DIY: Brighter Interior LED Lighting
 

this may or may not be in the right section as it's a DIY / question

OK heres the deal my interior light went on me. The thing is I felt it was kinda dull so I thought about how i could get it brighter. So i went out and bought a 4 pack of white LEDs by street glow. I also went to 'the source' and bought a small 1.5" by 1.5" chip board (not sure what it's called sorry).

First I drill 4 holes into the board. Then I take the LEDs and place them in hole positioned in 4 different angles so they point in different directions since they tend to focus their beam of light. I used a glue gun to set them in place.
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c2.../studio004.jpg

I then glue the wires at the back and solder the four + wires together and the four- wires together.
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c2.../studio002.jpg

Sry bout some missing pics, but u'll have to trust me on the soldering. Anyways i temperairly(sp) hook up the light to the + and - fitting on the dome light by wrapping the wire and taping it in place. http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c2.../studio008.jpg
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c2.../studio011.jpg

Here is where I look for help with this. There are four LEDs at 12v each feeding of only one 12v light connection. I am almost positive that it can be brighter (correct me if i'm wrong), if so how can I boost the voltage to power all four LEDs?:shrugs:
As of right now the end result is a little brighter than the stock bulb.


Also any comments is appreciated. :richslap: or :cheers:

looks interesting....do u have any night pics?

No not yet actually but i will soon. It a cool white colour instead of that amber colour.

k my camera sucks and it can't pick up the low light by itself, so no night pics.

I saw a DIY for that on ht, it's a bit different than yours because there is a resistor too, but its the same idea. There are pics too:

http://www.honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=1486878

yea its similar but mine would need something that would boost the voltage somehow. cause each of the leds are 12v.

good article.

PSSSST. Your SOLDERABLE PERF BOARD is upside down. The side where the legs of your LEDs go, should be on the solderable side.

As for making them brighter, you can't really, without damaging the LED's. They need a specific resitor value to limit current, and allow maximum light output. If you go any less the LED will burn up very quickly.

And no, increasing the voltage wont do a thing, just burn them out faster.

/\/\ i kno the board was upsidedown good eye... it didn't matter cause i didn't use the board for it's intended purpose lol.

As for the other info good to know. Tnks

Great work, I moved it to the DIY seeing as its a DIY.

LEDs are digital, they are either on or off.... there is no 'brighter' setting LOL

Actually B you can dim LED's. By limiting the current reduces the light output. I have used different sized resistors before to vary voltage and current and have changed their light output.

damn you :)

I read somewhere they work at the same light output until the supply fails to provide a minimum voltage, at which time they shut off?

no led can be dimmed with rezistors he is corect :) i trued a dimmer switch on mine dident work so good hahaah :)


sorry 2 say that is the gettoest led job i have ever seen :) u have good intentions but no real skill in this department :) even the other link with the fancy drawings at the end its a blob of solder with wires everywere ahahaha :)

that cold heat thing that they advertise on tv never buy 1 they are absalute **** and on tv it shows the guy soldering the puting it on his finger dont try that i have a nice burn mark in my finger now its bul**** takes about 30 seckonds 4 it 2 cool be4 u toutch it

http://www.mikesflightdeck.com/led_dimmer.htm

You probably didn't do it properly, in order to dim, because they do dim.

Ahahahaha I never said it was good, I was just giving out an idea... I will be fixing it later on it's just a temp till i do my interior properly.:thumbup: