How to build a 1,024,000 mcd portable light

Step 8 Attach leads.

You're done with the hard part. Make sure all your LEDs are lit. Run your thumb over the solder joints for a bit and make sure they dont break. Resolder anything which comes loose.

Insert a couple of approx 26 guage wires through the LED side of the board and bend them over on the solder side. Connect up the long legs you left at the top of the board to them. Test the array again.

Comments

[videofreek]

Where are your current limiting resistors or current limiting circuitry? LED's have to be operated at their specified current or their life will be greatly reduced. They won't limit current on their own - in fact it's very easy to burn them out if the current isn't limited. I think the only thing that's preventing this from happening with this circuit is the fact that the battery can't produce enough amperage to cook all of your LEDs. If you connected this to a power source that COULD supply more current the whole circuit would go up in smoke!

[realizet813]

I think adding resistors to this array would actually be an easy added step to this process. You could just add one resistor to every one 1-2 LEDs and have em flush to the array and there you go.