I've seen so many posts and comments over LED's but I've never know fully what they were, I know that they have something to do with lighting, can one change the color of his interior dashboard lights with LED's? just what exactly are they and how do you use them?

thanks all

 

LEDs are little round light bulbs that people install to let them know when certain things are on. Such as manual fan switces, NOS bottle heaters and things like that. Yes you can change the color of your dash lights with them. There was a thread here not to long ago where a guy did that. Hope that helps.

 

http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/led.htm

 

They're a "high-tech" light emitting device where a small semi-conductor (a Diode to be exact) emitts a certian wavelength of Light. The one they show in that previous link shows a "typical" 5mm LED. Those are the most common and are what most people use for lighting their car. Do a search on eBay, youwill find TONS of them for sale in all colors and brightness.

To install them in a automotove application you need to add a resistor (100 to 470 ohm) available at any local radioshack.

If you want to know more, just ask. If this was too technical I'm sorry, I work with them EVERYDAY and could tell you EVERYTHING about them pretty much, except how the make the actual light emitting silicone "die".

 

When you say to add a resistor, are you saying to solder the resistor to one of the "legs" of the led and the other end of the resistor to the wire supplying power? Also, does it matter if the resistor is added to the negative side or positive side?

 

What he said exactly, what is and exactly how do you install a resistor? and LEDS can be used on more than just showing you "whats on"?

 

if you go to radio shack, you can buy leds in several colours with built in resistors, its what i used for my manual fan switch, and saves alot of time/hassel.

 

Just solder one end of the resistor to either leg of the LED. Doesnt matter which leg.

 

Yes, no

Yes, just solder it to a leg, or put it inline, and no, it doesn't matter which leg.

 

*Ahem* Here this will help

http://www.metalreviewcentre.com/LED.htm


from this site

http://www.metalreviewcentre.com/TAframe.htm

 

I am almost positive the resistor has to be on the positive side. The point of a resistor is to cut down the power going to it. How would it do that if it is on the ground side???

On a resistor, there will be a long leg and a short leg. Usually there is a flat spot on the side of the LED with the shorter leg. That is the negative side.

 

Wow, that site has a lot of wrong information. He says all LEDs are 3.6V, which is completely untrue. Also, there are all kinds of shapes and sizes of LEDs. The most common size is a round 5mm LED, but there are also 3mm, 10mm, and probably many others, and they come in round or square shapes.

 

Lets say I wanted to change my interior and dashboard lighting to blue, what size and kind of led's should I search for and where? Also what kind of resistors should I look into and when you say solder it, this means I'm ganna need a heated tool doesn't it? Where would I place the Leds to reluminate the interior lights?

 

Basic DC electronics. Resistors are to limit current. Current must flow through the LED, so either leg will limit current, cause the current must pass through both legs.

470 ohm is perfect for most resistors you will buy in the 2-4V rated range.

 

Exaclty...

Most of the 5mm LEDs that most people use are limited to 20-30mA of current.

Basic Voltage=Current*Resistance.