2LikesBuild Complete: Modular running lights for nighttime testing
11-09-2017, 03:21 AM
#1
Build Complete: Modular running lights for nighttime testing
If you're like me, your work schedule doesn't always allow you to go outside and play before the sun goes down. I have a few vehicles with permanently-installed running lights so I can have fun at night, but sometimes I need to test modifications to a vehicle that doesn't have running lights. For these vehicles I built this:
If you're into outdoor survival gear at all, you may recognize the white part as a Pak-Lite, which is a little LED flashlight that clips onto a 9-volt battery. I had been using one for a while for nighttime RC testing, but I wanted taillights too, so I bought a red one and attached the two together with a bit of extra servo wire:
(yes, I got the polarity of the wires backwards. no, I don't care enough to fix it.)
The wiring was simple enough, I just connected the terminals of both lights together positive-to-positive and negative-to-negative, so the red light could piggyback off the white light's power supply. The only tricky part was making sure my solder joints on the white light were small enough that they wouldn't interfere with the light's ability to snap onto the 9-volt battery -- and working in a tight space with a 400-degree soldering iron surrounded by plastic. (Interesting side-note: the radiant heat from the soldering iron made the glow-in-the-dark casing on the white light glow a little, which was unexpected.) Once the wires were connected, I stuffed a couple layers of Tamiya foam bumper tape into the socket on the back of the red light, then stuck a piece of double-sided servo tape on top of the bumper tape to give the red light the ability to stick to the butt-end of the 9-volt battery.
The whole thing is held to the roof of whatever car I'm testing using another piece of servo tape, specifically the kind of servo tape that is easy to peel off and re-stick:
It's a hell of a lot easier to see my cars in the dark now; I can even infer that the chassis is leaning based on the angle of the two little LEDs relative to each other. Generally speaking, I prefer for my builds to be more elegant than this, but y'know, sometimes simple and functional is good enough.
If you're into outdoor survival gear at all, you may recognize the white part as a Pak-Lite, which is a little LED flashlight that clips onto a 9-volt battery. I had been using one for a while for nighttime RC testing, but I wanted taillights too, so I bought a red one and attached the two together with a bit of extra servo wire:
(yes, I got the polarity of the wires backwards. no, I don't care enough to fix it.)
The wiring was simple enough, I just connected the terminals of both lights together positive-to-positive and negative-to-negative, so the red light could piggyback off the white light's power supply. The only tricky part was making sure my solder joints on the white light were small enough that they wouldn't interfere with the light's ability to snap onto the 9-volt battery -- and working in a tight space with a 400-degree soldering iron surrounded by plastic. (Interesting side-note: the radiant heat from the soldering iron made the glow-in-the-dark casing on the white light glow a little, which was unexpected.) Once the wires were connected, I stuffed a couple layers of Tamiya foam bumper tape into the socket on the back of the red light, then stuck a piece of double-sided servo tape on top of the bumper tape to give the red light the ability to stick to the butt-end of the 9-volt battery.
The whole thing is held to the roof of whatever car I'm testing using another piece of servo tape, specifically the kind of servo tape that is easy to peel off and re-stick:
It's a hell of a lot easier to see my cars in the dark now; I can even infer that the chassis is leaning based on the angle of the two little LEDs relative to each other. Generally speaking, I prefer for my builds to be more elegant than this, but y'know, sometimes simple and functional is good enough.
11-09-2017, 06:10 AM
#3
Nifty idea but coming from camping and back packing world. I see little benefit to this light, a dedicated head band is worlds better or you can get a S2+ convoy for little money, and carrying a few batteries is nothing.
I do love how you used it here.
I do love how you used it here.
11-09-2017, 09:32 AM
#4
The people who designed it supposedly wanted a flashlight that would last for the entire time they were hiking the Appalachian Trail with no need for a spare battery. I agree there are much better flashlights available nowadays, but if this thing can really last that long on a single 9V battery then it easily outlasts any other flashlights I've ever tried, and I own some really premium ones. I can say, at least, that I've had this one for a few years and it's still running on the original battery. Having an actual mechanical switch, as well as a very simple driver circuit that just uses a resistor to control power flow to the LEDs, makes it much more energy-efficient than the software-controlled multi-mode flashlights available nowadays.
But yes, the reason it became a modular running-light for my RCs is because I almost never used it for its original purpose.
But yes, the reason it became a modular running-light for my RCs is because I almost never used it for its original purpose.
11-10-2017, 06:28 AM
#5
Great idea! I'll need to build up a few of these for myself and my boys, especially now that daylight is becoming mighty scarce in the evenings.
11-11-2017, 06:29 AM
#7
I was kinda thinking about sticking them on the inside of the body for a bit of protection.
11-11-2017, 02:11 PM
#9
11-11-2017, 07:16 PM
#10
Nah. Those lights don't give enough indication of which end of the car is facing towards me, and also they don't appear to be modular. The point of this is to be something I can easily move from one vehicle to another.
Also, why is that engine revving so high when the car is moving so slowly?
Also, why is that engine revving so high when the car is moving so slowly?
11-12-2017, 12:40 AM
#11
Yes, all is builded into the body. The head and tail lights are made from 1 euro flashlights from the local discount shop, they have 2 reflectors with each one bright LED.
Regarding the speed, I think the darkness and a tiny bit slipping clutch is not giving a right indication
Regarding the speed, I think the darkness and a tiny bit slipping clutch is not giving a right indication
11-15-2017, 05:51 AM
#13
Tech Apprentice
Great idea!
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