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12-18-2009, 08:33 PM
| #1 |
| Quarry Creeper Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Plainfield
Posts: 228
|  LED lighting question
So I am putting some LED lights on my scaler so I can do some night time trailing soon . What type of resistor would I need to put on the led so they wont burn out when I turn them on ? I am using either a 7.2 or 12 volt battery . Any info would be great . Not very good with resistors :-(
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12-18-2009, 09:09 PM
| #2 |
| Newbie Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Orlando
Posts: 4
|  http://led.linear1.org/1led.wiz I found that site helpful. I used Radio Shack's led's and am pleased. I ran mine on a 9V and have 6 leds so far, and are controled by a traxxas nitro switch. If you need help, let me know. I made and redid mine so many times. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S-LbedQByQ Theres a video of the turnout. EDIT: I also ziptied the battery and switch to the truck and the leds to the body. I than added an attachment (cut end off a servo and took prongs out of a receiver) so the battery is safely secure, yet leds are in place and the body still comes off. Last edited by Mr. Clean; 12-18-2009 at 11:55 PM. |
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12-18-2009, 09:17 PM
| #3 |
| I wanna be Dave Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: The beautiful Pacific Northwest
Posts: 6,923
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I use this anytime I have to figure out resistors. http://led.linear1.org/led.wiz With the LED's your using, you must know the voltage of the LED's forward voltage (probably 3-3.5v) and the forward current in milliamps (probably 50mA). So with a 12.5 volt power source, a 3 volt LED, feeding it with 50mA, and 2 LED's you would need a 1w 150 ohm resistor. Remember that you'll want more mA to the headlights than the taillights so that they are brighter. It's really fun to mess around with resistors and see how it effects the light output of the LED's. Good luck. *EDIT* Looks like Mr. Clean beat me to it......  |
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12-18-2009, 09:38 PM
| #4 |
| Pebble Pounder Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Lancaster
Posts: 120
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I always go with a 1k resistor, and start from there. Ive been into electronics for quite some time now and 1k is the resistor I put in place when working with 24v supply for some stuff I work with, great source i get all my LED/Resistors... actually everything electronic is Digikey.com awesome prices and they have damn near anything electronic you can think of.
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12-18-2009, 10:25 PM
| #5 |
| I wanna be Dave Join Date: May 2008 Location: Baltimore
Posts: 4,442
| www.LEDcalculator.com is a helpful site. I used a regular 9V battery to power all of the lights on my last scaler. I had stupid bright headlights, tails and side markers, plus 6 roll bar lights. I was able to make the side markers and tails look 'correct' by using different ohm values on the resistors. I also used a 1/4 watt resistor on my winch, which got it's power from the 3s LiPo.
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12-19-2009, 08:26 AM
| #6 |
| RCC Addict Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: west coast..
Posts: 1,522
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Thanks for the links guys as I was gonna ask this same question for my new scaler build...
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12-19-2009, 11:14 AM
| #7 |
| Quarry Creeper Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Plainfield
Posts: 228
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Wow that is the answer I was looking for ! Great link ! That link should be posted in a sticky somewhere . Thanks guys |
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12-20-2009, 12:57 AM
| #8 |
| Newbie Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: north san diego county
Posts: 38
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if you search LED's for beginners on www.instructables.com you will find a really good primer and more wiring information if you are connecting more than 1 LED....Since you are connecting for Head and Tail lights, I figure you will be either wireing them Parallel or in a series. There would be a difference in battery drain with the difference in wiring as well as brightness.
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12-20-2009, 09:26 AM
| #9 |
| Rock Crawler  Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: West of Eugene, OR
Posts: 942
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That LEDs for Beginners is an excellent link. Thanks.
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