Lights for your R/C vehicle.

[PlagueWulf]

akmadmaxx thats a sweet ride you got there! The lights look really awsome, I hope to get mine soon.

LazyDave I looked at that site but didnt find the LEDs, could you please give the direct link to the LEDs? And you must post pictures when you get yours done.

 

[akmadmaxx]

Thank you, they work awsome!

 

[LazyDave]

http://dkc1.digikey.com/US/PDF/T051/P4.html scroll down

 

[JESSE G]

I blew my knees out too....sucks...had 3 surgeries on both already and just had another MRI monday to see if I get the total rebuild.....hope not.....well I didn't mean to discourage you from trying new stuff...just putting my

Thats a bummer man!!! I hate those mri machines drive me insane I have had many I was in a car wreck broke my back ripped my rotary cup and blew out a disk in my neck :hammer: good luck with your knees. I have used led lights from those after market automotive window sprayers the ones you seen mounted on the hood on all of the want to be fast and furious cars lol they come apart very simple and put out alot of light probally not enough to light up the road 16 feet in front of the truck but would help you keep track of the truck for sure!! I've never used them on an rc I installed them on a diecast car that I customized anyway after seeing this idea I think I'm going to have a glowing T-Maxx the can be seen from the moon at night lol.

 

[PlagueWulf]

Let there be light!

Well I finally got my lights (partially) installed, and man am I satisfied with the results!?!

I got two small 3 volt flashlights, sawed the handles off and screwed the rest inplace of the stock lights (in front bumper). The batteries were placed in the (modified) stock battery holder and that was put in behind the front bumper inside a ballon.

Also I used four "fog" lights - yellow LED`s placed below two white headlights (bulbs) for the front of the body, and two red and two orange LED`s in the rear. The body lights are placed where the stickers are, just drilled a hole through them and CA glued them in place.


Now, I only got one 3 volt and the two red rear LED`s to work intime so those were all the lights I used today. It was pitch black and I drove it around outside the house (some light posts there) and it seemed ok - but not great. Then I decided to try the forest trail leading to the track (absolutely no lights there) and there IT REALLY WORKED MUCH BETTER THAN EXPECTED! :idea:

I had no trouble driving all the way to the track through the forest, visibility was EXELENT! Down at the track I drove it a couple laps then started going fast and doing some medium height jumps, again it worked perfectly.

Now I will agree that going full speed in an unfamiliar area could present some (small) problems, but who says you have to go WOT all the time


I`m afraid I have to say to those who doubted it would work have either not tested it for themselves or not done a good enough job of it :boxing:

PS! I would love to post some pics and video in a couple days when all LED`s are hooked up, I just have to get a friend of mine to shoot the video.

 

[JESSE G]

I would like to see some pics I have a some led,s I was thinking of putting on my maxx I would like to see what it looks like "

 

[kwong2001]

Haven't read the thread, but on my BMW M3 body, i've got l.e.d's install in it. I think they're rcneon.com ones. They costed like $25 or something. Install didn't take long.

Driving around at night is a total blast. It's gotta be the coolest thing to see. Although driving at high speeds is SCARY. It's hard to keep up with the car. Kinda feels like you're on drugs.

 

[JESSE G]

LOL I bet at high speeds probally looks like tracers going by. The lights that you installed are they a kit that has all the mounting brakets for it?

 

[kwong2001]

That's EXACTLY what it looks like...lol

As far as my installation, it didn't come with brackets or anything. I think I just used some double sided foam tape.

 

[PlagueWulf]

Yes, the LED`s look like tracers when going at full speed, I thought that was funny when I saw it. The light bulbs look different though, they behave more like real lights (well they are) and light the road (and everything else in a 30/40 degree angle in front of the truck) up for several meters ahead, can't wait to get all four headlights on - that should really light it up.

Mine were also just some homemade stuff, just got some cheap LED`s and bulbs and connected them with some wire from an old computer to a 9volt battery and 4x 1,2 volt batteries. And the reflectors from inside the flashlights probably helps alot in focusing the light-beam.

Night driving is seriously fun and different - if you havent tried it yet, your missing out.

Pics will be coming soon, I just need to finish the wiring so all lights are on at the same time.

 

[Rolex]

I just finished putting a light kit on a friend's nitro boat. Now that's going to be great on a dark night on the lake. Just waiting for things to warm up.

 

[JESSE G]

That would be sweet on a boat exspecialy reflecting off the water. Might help you find it if it sinks too hehe

 

[LazyDave]

Hey i orderd my lights yester day. i should get them in friday. I'm going to see how the LEDs look, then I'm going to by wire and resitors, after i earn some money, and put it together.

here is the layout
http://nervalhi.net:8080/~dgoldber/RC/Layout.jpg
smaller image http://nervalhi.net:8080/~dgoldber/RC/Layoutsmall.jpg

i got lazy and used
w for white LED's
A for amber
R for RED.
Resistors are labeld with Ohmage (spelling).
Can you guy read eletrical layouts, or did the fact no ruler was used make it hard.

 

[kwong2001]

Ah, a map to your house?

 

[LazyDave]

Yes. I live on 6 volts lane. Where all the happy electrons play.
It is the perfect home for me. Becausei like to, Reject you reality and substitute my own. :madface: < :help:

 

[PlagueWulf]

Finished and have pics!

I finished the lights today and here are the results:

pic:

I hope I can do the linking thingy right.

edit: guess not, here is a link instead: http://www.rcpics.net/img/49148



edit5: If you want to see the pics all on one page this link is to another forum I posted them on: http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?p=3300378#post3300378 or you can click them below.


Ok, I got several more pics, I just need to upload them and I will share the links.

There is also a picture where you can see the wiring upclose and with the flash on.

How do you like the visibility I got there in the picture?

PS! It was totally dark in the room when I took the pics so most of them are somewhat blurry, but you get the general idea?


edit2:

Here is one with the rooflight on so you can see more what it looks like, also this one is not blurry. http://www.rcpics.net/img/49152

edit3:

Front and center: http://www.rcpics.net/img/49154

edit4:

Here is the wiring, remember this is my first attempt at any electrical wiring so be nice http://www.rcpics.net/img/49155


It has been raining all day today so no outside shots unfortunately. But tomorrow I think it will clear up a little in the evening so I will get some "action shots" then.

 

[LazyDave]

Cool. What is in the balloon? Is there any resitance on the sercit or are tey hooked right up to the bat?

 

[PlagueWulf]

Thanks LazyDave, the ballon contains 4 AA batteries (rechargeable 1,2V each) so 4,8V to the two front body lights. The LED`s are all (8) hooked up to a 9 volt battery, and the two flashlights in the bumper are connected to 2 AA`s (1,2V) each.

Now this means quite a lot of extra batteries, so I have to check them between eact tank and reattach those batteries wich might have come loose. I will secure them more permanently later, but I still can't get second gear (thread in Savage Talk!) so I just do hill/rock climbing and go around the track so there is not to much vibration, so the tape will have to do until I get around to it.

edit: there are no circuits (sp) or resistors they are just connected to the batteries directly. They didnt cost me anything so I just took a chance there!

 

[LazyDave]

yea well be carful. Hooking an LED directly to a 9 volt battery can cause it to split, exsplode. it happened to me. Split perfictly in half and shot across the room.

use double sided foam tape.

 

[PlagueWulf]

Ouch! Thanks for the heads up dave! DiD it cause a fire or some spilling of nasty stuff when it exploded?

Maybe I should find some reading material on electronics and make it safer? If anyone have good links to such material, please post a link!

I will put the battery in a protective shell of some sort, do you think a ballon will be enough or should I try something else there? And the doublesided foam tape, is that just to hold the battery in place or used to wrap the battery?