LED Throwies

Developed by the Graffiti Research Lab a division of the Eyebeam R&D OpenLab, LED Throwies are an inexpensive way to add color to any ferromagnetic surface in your neighborhood. A Throwie consists of a lithium battery, a 10mm diffused LED and a rare-earth magnet taped together. Throw it up high and in quantity to impress your friends and city officials.

Click on this link to see the LED Throwies in action in NYC thanks to resitor and fi5e!

Step 1 Materials List

LED throwies consist of only a few inexpensive parts and can be made for ~$1.00 per Throwie. You can reference the parts list below or download the attached spreadsheet for more info on parts, part's numbers, vendors and application notes.

Part: 10mm Diffused LED
Vendor: HB Electronic Components
Average cost: $0.20 avg per LED
Notes: Cost reductions for larger quantities. Comes in red, blue, amber, white in both diffused and clear. Diffused works better than water clear for the Throwie application. HB has even created a Throwies packs page with deals on 10mm LEDs and lithium batteries!

Part: CR2032 3V Lithium Batteries
Vendor: CheapBatteries.com
Cost: $0.25 per battery
Notes: Cost reductions for larger quantities. With the 2032 Lithium batter, depending on the weather and the LED color, your Throwie should last around 1 -2 weeks.

Part: 1-inch wide Strapping Tape
Vendor: Your local hardware store
Cost: $2.00 for one roll
Notes: One roll will make many throwies

Part: 1/2" Dia x 1/8" Thick NdFeB Disc Magnet, Ni-Cu-Ni plated
Vendor:Amazing Magnets
Cost: $13.00 per 25 magnets
Notes: Cost reductions for larger quantities

Part: Conductive Epoxy
Vendor: Newark In One
Cost: $32.00
Notes: The epoxy is optional.

Comments

[everythingdigital]

I have posted a how-to on making throwies with removable tabs where you can pull it out to turn the LED on and slide it back in to turn it bad off. It's not very hard to implement, and is quite useful for conserving battery power.

Here's the link: http://flickr.com/photos/everythingdigital/sets/72057594069888500/

I'm also working on throwies that automatically turn on upon sticking to something and off when they are removed (as suggested above), and I have a few prototypes working but there are still some bugs to work out.

[Q-Branch]

I have included your how-to on the G.R.L. Throwies site and in the upgrade section of the throwies instructables post. Thanks so much for the mods and looking forward to the next rev!

[sensoryhouse]

fun with LED throwies

[Kirbsome!]

INTRODUCING:

Throwies on steroids -
The LED ULTRIE!

7 LEDs arranged in a ring

[frenzy]

I have great news, you are today's winner of the "I Made It" Challenge for the month of june. Thank you so much for being a part of the instructables community and encouraging authors to post more projects!

For winning you are receiving a 3 month pro-membership.

http://www.instructables.com/community/June-is-I-Made-It-Challenge-Month-Win-a-Pro-Mem/

[Cv220]

I love this! i found this after i watched Step it up 3d. The main character did this, but instead of using magnets he used electrical tape. i wanted to learn how to make one and this was wonderful!

[Peterr23]

10mm diffused LED and a rare-earth magnet taped together. Throw it up high and in quantity to impress your friends and city officials.
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[Decidebay]

This is really art, it looks really cool but led's and magnets are pretty expensive. I made a similair project where I would put led candles outside my house every night.Currently i've been into illuminating stopsigns by put led's into a case with batteries. And turning them on, it's more of a comunity safety feature. Decidebay

[bginnetti]

I'm doing a science project on LED throwies but my supplies haven't arrived yet, so i was wondering if someone can tell me the mass of one complete led throwie?

[mivpl]

very positive way by bringing in a new paradigm for operating their division and educating their students, and staff. Pizza Takeaway

[JKPieGuy]

The only problem I see with this is having broken material and ruining a perfectly good """"Rare"""" Earth magnet. Other than that it seems like a pretty cool concept.

[schumi23]

Rare earth magnet is just the name. It is also called Neodymium magnets (might have mispelled that :))
They arent rares, which you can see from the price (though they arent free)

[Linkster999]

i think u have ur info wrong Cathode is positive and Anode is negative

[humming]

No cathode is definitely negative and anode is positive.

[shilpi97]

you r correct.......

[christopher7]

I like your Ideas any way :)

[Azareraaj]

For some reason only part of the post is being viewed, is it my net browser or the site?


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[Millas]

The longer lead guide, call the anode, be supposed to be moving the positive fatal (+) of the series and the shorter lead guide, call the cathode, should be moving the unenthusiastic deadly (-) of the battery.
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[Millas]

I contain a small figure of prototypes working but present are motionless some bug to labor absent.
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[Liana123]

I love it.Excellent article.I am definitely going to put this into use one of these days.
I will be sure to let you know if I do.Great work! Dropshipping

[ms10]

cool keep up the good work

[ABELIA]

Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Cisco 642-813 Generally it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, CompTIA SY0-301 feels, or acts. In its narrow, technical sense education is the formal process by which society deliberately transmits its accumulated knowledge.Microsoft 70-680

[BillYard]

At times it is written over the weeks and at the same time it is surprisingly mastered. He almost wrote one volume every year, on top of his books which would take him five years and that were written very differently.
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[BillYard]

At times it is written over the weeks and at the same time it is surprisingly mastered. He almost wrote one volume every year, on top of his books which would take him five years and that were written very differently.
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[razibjohn]

The list is wonderful! I am just looking for an email cleaner (email stripper). Can't find anything. Maybe a widget? Anyone know of any? Thanks!

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[razibjohn]

This is a quite excellent read for me; Have to admit that you are one on the most effective blogger I ever saw. Thanks for posting this informative article.

[sjessi]

I love it.Excellent article.I am definitely going to put this into use one of these days.

I will be sure to let you know if I do.Great work!
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[DELETED_ichaljhe]

(removed by author or community request)

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[alvaromanuel]

What's the "life time" of 1 of these?

[facilitator476]

Throwies can last a few days.

It depends on the LED (+++Brightness=+++Power used) and the battery used. LEDs can last quite a long time before burning out so the problem is the battery. Using a higher capacity or adding a resistor (bigger batteries will make the Throwie bigger and heavier and resistors will lower the brightness. This is why people want to make them with solar cells and photoresistors. Solar cells gather the energy and photoresistors will tell when it is dark enough.

[clinde]

How can I make these to where they have solar cells, then turn on when it is dark enough?? I'm brand new to this...

[gx27470]

1-2 weeks

[alphiejon]

I've mulled this over before; there isn't really anything stopping you from using power LEDs that use the button cells (modestly) as a heatsink. Especially considering the runtime would probably be maybe half an hour. It comes down to how long you're wanting the lights to last and how much money you're willing to put into each

[veno260]

i made mine waterproof

[clinde]

How did you do that??

[facilitator476]

Is waterproofing necessary? I think the only reason electronics have problems in water is short-circuiting. With a simple circuit like this and at such a low voltage it shouldn't short. Either way, that's awesome. Now i want to see how buoyant they are and put 50 in my pool.

[mivpl]

diffused LED and a rare-earth magnet taped together. Throw it up high and in quantity to impress your friends and city officials.St Lucia Luxury Holidays

[veno260]

could u use el wires or something

[johnvile]

 El-wire requires an inverter for it to work. It would be  a very expensive thing to do.