tartgrandmother wrote: hey all, sorry bout the dredge

I'm building some lights right, I'm using a cheap and heavy 12 SLA battery. and am going to run LED's what sort of LED's should i be running?

hey Carl, the best place to start I rekon is halogen then tell your technology teacher that these lights are a school projct so all materials are free and youget to use all the machinery. I found a halogen flounder ligh at home so cut the end off it and used the casing and all and made a mount in tech. Next step (I have just cleared with my teacher) I am turning a pvc surround on the lathe and using LEDs because of the battery thing. On this point what is a good LED to use as I have no clue on this subject, i.e a place to start
Cheers

i have the halogen one's already

These are my halogens, the huge brick problem

Rider-man-Cam wrote:

tartgrandmother wrote: hey all, sorry bout the dredge

I'm building some lights right, I'm using a cheap and heavy 12 SLA battery. and am going to run LED's what sort of LED's should i be running?

hey Carl, the best place to start I rekon is halogen then tell your technology teacher that these lights are a school projct so all materials are free and youget to use all the machinery. I found a halogen flounder ligh at home so cut the end off it and used the casing and all and made a mount in tech. Next step (I have just cleared with my teacher) I am turning a pvc surround on the lathe and using LEDs because of the battery thing. On this point what is a good LED to use as I have no clue on this subject, i.e a place to start
Cheers

Don't use PVC for the case in an LED light.
The housing needs to be able to rid the LEDs of as much heat as possible, cooler they run the more efficient.

what would you reccomend, carbon fibre? fibreglass?

Aluminium

but carbon would look so much cooler?

soo much reading

Lots of people talk about carbon housings for lights. I cant remember seeing any except for my own.
My lights are dyno driven so I don't have the heat issues battery lights need to deal with so losing some metal surface area to the carbon is no biggie.
If you use rectangular section aluminium you can seal the ends with carbon very easily assuming you are lucky enough to have a pile of scrap weave and a little epoxy/release agent.

This is my latest 5 led light with one end getting sealed up.

dad being a boat builder have many many bits of carbon

soo. the driver. how much do they cost roughly? and why do LEDs need one and halogen dont?

LEDs need a nicely regulated constant current source.
Drivers cost from 5-50$
Heres a dimmable one from jaycar, 24$
http://www.jaycar.co.nz/productView.asp ... &SUBCATID=

jaycar could be the go

I have some LEDs with lenses you can buy MSN me
They aren't the last generation but will do what you want them to.