Finally finished LEDS - cupholders, console, and bed lights

sub'd

 

Yeah, that is an awesome mod, I would want to do that, but idk what color and I don't want to take apart my headlights

 

He left the wires hanging for me.

I wired them into the remote control for the neon kit thats under my truck so all of it comes on with the remote control.

 

Another project down. Think I'll make a bunch of these. Duck tailgating will be fun for our night games!!!


Made my 1st light up whip for it.

 

Excellent! I've been toying with the idea of making one of these too.

 

For this 3 foot whip it took about 20 minutes.

The 6 footer I'm making next with multi-color, remote, etc will take a bit longer but it'll be cool. I'm wrapping this 6 footer with this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/251445800374?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

 

If you want a quick write-up man....just let me know

 

Yep lol

 

I think that I've seen a couple of YouTube how to's, but would very interested in hearing what your approach is and where the pitfalls are, plus any tips, etc.

Definitely yes on the multicolor. There's a YouTube video showing a multicolor setup that's over the top. Your inspiration I suspect?

Can't wait to see your next one.

 

I've been dealing with LED's for quite awhile. When I saw those light up whips I was gonna buy one. Then I saw the price tag and said What the Fuck!!!

So yeah.....looked at one of these light up whips up close and realized I could make one.
Bought the stuff.
Then forgot about youtube. Checked there and yep...I bought the right stuff.

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1. The antenna -
a. A rip rod (what I already had and used) from ATV store or the $5.00 bicycle antenna at Walmart....(i'll try those later to see if they work).
b. A firestik, or any CB antenna.

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2. The LED's -
a. I used the Waterproof 5050 SMD 300LED 5M (bright as hell all wound up on this antenna)
b. The less expensive 3528 LED's would work just fine also. (less bright)

Any of the spools will work, color, size (5050 3528, etc.) but I would get the waterproof ones. That's what I got. They will be shrink wrapped so that will waterproof them pretty good but I like the EXTRA waterproof by having the waterproof led's then the shrink over it.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/400406764227?_trksid=p2059210.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

http://www.ebay.com/itm/OPT7-300-LE...t=US_Car_Lighting&hash=item1c408bea00&vxp=mtr

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3. The heat shrink -
a. You can use a 1" for the thicker antenna's, I used 1" for this rip rod stick and it didn't quite wrap as tight as I would of liked but it still worked awesome. (i'm a damn perfectionist )
b. for the smaller antennas I would use the 1/2" shrink tubes.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/231283313423?_trksid=p2059210.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

http://www.ebay.com/itm/180820731334?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

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4. Another alternative that i've seen work that I will try with the smaller circumference of the $5 walmart antenna, is El-Wire. I will try green el-wire with 1/2" green heat shrink tubing. Extra glow from the matching color of heat shrink tubing. Clear tubing would probably be cool also.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Neon-Light-..._Lights_Fairy_Lights&var=&hash=item4173b247d0
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So....

1. I put the antenna on the table.
2. Un-spooled the led ribbon and peeled the 3m tape protector back quite a few feet.
3. stuck the ribbon to the whip (where I wanted to start the led's on the whip) then put a piece of electricians tape on the end to keep it held down. (The 3m sticky backing doesn't like these fiberglass rods real well.)
4. Then I just started turning the rip rod and wrapping the led ribbon around it as tight as I could.
5. When I got to the end point of how long I wanted the led's to go (I saved room on the rip rod for the flag) then I taped it with a piece of electricians tape. (If you arent having a flag or anything then go all the way to top )
6. I unrolled the heat shrink tube out to see how long I needed to cover all the led's then cut it to length.
7. I slipped the condom looking heat shrink tube over the rod and lights and used my heat gun at high heat to shrink tubing down as tight as possible to lights.
8. Don't hold heat gun on one spot too long. Keep the heat moving all along the heat shrink tube. I didn't damage any lights but the waterproof goop that covers the leds did melt in 2 spots but it didn't hurt the leds so it's all good.

Then run wires to whatever the hell you want (remote control box, rocker switch, whatever) and done.

(you could always get this kit and plug it into the outlet in your bed then you don't have to run wires: http://www.ebay.com/itm/5M-5050-300...tring_Lights_Fairy_Lights&hash=item3a8c5c1ced)

I'm making a quick disconnect in the bed cubby for when I use this thing.










AND:

Here's a pretty good vid of pretty much exactly what I did.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2LxxGi8fYU

 

Or mabye mount one of these in the bed cubby so I'll always have a hookup???

 

How many feet will a roll (5 meters) of 5050 LEDs go up a whip?

That is, what length of whip do you estimate can be covered in lights with one roll?

 

Depends on how tight you wrap it (how close together you twist onto the whip) but it'll do 5 to maybe 6 feet.

I did that 3 foot section and I have quite a bit left on the roll.

 

^^THIS....will be here Friday I can't wait!

 

I just got these ^^^^^^ a few minutes ago


Fun shit. Oh the damn possibilities with these.

 

I'm planning on starting the interior led's this weekend and had a quick question. I am curious if I can use a switch and wire it into the dimmer wires connected to the AC panel? So I want to be able to have it switched and have the led's controlled by the factory dimmer so I can turn the switch on and then use the dimmer wheel or just turn them off with my aftermarket switch. Would I just tap the dimmer wires into the switch and run the lead out of the switch to the led's and get the control I am after? Do I need to use both dimmer wires from the AC panel or just the + ? Thanks for the help and inspiration!

 

To wire LEDs into your dash lights, you only need to tap a hot (+) dash light wire (HVAC is fine). Your ground wire can be hooked any grounded chassis screw of your choice. I found that the wire to the console shift indicator light was easier to get to for my purposes.

I have LEDs in various places in my cab and have multiple ground points.

Good luck. Interior lighting projects are a load of fun - especially the results!

 

Thanks for the help! Figured out that you have to use both the pos (green) and the neg wire (green/white) if you want to be able to use the factory dimmer wheel. And once I figured out my wire taps weren't making good enough contact to power my stuff, it was easy! Took too damn long trying to get those taps to work and finally just cut the 2 factory wires and connected them directly to my led wires and it was all gravy after that. I'll put up some pics tonight. Thanks again!

 

Got the first round done today. All led's are cool white in color. Used a 6mm bolt in the cupholder, 6" side emit strip under the front of the shifter console shining towards the front cupholders and cubby, 6" side emit strips under the center area shining towards the footwell's. Will do the rear cupholder and vent hole on the next round.

 

Looks good!

I did something similar, plus put a single 3mm on each door panel over the cubbies.