Topic: Operation DIY FLEDA public brainstorming

[CJK]

Hey all,
        So I recently discovered the FLEDA that a company makes for the Ducati SportClassic 1000 (www.pakbikes.net/PS1000LE/FLEDASRLITE/FLEDA-SR-LITE.html) and said hey that is really cool, I bet a bunch of people would like to have a tail light like that! Since it is little more than LEDs and costs $400, I think I can make my own for less than that. Based on the information on the website and my own information, I came up with some information that maybe somebody here could verify. I'm still in the R&D phase of this project, as you can see.

What I know so far:
              - Consists of strip that has 100 LEDs (50 red + 50 yellow) per foot with red tubing on top
              - 20 LEDs on right + left side have are used as turn signals 3mm LEDs or 5mm LEDs while middle ones only use the red (I think those Bicolor LED's that I found won't be bright enough though)
              - Need dimmer for the LEDs so they can be dual-intensity (DRL + bright Brake Light)
              - Need Flasher Unit for turn signals
              - I have not come up with a solution for mounting yet but that does not seem too daunting
              - Haven't crossed the wiring bridge yet as my focus is on designing and building the unit first
               
Questions:
              - What luminous intensity and viewing angles should I be looking for?
              - Anything else that could help with this project?
           
             

[xsmooth69x]

couple of problems with this whole thing

if u want the whole tron tail light fleda sources there LED strips from Radiatz. also there is a led strip called truflex.

the problem is both companies have patents or something on these waterproof super flexible led strips. it is not just a strip of leds either. its a digital led array. the leds are like little bricks and not the typical led you have in mind

its a 1 foot 100 led with 1mm spacing. i cant find anything on the internet that sells an led array that small of a strip, with that small of a spacing, with that many leds, that are that flexible, waterproof, and bright. ive checked all the chinese electronics stores that i know of and i cant find it anywhere.

so no matter what your looking at paying a premium. just using the parts on radiaz you can do the tail light for $200ish.

watch the fleda light closely

http://youtu.be/QJBiWPuBgN4

radiaz does sell a single strip kit that has a center red and a left, right signal on the same strip but the left and right signal sections are not red like the tron one



the radiaz kit when the blinkers arnt blinking that section of the strip is off

the tron strip the whole strip is red and when you need to turn the section of red turns yellow and blinks

you can do this with all radiaz products though. u need a .5 foot strip of red leds, and 2x .25 foot sections of there integratorz strips (this strip has red and yellow in the same led, so like a dual color led) and put them on the sides of the .5 foot red section. also u need to get all the dual element circuits and drugz circuits

you wont have to pay the markup of fleda but its still $$$$$$$$$$$$$

hope this helps.... i really wanted to do the tron tail light the day i watched the movie.... but its just to expensive for me until i figure another cheaper clone

[CJK]

Alright yeah I can see that now. But there are some work arounds that I can see. First I am in the SF Bay Area, CA and I don't plan on riding in the rain so I don't need the strip to be waterproof as much as water-resistant. So for that I can try to find some of the same material used on the flexible LED strips but use my own, or I could mount it into anything similar like some flexible but rigid ribbon or something like that (it's hard to describe the material I am picturing in my head. Second, I could buy some red, translucent PVC tubing that I mount on top of the LEDs so keep water off them and use a clear epoxy like this to finish making it water resistant. Then with the LEDs I saw that the Truflex LEDs use the Genesis Surface Mount LEDs so I could try to find those too or I could use 3mm LED bulbs as they have a diameter of 2.3 mm which would allow me to mount approx. 90 including gap on a 12 inch array. Finally, I could make the tail light resemble more of the dual-row tail light they offer but with the turn signal in between the rows like this:

[Flying J]

would this be a cheaper solution?
http://www.customdynamics.com/integrated_led_light_bars.htm

[CJK]

Oh it definitely would be sooo much cheaper and simpler but where is the fun in that?? That's like taking your bike to the shop to have somebody build it for you 

P.S. ffjmoore: I followed your build thread on your bike, absolutely stunning work. There are some incredible twisities over here that would be super fun if you are ever in the South Bay. Check out Highway 9 and Skyline Blvd/CA-35. Both go through the Santa Cruz Mts. and were recvently repaved. Just FYI 

[CJK]

also I just came across these LEDS 0603 SMD and they would certainly fit the size needed being 1.6 x 0.8 x 0.6 mm plus 100 of these would fit and they are each 500 mcd max, so that would appear pretty bright I think...haha this part confuses me (maybe Steve-F) could weigh-in.

[xsmooth69x]

for 100 of those at .28 cents thats still $28 on top of the time to solder all those id just buy the radiantz strip. 

then you still need the modulators and element circuits....

come on china wheres the knock offs 

look how little those leds are and trying to get close to 2-5mm spacing one bad blob of solder and your F'ed

also your sandwich idea with the lights when your braking and the red LED are on full and then your blinker being on wont that kinda drown out the yellow..... not like completely flush it out but it wont be a crisp blink idk maybe its just me but it wont be as clean looking

sorry to be a debbie downer.

[Flying J]

P.S. ffjmoore: I followed your build thread on your bike, absolutely stunning work. There are some incredible twisities over here that would be super fun if you are ever in the South Bay. Check out Highway 9 and Skyline Blvd/CA-35. Both go through the Santa Cruz Mts. and were recvently repaved. Just FYI 

Nice ill have to check it out. My parents live at a winery outside los gatos. On bearcreek road off the 13. I rode from there into boulder creek last weekend on my CL125. So much fun even on that little thumper.

[CJK]

@ xsmooth69x: yeah I see what you are saying. I didn't see that the Radiantz strip was not that expensive, I only saw the truflex strip going for $90 so i think I would have rather sat there and made a day of soldering than pay someone else to do it as I have plenty of experience soldering. But hey it was fun just to brainstorm and think of this because I feel like I have had too much work and school on my mind and not enough projects. So now do you care to adventure further with this topic onto possible cool options for turn signals with the Radiantz strip?

@ ffjmoore: Yeah cool so you know the area. Highway 17 is quite popular for motorcyclists as well but there are a lot of CHP that stake out the area. But yeah riding up above Los Gatos would definitely be something to consider, there is a small road called Black Road that is just off 17 that I drove the other day....sooooo many fun turns

[xsmooth69x]

pshhh ya if i could do that whole tron tail light soldering for like 75 with and all day solder buffet i would but with the cost of parts an extra 30 or so to have it done by some robot sure why not

anyways as for blinkers..... i
Feu Fleda Ducati GT1000

those bullet looking super crazy bright led on the side

so just the radientz black strip and that super bright single led light bulb thing

[CJK]

Yeah that would look real cool too. I can decide whether I would like the look of the single or dual row w/ the bullet blinkers on the side. Ok so then how would be go about wiring that? We need to wire in a flasher unit for the blinkers and a dimmer for the DRL+ Brake Lights. Also would you think that one of those Cree 46 lumen LEDs would be about perfect for the turn signal here are tthe specs

[Flying J]

Im going to run blinkers on the sides of my bike but for a brake light I think this style would be a good choice.

[Spades]

What would stop you from running one or two of the 1mm flexible arrays 100 LEDs Per Foot". Cutting the ends of them of and then using the "Drugz Circuit" on the ends you cut. That would give you the ends of it showing red until you turned on the blinkers. Your blinkers would still be red but it would achieve what I think you are after.

I looked through the Radiantz site and didn't see an LED setup you could use for the blinkers on the Fleda type setup. I have been looking at how to do this for mine as well so I am glad I found this thread.

EDIT: I take that back .. the small LEDs for the turn signals are called Chrome Turns and come in chrome or black and are $229 .. lol .. I am sure there is a better way. If I was going to spend that much might as well just pay the $300 for the Fleda and modify it for your bike.

[xsmooth69x]

its $173 now

theres a $50 price drop on those 1" red led strips!!



this is what i was thinking

middle has the 100 led strip with the dual element

on the sides have the integratorz premium with the drugz wire so that when the middle 100led are on the side integratorz work with it. being on and then when braking light up also. but when you need to turn the integratoz will do their thing and turn off the red and stitch to yellow and blink

red led stip 59.99
integratoz premium 30 led pair 99.99
dual element 4.99
drugz element 18.90

total $173.87

i think im going to pick up the 100 led strip since there on sale!!

[CJK]

That would be a pretty cool setup smooth. It is essentially the FLEDA but without the price tag and the ability to truly call it your own. Where are you planning on ordering the Radiantz strip from?

[CJK]

Here is another idea that follows exactly what the guys that make the FLEDA use: get the Intergratorz Premium Kit. Here is the description:

"4821-01 INTEGRATORZ PREMIUM KIT

(4821-01) Integratorz premium kit
This flexible LED strip comes with 100 dual color LEDs. Red LEDs for running or brake lights and the amber LEDs for turn signals. The array can be cut down every 5 LEDs to make smaller light. There are solder pads on the back of the board at every cut line. So every piece can be used after it is cut down.

When order this part you get 19 inches of tube, 6 open end caps, 6 closed end caps, 3 foot of red, yellow, and black wire.

Just add a dual element circuit to make the light a running and brake light. "

Then only attach up the 25 amber LEDS on either side for turn signals, and attach all red LEDs to dual element and BAM! there is the exact FLEDA minus price tag, the kit probably goes for like $150 but still it would be exactly the FLEDA as all the LEDs are dual color and the amber and red can be on at same time like FLEDA


***UPDATE*** 1 ft of Radiantz Integratorz Premium Kit goes for $125 here + dual element kit for 100 LEDs is $4.50 here so total w/o shipping/tax would be $130. May seem like a lot to spend on a light but damn that's an impressive light.

[Flying J]

No, thats not to much for a light. I was looking at round tail lights for $100+.

[xsmooth69x]

Here is another idea that follows exactly what the guys that make the FLEDA use: get the Intergratorz Premium Kit. Here is the description:

"4821-01 INTEGRATORZ PREMIUM KIT

(4821-01) Integratorz premium kit
This flexible LED strip comes with 100 dual color LEDs. Red LEDs for running or brake lights and the amber LEDs for turn signals. The array can be cut down every 5 LEDs to make smaller light. There are solder pads on the back of the board at every cut line. So every piece can be used after it is cut down.

When order this part you get 19 inches of tube, 6 open end caps, 6 closed end caps, 3 foot of red, yellow, and black wire.

Just add a dual element circuit to make the light a running and brake light. "

Then only attach up the 25 amber LEDS on either side for turn signals, and attach all red LEDs to dual element and BAM! there is the exact FLEDA minus price tag, the kit probably goes for like $150 but still it would be exactly the FLEDA as all the LEDs are dual color and the amber and red can be on at same time like FLEDA


***UPDATE*** 1 ft of Radiantz Integratorz Premium Kit goes for $125 here + dual element kit for 100 LEDs is $4.50 here so total w/o shipping/tax would be $130. May seem like a lot to spend on a light but damn that's an impressive light.

touché ckasinski, instead of buying just the red then the sides you can just take the 100 led premium and cut it down to section it off.

brilliant

[CJK]

Yeah now there are just the minor details to work out. I suppose there would be a way of illuminating all the red LEDs and only the 25 on either side. Maybe you just have to sever the  + Amber lead after 25 LEDs. It makes sense to me as I am thinking about it. There has to be a way to do it, it is just specifics now.

[xsmooth69x]

i would imagine like all other dual or RGB led there are separate leads for each color led. those leds are actually 2 or 3 leds in one.

so it is easy.