Back-lit number plate .. Finished!

D

DJ 190

A2OC Donor
I wonder if you remember this thread? http://www.a2oc.net/forum/showthread.php?29096-3D-Domed-lettering-on-number-plates Well, in #4 I posed the question "why hasn't anyone thought to back-light a number plate?" With help from other A2OC members in that thread (have a look), I've made this idea a reality. Here's how I did it ....

DSCN9980 (Medium).JPG Cut the rectangle in the boot lid



DSCN9975 (Medium).JPG LED light array



DSCN9993 (Medium).JPG Mounted lighting box



DSCN9994 (Medium).JPG Wooden spacer



DSCN9995 (Medium).JPG Finished item!



DSCN9997 (Medium).JPG And lit!

Well, it's a great feeling to make something come true. A fair bit of "head-scratching", but the end result is just fantastic! I have just one question to put to the very knowledgeable A2OC membership. I am (slightly) concerned about the overall brightness of my rear plate. The ultimate would be a means to control the brightness on a variable basis. Now this would be a one-off action, not something that would be frequently performed. The "controller" would be mounted internally inside the hatch. The light array is 12v LED's. If the voltage is lowered, will they dim?

David
 
Good work, David - very interesting. :)

DJ 190 said:
I have just one question to put to the very knowledgeable A2OC membership. I am (slightly) concerned about the overall brightness of my rear plate. The ultimate would be a means to control the brightness on a variable basis. Now this would be a one-off action, not something that would be frequently performed. The "controller" would be mounted internally inside the hatch. The light array is 12v LED's. If the voltage is lowered, will they dim?
Click to expand...

If the voltage is lowered, they will dim, though control may be sketchy. I'd recommend using a PWM dimmer such as this one, as the control should be better. It works similar to a mains dimmer switch, though the principle of operation is different as the mains dimmer relies on the supply being AC. Anyway, using the PWM dimmer retains the 12V supply to your lights that your lights are rated for, it just switches them on and off very quickly to achieve the desired brightness. :p

Regards,

Matt.
 
DJ 190 said:
Thanks for that, Matt. I see that even IR remote control is available, too http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DC-12V-24...265002?hash=item43e30fb02a:g:QX4AAOSw34FVB26L So if the controller was internally mounted inside the hatch, the brightness could be readily altered. I see that these units are rated at 8A .... that seems like massive overkill for my measly LED array? Oh, what does PWM stand for?
Click to expand...

Hi David,

Don't worry about it being overkill, shouldn't make a difference - the IR one is also rated for 8A. PWM is an initialism for 'Pulse Width Modulation', basically means that the power to the light is varied by quickly switching the power on and off in pulses. The individual pulses are too quick for the human eye, but they can change the effect of brightness . Longer pulses = more light. Shorter pulses = less light. :p

Regards,

Matt.
 
wilco184 said:
Hi David,

Don't worry about it being overkill, shouldn't make a difference - the IR one is also rated for 8A. PWM is an initialism for 'Pulse Width Modulation', basically means that the power to the light is varied by quickly switching the power on and off in pulses. The individual pulses are too quick for the human eye, but they can change the effect of brightness . Longer pulses = more light. Shorter pulses = less light. :p

Regards,

Matt.
Click to expand...

If you have ever seen any slow motion footage of a car with its LED lights on, you will see them switching on and off! a clever way of dimming them to the right level of illumination.

Steve B
 
I have seen a similar solution only recently on the road and was very curious
c5738e5e70d1e95904f7c547699c2100.jpg



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