say, busy DC or downtown Baltimore. You'll see plenty of factory-OEM LEDs in brake-light elements, on various vehicles, that have "burned out." Some of these vehicles may be quite aged - but I'd well bet that many are very new.

 

Nothing is for-certain, and if you mod, you have to take into account that, potentially, your soldering, crimping, etc. - secondary factors - may also experience fault, and often, it's such factors that are to-blame, rather than the LED itself.

 

 

If you mod, you're going to have to live with the potential consequences, too.

 

---

 

BTW, yes, most "naked" LEDs will require a resistor (not a power supply, which comes from the car's 12V power). Check on the LEDs' packaging/insert or on-line reference of the LEDs' specifications to see what resistor you'll need, to get the input down to to what the LED can reliably cope with.

 

Some of the specific-for-automotive-accessory-application LEDs may already come with a resistor.

 

Higher-output LEDs (nothing that you'd likely want to use for automotive interior "mood/ambient" lighting, though, as they are *really* bright) may also require heat-sinking, particularly if used in a "constant-on" manner.

[Woodstock]

I was just asking where y'all purchase your LEDs....

 

I know the consequences. Just want to know where y'all purchased yours and how long it lasted?

 

Thanks for the info tho.

 

and I meant resistors, not power supply.

[absolutsnwbrdr]

this thread is inspiring! can you take a close up pic of where you placed the red leds in the doors? i am very interested in doing this, but am worried that the led might be distracting at night if you can see it out of the corner of your eye. as the thread title says, this is for ambient lighting, so I'd rather not see the led at all.... just the light output.

[c-lo]

to the OP, have you considered lighting up your footwells?

[TSiWRX]

I was just asking where y'all purchase your LEDs....

 

Autolumination was mentioned above, V-LEDs also has been mentioned multiple times on various threads here, as has SuperBrightLEDs; YourLEDShop is a favorite of NASIOC.

 

I know the consequences.

 

Just wanted to make sure. You'd made it seem, up there, as if you expected each and every one of them to just magically be fault-free.

 

Just want to know where y'all purchased yours and how long it lasted?

 

My various projects: part of my rear fog setup ( ref: http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=31502&highlight=rear+fog ), plus my inside dome and front door puddles all use "SMT"-type LED arrays from V-LEDs. I've also got a 3-LED flat-strip from the local AutoZone, one of those crappy "Type-S" deals, that's all been with me for a year or more.

 

Like I said, "bad LEDs" really aren't a problem, any more - as long as you properly manage the power going to it (and heat, if you're using high-powered solutions).

 

Those worries are a thing of the past.

[underpowerd]

good info; TSi+WRX = one of our true founts of helpful wisdom.

[Woodstock]

awesome! thanks alot!

[itsme]

It looks nice in pictures. But is it distracting while driving at night? Also is there a way to turn them off or do they run all the time?

[ArcTec34]

The $40 Fenix that I ended-up getting, using a CREE star, is every bit as impressive as the $300 (at time-of-purchase, in 2004) SureFire L6 that I carry in my trunk. It's various mode selection works every bit as well as (and is even easier to actuate) than my NightOps Gladius, purchased at nearly $200, years ago. Its output/selection is as extraordinary as my MrBulk VIP. It's as well-built as the SureFire E1e/KL1 and E2D that I EDC, at a fraction of their (individual) costs.

 

 

hey, would you happen to have a link to the flashlight you bough twith the CREE LED? I'm too lazy to make one at this point, I'd jsut more rather buy it if you're happy with this one

[ArcTec34]

to the OP, have you considered lighting up your footwells?

I have considered it, but I don't think I'm going to.. I'll have too many lights and then my car will be a christmas tree. haha. It was either one or the other, and I chose this

[ArcTec34]

this thread is inspiring! can you take a close up pic of where you placed the red leds in the doors? i am very interested in doing this, but am worried that the led might be distracting at night if you can see it out of the corner of your eye. as the thread title says, this is for ambient lighting, so I'd rather not see the led at all.... just the light output.

 

I'm at college right now without my car, I'll ask for a family member to take a pic though and send it to me. It is Directly behing the black plastic handle, though, and therefor you can't see the LED, just the light that is shown on the door

[ArcTec34]

It looks nice in pictures. But is it distracting while driving at night? Also is there a way to turn them off or do they run all the time?

 

I used the power/ground on the LEDs that are in the up/down window switches, so they go on with the lights. I do not find them distracting at all, and if they were, you could always use a bigger resistor.

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Woodstock http://legacygt.com/forums/skynetim/buttons/viewpost.gif

I was just asking where y'all purchase your LEDs....

 

I posted this in the first post,

Quote:

Originally Posted by arctec34 http://legacygt.com/forums/skynetim/buttons/viewpost.gif

"Start HERE, then scroll down to 6 LED Super High Flux for the map light bulbs ($9.99 x 2). Next, scroll to 12 LED Two-Face for what I'm using in the front door puddle lights ($11.99 x 2). Finally, scroll to 25 led High Powered SMT Array for the dome light ($24.99). Use the 31mm size for all of them. Total would be $74 for all 5 of them shipped

 

It looks like the fastwrx dome light has a plastic piece you install inside the lens to position the LEDs. I just used a piece of foam tape behind my LED array and used a small flat blade screwdriver to get position it exactly where I wanted it as I snapped the plastic lens back in place. The foam keeps the LED board pressed against the inside of the lens with some light pressure so it doesn't move. "

 

I used a 36 LED cluster (it was cheaper than the 25 cluster, as well ) but that requires a slight mod, as seen in the second post of

http://www.legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23139&highlight=festoon&page=9

 

for the replacements for the Map, puddle, and dome lights

and www.oznium.com for the single LEDs I used for this mod

[TSiWRX]

TSi+WRX = one of our true founts of helpful wisdom.

 

^ Not at all. I just try to help where I can, but my knowledge-pool is severely limited to just what little I know or have had experience with.

 

Ask me about LGT clutches or suspensions, and I just draw a big blank.

 

---

 

hey, would you happen to have a link to the flashlight you bough twith the CREE LED? I'm too lazy to make one at this point, I'd jsut more rather buy it if you're happy with this one

 

Fenix:

 

http://www.fenixlight.com/newping.asp

https://www.fenix-store.com/

 

Shop around a bit on eBay and the like, and you can get it for pretty darned cheap. I got a P1D-CE Premium-Q5, and a P2D Premium-Q5, shipped, from eBay sellers ( I can't remember which ones.... ), for less than $100.

 

The P1D replaced the ARC LS that I carried in my car's center console. The P2D replaced the ARC LS that I used to use in my garage (and is now retired/binned, with a severely degraded rubber tail-cap).

 

The P1D is great for the car. Single CR123 (which I favor for emergency use, due to the extended battery shelf-life; and since the vast majority of what I use happens to be 123 cells, anyway, it means that I have less types of spares to worry about), so it takes up minimal space. With a "twist-type" on/off switching, I don't have to worry about ever activating it accidentally, be it from a bump or from the light getting tossed around in the center-console, from spirited driving (although I do have items in there stacked tightly, so that they won't shift around).

 

The P2D is similarly just great around the garage. I now find myself not needing to take a break from working just so that I can reach for my high-powered 3x123 alternative - and instead simply bumping up the output of the P2D from "standard/general" to "high," which is very easy to do, once you're accustomed to the process.

 

I've been contemplating replacing my EDC SureFire E2D (with the incandescent MN03 bulb) for a Fenix TK10, but I still have two of the MN03 lamps sitting in my closet...and with each lasting me about 2 years of use (I tend to not use it much as a flashlight, which my EDC E1e/KL1 covers - the E2D's main use is actually as my off-side carry tactical impact device). I'm only holding out as I figure that in another 4 years, there'll likely have been another revolution (be it with technology or price) in the flashlight industry, and I'd probably be better-off just waiting it out.

 

To get this back on-topic, though....

 

I wish I'd have the time to fool-around with jury-rigging one of these miniature, high-powered LED flashlights inside, say, the rear tail-light housing.

 

Imagine having the flood-lamp capabilities of the ERD or ERF halogens, combined with the long-throw (relatively speaking, of-course - for the purposes of backing up a car, these lights would more than throw far enough) capabilities of one of these new miniaturized LED flashlights.

[ArcTec34]

To get this back on-topic, though....

 

I wish I'd have the time to fool-around with jury-rigging one of these miniature, high-powered LED flashlights inside, say, the rear tail-light housing.

 

Imagine having the flood-lamp capabilities of the ERD or ERF halogens, combined with the long-throw (relatively speaking, of-course - for the purposes of backing up a car, these lights would more than throw far enough) capabilities of one of these new miniaturized LED flashlights.

 

I'm doing a project with high powered LEDs here at Lehigh University.. When I'm done with this semester I'll be playing around with some in my car, and definately replacing the tail lights. Some of these LEDs I'm using are just too bright, though. Cree R2 's are my favorite

[underpowerd]

^i'll definitely keep an ear to the ground for your led tail outcome

[TSiWRX]

I'm doing a project with high powered LEDs here at Lehigh University.. When I'm done with this semester I'll be playing around with some in my car, and definately replacing the tail lights. Some of these LEDs I'm using are just too bright, though. Cree R2 's are my favorite

 

Good stuff.

 

I agree - there can be a "too bright," particularly for things like marker, brake, and rear-fog functions.

 

I wouldn't want to inflict any type of even temporary eye discomfort, on anyone who is following me, and may need to execute, themselves, emergency/evasive maneuvers.

 

That just wouldn't be smart.

 

Similarly, there's that old British video demonstrating the problem with improper use of rear fogs.

 

I think that the current automotive-grade LEDs are already plenty good enough, particularly if combined with good optics. Following a late-model Infiniti, Mercedes, or Honda clearly illustrates this point to anyone and everyone.

 

On the other hand, things like back-up lights....that could really use some enhancement.

 

I can't wait to see you start your experiments.

 

Oh, and hey, you've seen that thread here, where another member did a Mercedes tail-LEDs retrofit into our sedan housing, right? That was pretty darned cool.

 

-----

 

OT again.

 

BTW, if you do get a P1D, resist the urge to put it on your keychain.

 

I had a FireFly II which I proudly EDC'ed for 4 years on my keychain, until, one day, I discovered that the head had spun itself off, and is now lost somewhere on the campus lawn. I can see this happening with the P1D's head, too.

 

For keychain carry, I'd make sure that the unit will not have a part that could work itself loose, as well as keep in mind that it's a metal-on-metal, daily, contact area (the chain/loop area), which may, after years of use wear through. That happened to my ARC-AAA Premium - the keychain loop area eventually wore away (luckily, I caught it before it completely failed, and replaced the body, now using a dual set of Zip-Ties for securing it to my keychain loop).

[ArcTec34]

after looking and seeing that their tactical flashlights with cree r2 LEDs are around 70, and I can buy one R2 for 6 bucks, I'm looking in to making my own...

 

yeah I remember seeing that mercedes LED taillight retrofit.. pretty cool stuff.. except for the dremeling of the housing =(

[TSiWRX]

after looking and seeing that their tactical flashlights with cree r2 LEDs are around 70, and I can buy one R2 for 6 bucks, I'm looking in to making my own...

 

^ Making your own has always been the way to go - even now, it's still more cost-effective.

 

Back in '03, a friend of mine made me a, for-materials-and-shipping cost alone, $100 LED piece that is of the same output and throw as the SureFire L6 that I got, for 3 times that cost, *a year later*.

 

Even with today's market, as you've seen above (figure on another $20 off that price, though, as their MSRP is definitely not fair-market), it's still no-contest.

 

yeah I remember seeing that mercedes LED taillight retrofit.. pretty cool stuff.. except for the dremeling of the housing =(

Yep. Our rear housing is really rather tedious to work with.

 

It's a big part of the reason why I haven't attempted something similar, myself.

 

My rear-fog's LED setup is totally "ship in a bottle."

[GTTuner]

Very nice work indeed. Glad that college education is working out for you!

 

I have to admit, I have a LED bulb fettish myself. I'd put one on my forehead if I could.

[TSiWRX]

^ :lol:

[ArcTec34]

^ Making your own has always been the way to go - even now, it's still more cost-effective.

 

Back in '03, a friend of mine made me a, for-materials-and-shipping cost alone, $100 LED piece that is of the same output and throw as the SureFire L6 that I got, for 3 times that cost, *a year later*.

 

 

hey, do you have any links to where to purchase stuff to build such a flashlight?

.. you've just got me hooked on yet another project...

[TSiWRX]

^ I'll have to hop onto my old laptop....... Gimmie a day or so.

 

And pray that it still works!

 

Like I said, I got out of the flashlight hobby about 4 years ago! My .sig line below is still a tribute to what I'd considered my home away from home, The Usual Suspect Network. My screen-name, "DumboRAT," was well-known in that community, as it also was in the flashlight hobbyist community on CandlePower Forums (CPF).

[ArcTec34]

yeah I've been searching around CPF, but half of all the good links were broken so I got pissed off...

[DocHolladay23]

Well it took me about a month to get around to, but I finally got the LEDs in my handles, I decided not to do the door cubbies because I already have footwell lights and it's overdone enough as it is here are some pics, my dome/map lights are blue as is everything I've added: