LED rear lights (please read)

[rst steve]

Thinking of building some led rear lights. Going to do mine first but may do others if there is enough interest, the price is right and it works.

The plan is to build a circuit board that can be mounted in the o.e light (may have to cut the light to get it in) which when the normal running light is on will say VTR then go completely red when the brake is pulled. Pretty normal really but i am working on the VTR part of the light to have differant start up and shut down displays. So for example when the light is switched on the V lights first then the T then the R or the logo rises up from the bottom of the light. Then a reverse or differant display to shut down. Dont know if this will work yet but will be starting tests tommorow.

The board will be a fully waterproof and printed circuit board not a cheap Maplin job and will use top quality components.

Would you be interested in one if it looks good and what would you expect to pay for a light of this kind?

I will post some pics as i get the project underway.

[RedStormV]

OOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooohhhhh!!!!!

Bling

Count me in matey, sounds good, always remember seeing a Z1R years ago where the guy had a chromed cover for the rear light with Z1-R cut into it - looked the business.

As to price? I suppose that's got to come a bit from you really, you need to ascertain the cost of your components high power LEDs etc. and importantly, your time building them.

Are you going to etch your own boards eventually?

Just a quick look on ebay there's a couple of LED tail lights on there obviously not as bling, £46 & £63, buy it now inc postage, so maybe that's a benchmark?

As for start up and shut down sequence I personally leave lights switched to 'on' position permanently so not sure what benefit that added complication would have.

Perhaps the option to 'switch' displays 'VTR 1000' or 'VTR' then '1000' or '1000F'? Maybe not enough room.

What about the option to 'inverse video' the light so for normal running it says 'VTR' and then full light when braking and vice versa. A toggle switch could be mounted on board or the back of the light (drill little hole add 'o'ring). This would allow for extending the switch to somewhere more accessable.

How would the 'legaility' be affected? or more importantly getting it through an MOT.

Let's know your progress.

Graeme.

[patty]

count me in!!!!!



pat

[rst steve]

Thanks for the comments Graeme this is the input i need. To answer a few of your points the board will be a custom one off design the company i work for uses circuit boards for our products that we design so the board will be a proper printed circuit board. I have looked at maybe fitting an interface on the board so that the user could plug the light into a pc and choose his or her own set up and maybe even what the light displays so you could change what the light says. The boards we use at work are fully programable so the software can be changed on them. As for the legality of the light when the first one is done i will take it to a few mot stations and ask if it would be ok or not if not how can it be made ok. I am going to do quite a lot of testing with various leds so i can get the light output just right dont want it to dim but at the same time dont want to dazzle people behind also needs to be fast acting when the brakes are on I've got lots to do

[Beamish]

Certainly interested but need to see the finished product,not a massive bling person but quality is my bag. Cant wait!

[VeetyR]

I like the sound of VTR rising from the bottom of the light when switching them on.....I dont think peeps who leave their lights on would have a prob either as it would do it when the ignition or the lights are switched on.

Pre programmable messages would be cool too , although i think u would struggle for clarity with larger words, people might not be able to read what it says due to the size of the unit. unless it scrolled across?
Best to keep it simple IMO, it would still look V/bling anyway.

Sounds like a good idea and yeah, if they came out well u could put me down for one too

john'o

[Wildfire]

Sounds v interesting...I've been considering fitting the Integrated indicator type but not got round to it yet so this may be an alternative

[RedStormV]

Hi,

Another thought.... with people who 'own' the centre lane on motorways, or outside lane on dual carriageways, and those who seem to think that driving round with their rear fog lights on is a pretty neat idea when there's 300 yards visibility, in mind.

Maybe also useful for those wonderful patrons of the road that have 'bike blindness'.

However it would require a remote 'bar' mounted switch.....

Could you make it do this?



or



Or even just plain old... F.U. - FECK U! or similar!

I'd like all 3 - they make me sooooo mad!!!!!

It's either that or I'll have to keep kicking wings or gesticulating wildly to the idiot that hasn't a clue what I'm mad at!

Think I need anger management therapy!

[headgear]

Another one here