Led turn signals I am making different setups tell me what you think.

bombinuass

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Mar 20, 2010
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i cant wait to see the rear. i may i have to test them on my car since your rear lights are custom mk4s:)? oops i spoiled the secret. but i know your wifes rear is 89? ill test them on mine:) lol
 

supraguy@aol

Well-Known Member
Dec 30, 2005
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Atlanta
Make me some drop-in PCB's, and I'll do the soldering.
I know where I could get you a sweet 89+ converted climate control...
: )
 

metaphysico

Mad Scientist
Jan 2, 2008
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Yep need one of those still. I am getting some more electronics to make some more pwm for the dimers and the regulators too. I make the pcb out of bread board and just solder the joints with high tin solder, its a pain to work with but very strong when it cools, just gotta make sure to do it right the first time because reheating this stuff is almost impossible, also it takes very high temps to just use it so I am going through solder tips like crazy, so I need to get a cheep place to get them from as it takes me one tip to make each set of turns. It will be dark in a little bit and I will get pics of the marker lights that I have made and the turns on the car and how bright they are. I don't think I am going to use the 45k mcd white leds any more as they are way too bright so I am going to try out some of the 22k mcd ones to see if there more reasonable.
 

metaphysico

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Jan 2, 2008
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Well I can't seem to get any night pics of these. For some reason my camera really does not like it on any setting I try except with the flash on. I was messing with these for so long trying to get a pic I forgot about getting pics of the running lights.

Anyways to keep the progress going I am going to sell this one set for now so I can get the rest of the parts for the rear lights. I am putting up a for sale add for these lights if anyone is interested. I am also going to be opening a feeler thread for a group buy on the turns to see if there is enough interest to make a large group of these lights, but this will not be until after I get the rest of the electronics I have ordered in and finish the sequencer that way I have prototypes of each light. I am also going to introduce another finish for the lights having a polished aluminum insert that will have depressions for the leds to shine through. I am in the process of making the prototypes for these now.

Point is I am going to work on getting the prototypes done before continuing on the feeler thread for a group buy, then have to go through the proper channels for starting a group buy if there is enough interest. All questions regarding the lights should be held until the group buy feeler is up. Lastly the rears are in progress but will not be complete for a little while and I will do a separate GB feeler thread for those to see if there is enough interest so you can ask questions about them in the respective feeler threads.

I may post some of the pics and a video for the sequential turn signals in this thread when they are complete, which should be around the end of the week.
 

metaphysico

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Jan 2, 2008
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Well I figure I would revisit this thread and give an update, I finally got the sequencers to work. I don't have them in a light yet but the prototype is done. I also found a more affordable place to make all my pc boards and there silk screen and solder masked. My board schematics have to be redone into gerber format so I am working on that now, then I will order the prototype boards and make sure they are good, then the fun begins. The prototype just makes small leds flash in sequence, I will need to run small transistors to each set of leds in order to power the super flux leds. I have the circuit worked out in my head for the full setup with all the transistors that will let me use a single dimer for both sides in the turn signals when there setup sequential.

Diego if you want some of the boards once i get them in thats no problem. You do have the 87 type right. Also do you want them to be sequential or just flashing and do you want white and amber or just amber or do you want to use your own leds. The boards are being setup to only accept superflux 4 pin leds @ 20ma.

I will try to dig up some transistors to run the sequencer to make the full sequential turn signal soon then I will get some vids up. Right now it will just be a tracking light not a light and hold setup. I want to do the light and hold setup but I have to figure out what I am going to need for that.
 

metaphysico

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Jan 2, 2008
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Yea Ill get a pic when I get home have a stock cover for a 87 at the house. They look different depending on how you set them in there, ie you can set them close to see each light or set them far from the cover so get more of a diffused look. Ill get pics of both to give an example.
 

metaphysico

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Jan 2, 2008
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Alright here you go RazoE here is a stock housing with the leds in it, they look a lot better then I though they would.
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metaphysico

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Jan 2, 2008
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My sequential setup is going to be two types with two setups so four versions. The two types are track light and on and hold. To imagine track light when the turn signal is on the inner most bulbs will light up then those go out as the next set comes on and so forth (like the night rider car in a way but one direction). The other is on and hold, this will have the inner light come on then the next and there both on then the third and all 3 stay on and so forth till all of the lights are on, then they all shut off and start over. Now for the two setups there will be the two piece setup where you have separate running lights and turns, as the white and ambers ones will be, then there is the setup like the above picture, where the whole light is a running light, then when you turn your turn signal on the entire thing will go sequential. The running light/turn signal as one bar setup can be done without the sequential lights too.

Hence why it is taking me so long to get to pricing and such, I have a bunch of different setups to work out and make prototype boards. I have the pwm design done for the running lights but I still have to work out the circuit for the turns, I only want to have to use a single pwm for both turns so they can be dimmed together. I have the circuit worked out in my head just have to get it on paper. Also I have the sequential unit figured out, but only stand alone, I don't have it hooked to the dimmers yet and that will be more interesting, plus the sequencers will require a bunch of transistors so that has to be worked out too, again all that circuits are worked out in my head but I need to make the diagrams and transfer them to printed circuit boards. Anyways progress is being made, I am going to price out each board and all the different ways they can be setup and stuff like single boards and the difference between 89 and 87 setups, its just a lot of work figuring out the setups and prices.
 

metaphysico

Mad Scientist
Jan 2, 2008
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I finished the pcb layout for the sequencers here is what it has come out to be if anyone is interested.
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Edit:I just realized that for the on and hold setup all I will have to do is add some diodes to allow the current to back flow to the other transistors allowing the lights to come on and hold then they will reset like normal. Btw the diagram on there is not done it does not have the diodes for the circuit protection added yet. They will be added before the voltage regulator and to some other components.
 
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