3RD Brake Light Mod

since couple of you asked here is write up
couple links so you can find some info about LEDs
http://www.hidplanet.com/forums/showthread.php?16836-LED-Basic-Technical-Information


parts needed
1. perf board/ bread board/ circuit board (you can get them on ebay but link is so you know what it looks like)
http://www.radioshack.com/radioshack-perfboard-combo-pack-2-pack/2760328.html
2. Philips superflux leds (red orange) NOT red, reason is becouse every car led that you see on cars are red/orange color because its brighter then red and you will not be able to tell a difference
http://www.ebay.com/itm/60-new-piec...EDs-/251581163713?hash=item3a9367e8c1&vxp=mtr

here is data sheet for philips lumileds superflux leds http://www.lumileds.com/uploads/3/DS05-pdf

3> resistors (used to convert extra voltage into heat and protecting leds from being over juiced) sorry not electrical engineer so cant explain good
thats pretty much all you need
to calculate what resistors to use use this
http://led.linear1.org/led.wiz
i usually use resistors 1/2W and ohm rating depends on how many leds you use in line and your supply voltage
http://www.ebay.com/itm/30PCS-1-2W-...stor-22-Ohm-/261019506561?hash=item3cc5f99781

step 1. so to do 3rd brake light. cut off your bread board in 1" high and 5.25" long


step 2. using 1/16 drill bit you need to drill holes for leds(well make current holes bigger. leds have little stoppers on their legs so they dont sit flush on circuit board, either for heat or maybe so manufacturers dont have to snip off excess legs that go through circuit board.
you just have to drill where leds will go. not all holes couse its waste of time


step 3. you can paint it black so you dont see board color behind leds and it will make your board less visible in housing


step 4. put leds in board. make sure they are facing same way, there is holes in metal legs on top of leds, that polarity indication, doesnt matter at this point as long as they are same way, this way positive side of led will connect to negative side of next led


step 5. turn board over and bend pins down so they will serve as connection points while soldering. one side of each section has common side where you can bend pins so all pins will be soldered together later to form either positive leg or negative, do not do it to other side of section becouse you will solder resistors and connect it to power


step 6. solder pins together as shown, then take resistors and solder them to end of each row in each section. then solder each resistor together and connect each section of soldered resistors together. solder other side of each led row together with other sections as shown (you basicaly connecting all 3 section together so you can use that one connection as either power or common. i dont think it matter if you solder resistors to positive side of led row or negative, it will work either way as long as you connect power the right way.
side of led that has holes in legs is positive (+) and other side is negative/common

if you did it all right you will get this result



let me know if i have to clarify something

 

Btw, you can fill whole board with leds if u want, max u can fit seems to be 48. But id recomend 45, 5 in series, better for resistors it seems

 

that's nice man, do you have any install pics??

 

Yeah, check my other thread out its in there