That is really awesome. I had just started working on doing something really similar except I was going to keep the turn signal lights in the normal location. Your going to have to give me some of the details of how the circuits are wired up. Especially how you made the circuit so that it has dual brightness(stop and tail).
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10:47 PM
87GTBro Member
Posts: 1223 From: Edinburg,TX,USA Registered: Oct 1999
Wow, looks like a lot of work...and a lot of $ on LEDs. Mind giving us some details?
Bryce 88 GT
The majority of the expense was on the PCBs. I used about $80 of LEDs. There is over 280 LEDs used for a complete set. The Circuit boards were about twice what I paid for the LEDs.
All together, I would say I used about $240 in materials and a little more than 8 hours of labor.
Unfortunately I did not take any pics during the design and buildup process. These were my first set. The prototype you might call it. I WAS considering producing them for sale until I found out how expensive it actually is.
I used a free software from the internet to design the layout of the circuit boards. I am running 2W resistors at 100 Ohms for the brake lights and turn signals and 430 Ohms for the running lights. It was necessary to use diodes in line as well to protect the rest of the cars electrical system from voltage leak back.
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08:49 AM
Smoooooth GT Member
Posts: 8823 From: Lake Palestine, Texas Registered: Jun 2001
I can get some super bright LEDs that hey use in the deville tail lights and third brake lights, each tail light has 155 and 3rd brake has about 100.
------------------ Recipe for speed: 1 Northstar with 4T60E 1 355 body kit 1 85 Fiero frame 1 set of 18s pinch of polyurathane and a smidgen of 11" brakes.
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06:17 PM
87GTBro Member
Posts: 1223 From: Edinburg,TX,USA Registered: Oct 1999
I did a lot of research and used the brightest LEDs I could find. They are produced by Agilent Technologies and the maximum output of the red ones is 24100 mcd, The yellow ones have a max output of 18400 mcd.
The part number for the red one is : HLMP-EG08-X1000 The amber one is: HLMP-EL08-WZ000
---edit---
I have an extra set of circuit boards for this particular layout. Give me a couple weeks to make sure this setup is going to hold up and I will sell these boards if anyone is interested. I'll even include the diodes and resistors you will need. All you need to do is purchase the LEDs and hook into your existing wiring.
[This message has been edited by 87GTBro (edited 05-23-2003).]
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06:51 PM
Riceburner98 Member
Posts: 2179 From: Natick, Ma, USA Registered: Apr 2002
Can I ask what software you're using? That reminds me of ExpressPCB, but I usually use the "MiniBoard" service.. Too small for that application, it looks like their other service though.. For large quantities, their "Production" service actually comes out cheaper.. But I'm always looking for other services! Taillights look good by the way!
------------------ Bob Williams Multi-colored '87 Mutt, a work in progress! (Got my 3800SC, installation in progress. It now starts and runs!!!)
I was thinking about using some 10000mcd from ledsupply.com because you can get 100 for $36. Do you think that would still be bright enough? I'd really like to make my own board cause I really want the original set up. However it would be much easier to just use one already made up.
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07:55 PM
87GTBro Member
Posts: 1223 From: Edinburg,TX,USA Registered: Oct 1999
Can I ask what software you're using? That reminds me of ExpressPCB, but I usually use the "MiniBoard" service.. Too small for that application, it looks like their other service though.. For large quantities, their "Production" service actually comes out cheaper.. But I'm always looking for other services! Taillights look good by the way!
ExpressPCB is exactly what I used to design them. The name of the company is Advanced Circuits. I used the prototype express service to make them. It doesnt include the silk screen layer. I am very pleased with the service, but the price I paid for the service was painful.
quote
Originally posted by Dough19:
I was thinking about using some 10000mcd from ledsupply.com because you can get 100 for $36. Do you think that would still be bright enough? I'd really like to make my own board cause I really want the original set up. However it would be much easier to just use one already made up.
I dont know if 10000 mcd will be enough. I just bought the brightest ones I could find, then played with the resistance settings until it got bright enough without burning the LED up. Burning up $80 worth of LEDs in 1/2 sec would really piss me off.
Where were you able to buy or order the leds that you did use? Also how much were they for like 200 or so of them. I don't think I will be using as much as you did since I am going to use the original setup for the brakelights. Thanks
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03:59 PM
Dennis LaGrua Member
Posts: 15528 From: Hillsborough, NJ U.S.A. Registered: May 2000
LED lamp replacements are available that plug right into your existing socket but they certainly won't be as bright as your LED array. If you doubled the socket count perhaps the tailights would be bright.
I ordered the LEDs from arrow electronics. www.arrow.com I just ordered another set and it was @ $62 for all of them. Thats 200 red ones and 100 amber ones.
As soon as I get the resistor settings just right on this circuit board, they will be fine. I took them back out of the car because they were not bright enough to see in the daylight and I did not want to risk getting rear-ended.
I am also adding more amber LEDs for the turn signals as those are really important for daytime driving.
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06:08 PM
FieroJames Member
Posts: 322 From: Corpus Christi , Texas , USA Registered: Feb 2002
I'll soon have an 88 GT if all goes well . I always wanted to use LEDs in the taillights of my car one day, since they've got a more even light distribution than conventional bulbs.
No idea about the legal thing, either. Lots of rice burners around here and I hear a lot about illegal taillight conversions and such (imported from Japan, not approved by D.O.T.).
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07:21 AM
USFiero Member
Posts: 4877 From: Everywhere and Middle of Nowhere Registered: Mar 2002
2057 replacements at www.ledtronics.com are capable of putting out 100 candlepower as opposed to the 60-70 cp filament bulbs put out. Not as cool as a total conversion, but at $35 ea cheaper. The probs the ricers are having is the cheapo Pep Boys LED's they are using. They are dim and unreliable for the street.
------------------ John DuRette Black 85 SE, undergoing work as we speak!
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09:35 AM
FieroJames Member
Posts: 322 From: Corpus Christi , Texas , USA Registered: Feb 2002
Seems to me that if you're retaining the original lenses, you could gain alot of intensity, and cut back on the number of necessary LEDs by using the ultra bright white/blue LEDs, since the lens of the taillight is going to provide coloration. Red or yellow under a red or yellow lens/diffuser is redundent, and would cut down the inensity. Just a thought.
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04:33 PM
87GTBro Member
Posts: 1223 From: Edinburg,TX,USA Registered: Oct 1999
Wow, talk about bringing up the past... I have to make some changes to these lights because I found out they were not bright enough. I am really bad about not finishing projects and have not made time to finish them. But I will! They will look the same... except brighter.
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04:38 PM
PFF
System Bot
87GTBro Member
Posts: 1223 From: Edinburg,TX,USA Registered: Oct 1999
Seems to me that if you're retaining the original lenses, you could gain alot of intensity, and cut back on the number of necessary LEDs by using the ultra bright white/blue LEDs, since the lens of the taillight is going to provide coloration. Red or yellow under a red or yellow lens/diffuser is redundent, and would cut down the inensity. Just a thought.
Yeah! and your talking about $2.00 / LED! That's not very cost effective... It would work, but I'm not willing to spend that kind of money.
I beleive that the average LED has a life expectancy of around 10,000 hours. Now if you play around with the voltage and run them harder the life may go down.
