Had a little play with a soldering iron

[downfader]

No not on the bike. I decided to put in some white leds and strip out the green ones from the 99p supermarket light. I think it cost me about £3.60 to modify it.

Probably not worth the effort but hey, it was just an experiment.


View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GstFVw8Zxyg




I'd quite like to build my own lamps now as some others (and atleast one person here) have done.

 

[hackbike 666]

Nah I just buy ready made although I have dabbled in the past.

Also have to modify them for my bike lighting system.Don't really have the time.I still have to fit the 12v horn onto the other bike and haven't got round to it.

 

[Grouchfungus]

No not on the bike. I decided to put in some white leds and strip out the green ones from the 99p supermarket light. I think it cost me about £3.60 to modify it.

Probably not worth the effort but hey, it was just an experiment.


View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GstFVw8Zxyg




I'd quite like to build my own lamps now as some others (and atleast one person here) have done.

I didn't realise the green ones aren't legal. Why do they sell them in the first place if not legal?? I've got em'. And you're right they're very dim.

 

[downfader]

I didn't realise the green ones aren't legal. Why do they sell them in the first place if not legal?? I've got em'. And you're right they're very dim.

They are illegal on their own but as long as you use a lamp that conforms to the BS 6102 standard (I think it is - its about to change soon anyway to a Euro standard) you'll be road legal.

The supermarkets sell them because they cost about 30p to make out in places like Poland and China. There is no law yet on sale of these lights, only usage.

Nah I just buy ready made although I have dabbled in the past.

Also have to modify them for my bike lighting system.Don't really have the time.I still have to fit the 12v horn onto the other bike and haven't got round to it.

I dont blame ya! LOL!

I seem to have a lot of spare time lately and have spent most of it on the web.

 

[hackbike 666]

I dont blame ya! LOL!

I seem to have a lot of spare time lately and have spent most of it on the web.

Can't see the problem if it's a hobby.I've actually been doing computer stuff in my spare time as my new laptop got a serious virus (My worst virus ever) on the first day of using it as I've still got to reload the operating system in.Also got to work this afternoon so I have a commute coming up.

 

[Bman]

Not bad.

I recently converted one of my old front lights from white to InfraRed (not for my bike) but the brightness was dissappointing.

So, I soldered out the resistors, turned it on and POP! They both exploded!

Oops. Never mind. Got the IR LED's from a few old remote controls anyway

 

[hackbike 666]

Hmm I wouldn't do that with IR.

 

[Steve Austin]

Thats an impressive improvement on the ordinary bulb

 

[Grouchfungus]

LED's

No not on the bike. I decided to put in some white leds and strip out the green ones from the 99p supermarket light. I think it cost me about £3.60 to modify it.

Probably not worth the effort but hey, it was just an experiment.


View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GstFVw8Zxyg




I'd quite like to build my own lamps now as some others (and atleast one person here) have done.

Whats the model number of the LED's you bought? Might do the same.

 

[downfader]

Whats the model number of the LED's you bought? Might do the same.

The code is NR73 from maplin. Its the 1800mcd version.
http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?moduleno=19498

 

[marinyork]

Very good work. Didn't realise the original LED light was such a high standard though, green ones I've seen in the past are much, much worse than those.

 

[Lion]

Theres got to be a market for the modified lights on ebay An impressive improvement on the standard leds

 

[downfader]

Theres got to be a market for the modified lights on ebay An impressive improvement on the standard leds

Well It wont be me making them haha!! I'm rubbish at soldering

 

[fossyant]

That looks good - my wife's good at soldering - I'm really rubbish. My son's got the SMART version of those cheapo Kidney ones.....that's a big improvement -

 

[downfader]

If anyone tries this all you do is strip the solder off the old LEDs, install the new ones the same way around (the inside of the LED is a particular shape of metal). You could even make it much brighter as maplin sell two LEDs on the same page there with brighter spec.

If mine is 1800mcd I wonder what 9600 is like..

Word of warning. Dont do as I did with a spare one and stick the pins on a 9v battery, setting fire to the led in the process and burning your finger.