DTN

I just designed/built this LED system out of parts from Radio Shack. It took all of 2 hours and $10 to design/acquire parts, build and test. It works like the volume meter on your home sterio but only off/low/high instead of a whole bar graph. I hooked it up to my sterio and it looks like I had planned.

This system SHOULD work on anything above 100 watts. Mine's 1100, and it's working well. Basically, this system would work for anybody, but the question is...

I'm wondering if i should
1.put them in the speaker grills
2.should I line the hatch cover with them
3.some other spot?
4.should i just throw them away because they're too ricey.

If it's a good idea, i'd buy alot more then 4 LEDs. it's a scaleable system. It could handle about 300 LEDs off my amplifier. What do you think?

supercow

lol, tomorrow when that picture gets done downloading i'll tell you.

anyways sounds like a cool idea. got any more pics?

edit: ok thats weird suddenly it finished in like 2 seconds.... looks good, are you in computer engineering classes? btw, whats the reason for the diode in the middle?? (thats is the symbol for a diode right?)

DTN

unfortunately, at this time no. I have it on a test board now with a bunch of components sticking off hooked up to my amp by 2 wires. It's not much to look at but a few resistors, a potentiometer, zener diode and 4 LEDs.
I need to get some ideas about this before i procede to making it a fixture in teh car.

The diode in the middle is a zener diode (passes voltage one way, limits to 12V the other way). it limits the voltage to the LEDs to 12VDC, so they don't blow.
To the far right is a piece of virtual test equipment i left on there, it's not part of the circuit.

supercow

ah... is the diode with a squiggle line the type with resisters built in... dang it's been sooooo long since I've looked at this stuff. interesting design, I thought you were going to have a ic chip in there. but that design should work great. really simple. only downside is that instead of just coming on they will fade in....but thats ok.

edit: d2?? thats the one I was talking about and it's parallel to the leds, how's that going to stop it at 12v, doesn't it have to be inline?

btw, is that made on digital workbench?

DTN

D2 shunts the voltage away from the LEDs one way and passes all voltage over 12V the other way. Effectively making a 12V pulsating DC wave out of the 1100W input signal.

Basically, lights come on and off every time the base hits. They get brighter or dimmer based on volume, one pair comes on at a lower volume then the other

DTN

Diode is a p type material and N type material, no diode. There's no need for a IC chip, they flash because there' only a 5 volt range. and besides that would add at least another few dollars to the operation. But no, they don't fade in and out, but if they did, your eye can't see anything but flashes at above 40 hz(low bass).

97tibby

Pic no worky. mad.gif

Loyen

if i got that rightm then you can just go to BBY and get strobe light doing same thing for 12.59

DTN

These flash with the music, can be hooked up directly to an amplifier, can be adjusted to any level and will self protect to ensure that there's no blowing up to aproximately 20-4000 watts. They drill into the speaker surround in the rear of the car and effectively make the speaker itself the light. I need to find a way to post video.


pic will no worky again because RDTib dumped user gallery. i'll take pictures.

Casper

if you ever do this again, and want to make sure they can handle anything...make use of an opto-isolator with a trim-pot... you can adjust the intensity and you will never have to worry about overpowering the leds cool.gif

An opto-isolator will also flash (go dim/bright) with the ammount of signal comming from the speaker wires.