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Multiple LED Strobe Circuit Help

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Mishael

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i need to build some LED strobe circuits and i need help. im open to any function like just a quick f-f-f-f or something more elaborate like ff-ff-ff, but im also open to multiple sides rr-ll-rr-ll and such, it needs to be 12VDC (±2V) and is going to be powered by several deep cycle marine batteries.

i dont know anything about circuits but i learn quick, i have several months, satisfactory resources for a 16 year old, and im good with making stuff.

ideas, diagrams, links, instruction, anything would be great

ALSO! if you have any help with a xenon strobe tube circuit i could use some help with those too. really i just need a strobe but i would rather it be a LED strobe over a strobe tube.
 
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Im not sure yet but im planning on clear cover with preset colored diode. I dont know the technical name
 
If you google "Strobe Light Circuit" I'm sure you come up with a garguantan amount of results.
 
He meant what color, brightness, electrical spec. LEDs would you be using?

Different LEDs have different voltage/current requirements, and some are brighter than others.
 
oh right well what do you think?

i was planning on amber, blue, and red seperately AND combined

brightness varies with quantity so if getting 50-5mm and hooking up all those is less than 25 10mm and the brightness is equal, im going with the 50-5mm. it all depends on the total price of the board really. im ordering from allied electronics or radio shack so if i get a good plan and its bright and what i need ill take it.

as to austin, believe me i wouldnt be asking if i hadnt tried, and this is my much preferred place to get this kind of help rather than random stuff from google. but thanks for the tip
 
as to austin, believe me i wouldnt be asking if i hadnt tried, and this is my much preferred place to get this kind of help rather than random stuff from google. but thanks for the tip

Yes, it was just a simple suggestion. I understand your method, although sometimes its best to search for yourself, but you probably already did.
 
There quite a few threads already going into 'How-to-Build Police flashers' here. Don't remember if any were 12 volt, although a couple were automotive. Use the search, but think most are under cleaver disguise as 'Emergency flasher', or something similar, since running these on a public road is usually consider illegal. Basically, you use a 555 timer, or gated logic for a clock signal, a 4017 counter will give you 10 outputs per chip, but you can cascade more. Only one output will be on at a time, and it advances one per clock. The first pin could turn on your LEDs, the second pin would be skipped to give you an off period. You could hook up several different patterns, colors, with this basic set up. You will need a driver section to power 50 LEDs, transistor or mosfet..

Anyway, no sense in re-inventing the wheel, your project, you search. Post a link back when you find something you need further help on. Personally, I used an AVR microcontroller for my flashing police lights (use to mess with my neighbor).
 
The cheap Chinese LEDs from RadioShack are seconds (factory rejects).
They are old dim ones re-packaged into focussed cases that make a very narrow beam that you can hardly see off to the side.

Buy good LEDs from a real electronics parts distributor like Digikey.
 
thanks harvey. im really looking for what i should use and what people tried and liked/disliked. im going to try a 555 timer actually

and yea im buying the LEDs im using from either allied electronics or the non-diffused radio shack ones.

another two questions for thought.

where can i get the covers?
and should i use white LEDs and colored lenses or colored LEDs and clear lenses?
 
White consists of all colours combined. A filter works well with white light.
A white LED is not actually white. It is a blue LED with a yellowish phosphor and has a low amount (or none) of red and is also missing other colours. It filters poorly.

Modern green and blue LEDs are extremely bright. Modern red LEDs do not appear as bright because our vision is most sensitive to yellowish-green.
 
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