Help With Putting LED's in a Model Car

[CryDev]

Hello, this is my first time on this forum.

I need some help with my LED's. I bought these http://www.amazon.com/Assorted-Clear-Emitting-Diodes-Colors/dp/B00UWBJM0Q/ref=pd_sim_328_1?ie=UTF8&dpID=512z0orjIKL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=0321CPSX3XY43G4BN29F LED's they are 2.0-2.2 volt LED's and there Current is 20mA. I was planning to put 13 or 15 LED's in this 1:24 scale car. I want to know what battery voltage i can use. I am NOT using resisters and im not buying any. I want to know if i can use 2 AAA or a 3v watch battery or a 9v, i want to make the lights bright but i don't want them to blow up. If someone can draw me up a diagram with no resistors and 13 or 15 2.0-2.2 volt LED's i would love that, or just what kind of battery i can use for 13 or 15 LED's.

 

I went through a program and got

For:

3v bettery

2 diode forward voltage

20 (mA)

and 15 LED's

The wizard says: In solution 0:

• each 56 ohm resistor dissipates 22.4 mW
• the wizard thinks 1/4W resistors are fine for your application
• together, all resistors dissipate 336 mW
• together, the diodes dissipate 600 mW
• total power dissipated by the array is 936 mW
• the array draws current of 300 mA from the source.

Edited November 5, 2015 by CryDev

[blunc]

this subject comes up occasionally, there have already been a couple threads on this subject.

Here is a google search that lists threads on this site for this subject:

https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=site:modelcarsmag.com+LED

Alternatively, you can do a google search for "simple LED circuits" that should show you what you need to do.

A big decision is whether you plan to have the battery inside you model or not, after that it's just a process of connecting the LEDs correctly and mouting them in your model.

I suggest building the lighting circuit outside of the model to test what you want it to do, then mount it in the model after you verify that it will perform as you need it to.

Insufficient battery power may run the LEDs but they won't stay on very long.

 

Edited November 5, 2015 by blunc
added comments

[High octane]

A visit to the train department at your local hobby shop should be of some help in that area.

[Ace-Garageguy]

You might want to have a look at this to begin to get a basic understanding of what you're trying to do.

http://www.instructables.com/id/LEDs-for-Beginners/

Also think about whether you want to run your LEDs in series or parallel. The simplified downside to running them in series is that if one fails (unlikely but possible), they all go out. In parallel, the wiring is more complicated, but if one fails, the rest still work. There's also the option of series-parallel, where several LEDs are run in series, and groups of series-run LEDs are run in parallel. 

There are pros and cons to each configuration, and the power requirements are different.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?80039-Series-or-parallel-for-multiple-LED-s

To take High octane- Nick's suggestion further, try looking up circuits for multiple LED setups online in the model train forums. There should be plenty.

Edited November 5, 2015 by Ace-Garageguy

[CryDev]

  On 11/5/2015 at 8:20 AM, Ace-Garageguy said:

You might want to have a look at this to begin to get a basic understanding of what you're trying to do.

http://www.instructables.com/id/LEDs-for-Beginners/

Also think about whether you want to run your LEDs in series or parallel. The simplified downside to running them in series is that if one fails (unlikely but possible), they all go out. In parallel, the wiring is more complicated, but if one fails, the rest still work. There's also the option of series-parallel, where several LEDs are run in series, and groups of series-run LEDs are run in parallel. 

There are pros and cons to each configuration, and the power requirements are different.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?80039-Series-or-parallel-for-multiple-LED-s

To take High octane- Nick's suggestion further, try looking up circuits for multiple LED setups online in the model train forums. There should be plenty.

iv done a car before with 10 LED's and i had a big switch and battery pack outside the car and this one im putting all that in the car. I have the switch mounted now, this is the car im doing, http://www.musclecardrive.com/images/specs_pics/1971_Cuda_vcode.jpg

I have done the car and now doing prep work for the lights and i hope they get here today. Il look at the links.