Luxeon Dome light (automotive)

[Darell]

Since George designed these great little boards for his older Toyota, I thought I'd give one a try in my shiny new Rav4EV. I bought the raw "built" board, and supplied my own emitter, heat sink and connectors. Turns out that his turn-key units would have worked better and saved me time - but where's the challenge in that?

Check out George's page for his automotive driver boards here: Dome light drivers. while they're a bit big for flashlight work, they're fantastic for their intended purpose: Automotive LED lighting. (link edited)

Here are the shots of my completed unit. It is more, better light at about 1/8th the current draw. Plus the unquantifiable "cool" factor of having LEDs in the car...

(images edited in 2007!)

[x-ray]

Darell I think you've just built the worlds longest running flashlight, can you send you car to Roy for a runtime plot ? [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[Darell]

Rechargeable too! I figure I could have that light on for many years if I left the "ignition" on (which connects the traction batteries to the inverter which charges the aux battery that runs the 12v items).

[Rothrandir]

well...impressions?

i must say...it looks great!!!

i wonder if several (25-20) ls could be wired in paralell? [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[Darell]

In series the driver wouldn't have enough voltage for more than two. In parallel, it couldn't provide the current.

I realized that I should have taken a picture of it all buttoned up. Oops. Maybe later. I just left that light on accidentally for about ten hours (rear door not all the way latched). That little heat sink I glued the emitter to may not be big enough. I think I'll tack on some bigger cooling fins, and my next one will be built a bit beefier.

[Saaby]

Ah but did you have to jump start your Rav or was 10 hours of Luxeon ok?

You can ship it here cheaper than all the way to Texas. Make shore (Oh boy I need sleep [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]--make that shure) your portablized TAL is in the trunk and I'll take care of the rest.

[Darell]

Well, it was like one hour of the incandescent - so all was good. (Except that the heat sink damn near burned the finger print off my fingertip).

[georges80]

[ QUOTE ]
Darell said:
Well, it was like one hour of the incandescent - so all was good. (Except that the heat sink damn near burned the finger print off my fingertip).

[/ QUOTE ]

Gee - you should have bought one of my 5W drivers and installed a 5W emitter - that would have permanently removed you fingerprints [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

george.

[Darell]

[ QUOTE ]
georges80 said:
Gee - you should have bought one of my 5W drivers and installed a 5W emitter - that would have permanently removed you fingerprints [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]


[/ QUOTE ]
I'll save that for when I replace the headlights. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[Changchung]

I think the simple is the best option, you can do something like that to the dome light, easy, cheap with very good results... Try...

[Illum]

[netofficer3710]

well since it's already been waken from the dead i'd like to throw in http://www.oznium.com/led-domelight this is the best LED dome light I have yet to come across if you can fit it into your stock housing

I plan to put a blue one in my cavalier

and let me tell you these things are SOOOOOOOOOO bright

it uses 4 chip suferflux LED's

[Changchung]

Changchung, I'm not sure that bumping a 4 year old thread is a good idea

I mean, granted, Darell is the most super awesome guy ever...but sometimes its best not to dig up threads thats supposed to be dead in the archives

i do not check the post date...

[Changchung]

well since it's already been waken from the dead i'd like to throw in http://www.oznium.com/led-domelight this is the best LED dome light I have yet to come across if you can fit it into your stock housing

I plan to put a blue one in my cavalier

and let me tell you these things are SOOOOOOOOOO bright

it uses 4 chip suferflux LED's

This is the problem in most cases, mine is so tiny and the light is amazing...

[JAS]

Thanks for the posts. I was looking for something like this back when and I it has renewed my interest.

[greenLED]

Nice dig, Changchung. We were discussing these with Darell a couple of months ago since the dome light in my car keeps burning for no apparent reason.

Incidentally, this is George's website (the link in the OP is no longer valid):
http://www.taskled.com/

[evan9162]

Here's another alternative:


3 Luxeons + 1/16" aluminium plate + LMS1587 in current mode. LMS1587 set to 350mA.

Goes from this:



to this:



And uses 1/3rd the power.

[Darell]

well since it's already been waken from the dead i'd like to throw in http://www.oznium.com/led-domelight this is the best LED dome light I have yet to come across if you can fit it into your stock housing

Ah.. now I'm really glad this was opened back up. While I can't quite go along with "best" on these - due to the fact that they are not regulated - they show great promise. Best part for me is the adapters that come with them. That is AWESOME! I'll definitely give them a try for some of my more difficult applications. (OK, I have $100 of their product heading my way now... uh... thanks... I think)

BTW, the units in my Rav are now all "smart" in that they auto-sleep if a door is left open for longer than 15 minutes. This has saved my bacon more times than I can count.

[Darell]

Nice dig, Changchung. We were discussing these with Darell a couple of months ago since the dome light in my car keeps burning for no apparent reason.

Incidentally, this is George's website (the link in the OP is no longer valid):
http://www.taskled.com/

Thanks, Green. I just edited the link in my OP as well. Since this thread, I've done LOTS of work for the Prius as well.
this is one of my favorite comparison shots of factory bulb to my dome module:



Links to all my Prius goods:
http://evnut.com/prius_dome_cargo.htm
http://evnut.com/prius_dome_front.htm
http://evnut.com/prius_dome_door.htm
http://evnut.com/prius_dome_shade.htm
http://evnut.com/prius_dome_rear_festoon.htm
http://evnut.com/prius_led_license.htm

[Darell]

I think the simple is the best option, you can do something like that to the dome light, easy, cheap with very good results... Try...

Cheap and easy is good for many things. I was after "most durable and brightest." You just can't beat a fully-regulated high-output emitter(s) for that job!

I've since edited some newer images into my opening post. Man, that was a long time ago!

[greenLED]

BTW, DD, I never contacted you about those dome lights again 'cuz we'll be selling our car pretty soon and I didn't want to spend the money in a mod I won't keep.

[Darell]

BTW, DD, I never contacted you about those dome lights again 'cuz we'll be selling our car pretty soon and I didn't want to spend the money in a mod I won't keep.

Whew. Thanks for that info - I was worried that you stopped loving me.

[greenLED]

Whew. Thanks for that info - I was worried that you stopped loving me.

Never!

[chesterqw]

so your advert will be written(selling car with LED mod to replace incan bulb)

[Darell]

Nah... More like "Selling LED dome modules - car included."

[TXArsonCop]

Ok, this thread was in cardiac arrest and I went and defibrillated it yet again...

I need one, maybe two, LED "strip" lights to replace the dome light in my '99 F-150. Lemme 'splain, my shotgun rack mounts across the roof, from side to side, and covers the dome light. There is room to mount a narrow, low profile "strip" type light to the mount itself.

I prefer the solution to be no muss, no fuss. I'm handy with a soldering gun/iron/torch and wiring is no problemo, but I don't think I want to get involved with driver boards & such. Can anybody recommend a 12v - 14v light that will work? Ideal dimensions would be around 1" x 1" x no more than 12".

[Darell]

I need one, maybe two, LED "strip" lights to replace the dome light in my '99 F-150. Lemme 'splain, my shotgun rack mounts across the roof, from side to side, and covers the dome light.

Easiest option is to remove the gun rack... but I guess that isn't gonna fly.

Can anybody recommend a 12v - 14v light that will work? Ideal dimensions would be around 1" x 1" x no more than 12".

Sounds like your best bet is these guys. I bought some recently. The Customer service was impressive, and for the price I think the product is dreamy.

http://www.oznium.com/led-domelight

[TXArsonCop]

Thanks for the lead Darrell,

That dome light replacement looks light a nice product but without a lens I think it might look a bit ghetto for me. I also think the board wouldn't be very protected being exposed like that. I use my truck & the light being mounted to the boom-stick rack is likely to take some abuse. These might do the trick though:


All the other lights I'd been finding needed transformers or voltage regulators, I just wanted a cheap, easy & yes, lazy solution.

[Darell]

Thanks for the lead Darrell,

That dome light replacement looks light a nice product but without a lens I think it might look a bit ghetto for me. I also think the board wouldn't be very protected being exposed like that. I use my truck & the light being mounted to the boom-stick rack is likely to take some abuse. These might do the trick though:


All the other lights I'd been finding needed transformers or voltage regulators, I just wanted a cheap, easy & yes, lazy solution.

Somebody else had posted the Oznium link before I did... I also bought those long, skinny ones that you pictured above. They're very nice as well, though even those are a bit ghetto for me if they are not to be behind a lens. Better than the exposed domes inserts that I linked to originally though.

Cheap/easy/lazy is somewhat attracted to "ghetto" ya know?

[TXArsonCop]

Cheap/easy/lazy is somewhat attracted to "ghetto" ya know?

True dat, but the skinny LEDs I know I can mount where they won't be "in your face" visible. So I guess I'll end up with covert ghetto. Meh.., most people can't get over the shotgun to begin with!