Using LED Christmas lights on the bike?

[Dave77459]

My daughter had friends over who damaged the string of C3 LED Christmas lights we strung on the back patio. I've replaced them and want to re-purpose the damaged set for holiday illumination of my bike. I want to wrap the luggage rack behind the passenger seat (note: I have an RSTD).

 

Is it easy to run these LED Christmas lights from the bike? Or is there some current monkeying that I need to do? Ideally, I'd wire them into a Powerlet plug, and run them from the jack.

 

Dave

[RandyR]

My daughter had friends over who damaged the string of C3 LED Christmas lights we strung on the back patio. I've replaced them and want to re-purpose the damaged set for holiday illumination of my bike. I want to wrap the luggage rack behind the passenger seat (note: I have an RSTD).

 

Is it easy to run these LED Christmas lights from the bike? Or is there some current monkeying that I need to do? Ideally, I'd wire them into a Powerlet plug, and run them from the jack.

 

Dave

 

yea. I want to know if that works....

 

[Freebird]

If they are 12 Volt, just plug them in and you should be good to go. They will draw the current that they need. Just be sure that they are 12 Volt. Most are but not all. Polarity is important though.

[Dave77459]

If they are 12 Volt, just plug them in and you should be good to go. They will draw the current that they need. Just be sure that they are 12 Volt. Most are but not all. Polarity is important though.

Thanks. How do you know if they are 12 volt? I feel kinda foolish not knowing what voltage my walls are.

 

I guess the thing to do is grab one, hook alligator clips to it, and connect it to the battery? If I connect it backwards, will they send LED fragments hither and yon? Ditto if they can't handle 12 volts?

 

I feel like a Mythbuster, only more dangerous and more clueless.

 

Dave

[Freebird]

Your wall outlets are 120 volts...or 115 or thereabouts. I think you probably had a transformer that plugged into your wall outlet to convert the voltage to 12V DC. It should tell on the transformer what the input and output voltage is. There is a very good chance that the output voltage of the transformer is 12V and that is the voltage being supplied to the LEDs. If so, you won't use the transformer on the bike. Just cut it off and then wire the lights to the 12V of the bike's battery...through a fuse of course.

 

If you get the polarity wrong, they just won't work. Reverse the wires and it should be fine.

[Dave77459]

Your wall outlets are 120 volts...or 115 or thereabouts. I think you probably had a transformer that plugged into your wall outlet to convert the voltage to 12V DC. It should tell on the transformer what the input and output voltage is. There is a very good chance that the output voltage of the transformer is 12V and that is the voltage being supplied to the LEDs. If so, you won't use the transformer on the bike. Just cut it off and then wire the lights to the 12V of the bike's battery...through a fuse of course.

 

If you get the polarity wrong, they just won't work. Reverse the wires and it should be fine.

Thanks so much! There wasn't a "wall wart" on the LED strand. I don't recall if this C3 strand has them, but the LED icicle lights has 1/2" diameter tubes, about 1" long, along the wire. I presume this section was the voltage transformer. Maybe the C3 strand has that too.

 

Dave

[dingy]

Thanks so much! There wasn't a "wall wart" on the LED strand. I don't recall if this C3 strand has them, but the LED icicle lights has 1/2" diameter tubes, about 1" long, along the wire. I presume this section was the voltage transformer. Maybe the C3 strand has that too.

 

Dave

 

 

That larger tube in the strand is a resistor/diode combination to lower the 120V to 5-12V and turn the AC wall current to DC.

 

I have taken 60 light LED strings and cut them in half for some infinity mirrors I am making for Christmas gifts. That works because there are two of the diode rectifier tubes, one for each 30 run of lights.

 

If you are not good with electricity, this might not be an ideal project for you, but it may be a learning experience.

 

seemingly appropriate emoticon !

 

Gary

[Dave77459]

That larger tube in the strand is a resistor/diode combination to lower the 120V to 5-12V and turn the AC wall current to DC.

 

I have taken 60 light LED strings and cut them in half for some infinity mirrors I am making for Christmas gifts. That works because there are two of the diode rectifier tubes, one for each 30 run of lights.

 

If you are not good with electricity, this might not be an ideal project for you, but it may be a learning experience.

 

seemingly appropriate emoticon !

 

Gary

 

So downstream of the resistor/diode, the LEDs are looking for roughly ~12V, so it should work. Maybe.

 

If I fuse it properly, all I'd lose is torn up LEDs, so there is not much downside!

 

Thanks!

 

Dave

[Ponch]

I met a guy yesterday who had 120 volt Christmas lights on a power inverter from the trunk.

[RandyR]

I'd be careful assuming the voltage on unknown LEDs (or LEDs that don't have dc voltage rating in the documentation). Most small LED's are 2-3 volts each.

 

To get these typical LED's working from a 12volt battery, one would want to construct a SERIES of about 5 of them together.

 

In electrical terms a series circuit is components tied together end to end (observing polarity if important for the component type). A parallel circuit is multiple components tied between the same 2 wires.

 

Concerning the voltage rating of an LED. I haven't followed recent developements in higher power or lumen rated LED's, so things may have changed, but the LED's on a string of Christmas lights I just checked the included documentation for were rated at 2.2-3.8 dc volts each.

[timgray]

Yes you can, if you modify them.

 

I used to put regular Christmas lights all over my car. I had a lighted wreath on the front for years. Many rich LandRover soccer mom's asked where I bought that wreath, I always said, "It's an exclusive SUV SPA I go to, you have to become a member by invite only..." Worked great when my little 4X4 was a Suzuki Sidekick.. The looks from them were great.

 

a string is rated for 120 volts, so I counted the bulbs, divided by 10 (I want 12 volts) and that is where I cut the strings up.

 

Works great. the LED type should work but will only light with positive one way. if they dont light, flip the positive and negative.

[Sideoftheroad]

Since I am not electrically minded wouldn't it be easier to hook them up to a 9 volt battery. If they light up should be good to go on a 12 volt system?

[Herb In Texas]

That larger tube in the strand is a resistor/diode combination to lower the 120V to 5-12V and turn the AC wall current to DC.

 

I have taken 60 light LED strings and cut them in half for some infinity mirrors I am making for Christmas gifts. That works because there are two of the diode rectifier tubes, one for each 30 run of lights.

 

If you are not good with electricity, this might not be an ideal project for you, but it may be a learning experience.

 

seemingly appropriate emoticon !

 

Gary

tell me more about the infinity mirror making. I've seen them and always thought they were kinda cool. Saw some at Northern tool that you could use for markerlights on a truck or trailer.

Thanks

Herb:7_6_3[1]:

[RandyR]

any problems with your LEO's if you have blue lights in a colored Christmas light strand on a vehicle?

 

I just bought a 60 light LED strand from Walmart for $6.87 and am going to play with this a bit. It has 6 of the diode/resister tubes in it.

Edited December 2, 2010 by RandyR

[kj5ix]

I met a guy yesterday who had 120 volt Christmas lights on a power inverter from the trunk.

 

I have done that and it works great,,,

 

 

 

 

Until you go in the restaurant and leave them on for an hour,,, the battery was dead as a hammer when we got ready to go,,,

[dingy]

tell me more about the infinity mirror making. I've seen them and always thought they were kinda cool. Saw some at Northern tool that you could use for markerlights on a truck or trailer.

Thanks

Herb:7_6_3[1]:

 

 

Here is a web link showing the building of the infinity mirror.

 

http://www.infinitymirror.net/

 

Basically there is a series of lights sandwiched between a regular mirror in back and a pane of glass in front. On the front glass, there is a film of reflective window tint on the inside. This can be seen through from the outside, but acts as a mirror on the inside to reflect the lights back and forth with the rear mirror. Constructed frame is 2" thick.

 

I used a string of 60 LED lights, cut in half. 30 lights around the inside perimeter. 8 lights on top and bottom and 7 on each side. All the wiring for the lights is concealed in the frame.

 

The ones I am making are similar to the first picture on the web link.

 

I have created drawings detailing what I am doing if you want them.

 

Takes a table saw to make sides. A dado blade is helpful.

 

Drawing below is from back, without mirror, back cover and one side removed. Wiring is not shown complete in this drawing.

 

Gary

 

http://i1007.photobucket.com/albums/af193/gdingy101/assembly.jpg

[charlie h.]

HI Guys,

Most 120v strings are run in series to make the proper voltage (120v), so you can count and divide... however, BigLOTS has some 3 AA powered micro mini blue and multicolor 20 LED strings for $4 each. I got a LM7805 VR from RadioShack for $1.59 and put it on a heatsink, and just dropped it into the batt. holder, it works great! Now, you can do the same with the C3 strings, but you will have to run all the bulbs in parallel, instead of in series. Since you are going to install them into custom locations, the spacing between bulbs can be adjusted by using appropriate lengths of AWG speaker wire, and heatshrink tubing. All LED's are approx. the same voltage, so remember AMP draw, and VxA=Watts! You should be ok, I am going to use 2 strings of the blue Micromini bulbs off the one LM7805 VR and wire it into the accessory panel of the Venture. It already has an on-off switch, so why reinvent the wheel?? $4 is cheap, $8 for 40 lights on the bike. Then, I have another batt. holder/switch, for my other bike with red LED's from a 30 string of series C3's that I can install in parallel with the LM7805 VR. Cheap lighting! Hope this helps!

[RandyR]

HI Guys,

Most 120v strings are run in series to make the proper voltage (120v), so you can count and divide... however, BigLOTS has some 3 AA powered micro mini blue and multicolor 20 LED strings for $4 each. I got a LM7805 VR from RadioShack for $1.59 and put it on a heatsink, and just dropped it into the batt. holder, it works great! Now, you can do the same with the C3 strings, but you will have to run all the bulbs in parallel, instead of in series. Since you are going to install them into custom locations, the spacing between bulbs can be adjusted by using appropriate lengths of AWG speaker wire, and heatshrink tubing. All LED's are approx. the same voltage, so remember AMP draw, and VxA=Watts! You should be ok, I am going to use 2 strings of the blue Micromini bulbs off the one LM7805 VR and wire it into the accessory panel of the Venture. It already has an on-off switch, so why reinvent the wheel?? $4 is cheap, $8 for 40 lights on the bike. Then, I have another batt. holder/switch, for my other bike with red LED's from a 30 string of series C3's that I can install in parallel with the LM7805 VR. Cheap lighting! Hope this helps!

 

Thanks.

 

for those wondering what a VR LM7805 is:

 

http://www.eidusa.com/Electronics_Voltage_Regulator.htm

[Herb In Texas]

Thanks Dingy!

[Bobby G]

Finished decorating my scoot with some left over LED's that we didn't use on the tree, along with some garland, a cute little teddy bear, and of course, the reason for the season - - a manger scene mounted on the trunk rack. Can't wait to run it around town when it warms up a tad. I have the two light strands running off a small 12v converter, and it works great. Just plug-n-play.

[Flyinfool]

Those are sure tiny pics for my old eyes.

But I think it looks cool.

[Eck]

Those are sure tiny pics for my old eyes.

But I think it looks cool.

 

 

.........