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LEDs for case lighting.

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Oroka Sempai

Member
Joined
Jul 22, 2004
Location
Port Elgin, Canada
I got a few blue LEDs, and they are the PERFECT color to match the blue comming out of my PSU... a very rich color. The cold cathode I have in my system is more of a pasty blue, not overly appealing.

I would like to run a few LEDs in my case, but how would I power them? I can solder, I understand basic electronics, but I couldnt create something based on my own knowledge if my life depended on it.
 
I think all you need to do it hook them to the 12v on a Molex connector. So you can just mount them however you want, then just solder wires from the 12v + and - of a 4pin molex, then find an old molex connector and connect the LEDs to that, then just plug it in to the PSU. You could even wire a switch in there if you wanted.
 
Were did you get the LED's From.. Some LED's like the ones form signs will not work becasue they are powerd differantly. Lets say you hook it srtight up to power it will just burn it out. Not sure how to hook them up. Thats just a problem I had..
 
jivetrky said:
I think all you need to do it hook them to the 12v on a Molex connector. So you can just mount them however you want, then just solder wires from the 12v + and - of a 4pin molex, then find an old molex connector and connect the LEDs to that, then just plug it in to the PSU. You could even wire a switch in there if you wanted.


I tested a few of those LEDs in a molex connector and I think I burned out several LEDs doing that. I have replaced my front green and red LEDs with these blue ones, but that is not the same power as the molex connectors (I think).

I just tried another LED, it started blue, then went orange, then started smoking like crazy, I had to grab a cloth to pull it off the molex. Bright side of that is I got to see some of the air flow in my case :rolleyes:

What about a USB jack?
 
Adragontattoo said:
You WILL NOT like the results of just hooking up and hoping.

Yeah, I learned that this afternoon. That smoke couldnt have been healthy :beer:

Now if I am lucky, the store in Canada formerly known as 'Radio Shack', The Source, will have the darn resistor I need. Not getting my hopes considering the crappyness of the local Radio crap.
 
Checked, and nope, they dont have any tiny resistors (they didnt have blue LEDs either for that matter).

Anyone know a good place for ordering resistors in small quantities? I really dont need 50-100 of these things.
 
They didn't even have resistors? I know radio shack has gone down hill for the hobbyist but that kinda sucks. I know my radio shack's in my area have cut down a lot But they still have a bank of drawers with small parts like that. Your's didn't even have that?
 
Well, here in Canada, all the Radio Shacks (except one) became 'The Source: by Circut City', pretty much a place to hock thier own brands of over priced electronic gadgets and crap.

http://www.thesourcecc.com/

For gods sake, they have a whole section of thier website dedicated to BLENDERS AND MIXERS! How many people these days needs LEDs, transistors, resistors, switches and such? Everything is digital these days... very few people work with circutry anymore. When was the last time you heard about a ham radio club?

The only circutry stuff that they have is stuff that hasnt been bought yet... when something is out, it is gone, never to be reordered.
 
If you really want your CCFLs to put out a richer color, apply a theater gel over the CCFL. This is how people turn pink to red and whitish blue to a rich blue color.

7
 
the only equation that would be really necessary in your project is:

V = IR

where V is the voltage applied to your LED, I is the maximum current the LED is rated for, and R is the resistance required to obtain the required current.

if a LED consumes 30mA(.03A) of current and you have a 12V power source, then you would require

R = 12V/.03A = 400ohms

running LEDs in series might achieve the result for you, but there will be a voltage drop across each LED.
 
Seven said:
If you really want your CCFLs to put out a richer color, apply a theater gel over the CCFL. This is how people turn pink to red and whitish blue to a rich blue color.

7


What exactly is theater gel and how/where do you get it?
 
Adragontattoo said:
could always do 4 LED's in series that will alleviate the need for any resistor
I just did 4red 2 yellow LED's in series and it is running off 12v with no resistors

That would proably be the easiest way to do it... I can just run a wire around the inside of the case and position the LEDs as I like.

Now, with that said, can I still do a 4 LED set-up 'in series'? I really dont understand how you can chain those LEDs together like that and not fry something.

g.php
 
Basically theater gel (that's what I call them at least) is a filter that you can throw over your CCFL ( i think it's like a piece of cellophane), and it makes the color a little bit darker or richer i guess. Dunno where to buy though.

7
 
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