UWgrad

Hey everyone,...just curious if anyone has tried taking apart the LEDs in the newer christmas lights to try to use them in the dash? If someone has more electrical knowledge please advise.
Thanks,

It's Clutch

iTrader: (6)

Well first describe how you want to use them. (replace the old led bulbs/add new ones just cuz/etc...)

nhn23

iTrader: (4)

LMAO i wanna see this happen

TLin401

TouringLow

a LED bulb is a LED bulb regardless of application.

as long as you use the correct power source and resistors you're fine. just know what you are doing.

friesm2000

iTrader: (4)

true for an led is an led but depending on the size of the chrismas lights leds they might not fit especially if all he wants to do is swap out the stock bulbs with them
, but i be worried about them lasting due to proably lower quality, but they should still out last the car

my.daily'tl'

Theoretically yes. An led burns at a given voltage its designed for, say 3.3 volts. A voltage lower than that will not create nough forward voltage to emit light. So first you need to know the forward voltage. (Hint: its probably listed on the power supply for the lights. Look for the 120 AC to whatever it is in DC current. That's your forward voltage.) Next you need to calculate your resistors and now you're halfway done. Hit me up if you need help with the math. Any reason you're using these led's or is it for shits and giggles?

DC3328

iTrader: (22)

lawl

TouringLow

but because he isnt specific, i dont know if he wants to put it inside the gauge cluster, buttons, or for just the dash in general which can you can use whatever you want (i.e; the air vents, and random spots)

UWgrad

I was just thinking about these when I saw them in the Lowes ad. You can get a string of 50 multicolor Mini LEDs for around $8. My dash cluster lights are going out and I was thinking about doing the upgrade like alot of the guys on here have done....while trying to keep the cost down. I wasn't planning to put them into the stock locations. Thanks for the advice my.daily'tl', I'll pm you offline. Funny how some of the kids on here laugh at something new...then when someone shows them the end product...they all jump on board. No sense of ingenuity.

DC3328

iTrader: (22)

we laugh because they're x-mas lights and the thought of a red, green, yellow etc. interior pops into our head. you left a lot to the imagination

UWgrad

haha..yeah I can see my dash flashing red, green, blue, orange, yellow as I drive at night. You could probably do this and wire it to a switch to turn it on and off when you wanted to. haha.

MurdaZ

iTrader: (1)

use the same wire/sockets...string thema part if they are wound together.

xtremex626

iTrader: (1)

LMAO.. your thread title makes me laugh haha..

but no.. are you serious?

UWgrad

yes..I'm serious. Take apart a chain of LED christmas lights to use them to update the speedometer and dash lights to LED.

friesm2000

iTrader: (4)

i would say go ahead and try it and let us know how it turns out , i see a couple things as a problem:
1.is the sockets for the leds be kinda big and might not fit in the cramped spaces in the gauge cluster so you would still have to solder wire to them
2.good chance you might still have to go buy resisters cause you be going from 120v AC to 12v DC (actually about 14v when the car is running and charging)
3.also instead of looking online for led, maybe see what your local electronics store (not best buy, circuit city [out of business], etc.)(proably will be a mom and pop store, or even radio shack) is selling them for, cause then you will also have a selection of sizes. my local mom and pop store, you buy them by the handfuls if you want, cause one thing they are not individial packaged, just all put in a bin

UWgrad

Thanks friesm200...good advice. I'll take a look at radio shack and frys. Initially I was thinking about seperating the led's from the christmas light socket. I'll have to see how big the mini leds actually are and how bright they are.

JterrorC

iTrader: (1)

well op?