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Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: Sasquatch! on March 13, 2003, 11:37:06 pm

Title: Little help for an LED ignoramus?
Post by: Sasquatch! on March 13, 2003, 11:37:06 pm

The recent postings about LEDs has gotten me excited, but I'm at a little bit of a roadblock.

Question #1:
According to the fine folks at Hagstrom:

Quote

You can use any LED up to 8.0 mA. The harness that you have contains 560 ohm 1/4 watt resistors.

I hunted around at Radio Shack for =< 8.0 mA LEDs and came up with nothing.  If I use an LED that's > 8.0 mA (like 10 or 15), am I correct in assuming that it just won't light up as bright as it could/should, and that I'm not running any risks by doing so?

Question #2:
Where in blazes is a good place to buy LEDs?  Any recommendations on what - specifically - are good bulbs to get (both regular and "super bright")?  I do plan on doing OSCAR's super-cool super bright LED driver (http://www.arcadecontrols.org/yabbse/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=5127") at some point.

Grazi!

Title: Re:Little help for an LED ignoramus?
Post by: BobA on March 14, 2003, 12:02:57 am

If you run at 14 ma LED at 8 ma its brightness will be reduced.  

Here is a link to an LED site that might be what you are looking for

http://www.superbrightleds.com/ (http://www.superbrightleds.com/)

If you build OSCARs LED driver then you will not have to live with the restrictions placed on you by Hagstrom.

BobA

Title: Re:Little help for an LED ignoramus?
Post by: ErikRuud on March 14, 2003, 09:01:58 am

Reduced brightness is not the issue.

Using a 14ma LED on a circuit rated for 8ma, may damage the circuit. That was the whole point of the led driver board.  There are not enough amps available on the IPac for superbright leds, and if you try to use them, you may burn up part of the IPac, or Hagstrom Encoder.

Title: Re:Little help for an LED ignoramus?
Post by: Sasquatch! on March 14, 2003, 07:39:38 pm

Quote from: BobA on March 14, 2003, 12:02:57 am

If you run at 14 ma LED at 8 ma its brightness will be reduced.

Quote from: ErikRuud on March 14, 2003, 09:01:58 am

Reduced brightness is not the issue.

Using a 14ma LED on a circuit rated for 8ma, may damage the circuit.

Hooray for conflicting replies!  Seriously, this is why I'm all  ??? about this.

Title: Re:Little help for an LED ignoramus?
Post by: BobA on March 14, 2003, 09:21:53 pm

If the original circuit already has the dropping resistor which I think it does and the LEDs are basically the same voltage drop then the higher current led cannot draw more current as the resistor is already limiting the current draw.  

Just my view of the circuit as described.

BobA