Bar a Leds

8/13/2019 Bar a Leds

1/23

http://www.instructables.com/id/Light-Bar-Ambient-Lighting/

Home Sign Up! Browse Community Submit

All Art Craft Food Games Green Home Kids Life Music Offbeat Outdoors Pets Photo Ride Science Tech

Light Bar Ambient Lightingby QuackMasterDanon May 28, 2008

Table of Contents

License: Attribution Non-commercial Share Alike (by-nc-sa) .............................................................................

Intro: Light Bar Ambient Lighting .................................................................................................

step 1: Parts & Tools ..........................................................................................................

step 2: Light Bar Material .......................................................................................................

step 3: Mark and Measure ......................................................................................................

step 4: Measure Twice, Drill Once ................................................................................................

step 5: Power ...............................................................................................................

step 6: Snip, Sheath, & Solder ................................................................................................... 1

step 7: Finishing Up ........................................................................................................... 1

step 8: Mounting the Light Bar ................................................................................................... 1

Related Instructables ........................................................................................................... 1

Comments ................................................................................................................... 1
http://www.instructables.com/member/QuackMasterDan/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=titlehttp://www.instructables.com/tech?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=categorieshttp://www.instructables.com/science?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=categorieshttp://www.instructables.com/ride?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=categorieshttp://www.instructables.com/photography?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=categorieshttp://www.instructables.com/pets?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=categorieshttp://www.instructables.com/outdoors?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=categorieshttp://www.instructables.com/offbeat?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=categorieshttp://www.instructables.com/music?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=categorieshttp://www.instructables.com/life?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=categorieshttp://www.instructables.com/kids?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=categorieshttp://www.instructables.com/home?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=categorieshttp://www.instructables.com/green?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=categorieshttp://www.instructables.com/games?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=categorieshttp://www.instructables.com/food?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=categorieshttp://www.instructables.com/craft?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=categorieshttp://www.instructables.com/art?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=categorieshttp://www.instructables.com/about/submit.jsp?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=titlehttp://www.instructables.com/community?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=titlehttp://www.instructables.com/tag/type-id/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=titlehttp://www.instructables.com/account/gopro?sourcea=inside_pdfhttp://www.instructables.com/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=title


2/23


License: Attribution Non-commercial Share Alike (by-nc-sa)

Intro: Light Bar Ambient LightingA light bar can brighten your house through the use of ambient lighting. You can lighten up hallways, add a fading glow effect behind your entertainment center, createnew patterns in light graffiti or simply add a light source to your house. There are endless possibilities for lighting with a light bar, it's all up to you!

The parts are fairly cheap and the project is fairly easy. You will need to strip wires, solder leds, and be able to use a power drill. With LEDs cheap and long-lasting thproject will add a warm glow to your house.

Once you have purchased the parts you need (You likely have most of them already) actually putting the bar together should take about 3 hours (if you areinexperienced).

This instructable is designed to teach with pictures as well as words. Most of the pictures have notes added to them with tips and information.

*** I am not liable for any injury, property damage, or any other losses that happen within this project. You wi ll be working with electricity and should be careful. Thougthe voltage and amperages I used in this project are not harmful (or even be felt), using a more powerful electricity source, and the use of hot objects (Soldering Iron &Hot Glue Gun) can cause damage. ***

Image Notes1. These 13000mcd LEDs glow brightly at night. I suggest sticking them behind acouch, wall mounted Flat Screen TV, or entertainment center.2. My first project with LEDs. Its more of a light wire, using speaker wire withcopper nails going through each side. This has evolved into the light bar.

Image Notes1. The light bar was pointed at the wall for a glowing effect.

Image Notes1. Light bar pointing straight up in daylight. Leaves a long trail @13000mcd(Millicandelas).
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/


3/23


Image Notes1. Light graffiti with the light bar. Makes for fun photography.

Image Notes1. The mirror in the background provides double the lights. These are slow fadingRGB LEDs.


4/23


step 1:Parts & ToolsThe pieces needed for a LED bar are reasonably cheap. Don't be alarmed at the amount of parts needed - nothing is expensive, all of them are pretty common and eato use. You probably already have 3/4ths of this stuff right now.

Most of these parts were purchased at The Home Depot and Lowes.

Metal Wire Cover (Light Bar) $5.00 for (1) 5' bar. Used to keep people from tripping over wires in the home or office, I modified it to become my light bar. You could ause wood, PVC pipe, or another material. (Though I suggest something compact and tidy).

Rubber Insulated Clamps (3) $1.25 for 2 - These are used to mount the light bar to a surface.

Electrical Tape(1) $4.00 for 66' - Used to hold pieces together and insulate wires from bar.

Wet Rag - Any cloth or sponge will do, just soak it in water, its used to clean leftover solder off your soldering iron.

LEDs (18 for one light bar) $10 for 100- Pick whatever colors you want. I also suggest fading LEDS. You can use any voltage you want, though most colors fall in twocategories, 1.9-2.1v(red, orange,yellow), and 3.0-3.4v (green,blue,white). Brightness is up to you, 10000mcd-18000mcd (Millicandelas) are plenty for night lighting,something like 25,000mcd may be too bright for night time, but good for accent lighting (glowing under furnitur, though 35,000mcd or higher can even be daytime lightReal life stores are far too expensive, so on EBay you can get them from Hong Kong for 1/20th the pr ice. I suggest the sellers HKJE LEDor LED-HK

Hot Glue Gun$5 - Get a lot of glue sticks, as they will hold things in place and insulate.

Power Supply(1) $1- Any source of power will do, though LEDs run on DC. Your voltage can be whatever you want, but you must choose your own resistors. (SupplyVoltage should be higher than the LEDs Forward Voltage, around 300mA for one light bar (Milliamps are the max amount of LEDs you can have). I got three supplies $3 at my local GoodWill charity.

Resistors(At Least 10) $3 for 100 on EBay, I suggest ResistorsPlus- These keep the LED from taking in too much electricity. It can change a 9 volt or 12 volt powersupply into a 3.3 volt for an LED. For my 9 volt supply, I needed 150 Ohm resistors (9 Volts for 2 LEDs in Series). Calculate yours @ ledcalc.comA common rating iswattage, this simply means heat dissipation, you can always have the W number higher than recommended, but never lower. A higher wattage rating costs a t iny bitmore, and is larger, for the most part 1/2 watt is fine, unless you begin using ultra-high power LEDs (like Luxeon Stars which can need 3-10W resistors).

20 Gauge Speaker Wire(Around 8-10 feet) - Used to connect the LEDs to the power supply.

Soldering Iron$10 (1) - Cheap, everyone should have one around. A 15 Watt iron from Radioshack works fine.

Solder(1) $3 at Radioshack- Solder wi th flux. I recommend silver solder at 0.022" thickness and a rosin core, it's easier to flow and more durable. Used to connect LEto the Speaker Wire.

Needle-nose Pliers- Used to bend LED legs.

Insulated Quick Disconnects (Optional)$2 for 12- This is used to easily plug the power supply into the light bar. You could just solder the power supply wires straigto the speaker wire, but then you always have the cord attached. (***Update, I now recommend using 2.5mm DC barrel plug connectors, they are much more durableeasier to plug in, and make a stronger connection. Buying them online is semi-random, try eBay as always**

Power Drill(1) - If you don't have one, ask a friend.

13/64" Drill Bit(2) - $1.50 for one. Used to drill the holes in the light bar. 13/64th" is the perfect size for a 5mm LED, it keeps them from going through the hole and hothem in place.

Wire Clippers - Used to cut the legs of LEDs. You can use some small scissors as well.

Awl- Something sharp with a fine point. I'm sure you can find something.

Scissors- Used to cut speaker wire and electrical tape.

Wire Stripper or Knife- Used to strip plastic insulation from the speaker wire.

If you are new to LEDs or soldering, I suggest viewing this guide @ llamma.com

Image Notes1. Insulated Quick Disconnects. Used to connect power supply to light bar.2. Rubber Insulated Clamps. Holds light bar to wall.

Image Notes1. Insulated Quick Disconnects. Found near the more commonly known spadeconnectors. $2 for 12.
http://www.llamma.com/xbox360/mods/How%20to%20use%20an%20LED.htmhttp://ledcalc.com/http://stores.ebay.com/ResistorsPlus_Resistorshttp://stores.ebay.com/led-hkhttp://stores.ebay.com/HKJE-Led-Lamp-Center


5/23


6/23


Image Notes1. You can use whatever you want to hold the bar in place, this works for meand is cheap.

step 2:Light Bar MaterialWhat I used for my light bar is a metal wire cover. It is designed to stuff wires into to keep people from tripping over them and yanking everything out. I chose metalbecause I wanted something durable and all in one piece.

You don't have to use metal like I am, or even a wire cover. If you can find a piece of wood and drill holes through that, awesome! Plastic wire channels work even betand are much easier to drill through. I chose this because it's cheap, I was unexperienced when I made this guide, and I wanted the bars rigid, today I suggest plasticchannels, don't get the thin ones though.

For mine, it has a metal clip that is just smashed on top of the bar. Just push on it with some pliers to pop it out.

Image Notes1. Picture of later construction. The metal slide goes over the wires inside the barkeeping everything nice and neat.


7/23


Image Notes1. This is the metal clip that holds the slide in place. Friction does the work.

step 3:Mark and MeasureMark the LEDS

Light Bar = 5 feet = 60".

Take off 2" on each side for the Insulated Clamps and connectors = 56".9 Modules of 2 LEDs each = 18 LEDs.56/8= 7" of spacing. (We divide by 8 rather than 9 because 2" is the where the first module goes).

For a light bar 5 feet long, each module should be spaced 7 inches apart. Get a measuring tape or yard-stick and with a pencil mark these slots for a 5' light bar.

2"9"16"23"30"37"44"51"58"

Now the LEDs should be spaced 1 inch apart. So at each of the previous marks, measure 1/2" on each side and make a plus with a pencil (Try to put i t near the middlthe width of the bar). This is where each LED will go.

Measure the Length of the Speaker Wire.This is fairly simple. Just stick your wire along the bar and measure out 8 or so extra inches. These 8 inches make up for any slack within the bar, and provide extra wto connect to power supply. When you are f inished, you'll just cut off the extra anyways.

Pull the two speaker wires apart from each other, we want them to be separate (see picture).

Image Notes1. There is a weak glue holding the two wires together. Just pull them apart andyou've got your negative and positive speaker wires.


8/23


Image Notes1. 5 Feet and around 8 extra inches.

step 4:Measure Twice, Drill OnceThere are a couple ways you can go about putting the holes into the bar. You could just use the drill bitand inaccurately drill through the bar. However this takes farmore work and is more tedious than it should be. This is where the awlcomes in.

Remember the marks we made on the inside of the bar? Well, take your awl(or another sharp pointy tool) and put it on the line you drew for a LED. Try to line it up withe middle of the bar and smash the awlwith a hammer.Initially you should make a dent and punch a very tiny hole, later you will punch a small hole back through.

Flip the bar over, and put the awl on the new dent pointing towards you, and smash it downward to leave a bigger dent (this is thanks to metal fatigue). Hit it until theresmall hole (less than the width of an LED), and use your 13/64" drill bit to clean it up.

Repeat 18 times for 18 holes, and then we will prepare the wire.

Image Notes1. Point where hole will be made for LED2. Initial 7 inch spacing mark.

Image Notes1. Line up your awl with the middle of the bar, and dent it with a hammer.


9/23


Image Notes1. Going back through.2. This hole is offset, I will just punch my real hole more towards the middle.

Image Notes1. 13/64ths inch drill bit is perfect for a 5mm LED.

Image Notes1. Success!

Image Notes1. LED shines brightly through one of the holes.

step 5:PowerPower SupplyYour power supply can be from pretty much anything. An old PSU from a computer, a leftover hard drive power brick; I prefer small and compact power supplies suchthose in cordless phones. Laptop power supplies are an amazing power source, they are super cheap and available, usually can supply 3-5 amps (which means a maabout 230 LEDs), and are regulated [which are normally super expensive] at 12v DC. No matter what the plug on the end is, you can bet there are two wires in there:Positive and Negative.

I obtained three 9 volt power supplies at my local goodwill for $3. eBay also has a plentiful selection of power supplies, though it will take some searching. The supply

needs 350mA or more to power 18 LEDs. mA determines the maximum amount of LEDs. 99% of 5mm LEDs use 20mA each, so just multiply the number of LEDs by0.020A (18 LEDs * 0.020A = 360mA, which is technically overloading it, but it still works).

The speaker wire will carry the electricity from the power supply wires to the LED wires. Decide right now which of your two speaker wires will be your positive, and whwill be your negative.

As a general rule, the red, yellow, white, or lined wire is the positive, while the solid (usually black) is negative. After the next step, you will have two LEDs and a resistsoldered together. Just try touching them both to the speaker wire, whichever lights up for you is your correct solution.

Quick DisconnectsThis step is optional. It makes i t easy to plug and unplug the light bar from the power supply. If you don't want to use Quick Disconnects and want the power supplyalways attached, just twist the wires of the speaker wire and the power supply together and solder them. Wrap them with electrical tape to keep anything from shortingout.

Quick Disconnects have a wire going into them, and usually you just crush it with pliers (Called crimping) and the wire stays in place. An optional purchase to skip this& solder method is a pair of crimping pliers. Regular pliers were incapable of doing the job for me, so I pierced and soldered them into place. Knowing from experiennow, I strongly recommend just buying crimping pliers than this next awl + solder method. If you don't feel like spending money, then go for this method, which actually


10/23


a stronger connection than crimping alone.

Because its not possible to stick solder into the Quick Disconnect (its covered in plastic) and melt it and the wire together, you should coat the end of your wire withsolder. Stick the wire into the quick disconnect. Now hit the Awl on top of the Quick Disconnect, this will pierce the casing and squish the metal and wire together. Folloit up with sticking the tip of your soldering iron into the hole to melt the solder. You should have a very solid connection between the wire and Quick Disconnect. Finallywrap any exposed areas up with electrical tape.

Image Notes

1. Supply Voltage is 9 Volts. Well above the 3.3 volts required for the LEDs, sowe are in good shape. Another commonly used voltage for LED supplies is 5V.2. 350mA. Max amount of LEDs supported. (18 LEDS * 20mA = 360mA, a littlemore than 350, but not excessive enough to cause them to go dim).3. Cut here with scissors, and there should be two wires. These will be attachedto the speaker wire.

Image Notes

1. Slowly and carefully remove the sheathing. We want those two wires intact.

Image Notes1. After the cut and removing the sheathing, we find two wires and twist the endsto keep them from fraying.

Image Notes1. Blue wire has been coated with lots of solder. Awl wil l smash them togetherand create a hole for the soldering iron.


11/23


Image Notes1. Soldering Iron is about to go into the hole made by the awl, and melt the solderto bind them together.

Image Notes1. Once you've soldered the wire and Quick Disconnect together, wrap up theends with electrical tape.

step 6:Snip, Sheath, & SolderLEDs like the ones we are using in this project have two legs. A positive long leg(and a skinny head), and a negative short leg(with a bulky head). The resistorattaches to the front positive leg (see picture) and the resistor is soldered to the positive speaker wire. The purpose of the resistor is to keep the LED from gettingoverloaded (they will without one, and become very hot and burn out permanently).

Use the pictures as a guide.

Soldering LEDs TogetherBend the legs of each LED to 90 degree angles. Clip the front positive leg so it is short , this is where the resistor will be attached. These are wired in a Series, meaninthe LEDs legs meet back to back (postive-negative-positive). See the diagram for a visual illustration.

Set the LEDs into the dril led holes, as this keeps them aligned and pointing in the same direction. Make the legs meet, and touch the soldering iron at the meeting poiTouch your solder to the legs, and it should melt onto the legs binding them together. Now bend the front positive leg into a U shape, repeat for the resistor. This hookthem together and makes it easier to manage. Solder them together.

Soldering LEDs to WiresAfter the resistor has been attached to the front positive LED, remove sheathing from the positive speaker wire, and solder the leftover resistor leg to it. Then removesheathing from the negative speaker wire, and solder the negative LED leg to it. You can now test if your LEDs light up by plugging in your power supply.

Securing/Insulating with Hot GluePlace the LEDs and the newly attached wires into the bar, and the LEDs go into the holes. Make sure that no LED legs or exposed wire is touching the bar. The LEDsand wire will naturally want to move around, so press the LEDs down with pliers so they are flush with the holes, pour on a lot of hot glue, and wait for it to dry.

Repeat this step 8 more times, and then its time to finish everything up.

Image Notes1. Positive Speaker Wire2. Resistors3. Negative Speaker Wire


12/23


Image Notes1. Short Leg = Negative.2. Long Leg = Positive.3. Little blobs are where the legs should be bent 90 degrees (see next picture)4. Skinny Head and Long Leg = Positive.5. Bulky Head and Short Leg = Negative

Image Notes1. Needlenose pliers are great for this job. Try to make a 90 degree angle at thelittle blob on the upper part of the legs.

Image Notes1. Resting the LEDS in the holes makes them much easier to handle and keepaligned

Image Notes1. After soldering. Good electrical connection and ready for a resistor.2. Notice I've bent the front positive leg. This makes it easier to attach theresistor.


13/23


Image Notes1. Why do things the hard way? Bend the legs into hooks and its much easier tokeep them in place for soldering.

Image Notes1. Resistor has been soldered to positive leg of LED. Excess of the legs wasclipped off with the wire clippers.

Image Notes1. Negative LED leg will be soldered to the negative speaker wire.

Image Notes1. Drown it in hot glue. Not only does it hold the pieces in place, it prevents a

short circuit.

Image Notes1. Negative wire stays on the right side, Positive wire on the left


14/23


step 7:Finishing UpHopefully all your LEDs light up, your power supply has a solid connection to the speaker wires, and the hot glue is holding everything in place. Now its time to finish thlight bar.

If everything is set on your light bar, snip off any extra cord handing out the back end. Wrap the end with electrical tape just to keep it together.

If you find yourself making a lot of these, a step I don't cover is called daisy chaining. Basically you put quick disconnects on both ends, so i t can be powered on via eiside. Then you make a short (3 inch or so) connector cable that plugs the l ight bars into each other end to end, this chain can go on indefinitely. If the quick disconnecon both sides of the light bar are female plugs, then your connector cable would have male plugs on both ends of it.

Put the slide back into the bar, closing up the light bar. Reinsert the friction clip to lock the slide in place. And the light bar should be completed. Now you can choosewhere you want to put the bar itself.

This is where the Rubber Insulated Clampscome in. I like to use screws, however nails are equally good. One clamp goes in the middle, and two on the ends. This

why we saved 2" on each end of the l ight bar, making it easy to attach to a surface. Pictures show how it can be done.

Optional SandingThis is a step you can use to change the appearance of your LEDs. If you feel that your LEDs are too bright or shining too strong of focused beams, you can sand thetops of the LEDs to more evenly diffuse the light. Go purchase some very f ine (600-1200grit) sandpaper and just rub the top of each LED. you should have a smoothblurred LED, and this will scatter the light more effectively.

Image Notes1. Picture of later construction. The metal slide goes over the wires inside thebar, keeping everything nice and neat.

Image Notes1. Insulated Rubber Clamp fits great over the light bar. Can be tightened withpliers and mounted with a screw or nail.

Image Notes1. Regular Clearwater 5mm LED.2. Very concentrated beam. Powered by 2032 3V battery (like LED Throwies)


15/23


Image Notes1. The 3 clamps will each have a screw that goes into the wall. It can bemounting in any direction you please. Use your imagination!

Image Notes1. Same LED, only sanded with 600 grit sandpaper.


16/23


step 8:Mounting the Light BarNow that you've finished your light bar, there are numerous places to put it.

I've put some behind my couch so beams of green and blue lights shine out of the back. We also screw them into the ceiling to shine down the walls for our primarylighting in our house. For LAN parties (with the red and blue rooms of the house, each with red and blue LEDs) we place them in the corners to shine along the walls feach team's room color, and green LED light bars signify the neutral room with all the food and drinks. Use your imagination to place these bars, especially with the usof refractive (glass) or reflective surfaces.

This guide was focused on a 5 foot bar, but any size will work. I f you have any improvements upon my methods, or great ideas on how to use a light bar, feel free to lea comment.

Happy lighting - QuackMasterDan.

Related Instructables

LED-Day-Drive-Light for your

bicycleby Wiesi

High Power LEDHead or Bar

Mount Lightbyraintonr

Building yourown ambient

color lightingbarsby Sh4d0w

Nokia Bike Light

by rosscer USB Sensor Bar

byoniGamemaster

Blue LED

mouseby

DeLorean4905

Comments

50 comments Add Comment view all 196commen

joshleatherssays: Jan 3, 2011. 8:15 AM REPwould i be able to use your light bar for the light sorce for this instructable.http://www.instructables.com/id/Music-LED-Light-Box/.and would any modifications be nessasary?

QuackMasterDansays: Jan 3, 2011. 10:41 AM REP

You could make the light bar music reactive yes, they are a very similar design. The only difference is that you would need multiple TIP31 transistors,one per four LEDs. You can't run 18 LEDs in series, they wille be either extremely dim or not light up at all. Both projects have very similar wiring, justreplace the + and - terminals of the battery with the + and - wires of the power supply. Though he is using 12v, I believe you coud use anywhere from 612v for the project, just make sure your supply can handle the 18 LEDs. Though I normally say to always use a resistor, I believe you do fine withoutthem by using the transistor method.

brigs164says: Dec 23, 2010. 8:14 AM REP

i was wondering if a 12v 1amp dc plug would work if im hooking up 5 bars together
http://www.instructables.com/id/Light-Bar-Ambient-Lighting/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=comments#DISCUSShttp://www.instructables.com/member/brigs164/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/member/brigs164/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/id/Light-Bar-Ambient-Lighting/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=comments#DISCUSShttp://www.instructables.com/member/QuackMasterDan/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/member/QuackMasterDan/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/id/Light-Bar-Ambient-Lighting/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=comments#DISCUSShttp://www.instructables.com/member/joshleathers/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/member/joshleathers/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/id/Light-Bar-Ambient-Lighting/http://www.instructables.com/id/Light-Bar-Ambient-Lighting/http://www.instructables.com/id/Light-Bar-Ambient-Lighting/http://www.instructables.com/id/Light-Bar-Ambient-Lighting/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=comments#commentshttp://www.instructables.com/member/DeLorean4905/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=relatedhttp://www.instructables.com/id/Blue-LED-mouse/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=relatedhttp://www.instructables.com/id/Blue-LED-mouse/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=relatedhttp://www.instructables.com/id/Blue-LED-mouse/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=relatedhttp://www.instructables.com/member/oniGamemaster/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=relatedhttp://www.instructables.com/id/USB-Sensor-Bar/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=relatedhttp://www.instructables.com/id/USB-Sensor-Bar/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=relatedhttp://www.instructables.com/member/rosscer/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=relatedhttp://www.instructables.com/id/Nokia-Bike-Light/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=relatedhttp://www.instructables.com/id/Nokia-Bike-Light/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=relatedhttp://www.instructables.com/member/Sh4d0w/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=relatedhttp://www.instructables.com/id/Building-your-own-color-LED-bars/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=relatedhttp://www.instructables.com/id/Building-your-own-color-LED-bars/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=relatedhttp://www.instructables.com/id/Building-your-own-color-LED-bars/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=relatedhttp://www.instructables.com/id/Building-your-own-color-LED-bars/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=relatedhttp://www.instructables.com/id/Building-your-own-color-LED-bars/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=relatedhttp://www.instructables.com/member/raintonr/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=relatedhttp://www.instructables.com/id/High-Power-LED-Head-or-Bar-Mount-Light/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=relatedhttp://www.instructables.com/id/High-Power-LED-Head-or-Bar-Mount-Light/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=relatedhttp://www.instructables.com/id/High-Power-LED-Head-or-Bar-Mount-Light/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=relatedhttp://www.instructables.com/id/High-Power-LED-Head-or-Bar-Mount-Light/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=relatedhttp://www.instructables.com/member/Wiesi/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=relatedhttp://www.instructables.com/id/LED-Day-Drive-Light-for-your-bicycle/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=relatedhttp://www.instructables.com/id/LED-Day-Drive-Light-for-your-bicycle/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=relatedhttp://www.instructables.com/id/LED-Day-Drive-Light-for-your-bicycle/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=relatedhttp://www.instructables.com/id/LED-Day-Drive-Light-for-your-bicycle/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=related


17/23


QuackMasterDansays: Dec 23, 2010. 10:44 AM REPTo measure maximum power possible by your power supply, you need to measure everything in Watts. A Watt, is simply volts * amps.

So if you have 18 LEDs on your light bar, with each LED running at 20mA (milliamps) and 3.2 volts.18 LEDs * 20mA = 360 mA.

Then let's turn that into Watts3.2v * 0.36A = 4.32 W.

For five light bars4.32 W * 5 Light Bars = 21.6 WRealistically, we want some buffer power since real electrical drain isn't perfect, let's just add 5 Watts to be safe. Thus, 26.6 Wattsis our power drain.

Now for what your power supply can put out,12v * 1 Amp = 12 Watts.

Sadly, that power supply cannot provide enough juice to five light bars. It will realistically be able to light three at full brightness, and at three, it willbecome extremely hot (like, burn your finger hot, which is bad). So the safe amount for that power supply is two light bars.

If you want a cheap power supply that can handle a ton of light bars, go find a laptop power supply, They are usually in the range of 50-75 Watts, andcan be found for a couple dollars at a Goodwill, or bought on eBay for $13 including s/h.

Good luck.

vj03says: Dec 18, 2010. 10:11 AM REPGreat idea and tutorial!

Electroinnovationsays: Oct 27, 2010. 4:47 PM REPYou should add ebay.com as a source for most of those items. I know leds can cost about $4 for 100 with free shipping.

QuackMasterDansays: Oct 27, 2010. 5:15 PM REPBoth HKJE and LEDHK that I linked to on part one take you to their eBay sellers stores. They are my favorite sources on eBay. Thanks for the input.

Electroinnovationsays: Oct 28, 2010. 2:53 PM REPoh sorry i didn't see that there. I just read the first part that said $10 for 100.

thatsgeniussays: Sep 3, 2010. 10:42 AM REPi love doing light graffiti!

ibtassamsays: Aug 24, 2010. 11:37 AM REPI'm intending on using around 10 LED's in series for making an LED music box. It has a TIP 31 transistor and is plugged into audio jack. But I have a powesupply of 12V, 600mA. Do you think its enough to run all these LED's??

QuackMasterDansays: Aug 24, 2010. 12:33 PM REPIt is not possible to wire 10 LEDs in a single series. You can chain them at a max of 3 per series for the voltage you are using (12 volts).

As far as calculating the capacity to run your LEDs, I'm going to now assume it's in series of 2 (2 * 5 = 10 more cleanly than three series and a single).Using the LEDCalc.com calculator and punching in your numbers, you should use a 330 Ohm 1/8 Watt resistor for each series of two LEDs.

One series of two LEDs uses 0.149Amps when running at 3.2 volts (blue, green, or white LEDs). We will calculate Watts, since it is easier to measuremax capacity that way than when voltages are so different (12v vs 3.2v). A Watt is simply volts * amps.

Your power supply is 12v * 0.6 A = 7.2 Watts

A series of two LEDs running on a 330 Ohm resistor is 3.2v * 0.149 A = 0.48 Watts.Five series of two LEDs = 0.48 Watts * 5 = 2.4 Watts

So you've got 7.2 Watts as your max, and ten LEDs use up 2.4, you have lots of spare room to work with.

To put it simply, you have a ton of extra power.

You could also have gone to ledcalc.com like I suggest in my guide, punched in the numbers, and it would provide you with everything you need. Goodluck, I hope my math wasn't too confusing.

ibtassamsays: Aug 25, 2010. 11:56 AM REPHey, I knew what it meant by connecting in 'parallel' but I just understood how to do it by seeing this link http://www.theledlight.com/ledcircuits.html Please correct me if I'm wrong in the next statement. I can connect as many LED's as I want using 'parallel' method(say 15) and adjust my adaptor 3V and it would work? Do I still need to add resistors to be safe or is it safe enough. Regards, Ibtassam
http://www.instructables.com/id/Light-Bar-Ambient-Lighting/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=comments#DISCUSShttp://www.instructables.com/member/ibtassam/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/member/ibtassam/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/id/Light-Bar-Ambient-Lighting/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=comments#DISCUSShttp://www.instructables.com/member/QuackMasterDan/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/member/QuackMasterDan/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/id/Light-Bar-Ambient-Lighting/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=comments#DISCUSShttp://www.instructables.com/member/ibtassam/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/member/ibtassam/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/id/Light-Bar-Ambient-Lighting/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=comments#DISCUSShttp://www.instructables.com/member/thatsgenius/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/member/thatsgenius/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/id/Light-Bar-Ambient-Lighting/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=comments#DISCUSShttp://www.instructables.com/member/Electroinnovation/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/member/Electroinnovation/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/id/Light-Bar-Ambient-Lighting/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=comments#DISCUSShttp://www.instructables.com/member/QuackMasterDan/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/member/QuackMasterDan/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/id/Light-Bar-Ambient-Lighting/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=comments#DISCUSShttp://www.instructables.com/member/Electroinnovation/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/member/Electroinnovation/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/id/Light-Bar-Ambient-Lighting/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=comments#DISCUSShttp://www.instructables.com/member/vj03/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/member/vj03/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/id/Light-Bar-Ambient-Lighting/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=comments#DISCUSShttp://www.instructables.com/member/QuackMasterDan/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/member/QuackMasterDan/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=comments


18/23


QuackMasterDansays: Aug 25, 2010. 1:32 PM REPFor parallel wiring, yes, you can connect as many LEDs as you want with only two wires and one resistor.

With the single resistor for the whole LED chain, each additional LED puts extra strain on the resistor. The size of the resistor needed acceleratpretty quickly, going beyond twenty or thirty LEDs will require a pretty huge resistor.

I punched your numbers into the LEDcalc.com parallel calculator. It says you will need a 47 Ohm 2W resistor to power ten, 3.2v LEDs. 3.2v is foblue, green, and white LEDs. For 15 LEDs, it's a 39 Ohm 3W. If you're using another color, like red or amber, which generally run at 1.9, youwould use a 56 ohm 2 Watt resistor. These numbers are "ideal", in reality, when buying, pick the closest numbered resistor you can find. As lonas all the LEDs have the same voltage requirement, they will all be the same brightness. However mixing colors will cause changes in brightnesif you set your resistor for 3.2, any red LEDs along the chain will become about 30% brighter than normal [called overvolting, a nice trick forflashlights].

At this point, you're using low-power 5mm LEDs. When you get to large LEDs (like Luxeon Stars, check them out, they're a lot of fun) the powe

requirements increase drastically, and so does the sensitivity of the resistor. I've run a bicycle headlamp with four, 5W Luxeon stars, where achange of 0.5 volts [since I wanted an overvolt mod] can sometimes change your resistor from a 3W to a 5W or 10W.

You must alwaysuse a resistor for LEDs, except in very special cases (like a 2032 battery). You can't really "adjust" a power adapter, since itsoutput at 12v is just how i t's built. You can however, choose a different kind of resistor. Parallel only uses one resistor, and as far as safe, thedanger is that the LEDs burn out and don't turn on, rather than something horrible like them melt or burst into flames ;-D

ibtassamsays: Aug 25, 2010. 2:27 PM REPWoah! Those were SOME led's! Just saw a video of this Luxeon thingie, It's brightness is beyond it's tiny little size. But a bit too fancy for meatm. Thanks for letting me know about the resistance in advance. Because otherwise I was thinking of finding out the actual voltages of mypower supply and LED(Clear blue one) by using a mult imeter(which I don't own, so would've asked the shopkeeper to measure i t for me) anthen using ledcalc.com to find the resistance. And, yes, 15 LED's is just about the number I was thinking about, since in parallel I can nowconnect a hell lot of LED's(more brightness, yayy!!). So I guess, I just go ahead and buy me one 39 ohm 3W resistor?(or any number near i[Btw, what supply voltage did you assume for the 15 Blue Led's?] And my last question is, related figure posted below, Do I imitate this figurfully( same figure from the parallel section of ledcalc.com) or do I have to make any other change? I had a hard time searching for plexiglas

today but found a neat ready-made hollow plexiglass structure for the lights. If the whole thing works out, It'll be the coolest thing I've made.So excited : ] Thanks for assistance! Regards, Ibtassam.

QuackMasterDansays: Aug 25, 2010. 5:24 PM REPYes, you should just buy a 39 Ohm 3W resistor online, I suggest eBay, my favorite store is Resistors Plus (search on google). Thatparallel diagram is exactly correct. Just extend i t to the right for 15 LEDs instead of three. If you need plexiglass (acrylic), or polycarbonatubing, I suggest TAP Plastics, they have square and round tubes which may be what you're looking for.

ibtassamsays: Aug 26, 2010. 12:47 AM REPCan you please tell me what voltage I should set my adaptor to, while running parallel circuit of 15 Led's w/ a 39ohm resistor? Shouit be set at 3(as its parallel so same voltage '3' would go via all of them) or should it be 4.5(as the forward voltage of led is 3.2 so itbetter to be above this value?) or should it be set at 12(like you did while using ledcalc.com). I punched in supply 12, led 3.2V and20mA to get 33ohm which is what you did, I think. Please explain. Regards, Ibtassam

QuackMasterDansays: Aug 26, 2010. 1:26 AM REPThe measurement I gave you is for a 12v source, on parallel. On parallel wiring there is a single resistor at the start, and your 15LEDs all connect along the same two wires after that resistor.

I don't think you understand what a resistor does. You leave your setting at 12v, and you use the 39 Ohm resistor to drop thevoltage AND current to what the LEDs need. Voltage is essentially how powerful electricity punches through something (jumpingfrom the plate to the wire that glows), and current is the actual flow of electrons that do the punching. The resistor limits bothpunching power, as well as how many electrons get to go into the LED, combined they are the factors that make the measuremeof Ohm. When you told the calculator you desire a 3.2 voltage running through each LED, 33 Ohms of resistance will drop 12v in3.2v at a current flow the LEDs can use..

Using LEDCalc, I clicked Parallel (instead of GURU, Series, or Single), and punching in 12v source, 20mA current, and 3.2vvoltage drop for 15 LEDs gives me a 33 Ohm 3W resitor. Sounds like you did everything exactly correct.

ibtassamsays: Aug 26, 2010. 7:59 AM REPI've another quick important question apart from the one I posted before this one. Can I just put 15 Led's in parallel and adjusmy adaptor to 3V(by using built in switch on it)..? It works when I test ran it using 3 LEd's in parallel with supply of 3V. If I dothis, do I still have to put in resistance?(since the difference in voltages is very tiny) OR do I have to adjust the adaptor to 12 and put in the 39ohm resistor for it to work. Regards, Ibtassam

QuackMasterDansays: Aug 26, 2010. 8:34 AM REPUmm, I think that would work, I'm not entirely sure though. I've always learned that a resistor is a must for any circuit youever make with LEDs, however the point of a resistor is that is lowers voltage while limiting current. In this scenario, it's thexact correct voltage, and completely unregulated current.

I kind of want to say that just running everything at 3v might be ok, since when running some calculations I keep getting
http://www.instructables.com/id/Light-Bar-Ambient-Lighting/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=comments#DISCUSShttp://www.instructables.com/member/QuackMasterDan/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/member/QuackMasterDan/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/id/Light-Bar-Ambient-Lighting/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=comments#DISCUSShttp://www.instructables.com/member/ibtassam/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/member/ibtassam/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/id/Light-Bar-Ambient-Lighting/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=comments#DISCUSShttp://www.instructables.com/member/QuackMasterDan/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/member/QuackMasterDan/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/id/Light-Bar-Ambient-Lighting/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=comments#DISCUSShttp://www.instructables.com/member/ibtassam/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/member/ibtassam/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/id/Light-Bar-Ambient-Lighting/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=comments#DISCUSShttp://www.instructables.com/member/QuackMasterDan/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/member/QuackMasterDan/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://files/deriv/FJQ/XVTO/GD2JK23C/FJQXVTOGD2JK23C.MEDIUM.jpghttp://www.instructables.com/id/Light-Bar-Ambient-Lighting/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=comments#DISCUSShttp://www.instructables.com/member/ibtassam/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/member/ibtassam/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/id/Light-Bar-Ambient-Lighting/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=comments#DISCUSShttp://www.instructables.com/member/QuackMasterDan/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/member/QuackMasterDan/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=comments


19/23


extremely low ohm values, like you need an ideal 0.2 Ohm 1/8W resistor (which is essentially nothing). Then again,everything I've read says resistors are mandatory with LEDs, except when you have a power supply that has currentlimiting on it's own to about 20mA (which basically doesn't happen, except in a single battery.) So simply, I'm not sure.

ibtassamsays: Aug 26, 2010. 10:16 AM REPNot sure eh? lol I guess there's only one way to find out. I 'll just take the risk and connect all 15 LED's at 3V in paralleand see how many hours, days or months it lasts( and let you know too). As far as I'm concerned, I have a good feelabout this circuit as It kept working for like an hour, when I connected 3 of them at 3V in parallel. If anything goeswrong, I can always spend 50 cents to get 15 more LED's(everything being really cheap here) and connect them theway you mentioned before(at 12V with a 33ohm, 3W resistor). By the way, Just to increase my knowledge I want toask: Are you saying that there's a chance that voltage may decrease but current may remain at the same high value?But my question is how can the ac-dc adaptor(keeping in mind that I have the adjustable voltage adaptor) change thevoltage from 12 to 3 without changing the current. If it doesn't change current, then Isn't there a danger of damaging

other stuff that we try to run on 3V without using any resistance? Thanks. Regards, Ibtassam

QuackMasterDansays: Aug 26, 2010. 1:44 PM REPThe AC/DC Rectifier reduces both voltage and current together. They are a combined function of the coil inside thpower supply, reducing one reduces the other proportionately.

What I mean by the LEDs receiving unlimited current, is that within the positive wire carrying juice to the LEDs,there is a huge supply of power that is more than they can tap into. Most parts only take as much juice they canhandle, which is partially dependent on voltage. If current is too high, they will be essentially flooded with extraelectrons, and more power will go in that the LED wire can handle and it will burn (just like a fuse).

Try to think of the current as a pool of electrons trapped within the positive wire. They will take any path out of thewire they can take, which we happen to make run through the LEDs. On their way passing through, some of themdeposit their energy into the LED wire/plate producing light, the excess electrons pass through back into the powsource at the negative terminal. If the pool of electrons is too high within the wire, they force their way through theLED wire, whether it can handle that much power or not.

ibtassamsays: Aug 26, 2010. 2:34 PM REPI see. So I have to limit the amount of juice too in addition to limiting the speed of juice. This electrical field iseasy but only if there's someone good to teach i t. Sadly It's too late for me now as I chose the mechanicalengineering field 3 years ago(which is awesome in its own special way). By the way, what course/degree areyou doing and from where? Regards, Ibtassam

QuackMasterDansays: Aug 26, 2010. 7:02 PM REPI'm actually a history major, and just graduated college this Spring. I'm currently entering a teachingcredential program (started Monday), to get a credential for high-schoolers. Really, it's just a backup plan return to when I leave the country. My future plans are essentially, get the credential, turn to the peacecorps, say where is help needed, and end up in some random country for two or three years. I'll continuestudying wherever I go, and upon returning, and after doing other stupid jobs like ski-instructor or ditch-digger ;-D, I'll become a teacher.

History has essentially nothing to do with all of my hobbies, my reasons for selecting history: it makes youbrain a much more fun place to live; everyone enjoys stories, especially the craziest stories across five-

thousand years of humanity; a more balanced understanding of how different societies have lived, whatthey valued, and a highly analytical perspective on everything applying to my own society.

I envy you mechanical engineers, I can barely change the oil and light-bulbs in my car. However I cangladly install a complex (electrical) stereo system.

ibtassamsays: Aug 27, 2010. 2:29 AM REPWell, yeah, I can change the oil and do a bunch of other stuff but I think there's literally thousands ofcool things that you can do by the application of electrical knowledge. Although I must say mechanicaengineering field to me is the best engineering field with all the boilers, turbines, pressure vessels,compressors etc one can never get bored studying these things. You have quite an adventurous lifeplan. I don't think I be able to bear 'tough' situations that you may encounter travelling all thesecountries. But one thing's for sure that there'll always be new things to see, learn and do. About historI'm always doubtful about the truth of many stories because there are always different accounts bypeople on the same single story, who to believe? Wikipedia? lol.

QuackMasterDansays: Aug 27, 2010. 9:41 AM REPI am going to attempt a piece of mechanical engineering next summer when I get access to a MIGand TIG welding machine. I'm going to create a real-life, functional version, of the power-fist fromFallout 3. It's essentially an arm brace with a pneumatic rod going along the length of the forearm,with upon the press of a thumb-button, releases the pressure into a metal plate placed beyond thehand which will fires a ton of force in its forward movement (imagine just being able to "punch" ahole through a washing machine or brick-wall).

I hope it's practical, something tells me I'll need to have a motor of some kind to actually increasethe pressure immensely (compressor ? ), rather than just have it contained within a pre-pressurizegas-cylinder, at which point, I'd be very confused. Anyways, that's the next crazy mechanical projeI have lined up, before that though, I might go purchase some junky $40 road bicycle and make amotor for the rear wheel.

As far as history being accurate, you're right, it's hard to find "truth", or what really happened out thpast. When talking about the Roman or Greek era, we have something called the rule of 10. Inreferring to military conflicts, whatever number they used, divide it by 10 and you have the real
http://www.instructables.com/id/Light-Bar-Ambient-Lighting/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=comments#DISCUSShttp://www.instructables.com/member/QuackMasterDan/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/member/QuackMasterDan/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/id/Light-Bar-Ambient-Lighting/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=comments#DISCUSShttp://www.instructables.com/member/ibtassam/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/member/ibtassam/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/id/Light-Bar-Ambient-Lighting/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=comments#DISCUSShttp://www.instructables.com/member/QuackMasterDan/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/member/QuackMasterDan/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/id/Light-Bar-Ambient-Lighting/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=comments#DISCUSShttp://www.instructables.com/member/ibtassam/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/member/ibtassam/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/id/Light-Bar-Ambient-Lighting/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=comments#DISCUSShttp://www.instructables.com/member/QuackMasterDan/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/member/QuackMasterDan/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/id/Light-Bar-Ambient-Lighting/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=comments#DISCUSShttp://www.instructables.com/member/ibtassam/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/member/ibtassam/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=comments


20/23


amount of forces. Even today, with something like the Vietnam War (on which I did my senior-thesis), various perceptions from very tiny battles to massive attacks cause many different truth. Fan example of small-numbered confusion in Vietnam, there is the famous My Lai Incident. For anexample of an absolutely crazy story from the same era (1976, after the war, and everybody lovesgood story), search, "Operation Paul Bunyan" or "The Axe Murder Incident" on google. A militaryengagement which reads out like a comedy.

ibtassamsays: Aug 27, 2010. 12:44 PM REPYes compressor may be the way to go because of the quick response it can give( mythbustersused this but don't remember which one, maybe the episode in which they shot chickens intoaeroplane windshields). Another thing you can try with this is the X-men:Wolverine stylehand(but it's something to be careful with). Why not work more and develop the full Iron manoriginal costume(without the jetpacks it's quite possible :P ). Although I now own a bike but as

child I always used to think of having a motor installed on my bicycle. So yes that'll be a prettyfun project. My 'self-assigned' project is over. The 16 LEDeed light is so cool. I 'll make a videoit working soon. I read the article 'axe murder incident' and I too find it funny that they foughtover a tree. And can't figure out why they took so many men to cut a tree and with what? axesnot jigsaws or anything that could do the job fast. lol. Although I think America is a great countbut I must say that it has very bad policies that are influenced by some selfish people. Like somtime ago I watched the movie 'Sicko' and it really opens the eyes to what is happening in USAPoliticians have sold themselves out to pass bills that make it easy for the health insurancecompanies to do whatever they want without any accountability. I t further said that USA ranke34 in the world in healthcare while neighbouring Canada was at #2. When politicians don't thinabout their own country, how can one expect it to be nicer to nations(whom they've grown up tsee as terrorists in movies and shows). While the truth is that every country has a majority ofnice people with families and children who want to live happily instead of being killed in wars. Ihope someday USA realizes this or maybe starts walking on the right path.

QuackMasterDansays: Aug 27, 2010. 1:21 PM REPI don't perceive our political system improving at all in the near future, but rather becomeprogressively more inefficient and aggressive. What a bummer.

I'm glad your LED bar turned out well, got a picture? ( Instructables has an "add images"button in the lower left of a post).

As far as the Axe Murder Incident, here is the breakdown:Americans go in to trim the poplar tree, rain delays them by seven days, the re-notify theNorth Koreans, the message never gets delivered, they go in anyways. Trimming the tree,the North Korean soldiers cause trouble since the Americans ignore their claims about KimSung personally planting the poplar tree. The North Koreans attack with metal chains, andcrowbars (guns are heavily restricted and could start a war), the Americans respond withmaddox' (mini-hatchet), some of the maddox' were taken by North Korean soldiers and useto kill two American soldiers.

In response, the Americans went in with essentially a small-army, rigged the bridges wi thexplosives, sent in a huge manned force, with armored personal carriers, cobra attackhelicopters, and fighter jets, with two engineers cutting down the tree with chainsaws. It waessentially a big show to say, "we are America, don't mess with us". After it was over, Kim Sung gave a statement about his regrets the Americans ganged up on innocent NorthKorean soldiers acting in defense, and hoped it would never happen again. The Americanleadership decided to say, "meh", and leave the conflict at that. What a way for those twosoldiers to die serving their country, over trimming a poplar tree ;-)

ibtassamsays: Aug 28, 2010. 6:56 AM REPYeah sure. Here are two of the pics I took. First one is when I had arranged the LEDcircuit into the metallic frame. I took a sheet, put 16 holes in it, wrapped it with silverpaper(for more light) and then connected the transistor etc into it. (in the back you cansee the semi-circle diffused glass structure that will come on top of it). Second picture when I test ran the circuit in the outer diffused glass structure( the whole assembly ofsteel and glass cost me about 5$ that also had 2 holders for energy savers but Iremoved them for more space, so basically it was really cheap as compared to plexiglathat would've cost me a LOT here). As you can see the silver paper combined with thediffused glass gave it a really nice blue look. I've just recently finished mounting the ligonto the wall. Will upload a video of it working soon. Thanks for the help! :) Regards,

Ibtassam
http://files/deriv/FBJ/L4M4/GD2J2SXF/FBJL4M4GD2J2SXF.MEDIUM.jpghttp://files/deriv/F6P/4FGW/GD2JKC2A/F6P4FGWGD2JKC2A.MEDIUM.jpghttp://www.instructables.com/id/Light-Bar-Ambient-Lighting/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=comments#DISCUSShttp://www.instructables.com/member/ibtassam/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/member/ibtassam/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/id/Light-Bar-Ambient-Lighting/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=comments#DISCUSShttp://www.instructables.com/member/QuackMasterDan/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/member/QuackMasterDan/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/id/Light-Bar-Ambient-Lighting/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=comments#DISCUSShttp://www.instructables.com/member/ibtassam/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/member/ibtassam/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=comments


21/23


ibtassamsays: Aug 26, 2010. 3:07 AM REPHi there! Hey I had gone out, while you replied, to get all the stuff needed to make this complete circuit and without knowledgI stuck with the 39 ohm resistor you initially said. Is this 39 W one also fine or should I get a 33ohm one when I go out again?Secondly, there is no 3W one available in 39 ohm, what I got is a 39 ohm 2W. Please let me know if I should buy the exact33ohm or is it fine to use 39, 2W as well. Other than that I've got everything needed like 15 blue LED's, good wire, y-splitter,transistor, adaptor pin socket and the plexiglass(kinda) casing. Regards, Ibtassam

QuackMasterDansays: Aug 26, 2010. 8:26 AM REP39 Ohms works, higher resistance will always work (blocks more juice, slightly more dim), low can sometimes work if youdon't push it too far (I'd say 33ohms would work too, and could actually be more desirable since it's slight overvolt andthus brighter). The wattage is important though, you should try to get a 3W or higher. Otherwise they can melt =\ Foundyou a link to some in about 5 seconds on google, $6 for ten including shipping. Buying resistors on eBay is easy, if you g

it from a US rather than Chinese shipper receiving them generally takes about 3-4 days.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300454393129

ibtassamsays: Aug 25, 2010. 11:20 AM REPThank you for the quick response! Actually I'm trying to make this: http://www.instructables.com/id/Music-LED-Light-Box/step6/Building-the-circuit/I've already tested it out with 1 LED adjusting my 12V adaptor to 3V( It can be adjusted to 3, 4.5,6,7..5 etc ) and it works. Now I was planning to gobig scale tomorrow. But you're probably right about adding resistances, as it may burn the LED's out? Can I just accurately measure the 'real' outpuof my adaptor at 12V and then divide it by 3 and add the obtained amount of LED's (say if it's 18V then I add 6 LED's without resistances and beworry-free of any damage of burning out?) The schematic of the music box also shows a lot of LED's in series but I 'm not sure how to wire in theresistances. Can you also tell what the total wattage will be if I put 10 LED's in series without resistance. Sorry if I asked anything obvious, lol. AndTHANKS! Regards, Ibtassam.

QuackMasterDansays: Aug 25, 2010. 1:38 PM REPMeasuring the voltage output of the 12v from the adapter and simply dividing does not work like you'd think. There are equations (which I'm notgoing to get into, using the calculator is simpler for answering questions) that take into account current, resistance, and voltage. All three

elements combine to determine what resistor you need. Bumping up to 18v is a huge increase in how much energy conversion needs to be maby your resistor(s). Yes, guesstimating and just connecting extra LEDs onto the circuit would relieve the resistor of energy conversion, but they need to be attached (the full entire number) when you first power it on, since if you give everything 18v supply without the proper amount of dra(how much energy the LEDs are sucking out of the power supply), they will toast themselves. That being said, there is still a little give room, 3.2LEDs can really operate from around ~2.6v-5v, however being lower or higher than the ideal 3.2 really changes brightness.

Don't put LEDs in series without resistance, they simply will break. I've learned from experience, they have to have a resistor of some kind. If yowant to see what I mean, solder three LEDs in series, and touch a 9v battery to the leads. They wi ll become very bright, then become extremelyhot, and then turn off and never work again.

Good luck.

Millenium_Btsays: Aug 11, 2010. 1:43 AM REPIstead of clamps can one just dril l a hole and screw the thing on? Greets

QuackMasterDansays: Aug 11, 2010. 1:32 PM REPSure, that works too. There is no correct way to mount them really, it's your project, mod it how you want. Today I don't even bother with rubber clampsuse a screw eyelet, and a steel triangle ring running through the eyelet to mount them from my ceiling. There are a million ways to do it, do whateverworks for you.

Millenium_Btsays: Aug 11, 2010. 1:31 AM REPAnd how do you keep the LEDs from conducting with the metall bar? Greets

QuackMasterDansays: Aug 11, 2010. 1:25 PM REPFor the most part, the LED legs don't really bump into the casing as long as the LEDs remain in their slots, they float about 1/2" over the case, right in tcenter.

Since I know that the l ight bar will face abuse, LEDs get knocked loose, whatever, I simply cover the LEDs and the legs completely in hot-glue, ensurinthey will not move, and even if they did from shock, they would be electrically isolated from the casing.

Hot glue is really a miracle for hobby-makers, whenever I solder a modchip to a Xbox motherboard, I often end up just covering connection points andwires in hot-glue, since it won't conduct electricity into the motherboard - amazing stuff.

Millenium_Btsays: Aug 10, 2010. 5:41 AM REPThx this is great combined with my project if you dont mind i could put a link of your instructable into my instructable. Greets

QuackMasterDansays: Aug 10, 2010. 6:15 AM REPSure, sounds fine to me, good luck on it, thanks for asking =D. Message me again when it's complete so I can see how your guide turned out.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Light-Bar-Ambient-Lighting/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=comments#DISCUSShttp://www.instructables.com/member/QuackMasterDan/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/member/QuackMasterDan/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/id/Light-Bar-Ambient-Lighting/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=comments#DISCUSShttp://www.instructables.com/member/Millenium_Bt/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/member/Millenium_Bt/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/id/Light-Bar-Ambient-Lighting/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=comments#DISCUSShttp://www.instructables.com/member/QuackMasterDan/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/member/QuackMasterDan/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/id/Light-Bar-Ambient-Lighting/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=comments#DISCUSShttp://www.instructables.com/member/Millenium_Bt/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/member/Millenium_Bt/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/id/Light-Bar-Ambient-Lighting/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=comments#DISCUSShttp://www.instructables.com/member/QuackMasterDan/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/member/QuackMasterDan/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/id/Light-Bar-Ambient-Lighting/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=comments#DISCUSShttp://www.instructables.com/member/Millenium_Bt/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/member/Millenium_Bt/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/id/Light-Bar-Ambient-Lighting/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=comments#DISCUSShttp://www.instructables.com/member/QuackMasterDan/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/member/QuackMasterDan/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/id/Light-Bar-Ambient-Lighting/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=comments#DISCUSShttp://www.instructables.com/member/ibtassam/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/member/ibtassam/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300454393129http://www.instructables.com/id/Light-Bar-Ambient-Lighting/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=comments#DISCUSShttp://www.instructables.com/member/QuackMasterDan/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/member/QuackMasterDan/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/id/Light-Bar-Ambient-Lighting/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=comments#DISCUSShttp://www.instructables.com/member/ibtassam/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/member/ibtassam/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=comments


22/23


channy1510says: Jul 31, 2010. 8:14 AM REPHi i am new to this and am a complete amature, i have two power suplies. No. 1 is AC , 12V, 700ma No. 2 is DC, 5-7V, 400ma I don't know which one touse, how many LED's i can have on each and what resistors i should use?

QuackMasterDansays: Jul 31, 2010. 12:28 PM REPActually, both of those are AC->DC adapters, both will work. The voltages are different, which is something you need to take into account for choosingyour resistors.

Aa far as calculating how many LEDs each can use, the 5-7v adapter can power one light bar, and the 12v adapter can power two, maybe three.

As far as calculating resistors, I punched the numbers into LEDcalc.com, and got these results:

For the 12v adapter, you would need 330 Ohm 1/8 W (Minimum) resistors per two LEDs.

For the 7v adapter, you would need 33 Ohm 1/8 W (minimum) resistors. Note that whatever resistor you get doesn't have to be perfectly that number,330s are very common, if you can't f ind a pack of 33 Ohm resistors, 30, 35, 40, will all work; You'll find something. Have fun!

channy1510says: Aug 2, 2010. 12:24 AM REPThanks, ill get started on it today

Onay91says: Jul 21, 2010. 10:26 PM REPI don't want to sound like an electronics noob, but I have a question. Do the positive and negative wires just run along the sides of the wire covering, andthen just stop at one end? I know one end is needed to be soldered to the power supply, but what do you do with the other end? I'm not planning on puttingin the quick disconnects. Also, what switch ( I would use that to turn it on/off instead of unplugging it) would you recommend using? Thanks

QuackMasterDansays: Jul 22, 2010. 12:51 AM REPElectricity comes through the positive wire. It goes through whatever you are powering (a motor, a led, whatever), and then goes into the ground wire.The electricity goes in a big loop/circle/circuit. Within a house, electricity flows through the positive, electricity goes into the components, and the negatis actually the ground wire that goes from your house into the ground. Neat eh?

The quick disconnects are not needed, they simply make it easier to shuffle around. You can just snip off the end of your power connector from the

power adapter, and solder directly to your positive and negative wires.

As far as a switch for on/off, there are a ton of options. Just go to radioshack, and look in the Switch drawers, you'll find a lot of choices. I personally amfan of on/off toggle switches (a mostly flat disc that tilts from one side to the other), but you'd need to drill a hole in the case to fit it in. The switch wouldonly have a single wire running through i t. So positive from the power adapter goes into one pin on the switch, and the wire on the other side of theswitch goes to all the components. One break in the system turns the whole thing off. If you have anymore questions, feel free to ask.

Onay91says: Jul 27, 2010. 2:13 PM REPThanks, I'm starting to understand this more. I have another question, though. If the voltage difference between the two wires is the same as thesupply voltage (for you, its 9V), then why do you need such high ohm resistors? Aren't you essentially hooking up 18 LEDs in parallel? Or is thevoltage supply regulated such that there isn't a voltage drop that you'd get from a battery? I hope that my question isn't too confusing

QuackMasterDansays: Jul 28, 2010. 12:44 AM REPThe LEDs are not running in parallel. They are running in series of two LEDs each, which is a very low power requirement. A 150 Ohm resistor actually an extremely low ohmage rating. "Normal" ratings are 5k (5000), 10k, 50k, 100k, and 1M (1 million).

As far as "voltage difference" I do not know what you mean. 9v runs through the positive wire, dumps its power into the LEDs, then any excessthat the LEDs didn't use up in creating light gets sent back into the loop via the ground/negative wire. It should be 9v on both the positive andnegative wires, but after passing through the LEDs, the current (mA) would be lower, but voltage would stay the same (voltage is essentially hohard electricity "punches" through a material).

For the last question, voltage regulation is highly overrated unless you're working with some hardcore wiring schemes (such as running two 5Watt Luxeon Stars in parallel). These power supplies I'm using are el cheapo-crappy unregulated supplies whose voltage varies from 8v-12v allthe time. Nonetheless, the LEDs work fine, and have been working fine for over a year now.

bsoccer1616says: Jul 19, 2010. 5:28 AM REPCould you use just a regular power cord for this project? not a phone charger or anything with a box on the cord?
http://www.instructables.com/id/Light-Bar-Ambient-Lighting/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=comments#DISCUSShttp://www.instructables.com/member/bsoccer1616/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/member/bsoccer1616/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/id/Light-Bar-Ambient-Lighting/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=comments#DISCUSShttp://www.instructables.com/member/QuackMasterDan/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/member/QuackMasterDan/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/id/Light-Bar-Ambient-Lighting/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=comments#DISCUSShttp://www.instructables.com/member/Onay91/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/member/Onay91/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/id/Light-Bar-Ambient-Lighting/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=comments#DISCUSShttp://www.instructables.com/member/QuackMasterDan/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/member/QuackMasterDan/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/id/Light-Bar-Ambient-Lighting/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=comments#DISCUSShttp://www.instructables.com/member/Onay91/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/member/Onay91/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/id/Light-Bar-Ambient-Lighting/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=comments#DISCUSShttp://www.instructables.com/member/channy1510/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/member/channy1510/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/id/Light-Bar-Ambient-Lighting/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=comments#DISCUSShttp://www.instructables.com/member/QuackMasterDan/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/member/QuackMasterDan/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://files/deriv/FZ0/32JX/GC4GD185/FZ032JXGC4GD185.MEDIUM.jpghttp://files/deriv/FTI/EQ1N/GC4GD186/FTIEQ1NGC4GD186.MEDIUM.jpghttp://www.instructables.com/id/Light-Bar-Ambient-Lighting/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=comments#DISCUSShttp://www.instructables.com/member/channy1510/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/member/channy1510/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=comments


23/23

QuackMasterDansays: Jul 19, 2010. 11:24 AM REPJust a straight power cord, as in going from the wall to the light bar, would absolutely destroy the LEDs and could possibly melt your wire if you ground wrong. House wiring (mains) runs at 120 volts AC, not DC like LEDs need. LEDs are very fragile, and run at anywhere from 1.2-3.5v, so you would neeto step down 120 volts to 3.5, of which I don't know if a resistor like that exists (and it would be huge, and extremely hot). A phone charger is a differentstory. It has a rectifier (AC->DC) inside of it, and only draws a very small amount of power. Depending on your phone charger, it could work extremelywell, provided it can supply over 360mA of current. Almost any small electronics power supply will work, however a straight cord from the wall socket tothe light bar will not.

junits15says: Jun 14, 2010. 11:39 AM REPThat spade plug (quick disconnect) isn't meant to be soldered, simply crush it with pliers or a vice and the wire will be locked in place.

junits15says: Jun 14, 2010. 11:44 AM REPwhoops didnt read sorry!

siddhanthsays: Mar 17, 2010. 12:59 AM REP i have been planning something same with my room.the only problem is that i am bit confused on what type of leds i should use.i am thinking of using fadones as i want to create ambient lighting that fades the light all over my room.i want to join the led holding brackets to my ceiling.usually clear leds have aconcentration point... on which the whole light is concentrated... i suppose if i put it on my ceiling, what i will be getting is light circles below.i want it morefaded type.there are faded leds that are available in the market....which MIGHT color the whole room...but they dont offer as much luminance...uhh i guessmust go to some local electronic shop...or... maybe i shall go with superflux ones...maybe i should sandpaper clear ones to see the effect.. but itll be a waof time.... ughh.. someone help me?

view all 196comments
http://id/Light-Bar-Ambient-Lighting/?comments=all&sort=OLDEST#commentshttp://id/Light-Bar-Ambient-Lighting/?comments=all&sort=OLDEST#commentshttp://id/Light-Bar-Ambient-Lighting/?comments=all&sort=OLDEST#commentshttp://www.instructables.com/id/Light-Bar-Ambient-Lighting/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=comments#DISCUSShttp://www.instructables.com/member/siddhanth/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/member/siddhanth/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/id/Light-Bar-Ambient-Lighting/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=comments#DISCUSShttp://www.instructables.com/member/junits15/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/member/junits15/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/id/Light-Bar-Ambient-Lighting/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=comments#DISCUSShttp://www.instructables.com/member/junits15/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/member/junits15/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/id/Light-Bar-Ambient-Lighting/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=comments#DISCUSShttp://www.instructables.com/member/QuackMasterDan/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=commentshttp://www.instructables.com/member/QuackMasterDan/?utm_source=pdf&utm_campaign=comments

Bar a Leds

Documents

Transcript of Bar a Leds