I'm going to have a go at making my own lightbar, what could possibly go wrong?...

[Blind1]

Good luck, here's to you succeeding

 

[BIGt0007]

Very good idea! Please keep updates comming!

 

[BramageDained]

Very cool. I'll be very curious to see how you end up mounting the individual LED's into an AL case and working the reflectors. Subscribed

I was going to use thermal epoxy, since each light and it's reflectors doesn't weigh anything, I don't think it should be an issue.

I drew up a pattern of how they're going to be arranged, but, it looks too lame to post. When it gets redone with either autodesk or google sketchup(more likely as it's the lazy route) I'll post that.

The 10° reflectors reshipped from Hong Kong yesterday and I should have them late next week or the beginning of the following one.

It's supposed to be warmish here tomorrow(around 30°) so I'm going to wire up the upfitter switches so I can set the current of my drivers, I'll have pictures of that and my super (not at all)scientific LED testing stand tomorrow.

For now, why I decided I need more lights. This is from the SnoBall.

 

[keatonskidmore]

I'll be following this!

 

[BramageDained]

Well, my family decided to have an impromptu birthday party for me today so I wont get anything done like I had mentioned. Tomorrow the weather is supposed to suck again then on Sunday for my actual birthday I'm flying to New Orleans for Mardi Gras for 3 days.

I did change my mind about something though, instead of trying to center the LED's emitter in the small slots of the grill, they're going to go around the FORD in the grill in the larger openings where they shouldn't be at all obstructed. I'm still planning on using 48 LEDS, in groups of 4 for each slot, 3 slots to a driver and 2 drivers to each of the 30A upfitter switches.

 

[BIGt0007]

Sounds like a cool idea, can you post where you got LEDs and driver? May work for project I'm lookin to do. Would be a thin bar 3-4 wide 10deg spots.
Thanks

 

[paj1978]

sounds like a great project looking forward to seeing the final result

 

[Night_Stalker]

Can not wait to see what it looks like

 

[BramageDained]

Sort of snags. I need a different multimeter to adjust the output of the drivers the one I have handy will only do 2A. I'm looking around for possibly different reflectors, the ones I have don't seem real efficient-or maybe the lights are under driven from a single 3V lithium battery I need a different meter to know.

The lights I bought from lck-led.com and drivers were from a guy on candlepowerforums.com.

I would go with the 20mm star base for the LEDs they sell, they'd be easier to solder to than the tiny pads on the ones I have. The ones I have aren't an issue to solder, I'd just take the easier route if I was doing it again.

 

[BramageDained]

bump.

Nearly a necropost, I know.

I was too busy having fun this spring/summer(along with temporarily losing access to being able to have the housings made) and this fell by the wayside.

I ordered up different reflectors that are more efficient in 3 different beam angles, once those show up this week I'm going to lay everything out then get the extruded aluminum heatsink and have the housings made.