Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum

Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: TheShaner on April 28, 2012, 10:52:32 am

Title: LED Help or Guide?
Post by: TheShaner on April 28, 2012, 10:52:32 am

I am about to start ordering the items I need for wiring up LED's in my cabinet I'm working on.  The problem is, I have absolutely no idea what the hell I'm doing on this one.  I don't even know what kind of lamps to buy.  Can anyone point me towards a thread or a guide that can get me rolling?  I do already have an LEDwiz, I just need to know what to buy and a general idea on how to wire it.

Thanks!

Title: Re: LED Help or Guide?
Post by: Nephasth on April 28, 2012, 10:57:12 am

You going with RGB or single color LEDs?

Title: Re: LED Help or Guide?
Post by: TheShaner on April 28, 2012, 11:14:12 am

single color

Title: Re: LED Help or Guide?
Post by: Nephasth on April 28, 2012, 11:27:14 am

Daisy chain your + leads together. Wire your ground leads to the LEDWiz (one per terminal). Get LEDBlinky to control your LEDs.

Title: Re: LED Help or Guide?
Post by: Nephasth on April 28, 2012, 11:38:06 am

What buttons you decide to use will help with determining what LEDs would be best.

Title: Re: LED Help or Guide?
Post by: TheShaner on April 28, 2012, 12:04:24 pm

I am taking ninjasquirrels approach. 

Title: Re: LED Help or Guide?
Post by: Nephasth on April 28, 2012, 12:08:53 pm

That's quite the task! Since you'll be using colored acrylic, white LEDs will work just fine. Comfortable soldering? If you are, get some 5mm white LEDs off ebay from a Chinese seller. Super cheap and you should be able to find them that come with resistors for BOTH wiring to 5V or 12V power sources. Then just drill a hole big enough in the base of the button for the LED to go into and route your wires over the top of the switch so that they don't hinder button travel/operation.

Title: Re: LED Help or Guide?
Post by: TheShaner on April 28, 2012, 12:14:50 pm

Thanks, I don't have a problem soldering, i didnt use any clamps on my last control panel and it worked out great.

Pardon me for being a complete ignoramous here, but what search are you using on ebay to pull up the right kind of lights?  When I do a search for 12v led bulb I end up with all kinds of different stuff.  I am running these off an LEDwiz, so I am assuming I am going to be going with the 12v.  Safe assumption?

Title: Re: LED Help or Guide?
Post by: Nephasth on April 28, 2012, 12:17:09 pm

You can do either 5v or 12v with an LEDWiz. Search for "5mm white leds" throw "resistor" in there if you want those included.

Title: Re: LED Help or Guide?
Post by: Nephasth on April 28, 2012, 12:19:57 pm

50 white LEDs (http://www.ebay.com/itm/50-5mm-Super-White-Led-50-Free-Resistors-12v-Car-/280596636312?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4154dce298) for $1.58 shipped with resistors to wire to 12v. Hell of a deal!