I made my own car alarm blinking light!

I wanted to install a car alarm but since I got no money I ordered a "flashing / blinking" light on eBay. When it came I found out that it doesn't actually flash or blink unless it's plugged into a car alarm. Nothing in the auction indicated this, quite the contrary. I've opened a PayPal dispute asking for my $3.94 back.
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Next I found another seller selling a blinking light that hooks up with three wires and has a flashing module. It worked for about a day and burned the LED out. I tested the leads and they read 12 volts!. 12 volts from a car will most likely fry any led. Some flasher. I tried to work with the flasher module but it had a built in resistor that sometimes flashed 4 volts and sometimes 12. No way to hook that up. I'm still working with the seller on this one.. but I may have to open another dispute soon.
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Finally I decided to keep it as simple as possible. I just wanted a light that blinks while I'm not driving. I bought some flashing LED's and some resistors and wired them to my 12+ and 12+acc and I have to say it works perfectly. Unfortunately I had to buy 10 of them so now I have 9 too many. I've already wired them for car alarms. I love how they look too. I got the RGB flashing LED's and they are bright and pretty.

Just thought I'd share.
Humbly submitted for your approval.
http://media.putfile.com/RGB-flashing-car-alarm-lightLink to video

Huh. I have a pair of those in my car's headlights.

http://home.earthlink.net/~riffraff9000/riffraff/gt01.jpg (Can't see them in this daylight pic, of course)

riffraff said:

Huh. I have a pair of those in my car's headlights.

http://home.earthlink.net/~riffraff9000/riffraff/gt01.jpg (Can't see them in this daylight pic, of course)

Click to expand...

I couldn't see them. Do they light up the reflector when the car is parked? What color?

Also, I might be getting old, but I thought car alarms were universally red LEDs. Isn't red supposed to indicate 'caution'? Would a potential thief know that an LED of another color is a car alarm indicator?

My car has a flashing LED, but I never activate the alarm. (Can't find the remote). Maybe that's enough of a deterrent. I don't know why all cars don't come with a flashing LED, even if there isn't an alarm installed. That would probably help deter a few crimes.

greenlight said:

I couldn't see them. Do they light up the reflector when the car is parked? What color?[...]

Click to expand...

They came from here:

(About 2/3rds down the page)

I have two RGB, and two blue LEDs, for a total of four. Wired to DPDT center-off miniture toggle switch, the headlights glow blue in one switch position, or they can cycle through multiple colors like the OP's video (notice the cyclic rate changes, and begins smooth transitions). Just kind of silly "bling" thing. I turn on the RGB ones around Xmas...:naughty:

I'll have to see if I still have an animated gif of the headlights' RGB mode "in action."


Free Advice: do not use a drill bit to make the holes in the back of the headlight reflectors; little static-charged bits of shiny chrome plating will forever reside within the headlight.

Next time I'll use a soldering pencil with an old tip.

greenlight said:

Also, I might be getting old, but I thought car alarms were universally red LEDs. Isn't red supposed to indicate 'caution'? Would a potential thief know that an LED of another color is a car alarm indicator?

My car has a flashing LED, but I never activate the alarm. (Can't find the remote). Maybe that's enough of a deterrent. I don't know why all cars don't come with a flashing LED, even if there isn't an alarm installed. That would probably help deter a few crimes.

Click to expand...

Yes you're getting old. Cars do come with blinking LED lights (usually in the stereo deck) The thieves know what to look for and they know what models have blinking lights w/o alarms (usually from experience rather than research). Having an alarm is not much of a deterent but at least it's something. Now a silent pager alarm.. that would slow down break ins. When armed response is 30 seconds away in the form of an angry car owner we'll see break ins drop drastically.

My car got broken into twice before I got my alarm. The alarm never went off but the break in's stopped immediately. I could have saved hundreds in broken auto glass alone. Since then I've always wanted an easy way to install a blinking light in my vehicles. I have extras if anyone's interested PM me and I'll send you one.

I bought a 2xAA red blinking led kit from Radio Snack. Come with everything ready to go, just pop batteries into the holder and screw closed. There's a removable panel just below the left side of my steering wheel, so I popped it and made a hole in it for the led to stick out of. Works great, batteries last months just blinking away 24/7.
Cost $4 in store. Here's ya go!
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062571&cp=&kw=blinking+led&parentPage=search

No thanks, I'm good now. I didn't want to have to ever change the batteries, and I didn't want it blinking at me while I drive. I got ten for $15 btw so your solution is more expensive plus you have to change batteries andmine came with these cool metal holders.

My girlfriend enjoyed my enthusiasm but thought my idea was lame. She was out today with her mother shopping garage sales and someone smashed her window and took her purse. I lost my digital camera. I hope the insurance company covers some of the loss. I know auto glass isn't cheap. I can't help but wonder if this blinking light might have deterred the thieves.

She was in the small town of Orting and her car was locked. Someone noticed a suspicious Subaru parked next to her car and came to look later and found the window broken. They even got a partial license number and left a note on her windshield but the police there say they can't do anything unless the witness actually saw the crime happen.

Reminds me of the cop asking "did you see the bullet leave the gun and strike the victim?" "no? then we don't have a case". Anyway I've got a few of these kits left. As soon as I can, I'll be installing one in her car.

Cops in Orting WA are worthless historians. They record crime and eat donuts.