LED tail lights for 56-61

Chip · Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2009 12:40 pm Post subject: LED tail lights for 56-61

If there were LED tail lights available for snowflake style lights, would anyone be interested in them? They could be done in 6 or 12 volt. Would wire in to your original wiring, all you have to add is one ground wire. I'm currently testing a 12 volt setup. They specifically highlight the snowflake, as a running light. And when the brake or signal is applied, they light the rest of the assembly. Two types of LEDs are used, to make sure that it is visible from all angles. The fit is place of the filter piece. So far they seem to work great. I'll get picks up soon.
Chip

OvalWindowBucket · Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2009 1:46 pm Post subject:

I would be interested. I work at a PCB shop and that was on my list of things to do is make myself a set with etched PCBs.

toxic56 · Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2009 2:21 pm Post subject:

Count me in. I would love to plug and play some of these.

OvalTeenAZ · Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2009 2:39 pm Post subject:

I would buy one set now, and depending on price maybe a couple others for projects waiting to get done up. Cool

Chip · Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2009 3:26 pm Post subject:

I would love to do them on a PCB, but I'd need a HUGE commitment # in order to make it cost effective with the place I've looked into. I am currently designing a PCB for both versions(6v, 12v). But for now, I am just making them on a generic board. They are pretty labor intensive, so the price will most likely be right around $100 for a pair. they have 49 LEDs each and are nice and bright.
Chip

AlteWagen · Troll Joined: February 23, 2007 Posts: 8501 Location: PNW

Why commit when you can do it yourself?

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=240612&highlight=led+brake+lights

OvalWindowBucket · Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2009 4:19 pm Post subject:

Chip · Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2009 4:27 pm Post subject:

Its true, that you can do it yourself. There are a lot of different styles doable. Not everyone is a DIYer. I don't need a commitment to build them. I was simply saying that with a commitment, a nice PCB could be built. I'm fine with the DIY thing. PCB makes the work much prettier, and efficient to build. Thus cheaper. The ones that I built replace the incandescent bulb completely. Mine provide all functions that VW intended out of that assembly. Park, stop, and turn signal. I originally built some like the 13 LED array, mine had 25, but fit in the same dimples inside the snowflake pattern, they just continued all the way across the light as well, with the same spacing. I found that these pretty much destroyed the beauty of the snowflake, by not passing any light through it. You might as well run an aftermarket transparent red lens. I redid my array to also include another 24 LEDs that sit directly behind the snowflake. These utilize the geometric design and shoot the light in every direction, so no matter what angle you are at, you can see that the light in definitely on. Those 24 LEDs also make up the park light circuit. So the snowflake is lit the whole time the lights are on, and the whole light it lit when the turn/brake set are activated.

AlteWagen · Troll Joined: February 23, 2007 Posts: 8501 Location: PNW

A non DIY VW owner??? Shocked

The end is near my friends

Chip · Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2009 4:55 pm Post subject:

Lots of guys are fearless when it comes to mechanical things, some are great with body working tools, others like a needle and thread. There are very few that are good at them all. Electrical stuff is just another one of those niches. Not everybody wants to(and some just shouldn't) mess with it. I'm just trying to cater to those individuals.

OvalTeenAZ · Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2009 5:01 pm Post subject:

the fear I have of making my own. If some thing is messed up, If you get sodder somewhere it shouldnt, Thats $50 shot to hell.

Hellaslow · Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2009 8:23 pm Post subject:

aren't the tail light bulbs 1157s? 12v

if so you can buy direct plugin LED lights go for about 20bux

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Bart Dunn · Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2009 6:19 am Post subject:

Where are those sold, and does anyone make a 6v version?

GLHTurbo · Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2009 7:13 am Post subject:

id be interested in something.... my reflector housings are shot anyways. I like the technostalgic ones with the rapid brakes....

http://www.cool-leds.com/beetle.html

Maybe there board section will fit, and we just need to trim that aluminum backing plate (or make a new one).

Chip · Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2009 11:18 am Post subject:

mine don't do the rapid fire thing. Though they do light quicker than a standard incandescent. Mine fits inside of the reflector housing. You still need to use that part, but it is used just to crimp the unit together into a cartridge.

Bob Loblaw · Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2009 11:57 am Post subject:

Hellaslow · Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2009 12:09 pm Post subject:

Hellaslow · Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2009 12:10 pm Post subject:

Snort · Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2009 1:47 pm Post subject:

Chip · Posted: Wed Oct 07, 2009 5:20 pm Post subject:

I'm getting ready to build a prototype of my 6v. When it is done, I'll post up a photo. The actual array will look identical to the 12v.


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