The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay Sources for 6-volt LED lighting ?

Hey there, y'all ...


Anybody know of a source for supplemental LED lighting (brake and turn) that will work with six-volt systems?

Apparently the folks at "thirdbrakelight.com" are history...(?)

Am hoping to find some LED "light bars" that I can "hide" around the top of the rear windows of my old cars and trucks for "high-mount" stoplights...

Thanks for any leads !


Frank 54

Hey Frankie, I thought that it was "Yens" in PA, and "Y'all!" in Texas.

Other than that, I have no leads on aux LED tail lights. :-)

Y'ens or "you-uns", or y'uns is Western PA...Pittsburg & such...

How's the "Caw-fee" there in Englishtown? (LOL)

Guess PA is LED-free...

I might be wrong, but I thought LED's worked with either 6 volt or 12 volt.

Joe

Y'ens or you'ns is Pittsburg talk... In scranton Y'all isn;t right either... It's you's.

Work on both 6 and 12 volt systems, as they are current devices. Operate a little brighter on 12 volt. Pro's 1st Choice Canada would be a place to look.

The "Caw-fee" is fine, but that is more Northern NJ, NYC, Southern NY, and Wetern Long Island. "You'se Guys" is the official NYC expression for "Y'all."

Englishtown is loaded with ex-NYC people, myself being one of them, we can determine the local farmers from the new ex-city folk right away. Caw-fee is one way, the other way is that the farmers are driving around in new pick-ups, while the ex-city folks are driving MB's and BMW's.

It always souded more like "Quaw-fee" to me.

Inky's right...NE folk say "you's" (or "youse")...

But I'm not from around here...


I've been using "y'all" forever, even though I might not be "geographically justified" in doing so, growing-up in suburban MD, but then I can't talk like the natives do in Baltimore (and I've actually TRIED ! :o )

Well, I'll get a sample 12-volt LED and see how they work on my six-volt iron...

How about polarity senstivity? Do they care about Positive ground vs. Neg ground?
(Thinking of my old MoPars and GMCs)...

Yes, LEDs are polarity sensitive.

And I know from experience....if you hook em up backwards, it fries the light instantly....oops. I was testing an LED light on a battery and learned the hard way...luckily, the light was POS i was just messin with

Check this out:

LED Lights for vintage cars

Frank

Actually, if you hook LED's up backwards they just don't light up. They won't be damaged. They are diodes, they only conduct current in one direction. The block it the other way.

I would suggest checking with this company. They show 12V units in the correct shape and may be able to supply 6V.

LED Lights

Paul

Whether the diodes will blow or not when hooked up in reverse depends on the PIV rating, but I doubt that it would be lower than the peak voltage of a six volt system.

Well if that's the case 'google up' podlights and hyperlite (not the wakeboard).
or I'll pass along some sites:::

+ http://store.tireflysonline.com/podcar-red.html
+ http://xtrasrally.com/hyperlite.htm
+ http://www.webbikeworld.com/Motorcycle-technical-articles/halogen/
+ http://www.customdynamics.com/louver_led_accent_motorcycle_lights.htm

I made a fitting inside the stock taillight assy and glued in three podlights ~ brake ~ tail ~ blinker and will get more light from the 6 podlights now than any stock tail light. The pod lights (usually cost $20) were cheap enough that I bought a bunch and used them on my olde bikes also. I also added a third standard double filiment clearance brake light below the tail gate in the middle.
hyperlites are not so cheap.
Ps Paul I believe those haywire are only brake/ tail... NO blinker. you can also buy at auto parts a halogen light bulb that's brighter
+ http://www.sherco-auto.com/minilamp.htm

hope it helps
+ Pss frank54 I was born in wilkinsburg and don't say any of those things... course I moved to (NOW) ugly calif when I was 5.

As said before, LEDs are Light Emitting Diodes. They allow current to flow one way (unless you exceed the reverse breakdown voltage, then they go POP). LEDs typically turn on when they are exposed to 1.7 volts (across the terminals of ONE Led), which we normally round up to 2 volts for most circuits. If you know that, then you know that the maximum number of LEDs in a 6 volt system would be 3 in a series configuration. In a parallel configuration, you can add togther a number of 3 LED strings to get the amount of LEDs that you want - they will just consume more current than a single string (but likely less than a normal 6 volt bulb).

What you need to find is a company that is making LED lights with 3 LEDs in a string. Most companies will tend to make 6 LED strings (12v) because of the 12 volt standard.

It COULD be possible to convert a 12 volt LED light to a 6 volt light, provided that the circuit bord isn't potted in a plastic resin (to prevent you from gaining access to the circuit wiring). You would cut the 6 LED strings into 3 LED strings, and move the power and ground leads appropriately.

How about the turnlight? Will the LEDs suck enough current to work the blinker relay?

Vaughn,

Thanks for your detailed reply...so far, it looks like I'm going to be making my own...

I'm trying to come up with LED-based stuff to use as supplemental lighting for brakes and turn signals on a variety of six-volt vehicles, Bow-tie and other makes...

So, are there special high-output LED's I should be looking for, or can I just go down to Radio Shack and buy a bunch of red LEDS and some perf-board and go to town ?

Stovebold,

They don't draw enough current to allow the type of blinker that doesn't blink when one of the lights is burnt out to flash, but an emergency flasher unit should work.

There are units marketed to the street rodder realm called "no load flashers". They are meant for use in place of the standard flasher when LEDs are used. That conversion is really getting hot.

If generic off-the-shelf LEDs are going to work, and I think they will, check a place called All Electonics (www.allelectronics.com) before you go to Radio Shack.

Standard red are 10 for a dollar up to 100. After that 7 cents each to 1000, and 4 cents each after that. Buy $40 worth and have fun!

Well, I'm sorry to say that generic LEDs won't work well. Until recently, LEDs could not put out enough lumens (candlepower) to be seen under all conditions. In addition, LEDs did not have a wide enough angle of dispersal (you cannot see the light they put out if you are too far to the left/right of the LED). LEDs used in automotive applications are of a special type. You would need to contact an electronics parts house and have them help you select the right LEDs.

I used to do a little design work with LEDs, at that time Stanley LEDs were usually the best in the market.

Old Sub, Vaughn, et al...

Thanks for the suggestions...I went to the Allelectronics.com site and found loads-o-stuff, including some SUPER-bright red LEDS...

I think I'm a gonna git me some perf-board and some LEDs, and once I find the the proper series combo for 6-volt application, I think I'll build me some custom supplemental signal & brake lighting...

Will let you know how I make-out!

Regards,

Frank 54

I installed two-function sockets (with turn signal and parking) in my '48 sometime ago. I put some of that amber plastic in there since I thought the turn signal was easier to see but it's still a bit on the dim side.

Could I put some LEDs in parallel with the existing 6v lamp? Seems to me that would give me more light and the turn signal would still work since the 6v lamp is providing a load?

Thanks!

I know this ebay link won't be here forever but this is what you need ( http://cgi.ebay.com/New-50-Ultra-Br...9610QQcategoryZ66952QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem ). After this link dies, just search on ebay for "Bright White LED" and you'll find all the 10,000 mcd LED's that you can shake a stick at. (And don't ask me why so many folks go around shaking sticks at LED's) Just use the white ones and let your lenses do the coloring.

Rance