How to make a fast blinking LED bike light

Step 11 THE FAST BLINKING LED BIKE LIGHT IS FINISHED

It is finished. Go ahead and attach it to your bike or what ever. Hope you enjoy my Instructable. Go easy on me, this is my first. Please leave a comment.

Comments

[hamolton]

 I'm thinking of making, like, making arrows on the back of a jacket for turning signals when biking. How would I figure out the resistor values for the 5mm leds on ebay I would buy?

[shaddaz]

To start with dont touch Ebay LED's they are very poor and not worth bothering with for safety lights go to a good retailer and pay around $1 per LED much better brighter and last longer MUCH longer if you want resistor values google there is a page out there with a formula to calculate this just can not remember where it is sorry

[steve000]

WTF! i buy all my LEDS from ebay. most retailers also get LEDS from same or similar manufacturers as ebay sellers.

and seriously $1 per led... i buy 20 at that price.. if 18 of them die ive still saved money!

[steve000]

BTW.. Ive never had any die unless i was doing something stupid with them e.g. 5v into a 3.6v led

Ive used quite literally 1000's over the years

I started when ebay led's were 70c each

[ajones40]

u pay $1 for LEDs?!?!? WOW! to me, even $0.50 is OUTRAGEOUS! i searched the internet top to bottom to find the cheapest LEDs. finally, i found www.TaydaElectronics.com this website had: LEDs, Resistors, Prototyping Boards. Capacitors, and WAY more. the AMAZING thing about this website is that LEDs are anywhere from $0.02 to $0.06. Although the items you order are coming from Bangkok, the shipping is EXTREMELY fast and cheap.

I just wanted to let you guys know, that way you can buy more for less.

[comodore]

Depend on what circuit you use?
If you are using my circuits, the resistor values are the same...
I think you have an Instructables just for the project that you mentioned.

[shailendra1988]

sir your project is great
i m thinking to make a big project after this in that project im thinking to glow my name first and when led showing my name get off at same time my surname appear like in adds on malls, multiplex etc.. i want a electronic name plate in front of my house which will  be a attraction to people.
so i want to ask some question
1. how shoud i glow large no of leds about 100 leds, 9 v supply is sufficient in simple words my question is how to calculate amount of power required to glow large number of leds

2. how should i know or how u know  the value of resister and capacitors

3. connetion diagram so that i connect leds for my name and for my surname seperately

4. 555 timer work in this ciruit or should we have to use different ic

sir i want to build my basic so that i can make different different  circuit for diffferent purpose 
i think u make a reply as soon as posible

[comodore]

I am glad you like my project!
I am younger than you so you don't have to call me sir!  :D
You have an ambisiuos project and you will probably need someone who knows how to solder and some basics with electronic....
Well lets start with the simplest question:

2. Resistors have colored ring on them (4 or 5) and that's how you determen their resistance... You can find these kinds of calculator on the net. Just google resistor calculator.... As a mater of fact, here is one:
http://www.dannyg.com/examples/res2/resistor.htm
And for the capacitors, usually their value is written on them.
4. I think that the 555 time wont work for this.... Google the 555 timer and read up on it....the time between blink, the on/off time is determened buy the resistors and capacitor....Maybe the easiest way would be to use a Microcontroller like and Arduino! You could maybe use 556 IC whitch is like 2 555 ICs in one! But I am not really sure.... As for your question, could you make something like this with a 555 timer, I would say NO.
3.As I sad I don't know any diagram, schematic, or as you say connection diagram that will do what you want....
1.  Well, depends on how you wire them, parallel or in series.... In this Instructables I wired mine in parallel.... There is not much to it but there is difference! I suggest that you look at this instructables  (http://www.instructables.com/id/LEDs-for-Beginners/ )  I hope it helps you!

Feel free to ask me if you have any more questions!  

Stanislav

[arvin0630]

this has been great!! i am trying this right now, but i am still figuring out how i can make it waterproof at the same time... will be making a blinking line marker for when my friends and i do scuba diving at night!! thanks for posting this!!!

[comodore]

No problem, Good luck! You can seal it with hot glue, to make it water proof. Thanks!

[redcars101]

That's very cool!

[comodore]

Thank you! I am glad you like it! :D

[TheRoeDogg]

nice job... i was wondering tho could you make something like that for a car but bigger(more LEDs) and what you would need and a bigger power source?? cause I've been trying to find out how to make a flashing LED light as a courtesy light. Feed back please

[comodore]

Yea, you could make something like this for a car, and you don't need a bigger power source... You can make something like this using the LED formation from my Instructables, The LED Snake. The same circuit...

[stefpa]

Very nice, a bit more practice in soldering and you are done... ;-) from Germany!

[comodore]

Thanks! I am new in the field of electronics so, yes I need more practice in soldering. :)