Led Fogs
Printed From: the12volt.com
Forum Name: Lights, Neon, LEDs, HIDs
Forum Discription: Under Car Lighting, Strobe Lights, Fog Lights, Headlights, HIDs, DRL, Tail Lights, Brake Lights, Dashboard Lights, WigWag, etc.
URL: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=76203
Printed Date: April 28, 2024 at 1:58 PM
Topic: Led Fogs
Posted By: rutcgr18
Subject: Led Fogs
Date Posted: April 13, 2006 at 11:35 PM
So i want to make some led fogs did not know if any one had any input. I am curently making blue led strobee. I am a vol fireman so i have made them for my jeep. I just want to know some ideas if i should use a lens or how many leds i should use. Thanks mike 
Replies:
Posted By: nicky9
Date Posted: April 14, 2006 at 11:21 AM
Looks good, what type of LEDs/resistors/board did you use? Actually, that was brighter than I thought they would be! Awesome!
Posted By: firstrax
Date Posted: April 14, 2006 at 12:32 PM
For the fogs I would (and have) use a single Luxeon III led. There small, powerfull and theres a full range of lenses available. 
You will need to use a constant current regulator to drive them instead of just a resitor. Its cheap and simple to make. Heres a single red and single blue running a little over 1/2 capacity. The amber one is just as bright.  . 
Posted By: ff-mike
Date Posted: April 14, 2006 at 12:39 PM
My quick review
You will notice that your pattern is pretty much cone shaped. You really have no need to light up the sky or the ground, but you do have a need for lighting more to the sides. Some sort of optics are going to be needed. I would probably have the top and bottom straightened out for a brighter on-axis display. Then you would want to broaden out the sides for better off-axis lighting.
Another option would be not to use a flat circuit board, and use something with some complex curves to distribute the light better, like the shape of the reflector in a fog lamp- but a little flatter
Make sure they are good and visible- 500' is the standard that most states use, but that is pretty weak IMO.
My concern would be of liability. Even if they are visible; they are not SAE approved, and therefore illegal. Get into an accident and it is your fault, and remember this: 7% of firefighters killed in '04 were responding in their POVs to the scene or station.
IMHO, you aren't going to save much in the long run, if any. And the couple of dollars you may save are not worth the risk. Get a set of halogen pedestal mounts if you want physically large lamps, or some TIR3-sized lights if you want the low current of LEDs.
The Lightning LED LX4 costs under $70 in any color combination, and the 4 Gen-3 LEDs already have the optix and testing behind them
Posted By: nicky9
Date Posted: April 15, 2006 at 3:08 PM
Firstrax - can you elaborate on " constant current regulator "? Have a link on how to set something like this up? I could to a board of leds but not at all familiar with the ones above. The example you gave above... was that 1 LED? OMG! Thanks in advance Nick
Posted By: firstrax
Date Posted: April 15, 2006 at 6:34 PM
nicky9 wrote:
Firstrax - can you elaborate on " constant current regulator "? Have a link on how to set something like this up? I could to a board of leds but not at all familiar with the ones above. The example you gave above... was that 1 LED? OMG! Thanks in advance Nick
I'l have something in a day or so. I'm away from my regular computer right now.
Posted By: nicky9
Date Posted: April 15, 2006 at 8:31 PM
Sounds Good cant wait! Thanks
Posted By: nhoj_yelbom
Date Posted: April 19, 2006 at 8:47 AM
about those luxeons, you dont have to have a constant current regulator do you?
Posted By: nicky9
Date Posted: April 19, 2006 at 8:48 AM
From what I have read and been told yes, you will need a constant current reg.
Posted By: nhoj_yelbom
Date Posted: April 19, 2006 at 9:01 AM
it says in the manual, found here ( https://lumileds.com/pdfs/AB11.PDF) that you can use resistors and any voltage
Posted By: rutcgr18
Date Posted: April 19, 2006 at 9:02 AM
Those are nice but they are a bit pricy i can get 100 of the blue that i am using for 25 bucks mike
Posted By: nhoj_yelbom
Date Posted: April 19, 2006 at 9:02 AM
go to page 2
Posted By: nhoj_yelbom
Date Posted: April 19, 2006 at 9:04 AM
the luxeon 3 emitters are only $2 to $5 apiece at more light output
Posted By: firstrax
Date Posted: April 19, 2006 at 10:20 AM
nhoj_yelbom wrote:
about those luxeons, you dont have to have a constant current regulator do you?
Mandatory, no. Wise yes. At that level of power very small changes in voltage will make a large change in brightness. Also the forward voltage of the leds can differ 25% or more from one led to the next. Add that to the fact that your cars voltage is going to vary you run the risk of damaging an expensive led. The constant current regulator will maintain a constant brightness up to 30 volts regardless of the leds actual forward voltage. I'll post the how to on constant current regulators tonight.
Posted By: rutcgr18
Date Posted: April 19, 2006 at 11:34 AM
ok sounds good were can you buy these a guy on ebay whats 6.50 a piese for these i know i can do better i want like 6 of them and how do i amke the the regulater or can i jsut buy it thanks mike
Posted By: ff-mike
Date Posted: April 19, 2006 at 12:07 PM
The LEDs you are using are approximately 1/10th the output of Luxeons.
You can buy or make the regulator. A cheap DIY regulator can be made by using a voltage regulator to knock the Jeeps voltage down to 6V, and then using the 11 ohm resistor to give the 350mA constant current.
If you are going to be building a flasher for these also, you can take the current up to the 500mA max by using an 8 ohm resistor.
Posted By: firstrax
Date Posted: April 19, 2006 at 1:00 PM
I just uploaded some prints for a constant current regulator. https://www.the12volt.com/downloads/downloads.asp?catid=36
Posted By: nhoj_yelbom
Date Posted: April 19, 2006 at 1:09 PM
Posted By: nhoj_yelbom
Date Posted: April 19, 2006 at 1:25 PM
they sell inline current regulators on one of those sites also, if anyone puts these in something pm me because id like to look at it
Posted By: rutcgr18
Date Posted: April 19, 2006 at 5:38 PM
The min is 240 pieces i want like 6 or 10
Let me know
thanks
Posted By: firstrax
Date Posted: April 19, 2006 at 5:52 PM
rutcgr18 wrote:
The min is 240 pieces i want like 6 or 10
Let me know
thanks
Where is the min 240?
Posted By: nhoj_yelbom
Date Posted: April 20, 2006 at 9:14 AM
Posted By: nicky9
Date Posted: April 20, 2006 at 10:34 AM
[QUOTE=nhoj_yelbom]not on https://www.luxeonstar.com/[/QUOTE] That sight is soo expensive. You would be buying from a middleman. CCRs are dern expensive as well.
Posted By: nicky9
Date Posted: April 20, 2006 at 10:38 AM
The original site listed on the first page of the post has items for sale individually. Some are some arnt. You will be paying double with the other site.
Posted By: firstrax
Date Posted: April 20, 2006 at 11:10 AM
Individual leds will sometimes disappear from the lumileds/future site when invenory gets low. Keep checking back. When inventory goes up the individual leds will be back.
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