Blitz Posted May 13, 2018 Report Share Posted May 13, 2018 Being a bit OCD. I’ve eBay myself a red led lighting bar and 12v AA battery box. Simple set up for enhanced visibility at night. Anyhow. The battery box has the obvious neg and pos wires. However the led bar only has a red pos wire. How do I get theses things to work please. Dumb ass sorry Grant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anglefire Posted May 13, 2018 Report Share Posted May 13, 2018 I guess they bolt to the bodywork? In which case they will be assuming the bolts will provide the return path to the eleccy. But post a picture of the said item Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD Posted May 13, 2018 Report Share Posted May 13, 2018 Blitz, Why the AA battery box? Four of those make 12V, but where will the box be? Will you have to get out and turn them on when it gets dark? You have a good 12V going to the rear lights when you flick that switch on the dash. You could wire your light bar to that. Pictures, please! I fitted a front LED light bar to my Vitesse. A 24" jobbie; came with both the usual wires, but unlike conventional bulb for an LED it matters which is 12V and which is earth. JOhn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blitz Posted May 13, 2018 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2018 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blitz Posted May 13, 2018 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2018 They are indeed for trucks and trailers etc. Going to magnet them onto the boot lip and put the bat box into the boot. Wasn’t expecting a single live feed only Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD Posted May 14, 2018 Report Share Posted May 14, 2018 Blitz, That's not a "light bar! That's three LEDs, spread out on a fitting that could take another six. I hope you didn't spend a lot on it, 'coz it's cheap and nasty. If you're going to 'magnet them onto the boot lid' I presume the housing is steel, not plastic? And the makers must expect volts return, earth, via that but if all that holds it on is a magnet, there will be no earth. It's a great idea, but please, do it properly! Here's an 18LED bar, comes with a proper cable, but may need a bracket making up. Wire it your brake lights! http://autoelectricalpartsuk.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&path=115_139&product_id=1246 'Only' £22. Here's a flexible LED strip, easy to attach with double sided tape and again complete with connector, that you can wire to your brake and tail lights, AND white reversing light! (Don't connect to your turn signals - red for those is only legal in the US) And less than £16! https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mesllin-Tailgate-SMD2835-Waterproof-Reverse/dp/B07921JLG8 Do it properly! John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahebron Posted May 14, 2018 Report Share Posted May 14, 2018 3 hours ago, JohnD said: Blitz, That's not a "light bar! That's three LEDs, spread out on a fitting that could take another six. I hope you didn't spend a lot on it, 'coz it's cheap and nasty. If you're going to 'magnet them onto the boot lid' I presume the housing is steel, not plastic? And the makers must expect volts return, earth, via that but if all that holds it on is a magnet, there will be no earth. It's a great idea, but please, do it properly! Here's an 18LED bar, comes with a proper cable, but may need a bracket making up. Wire it your brake lights! http://autoelectricalpartsuk.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&path=115_139&product_id=1246 'Only' £22. Here's a flexible LED strip, easy to attach with double sided tape and again complete with connector, that you can wire to your brake and tail lights, AND white reversing light! (Don't connect to your turn signals - red for those is only legal in the US) And less than £16! https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mesllin-Tailgate-SMD2835-Waterproof-Reverse/dp/B07921JLG8 Do it properly! John Hi John I have thought about fitting something like your first one up in the top stainless trim on my Vitesse Saloon. Might get round to it one day Adriabn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watsona6 Posted September 25, 2019 Report Share Posted September 25, 2019 Resurrecting this old thread rather than starting a new one. Id eventually like to replace/upgrade all my dash lighting when I renew the dash - but that won’t be for a year or so. As an interim measure I am thinking of wiring an LED strip to the light switch. Straightforward? thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougbgt6 Posted September 25, 2019 Report Share Posted September 25, 2019 Yeh, but not red! Green is nice. db Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watsona6 Posted September 25, 2019 Report Share Posted September 25, 2019 Ha. Was thinking a boring white! I can attach to the light switch then rather than using the cig lighter? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShaunW Posted September 26, 2019 Report Share Posted September 26, 2019 2 hours ago, dougbgt6 said: Yeh, but not red! Green is nice. db I'd go for the same colour as the car, especially in the footwells. I can't quite believe how 'trendy' the forum's getting with aux led lighting...you'll be having lights under the car next 😉 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mjit Posted September 26, 2019 Report Share Posted September 26, 2019 I've got stick-on, white LED strips stuck to the under side of the parcel shelves in my Spitfire, connected to the door switches and don't think they're too white. Especially with a black interior those footwells are like black holes! For the rest of your LEDs I'd recommend https://www.classiccarleds.co.uk/. I used eBay specials on my Spitfire and was always a little underwhelmed. I used Classic Car LEDs on my 2000, initially for the multi-indicator unit but then the rest of the dash and much more impressed. They also have an article on the different spectrums (spectra?) of light from different sources, which I think explains my reaction to the eBayed ones in my Spitfire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Lindsay Posted September 26, 2019 Report Share Posted September 26, 2019 1 hour ago, Mjit said: I've got stick-on, white LED strips stuck to the under side of the parcel shelves in my Spitfire, connected to the door switches and don't think they're too white. Especially with a black interior those footwells are like black holes! Wired in to the courtesy light circuit? I know that for night driving even the gauge lights can be distracting, and love the GT6 facility where they can be turned off leaving the car interior completely dark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougbgt6 Posted September 26, 2019 Report Share Posted September 26, 2019 Can’t turn mine off, must be mk1 thing? My gauge lights were originally green and I’ve continued with green LEDs. Curtesy lights were turned to green over Halloween then back to white. But decided I quite like green footwells. Doug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted September 26, 2019 Report Share Posted September 26, 2019 well that might just match your feet a green 4th dan Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougbgt6 Posted September 26, 2019 Report Share Posted September 26, 2019 None of the dan ratings are shown on this phone, why’s that I wonder? db Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted September 26, 2019 Report Share Posted September 26, 2019 glad technology is improving ...youre now 4G ? dan less Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougbgt6 Posted September 26, 2019 Report Share Posted September 26, 2019 Danelectro! (Italian guitar manufacturer) db Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougbgt6 Posted September 26, 2019 Report Share Posted September 26, 2019 8 minutes ago, dougbgt6 said: Danelectro! ( guitar manufacturer) db Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mjit Posted September 27, 2019 Report Share Posted September 27, 2019 20 hours ago, Colin Lindsay said: Wired in to the courtesy light circuit? I know that for night driving even the gauge lights can be distracting, and love the GT6 facility where they can be turned off leaving the car interior completely dark. Yep, replaced the 'random dangling bulb on just the driver's side' courtesy light with strips on both sides. Can't say I find the gauge lights distracting in my Spit. The badly adjusted, over-dazzeling headlights of cars behind me in my mirrors, yes, but not the gauge lights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Lindsay Posted September 27, 2019 Report Share Posted September 27, 2019 8 minutes ago, Mjit said: Can't say I find the gauge lights distracting in my Spit. I used to find it on country roads at night - no streetlights, no other cars, just the headlights and the glow of the gauges. Turn them off and it's a different world, just the road ahead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mjit Posted September 30, 2019 Report Share Posted September 30, 2019 Sounds like the Night Pannel button you used to get on Saabs, which switched off all dash lights except the speedo. Tried it once - it just felt so wrong Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Lindsay Posted September 30, 2019 Report Share Posted September 30, 2019 3 hours ago, Mjit said: Sounds like the Night Pannel button you used to get on Saabs, which switched off all dash lights except the speedo. Tried it once - it just felt so wrong Yes, we had one of those, I suppose good in the dark, but the bit that freaked me out was that it turned off all the gauges, which dropped to zero - bar the speedo, which was now only illuminated for about two-thirds of the face. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD Posted September 30, 2019 Report Share Posted September 30, 2019 I've got one of those LED light bars for the Vitesse. When the CSCC started 'night' races (actually twilight) it was easier to fit than to upgrade the headlights, which are a bit dim. Then they said "No LED lightbars"! B*gg*r! But I had to withdraw for other reasons anyway. 40 LEDs in two rows, it's like a lighthouse on the front. And it doesn't put out the dash lights! They have relented. Next year, lightbars will be permitted, and touring will be safer too, so it's going back on. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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