LED Wiring Preemptives

[Toxin13]

I've made this little diagram up from what I've read in this guide (http://www.aleromod.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8404&highlight=leds). The goal is to get this wired up so the LEDs have their own switch for on and off, but still work like the passenger floor lamp when the dim light is switched up all the way (so they can be turned off separately and don't come on when the door is opened). I have experience wiring small electronics like LEDs and Engines, but I have never worked with resistors or fuses before. Does my diagram look logical?

6969

[cherrington17]

all 1/4W will work. why is there a 1/2W in there?

[Toxin13]

I was using this calculator: http://led.linear1.org/led.wiz

It told me 1/2W for the single LED, but if a 1/4 will work I'm trusting you on this one. I'm going to have to look at some wiring diagrams I think, and see if the Int Lmp fuse is where I need to wire these from to get that effect.

[JLw7123]

sounds sweet

[cherrington17]

W = V*A

12V*.02A = .24W

you can get away with 1/4W. I find using 1/2W are easier though (larger resistor, and the leads hold up to bending slightly better) its absolutely maddening to have a lead on the resistor or LED break off, right at the point where your nearly done. :mad2:

i also use hot glue as a good insulator. It holds your solder joints together, is waterproof, and prevent the leads from vibrating off their spots.

[lonnie]

I take it that the green circle over on the left is a switch of some type....if that is the case that will work..not sure what the floor lamp is fused at but might be around 10 amps so you will want to fuse this branch of the circuit a little lower.

[cherrington17]

just don't fuse it at like... 10A or even 5....

it would be a waste of a fuse. by time that blows, so will your leds.

(0.02) * (# of leds) = amount of Amps used. round up to closes common fuse size. I'm well over 100, and only using a 5A

[lonnie]

I was thinking around a 3amp

[Toxin13]

Yeah I was planning on using your DIY cherrington with the hot glue and such for that part, I may take some pictures as I go along to give a better idea of wiring it up to a board and on/off switch, I really like the way you put yours in the vents.

Lol, the green circle is an on/off switch I'll put in the empty area on the vent face so I can avoid having the LEDs come on with the doors if I do wire them with the floor lamp, or just to turn them on/off if I were them somewhere else. I forgot to put another two LEDs into the diagram for the overhead console though

That will put me to 9 LEDs, 5 1/4 resistors, and a power switch or button of some sort. I may need to use an empty fuse like the sunroof then. Not sure of the power on that either. This is getting a little confusing with the numbers.

[cherrington17]

9 leds * 0.020A = 0.180A

your at a one tenth of an Amp... :lol:

[Toxin13]

It wasn't so much the formula but how to apply it >.<

[Toxin13]

Why the hell does Radio Shack try to charge almost $5 for a single blue LED that I just got 100 of from ebay at the same price with free shipping?

[cherrington17]

because they are communists.

why did i have to work till 9, on the 4th? because they are anti-american communists!

[colonel6632]

i found this... i'm thinking about buying it.. .even comes with free resistors

http://cgi.ebay.ca/105-X-5mm-7-Colors-LED-Each-Color-15-Pcs-Free-Resistors_W0QQitemZ250442186708QQcmdZViewItemQQptZ LH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item3a4f847fd4&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A12|66%3A2|39%3A1|72%3A1215|240%3A13 07|301%3A1|293%3A1|294%3A50

[cherrington17]

unless your going to use a bunch of different colors... your just going to have the unused ones laying around.

your getting 15 of each color. not 105, 7 color leds.

[Toxin13]

That's what I was going to say. There were a lot of good deals for as many lights as I needed in so many colors but what the hell do you do with the other colors?