My computer now has the brightest case light ever.

Back before computer manufacturers got the hint, my friends and I were installing blue and white LED's as the case lights. Now everybody's doing it.

I had a couple of 5 watt Luxeon Stars laying around, so I decided to put one to use. I installed it in the bezel of one of the open drive bays in my computer case. I used an old 486 CPU fan by epoxying the star onto the heatsink. I used a couple of heavy duty resistors from radio shack.

The case light is not usable, ever. It is too bright. It is yet another example of excessive power and wanton misuse of technology brought to you by the guy who has 5 imaging devices on his PC, the guy whose car has 2 turbochargers, 15 lbs of boost and 475 lbs of torque, the guy who makes Tim Allen tremble in fear and uncontrollably urinate.

Here's the front of the bezel:


Here's the back:


Here's it in the case:


And here's it shining:


The pictures don't do it justice. It looks MUCH brighter in person. Those with 5w LS's will know what I'm talking about.

I hope I didn't waste too much of your time.

Hello Marshall,

Cool!!!

If you took a fiber optic bundle, you could capture some of the spill and direct it for a keyboard light.

Tom

WELL, thats ,, ahh, different! lol

Nice work. Even if it is totally useless.

I put a blue SiC LED in my 286 case back in the early 1990s, before it was "cool" to do casemods with LEDs. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif As far as I know, it was the only PC in town with a blue LED power-on light. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

And, in the mid 1990s, I had two drive bay covers in a 386 tower case just covered with LEDs. I didn't have internet access then, so I have no idea of how it stacked up against other casemodders's work. And it was before I got my first digital camera, so I don't think I have any pictures of it either.
I'll root around my HDDs, but I don't think I'll find anything.

Would it be possible to make a 1 watt LS USB powered light?

BTW Marshall, do you have a Supra? The specs sound like a Supra to me /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif.

V8: Yes it would, actually, it's pretty easy... the USB puts out 5v, and you could just draw from that (assuming you didn't want to run it too much out of spec). You'd need to check the current output levels though, because IIRC, USB is spec'ed at a few hundred ma, even though most devices will supply far more...

Re: My computer now has the brightest case light e

Unless your device reports itself, it can only draw 500mA from the USB ports.

Re: My computer now has the brightest case light e

I thought USB ports were limited to around 225-250mA. Devices (like illuminated keyboards) that draw 400mA are said to not work properly from an unaltered USB port.

Re: My computer now has the brightest case light e

My USB 2.0, 4 port hubs are rated (and capable) of providing a regulated 5V at up to 2A to a port.

I have others that are lucky to power just themselves ...

Re: My computer now has the brightest case light e

.

Re: My computer now has the brightest case light e

Damn man, Im annoyed at the LED's on my rheobuss shining on me when im sleeping, I Can't even imagine have a 5 watt star pounding on my eyes lol.

Re: My computer now has the brightest case light e

I initially moved my computer out of the bedroom because the LEDs I put on it were too bright. A 5 watt Luxeon Star on the front of my computer would have been WAY too bright, and I'd end up having to turn off my computer when I was done with it for the day. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif

Justintoxicated: I don't know what a rheobuss is, but if the LEDs on it are pissing you off, maybe you ought to move it. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[ QUOTE ]
V8TOYTRUCK said:
BTW Marshall, do you have a Supra? The specs sound like a Supra to me /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif.

[/ QUOTE ]

Close, actually I have a 300ZX. The specs for both cars are pretty close though. Usually at the car meets I go to, it's Z's and Supras. Friendly competition there.

Re: My computer now has the brightest case light e

[ QUOTE ]
Justintoxicated said:
Damn man, Im annoyed at the LED's on my rheobuss shining on me when im sleeping, I Can't even imagine have a 5 watt star pounding on my eyes lol.

[/ QUOTE ]

Hahaha, yeah, I figured that it would get annoying quickly so I made sure I installed a switch so I could turn it off

PC? eeewwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

good job with the light though.

Re: My computer now has the brightest case light e

Speaking of USB lights, that's actually my first ever mod. I was very unsatisflied with the dim little ones that you can get in stores, so I decided to make my own. It's basically just an old book light with a 1 watter on it, the USB ports are rated 5V @ 250ma, so there is plenty of room for the mod. A bonus for using the book light is that it can run on AA batteries too. I have been using it for almost 1/2 year now it works very well, except sometimes I think it's too bright...doh!

Re: My computer now has the brightest case light e

So put a pot on it... lol...

(this is assuming you can find one that's not 10 billion megaohms now anywhere other than some special order place...)

Re: My computer now has the brightest case light e

Using a 5w as a HDD light is possible, but you need to use something like a solid-state relay to run it. I tried with a cute selector-switch for 'normally-off' or 'normally-on' modes, but I never got around to adding a dimmer. It was great for showing off, but WAY to bright for regular use. A RB or Cyan would work nice with a case window and some fluorescent cabling. Defragging with that thing on full power is a definite way to check for epilepsy. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif

Let's see, Motherboard HDD signal line, 2 more from the UDMA133 card, and maybe a sound-activated module. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/buttrock.gif

I did try to make an optically-isolated lamp dimmer to make the desk lamp flicker when my old RAID array accessed... (It's that dodgy powerstrip, again. *sigh*)