Can I mod my Microsoft Explorer Mouse LED?

OLMI · Jul 30, 2003

is it possible to mod the light in my microsoft explorer mouse? how? i've never seen any articles on it..

RadiationMan · Jul 30, 2003

Here is a link for an article showing how to replace the LED in a Logitech mouse. I would imagine the process would be similar for a Microsoft Explorer mouse.

OLMI · Jul 30, 2003

thanks radiationman. i was wondering why there were no screws, but then i noticed the little pads on the bottom and popped one of em off with a knife. i'll get to this as soon as i get some leds.

RadiationMan · Jul 30, 2003

Cool. Post some pics. I'd love to see it.

RedDeathDrinker · Jul 30, 2003

You found the two screws then

Took me a few seconds, but I got them when I disassembled my Intellimouse. The LED is pretty easy to change

Chris_F · Jul 30, 2003

Will it still work the same? As good? I was going to do the same thing with a blue LED.

OLMI · Jul 30, 2003

im sure it will work the same.. i havent done it yet, but changing the led shouldnt change anything else.

ravenofBlight · Jul 30, 2003

If its the mouse I think your talking about (white with a grey bottom and a piece of translucent red plastic on the back) then it would have two leds.

Modding the back LED should'nt change anything regarding the functionality of the mouse.

But I've read in the forums of a number of people having trouble with the mouse when they change the main LED (the one that provides light to the sensor) with a blue LED. Something about the wavelength of the blue light not tracking as well as the red.

-RoB

OLMI · Jul 30, 2003

crap.. anyone else heard of that?

Oni · Jul 30, 2003

I can confirm that. Blue doesn't track as well as red, due to a shorter wavelength (I think it's 'cause of a shorter wavelength).

I tried it. The blue led would track very well on white paper, but crummy on everything else.

xbiker321 · Jul 30, 2003

nah, go ahead and install the LED, I have seen people on this forum do it...just a long time ago. Maybe if you search for it you might come across the thread.

EDIT: hmm, what about another color like green, orange, purple, UV, yellow, ect.

-N- · Jul 31, 2003

hm... I have 2 blue LED's lyin around that i got from case-mod.. I always hear about the soldering process and soldering mods but I never knew what it was. Can someone give me a mini overview of what it is and where to get one?

OLMI · Jul 31, 2003

-N- said:
hm... I have 2 blue LED's lyin around that i got from case-mod.. I always hear about the soldering process and soldering mods but I never knew what it was. Can someone give me a mini overview of what it is and where to get one?

hey! you! get your own thread!

ya what about other colors? what are their wavelengths compared to red?

-N- · Jul 31, 2003

red = longest wavelength
purple = shortest wavelength..

orange would be the next best.. I doubt UV is even possible.. it's not even visible by the human eye so I don't see how a mouse would be able to track with it. UV has an even shorter wavelength than violet.. hence ultra-violet.

and about soldering! i figured out! u just plug it in and touch the metal with something and BAM! soldering powers

Koopa_Fett · Jul 31, 2003

I've heard there are some blue LEDs that'll track as well as red. It was in a thread around here some time ago. I'd run a search for ya but it's getting late.

Fast420A · Jul 31, 2003

ROYGBIV

FunkDaMonkMan · Jul 31, 2003

Fast420A said:
ROYGBIV

er...?
:edit: ok... i get it now.... sry..

anyway...

I would steer clear of the blue leds where the sensor is. if I were you, I would just mod the rear led with the blue, and leave the other as red. That's all you'll see when the mouse is sitting down, and when you lift it up, you will get a cool color mixing effect.

and about soldering! i figured out! u just plug it in and touch the metal with something and BAM! soldering powers

ahhhahahahha... I remember doing something like this with my old powersupply. Nothing like arch-welding with your valuable computer parts

.

-N- · Jul 31, 2003

ah yes! i'm about to do this mod on my mouse right now.. after i get some thin solder wire at radio shack.

does anyone know if the voltage of the LED's matter?

Chris_F · Jul 31, 2003

FunkDaMonkMan said:
er...?

Nice contribution...

Actually, that was.

ROYGBIV is an acronym for the color spectrum.

R = Red
O = Orange
Y = Yellow
G = Green
B = Blue
I = Indigo
V = violate

So those colors closest to red on the spectrum will track best.

Hope this helped

FunkDaMonkMan · Jul 31, 2003

oh, i understand now. Plz ignore my ignorance....

Can I mod my Microsoft Explorer Mouse LED?

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