My Rice Lighting Project

[Chimera]

Hello All,

I realize that this thread is mostly about electronics but I have put in here in cosmetics to get some opinions and feedback on where to take this project I've started.
As an upfront disclaimer, I am totally aware both proposals would void warranties as I am mixing various products not explicitly designed together.

On to the show
I plan to install RGB lighting
circuit 1
-angel eyes using Diode Dynamics kit and RF controller
and
-prism DRLs installed in fog light housing
switched together

then
circuit 2
extend circuit 1 usinging Hitlights RGB signal amplifier
and install underglow using standard weatherproof Flexible LED Light Strip- SMD 5050 (Multicolored)
- I have considered adding to this circuit a strip behind the grill in the front
- I have also considered adding to this circuit strips riming the inside of the door speaker grills.
-the power supply for the amplifier would be wired to a seperate switch
allowing this entire circuit to be disabled but still run the angel eyes and fog lights.

Wiring options:

Option A: Wire switches to ACC power
Pros:
Circuit cannot be enabled unless vehicle has key in it
Simple straightforward setup
Cons
Circuit cannot be enabled unless vehicle has key in it

Option B: Wire switches to contant power. Wire inline mosfet to root of controller common anode (GRN).
Explanation:
Following this path the lighting would be always active, however the common anode (or ground) for the LEDs would be controlled by a mosfet wired inline, and having its gate controlled by another circuit, namely the dome light. In short the lights would always have electrical potential, but no ground path unless the mosfet was activated.
Pros:
-Lighting accessories could be setup to turn on when I unlock the car,
-I am much more likely to see this mod on a regular basis this way.
Cons:
-RF controller would be always on. According to Diode Dynamics, theirs using 8mA on standby, this means that it could be left this way for a pretty long time without issue, that's less than some dash cams.
-requires serious modification to RF control circuit, again voiding warranty
-some people have reservations on if wiring any control extending accessory to the dome circuit is advisable.

Thoughts, flames, generic comments about people wishing other people wouldn't do things like this?

Edit:
common anode, means common pos, not neg. Doesn't really matter in this case, just noting the mistake.

[Struckbylitenin]

lol

[bfsnail]

Originally Posted by Chimera

Thoughts, flames, generic comments about people wishing other people wouldn't do things like this?

Actually made me LOL, grats.

I say if you are going to go all out with lighting everywhere, go all out in the wiring as well and go with option B. While I don't understand how exactly option B would work, I do know that if I was in your position and I handcuffed myself with how I wired the car I wouldn't be happy and would probably end up doing it again the right way.

[soundman98]

why not do 2 switches? one for acc power and one for constant power?

i did that in my last car-- i had a switch that fed constant power into the acc circuit so that i could do things to my carpc without the key, but also had a separate acc switch to control a few different things so that i could leave the switch on, and everything would turn off with the rest of the car..

[Chimera]

starting to talk about a lot of switches, besides, if I went route 2, the dome light switch would do the same thing anyways, right?

Originally Posted by soundman98

why not do 2 switches? one for acc power and one for constant power?

i did that in my last car-- i had a switch that fed constant power into the acc circuit so that i could do things to my carpc without the key, but also had a separate acc switch to control a few different things so that i could leave the switch on, and everything would turn off with the rest of the car..

[Chimera]

Ordered the last of the components that I think I will need for this project today. Yay, payday!
Right now I am debating whether to attempt to modify the RF controller box, or if I want to get an indoor 4 wire extension, and modify that.
then if it doesn't work I can just remove the extension.
About my controller box from Diode Dynamics, I'm not certain, but I think it may be a modified IR controller? its definitely got hot glue going on here, see photo.

I decided to go with waterproof regular density led strips over weatherproof double density strips. the intensity will of course be less, but I can cover 2x the distance on the same power.

Later this week I'm thinking of putting together my mosfet kit

[Chimera]

So IP69 LEDs look like regular density LEDs inside a flexible rubberized container.
interestingly enough apparently they do not have 3m tape on the back like the others, I can only guess because they are usable underwater in theory.
In any case, now I need a lot of 3m tape.

[Chimera]

I was thinking earlier today as well. I don't think on initial install I'm going to attempt this. however I might be able to do options A and B if I were to build a logical OR circuit. this can be done with 2 diodes easily, although leads to major voltage drop on the other side. so it would have to feed a relay with a low..er (4~5v?) threshold. Then I could have them light both when the dome light activates or when the buttons pressed. I need to Figure out how to make a circuit without breadboard, somehow I don't think it would holdup in a car very long.

[Chimera]

small update no photos today:
installed about half way last sat then immediately got sent on a business trip cutting my weekend short. Anyways, angel eyes and fog lights installed, they look good. need to work on some cable management. the fog lights cables are maybe about 2ft to short to cross the vehicle if you corner mount the controller.
haven't begun on the 2nd half of the circuit, or even the switch install (got wires in the passenger floor board).

mounting the angel eyes turned into more of a hassle than I expected. I ended up placing them right behind the reflector shroud, and using about 30 pieces of electrical tape on each to brace it to the shroud, it now sits between the shroud and the projector.

mounted an led strip to the back of the bumper right above the grill, thinking about moving it down to be under the grill instead of above.

Edit:
also shout out to @Diode Dynamics, for one seriously nice and well thought out wiring harness that comes with the angel eyes kit, it even has 2 DC terminals which for my particular project is perfect.

[Chimera]

about 1/4 done or so.
here's some initial photos

Edit:
it's not against forum rules to be the only person that responds to a thread is it?

Edit no2.
I was reminded today that you can make any logic gate with a NOR gate, and that you can get a chip (4001 Quad NOR) with 4 NOR gates which is good for making anything.
see: [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NOR_gate"]NOR gate - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]

[Panda Mao]

go HAM go option B and don't look back!!!!

[liewyel]

Videos of fade mode? Is there a strobe haha?

[Chimera]

Small update, played some with the lights today, found one of the fog lights has a row that doesn't light green, this one has always looked different, now I know why.

When using yellow it leads to a nifty bloody eye effect. Haha

[Chimera]

projects starting to wear me out.
photo here of how I mounted the LEDS for the front grill.