Tips on how to convert to LED light?

Rat Rod Bikes Bicycle Forum

Help Support Rat Rod Bikes Bicycle Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Joined
May 6, 2016
Messages
517
Reaction score
1,441
Rating - 100%
5   0   0
Mounted up this cool fog light, or motorcycle light ( or something..) and now I'm wondering what kind of LED light I can pop in there.
Needs to most likely run on AAA batteries...
And if possible, I'd like to mount an old toggle or rotary switch on the outside.
Can it be done ??

View attachment 40115 View attachment 40116
 
image.jpg
image.jpg
 
It might be tough to fit a lot in there. Depends on what voltage LED you want to use. AAA are 1.5 V. You probably don't want anything less than 6V if you want want it to have some power, which is a minimum of four batteries in series. That will get you 1000 mAh, which won't be much run time. A 9V would be more compact, but they're about half the run time of the four AAA in parallel. It might be worth looking into a small lithium ion pack—plus they're rechargeable. Toggle switch, definitely, but it'll eat more space.

This is a 12V LED light for a motorcycle that looks about the same diameter as yours (terribly weak for a motorcycle, but great for a bicycle). Anyway, it's got a toggle switch on the back side and the lithium ion battery is in one of the pockets of the saddle bag. If I used a smaller battery pack and maybe located the toggle switch somewhere else on the shell, it MIGHT have fit inside the unit, but I wanted a run time of around an hour on high beam and several hours on low. Make sure you get a switch rated for DC as the AC ones could potentially melt. I know from experience.

upload_2016-12-8_20-57-12.png
 
Last edited:
That's some good info.
I'm feeling like I don't want a super bright light. Just good enough for cruising at night and avoiding the traffic cops...
There are two lights in the "tank" as well.
I'd love to fit the batteries in the light housing as my first choice. I'd be cool with the switch being somewhere else, maybe back at the tank?
9v battery is a good idea too...

So what's a good size for decent, but not super bright light?
I don't plan on using the light for extended times but don't want to be throwing a lot of batteries away either...
 
These energizer headlights work good around the farm. they are bright, tough and cheap.
energizer head light.jpg

AAA batteries snap right in the back of the light.
 
I have not modded one myself (yet), but probably be easier to switch at the batteries than tear into the light.
 
Another thing about these hardware store headlamps, they all seem to cycle between high, low, red. Flashing. ..that could be annoying on a bike..
But it definitely seems like the way to go.
 
To determine run time, find the light(s) you want to use and their rated voltage and current or wattage. On these small LEDs, you don't have to worry about peak draw on the batteries, so it's a matter of math. You'll usually find batteries rated in amp hours (Ah), which is the current they can deliver in an hour measured in amps. Watts=current x voltage. Say you have a 6V 5W LED. That math gives you a draw of about .83 amps, so a 1Ah (more likely labeled as 1000mAh) battery would give you a run time of a bit over an hour.
 
Still haven't come up with much...not really sure what to search for on eBay.
Puck light?
Bare bulbs?
DC switch?
A little out of my wheelhouse on this one.
Grabbed a $10 headlamp and AC switch when I was at the hardware store, just to experiment, but the lightest duty switch they had is still way too big to run AAA battery power through...
I'll go to the auto parts store today and see what they have.
I would search through some old build threads here, as I recall some where you guys have covered the process pretty well, but not sure where to start..?
 
I like 12V because it opens up car and motorcycle lighting options. Trailer lights come in a great, 2" round flat LED array in multiple colors, but you wouldn't be able to fit a big enough battery pack for it inside the light. For smaller power lights, you could probably use a bike taillight and remove the red lens as they usually have clear LEDs inside. You'd just need to find a good form factor and round ones are difficult to find.

Another option for the switch—though one that would take up more space—is to use a relay for the lights and just use the switch as the switching circuit, so you could use anything. It may be overkill to worry too much about the switch if you're using a small, low power LEDs, but I like to play it cautious.

Also, do you just have one power or do you want to do high and low power lights? I have high and low beams on my USAAF bike, so I needed a 3-pin switch, NC—NO—NC (Normally Closed—Normally Open—Normally Closed, referring to the circuits). Toggle up closes the high beam circuit, middle is off, toggle down closes the low beam circuit. If you just have one level of lighting, you won't need the extra position. There are a lot of options for types as well as style. You want to look up switch types, which you could probably find an explainer of different types if you search "SPST switch" (Single Position, Single Throw, which would be a simple single-circuit on/off switch. The one I referenced for my bike is a SPDT—Single Position, Dual Throw as it switches power between two circuits.). Don't know if that helps or makes it worse.
 
Thanks to watching a few youtube vids, I actually have an idea of what you are saying!
The simplest hacks take apart a flashlight and solder a switch into the battery pack.
I think I can handle that as a good starter project, and perhaps tackle a more involved set up later...

Super big thanks for your replies Duchess!
 
No problem and that sounds like a good plan and you can always change it if you don't like it. As I mentioned, the first set of lights I installed (a car), I melted the switch of. Someone at work told me I left my fog lights on and I went out and found the switch circuit had melted closed from the current and—luckily—no fires to burn that precious 1983 Subaru GL! That's when I learned about relays.
 
Thanks again guys!
I've got to head to the kitchen amd make a Cesar salad ...but here's what I picked up at auto parts store.
Just need to figure out how to wire in the switch!

image.jpg
image.jpg
image.jpg
 
To all I have been doing electronics quite some time and I've read up on how to make a good LED light or lights for bout 50.00 and some time building. That 50.00 will cover a few light if used correctly. All these threads are good and not to put down anyone's knowledge down as to what he or she might know, but you have to use the right components (all) to get what your looking for auto part stores are not going to have that. My post above this one is a great starting point to this thread started by Jaypem the website has all the drivers 3-9 volt and 12 volt and up drivers to wire and light the dime size Cree LED lights that they also sell. The drivers are VERY small to fit into small spaces. the biggest problem that I have is the switch finding the right one for my application. Here's an example two CR-123 batteries in series = 3volts. One mircopuck driver and dime Cree LED light small slide switch all fit inside of a gutted out Make-A-Light tail light with the reflector for the Cree LED made from a bottom of a soda can. Here's the cool part 8 hours run time straight before the driver sucks every bit of battery juice from the 2 CR-123's. And that's just one of many of my lights that I have. Also all your 99 cent store sell those 3 AAA 9 mini LED flashlights that you can use the micro switch LED light disc and battery pack and some small 22 gauge wire to create a bike light I've done that too for a person who wanted a ole teardrop bike light to be brighter then the 2 D batteries and a regular bulb. Just surf that sight and give them a call they gave me a bunch of info to not get my 50.00 worth of parts to be a pile of crap. If anyone needs any help I'm more than happy to lend assistance.
 
Thanks for that syclesavage!

In the meantime I have this set up that works pretty nifty.
It's a $10 small work light from the APstore.
More lumens (130) than the other flash lights...
image.jpg


image.jpg


This is a 6a switch though...not sure if its ok for this size light?

Right now the switch wires are pushed into the battery contacts and the batteries are getting pretty hot!
 
I found that the batteries stay cool when the light is on, but get hot when the switch is off.
Not sure what a relay is Duchess, but I think I will end up burning something out if I don't do this differently...

Would this problem go away with the switch properly connected instead of pinched in the battery spring?

Still gotta figure some stuff out here...
 

Latest posts

Back
Top