Green LED USB Bulb

This instructable will gude you to the process of modifying a regular 220VAC bulb to a USB plugged LED bulb.

It it a nice touch around your PC or anywhere in your room. It won't be able to light your room fully, though you may use such a bulb to see the keyboard keys in darkness or just add it to the interiour.

The process is relatively easy and there are no special components that you need.

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Step 1: Components & Tools

What you need is:

Components

Bulb
Green LED
330 Ohm resistor
USB Cable

Tools

Multimeter
Soldering iron
Soldering wire
Desoldering Pump
Hot glue
Cable nippers and pliers
* You may need a breadbord to do the prototype and test the if the resistor you use is right but you can skip this step

There is a little idea from me. I found it very nice to have the bulbs blown. I just had them at home already blown and have no idea how you can do it manually. Anyway, you could use a regular working bulb for the project - it is not so essential. I have used small bulbs that are for desk reading lamps.

cshane1 says: Oct 31, 2012. 2:01 PM

Would it be possible to make something like this work in reverse? What I mean is, would it be possible to have the light powered by plugging it into an iPhone?

Wroger-Wroger says: Apr 5, 2012. 9:33 AM

Simple issue that I discovered - to get the most amount of light out of a limited amount of power, if the LED's are rated at 3.2V run them in series at about 70% to 80% of their peak voltage and their own inherant resistance will operate as a current limiter - thus avoiding thermal run away.

They will be a bit dimmer, but you will have more of them with NO wasted power in the resistor.

tobychan says: Mar 27, 2012. 5:33 AM

Poundland has almost every LED requirement you could need, including colour changing ones!

Mmedical says: Mar 23, 2012. 1:17 PM

That's pretty cool, especially around St. Patrick's Day.

hertzgamma (author) says: Mar 25, 2012. 11:33 PM

This was one of the reasons I made it green.

Mmedical says: Mar 26, 2012. 4:19 AM

Maybe you'll have to work on another color now.

JIM5349 says: Mar 24, 2012. 1:02 PM

This is very cool. I will have to try this

hertzgamma (author) says: Mar 25, 2012. 11:34 PM

Give it a try and share the result here!

your_dragon113 says: Mar 22, 2012. 5:59 PM

This is a Great idea! I love the LEDS worked into other things.

I think I might be able to help you skip a step: There's really no need to remove the glass from the base. Have a look at this instructable...

http://www.instructables.com/id/Concrete-Lightbulb-Wall-Hook/

...I've make a lot of these, with the concrete, and to use the LEDs you'dmhave to simply not pounch out the center glass stem inside the bulb. Remove the glass end on the base and clean it out, as you would in both of these instructibles, and carry on with the LED and Resistor.

I'll be giving it a try myself! :)

hertzgamma (author) says: Mar 23, 2012. 9:00 AM

This is a better way, for sure! You can still fit the LED and the resistor with the solderings inside and so it makes no point to deal with removing the glass and then glueing it again.

JoshuaZimmerman says: Mar 22, 2012. 12:07 PM

Hobby Lobby, and other craft stores, often have fake glass light bulbs for projects. That would make things a lot easier for the more casual crafter. (And they're only $1.50 as well.)

DragonDon says: Mar 22, 2012. 5:13 PM

Of course buying them defeats the whole purpose of this site :) This is a great instructable and a great project for a beginners class on electronics!