Logic Lights Idea..

[NissanDrift56]

ok welll long story short. i wanted to drive my F-150 outside. but its dark out. and i also dont like how the lights drain my main power. so would it be a good idea to hook up the lights to its own seperate batt pack? i have a couple Gen 1 packs layin around. would 2 AAA batteries ruin the lights?

[deckerz]

probaly wont ruin it but there would be no point.
the lights only reduce stock runtime by about 5mins but if you run them on a seperate pack you have to deal with extra weight which will slow your car anyway which will reduce runtime.

id say just keep it as it is but upgrade to a longer life cell/cells.

[Action B]

5 minutes? LEDs are extremely low drain. I doubt you'd be able to tell significant difference in runtime or acceleration. If I can get ahold of some ill do an experiment.

[65mustangrock]

It depends alot of wat batteriea you use. Non-rechargeables will do ok, but if you move up to rechargeables your batery life will improve and if you get a battery with higher Mah. Say 900 or 1000, you will see a big difference

[bondo]

Originally Posted by Action B

5 minutes? LEDs are extremely low drain. I doubt you'd be able to tell significant difference in runtime or acceleration. If I can get ahold of some ill do an experiment.

regardless of how low the drain...it's still a parasite.
while it's true that LED's use very little power,they still use power.
anything that is added after the basics(battery,board,motor) will not only effect the runtime but also effect the overall performance of the motor wich is the biggest leach on the batts.
if you're putting power to lights then whatever power the lights are using isnt going to the motor.

again,nothing major there but it does count to some degree.

if you're really into the lights and don't want them running off the main power supply then your best bet is 3 watch button batteries,battery holder and a switch.

[SkysTheLimit]

Keep in mind that 2 AAA's gives 2 things: 3 volts and more weight. Most Xmods run on 4.8 or 6 volts so 3 would be some dim lights.

the added weight of 2 more AAA's alone would put more strain on the motor which to a degree defeats the purpose.

Go with the buttons as mentioned by bondo- they are small, light, and will of course allow your motor to get that extra juice that the LED's take away.

[GearHeadV8]

Or what I do when I sell a light kit I use a small 12v battery that is smaller than a AAA.

You will however loose the effect of the lights brightening when you hit the gas

[Action B]

Originally Posted by bondo

regardless of how low the drain...it's still a parasite.
while it's true that LED's use very little power,they still use power.
anything that is added after the basics(battery,board,motor) will not only effect the runtime but also effect the overall performance of the motor wich is the biggest leach on the batts.
if you're putting power to lights then whatever power the lights are using isnt going to the motor.

again,nothing major there but it does count to some degree.

if you're really into the lights and don't want them running off the main power supply then your best bet is 3 watch button batteries,battery holder and a switch.

I really think that the drain is so small that it would probably go unnoticed. I have a speed checker so I'm really interested in checking the top speed and runtime vs. a control. Of course there is some drain, I just think that its usually overrated and probably negligible for general usage. Of course I'm not certain of this so until that time the real effect is up for debate.

[taiwanesekid05]

The drain from the lights shouldn't be too much. Anyways, adding two AAA's will make your car even slower because of the added weight. Get some little LED flashlights or something like that. If they're light enough, it'll be much brighter and won't take any energy from batteries.

[bondo]

Originally Posted by GearHeadV8

Or what I do when I sell a light kit I use a small 12v battery that is smaller than a AAA.

You will however loose the effect of the lights brightening when you hit the gas

you're talking about the "N" size right?
if this is the case then you missed the decimal.(1.2v)
it's crap compared to three buttons....no offence.
the first thing i did when i built my huntley police F-150 was try an "N" size and the cell actually died.
a brand new cell and it died withing a couple weeks.
example
i've had the same three buttons in the truck for almost two years now and they still shine(blink)as much as they did when i built it.

another thing that 1.2v(or 12v for that matter) add is the need for resistors.
you can run most 900+mcd LEDS without resistors on caps.

think of it this way.
those cheap assed,cheasy magnetic diode flashers that you buy at the fourth of july parade run 3 or more flux diodes FOREVER on one button.....
you can pass out drunk on the fourth of '08 with the clip still flashing,forget about it,find it on the 3rd of july '09 and that piece will still be blinking......

anywhoot, no, there really isn't enough draw to be concerned with, BUT,if you get a little anal(some enjoy it.. ) then the 3 buttons may be the way to go.
you do lose the functions but ****ed if i've ever seen a car that had headlights that got brighter with acceleration....

[GearHeadV8]

actually bondo it is 12v and yupp they are the "N" they are used as the car fob batteries and security fobs.

ill try to get a pic but i know what you mean of the 1.2v