GGG Novagems - help with wiring to Led-Wiz

[Hoopz]

I received my new buttons from RandyT and am trying to wire them up.  I have 14 of the Novagems and am attempting to wire them to a Led-Wiz.  I am NOT familiar with LED's and am not sure if I am interpreting the directions correctly.

Each button has two wires attached.  One has been stripped about 3/16 of an inch.  The other has a metal "prong" connected to it.  My thought is that the wire that has been stripped is the one I attach to a particular screw terminal on the Led-Wiz which allows it to control the LED itself (on/off, flashing etc).   The other wire is the common anode.  Is that correct?

The other wire or what I think is the common anode should supply the power to the LED. Based upon what I read of Headkaze's installation of his RGB Electic Ice buttons, this should be attached to received +5v.  However, the Led-Wiz came with a jumper wire between the USB 5v Output and the External 5v Input.  Do I insert the common anode into the External 5v Input which is labeled X5v?  If not, what am I missing?

Sorry if these are basic questions to some.  But as a LED and electrical novice, I wanted to ask before I do anything that can damage the LED-Wiz or the LED in a button. 

The buttons look great and I am anxious to see how the look lit. 

TIA!

HooPZ

[RandyT]

Sorry, I meant to have a hookup description on the site before now.  I'm adding some stuff to  the store at the moment, so that will be my next order of business.

The "prong" is the resistor lead.  This goes to the LED-Wiz.  You might want to trim it a little, but it was left long so multiples could fit beside each other on the terminal.  The other wire ( from the anode) goes to +5v.


RandyT

[Hoopz]

 

That did it!  Thanks RandyT.  The buttons look great!!

HooPZ

[WLVRYN]

Randy-

What's the best way to wire the ground wires with these and an LEDwiz?  It looks from Headkraze's writeup that he just stripped all the ground wires an inch or so and twisted them together with one extra wire then running to the LEDwiz.  Is that the best way to go for these?

[RandyT]

What's the best way to wire the ground wires with these and an LEDwiz?  It looks from Headkraze's writeup that he just stripped all the ground wires an inch or so and twisted them together with one extra wire then running to the LEDwiz.  Is that the best way to go for these?

Don't get the common anodes confused with ground.  The wires that are twisted together are +5v, so keep them far clear of ground.

But that is the method I recommended.  The fine wires all twisted together will make a heavier wire which can be connected to another larger "feed" wire and put together with a wire nut.  It can then be wrapped with electrical tape to secure the connections.

Alternatively, terminal strips or something similar can be used, but that would take a fair amount of space.  In the end, it's up to you to decide what approach is most well suited to your installation.

RandyT

[Hoopz]

The fine wires all twisted together will make a heavier wire which can be connected to another larger "feed" wire and put together with a wire nut.
RandyT

That's what I did.  It was very easy and simple to do.

[edge]

HoopZ - let's see some pics.

[Hoopz]

I'll try and post some later.  I think I need to turn the flash off in order for them to really stand out.  Plus, its the first sunny day we have had in weeks, so I need to wait until it's dark out.

I will say that the blue seems to diffuse (proper term?) the LED more than the red.  Looking straight down at the red and then the blue makes it very easy to see that the LED in the red is brighter.  Both look very nice lit up and I am very happy with how they look when they are off.

I have a blue on my CPO so the Novagem really looks good lit on top of it.

Waiting on green and yellow buttons too!   

[Hoopz]

Here are a few pics of them lit.  It was still bright outside and these were taken with the flash off.  The pictures do NOT do them justice.  The red looks much better and not orange in person.  The blue also looks washed out in the picture but not in person.  If there is a better way for me to take these pics, please let me know.

[edge]

very nice, hoopz.  are you going to also install the green/yellow buttons in the same CP?  would love to see a pic of the entire CP lit up.. hehe.. as you can see, I am going to purchase these too - just trying to decide on color.

[Hoopz]

I would like green and yellow but I don't know if they are available yet.  I know RandyT said that green wasn't ready.  Haven't heard if yellow is going to be out or not.