Homemade LED fans?

[mrmagoo_83]

Just a quick question, has anyone ever tried to make a homemade LED fan using a black fan?

I am thinking of taking my black fans and tapping holes for LEDs, either that or paining them Chrome if I can find some descent chrome paint.

Oh and where can I order some LEDs cheap? I need some red, white, and blue, as my 'theme' is Texas colors .

 

[xonik]

It's been done before, and people have learned a couple of things:

1. Black is not a good "canvas" for light. Painting or dying the fan a light color will make the LED effect more dramatic.
2. If LEDs are placed on the fan blades, they must be carefully positioned and mounted for the sake of secure mounting, and also for a smoothly running fan without wobbles. Some have drilled small holes and embedded the LEDs in the blades; that seems like the best option.

If you're just going to mount LEDs on the frame, it's pretty straight-forward. Just make sure that the LEDs are receiving the proper voltage (use resistors as necessary).

 

[mrmagoo_83]

Thanks for the reply, the voltages I can do, I got myself a degree in Electronics from a cereal box.

Anyway, yea, I think I will paint them chrome, guess I will go to wally-world and get some Krylon tonight. I am gonna tap four holes in the frame (one on each side), wire the LEDs proably in series around the frame, not real sure, just seems more logical than wiring them in parallel.

Anyway, whats that .7v x 4 = 2.8v drop? 12-2.8 = 9.2v?

So if I run that off the lead going to the fan shouldn't matter too much, I mean its not gonna kill my fan.

Anyway, can anyone tell me where to get some good LEDs for cheap? Ratshack doesn't qualify as cheap.

Wait or would that be a 3V drop across the LEDs, I am too tired to be thinking.

 

[Adisharr]

If the LED's don't list an operating voltage that means they don't have a built-in limiting resistor. You'll need to know the operating current of the LED and the voltage drop. You can then size a resistor using R=(V(source)-V(drop)/I).

For multiple LED's in series add the voltage drop of each. You'll only need one series resistor - just make sure it's rated for the proper power dissipation. If you decide to go the parallel route, each LED with need it's own resistor and you have to use the voltage drop of just one of the LED's.

 

[codeflux]

Originally posted by mrmagoo_83
Oh and where can I order some LEDs cheap? I need some red, white, and blue, as my 'theme' is Texas colors .

how does $0.25 a pop for a high-intensity LED - 5mm or 3mm - sound? how about $1.75 shipping for as many LEDs as you want?

click on ovah to www.v3leds.com - i bought a whole bunch of LEDs from them, and their LEDs are awesome!

 

[xonik]

I seriously doubt that light-emitting diodes would have a 700 mV forward voltage drop. It's usually more like 3.3-4.0 volts.

Try a 3 volt drop using some spare wire and two alkaline batteries. If that looks right, just wire the four LEDs up in series across a 12 V source like a disk drive power connector, and you should be good to go. I've never needed a current limiting resistor in a 3 or 5 mm LED...your results may vary.

 

[FLECOM]

Originally posted by mrmagoo_83
Oh and where can I order some LEDs cheap? I need some red, white, and blue, as my 'theme' is Texas colors .

Lighting: Where to buy
http://www.so-trickcomputers.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=S&Category_Code=LE < LED/CCFL Fans, CCFLs, LEDs, EL cable, EL Tape,
http://www.exabytesystems.com/ < LEDs CCFLs
http://www.svc.com/ < LED fans, CCFL's, UV reactive stuff
http://www.lsdiodes.com/ <~ good prices on LED's, qty discounts etc, $2 UPS shipping
http://www.v3leds.com/ <~ $.25 led's (with a resistor!) inexpensive USPS shipping ($1.75)

 

[codeflux]

yo FLECOM, you may want to add this one to the FAQ:

http://www.eled.com/

they have a very large seletion of different LEDs, including weird-shape and size, and high-intensity ones. their prices are rediculously high, but if you are looking for a *specific* led, that's the place to look.

 

[FLECOM]

thanks, adding it now