Light emitting border with purple/uv led

[objector]

Hi everyone,

Has anyone tried making a light emitting border with an UV-LED? Ideally I would like to have a purple border, does anyone know how to achieve this?

I've tried to find some pictures here, but I haven't come across a purple light emitting border...

Many thanks in advance!

[DavenPaget]

Purple LED's or UV LED's using the light border trick ! Nice to see someone thinking of purple , sick of me using blue EVERY SINGLE @#$%ING TIME !

[objector]

Yeah, I really don't feel like making a blue border! This will be for my very first pedal build and I have a really cool design in mind, but that required a purple border...

Since I'm new to the building of stompboxes, I don't have any gear to test whether this works or not. So I'm hoping someone around here has already beat me to it!

[Le québécois]

Hi,
unless the purple led are very different from what I know with LED I don't see why It can't work. You need super bright one and if you are not limited in power supply just lower the R value. I use 2 whites LED for a surface of a foot square and it work very well. I bet 1 would have be enough. R was not that low something around 1 or 2 k. I can't remember. I sand the surface of the LED as someone suggested.
good luck

[runmikeyrun]

that sounds awesome!  Been meaning to order one of those light plates, but haven't ordered an enclosure in a while.  It's on my (extremely long) list.

[objector]

Thanks for the input everyone! To what value should I lower the resistor? I'm pretty new to electronics, so have no idea. The two pedals I am going to build (vero) have an onboard 2k2 resistor for the LED.

If I want to use a normal indication LED together with a lighting border, do I just wire the LED's in series?

[Gurner]

just be aware that purple (UV) puts out a fair bit less light output than the other main colours (they're a bit anaemic in my opinion) ...if I was after a purple border I'd be looking to use white LEDS and tinting it top suit (eg the border material, or a purple film over the LED etc)

[chromesphere]

Objector, you must have read my mind.  I'm currently working on a sea urchin (deep blue delay) with a clear light plate and, i estimate, 6 UV leds around the light plate that i hope to hook up to an LFO (assuming the pt2399 actually has one?) so it pulses in time with the delay.  I have tested the UV Leds, and the black light is weak, but, using UV reactive cable, flouro pens etc, I hope to be able to get some crazy colors going on inside the box. Although, you will only be able see the colors in the dark from my tests. I'm still waiting on the UV leds to show up, so it's going to take some time before i can show you anything for reference.  I tried using glow in the dark powder coating on the enclosure but the 'glow in the dark' strenght of the paint is really weak.  I'd probably just use white paint as its one of the best colors to reflect the UV wavelenght.
Hope that helps and GL
Paul.

[deadastronaut]

just be aware that purple (UV) puts out a fair bit less light output than the other main colours (they're a bit anaemic in my opinion) ...if I was after a purple border I'd be looking to use white LEDS and tinting it top suit (eg the border material, or a purple film over the LED etc)

+1 to that, ive used uv leds...and they are not bright enough for borders imo....

maybe use a red and blue together...or like gurner suggested bright whites, with maybe a tint of purple nail varnish...

[The Iron Chef]

What Gurner said, and Deadastronaut too. Try this for color. Color the inside rim of the acrylic plate with a "Sharpie" pen, that's what I do. I also line the inside of the enclosure with reflective aluminum tape to help reflect the led light all around the inside of the box.  Minimizes bright spots and helps even out the look of the light.
hth

-Keith

[objector]

Objector, you must have read my mind.  I'm currently working on a sea urchin (deep blue delay) with a clear light plate and, i estimate, 6 UV leds around the light plate that i hope to hook up to an LFO (assuming the pt2399 actually has one?) so it pulses in time with the delay.  I have tested the UV Leds, and the black light is weak, but, using UV reactive cable, flouro pens etc, I hope to be able to get some crazy colors going on inside the box. Although, you will only be able see the colors in the dark from my tests. I'm still waiting on the UV leds to show up, so it's going to take some time before i can show you anything for reference.  I tried using glow in the dark powder coating on the enclosure but the 'glow in the dark' strenght of the paint is really weak.  I'd probably just use white paint as its one of the best colors to reflect the UV wavelenght.
Hope that helps and GL
Paul.

Haha, great minds think alike! Too bad the light will be too faint, I'll order some LEDS and experiment with different setups! What about using a red and a blue light and trying different resistor setups to get the right mix?

Thanks everyone for the input!

[objector]

Sorry for the double post, but I just discovered something new on this forum.... Has anyone tried to Sound to Light circuit with a light border? I'm curious how that would look. Must be awesome if the whole plate pulses with your guitar playing.

[deadastronaut]

yep done it!... and yes it is.

http://www.aronnelson.com/gallery/main.php/v/chickpea/sound2light_.jpg.html

use pin 3 in and a 100r on pin 5 to your leds......it will only work with 2 or more leds...which is ideal for this purpose anyway.....(have 4 , 1 in each corner (different colours etc)  ...have fun, its a cool little solution/circuit!..

[objector]

yep done it!... and yes it is.

http://www.aronnelson.com/gallery/main.php/v/chickpea/sound2light_.jpg.html

use pin 3 in and a 100r on pin 5 to your leds......it will only work with 2 or more leds...which is ideal for this purpose anyway.....(have 4 , 1 in each corner (different colours etc)  ...have fun, its a cool little solution/circuit!..

Thanks for the explanation! Doesn't the schematic indicate that pin 2 should be used as 'in', instead of pin 3 like you said?

I'll be building a D*A*M Meathead as first pedal ever, so I hope I'll be able to cram this all in a 1590B enclosure.

I'm going to follow this layout
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UxX5PW6892w/TzW2pmygBNI/AAAAAAAAAos/SQN9HLGks7c/s1600/DAM+Meathead+-+smallest+-+switchable+caps.png

So I guess I just swap the 2k2 on this layout for a 100r and instead of wiring the LED+ cable to the led as in the schematic, I'll route this cable to the 9V in of the 'Sound 2 Light'? The blue lines two points I just need to connect (jumpers)?

To be honest I don't understand what you connect to the 'IN' of the Sound 2 Light, since there isn't a out? Could someone brighten me up and explain how I incorporate the sound to light with the Meathead layout?

Sorry for all the nooby questions, but I'm probably going to far for a frist build.  I've always been intrigued by electronics so I'm really looking forward to learning some more in depth stuff!

Luckily Valoosj from this forum is a very good friend of mine, so when I really don't understand something, I can always ask him! But that's a last resort!

[deadastronaut]

hi objector:

build your meathead as it is...get that working first ok..

then add the sound to light..yes input 3...(made a mistake on the layout ok ) (i will put that right)

wire your pedal/ pcb input normally, then have another wire from input jack tip going to the pin3 386 in...

add the 10uf across pins 1 to 8....add a 100r from out 5...to + of led - + led- (in series)...to ground...and pin 4(which is ground also)

take your 9v+ and run a wire to pin 6....done!..

but like i say,get your effect working first before all this ok...pretty lights aren't so pretty if it don't work!!!..

new layout done!..

[Gurner]

For the circuit shown, it's probably worth mentioning that  end results are going to very much depend upon the fwd voltage of the led used.

For example, if red leds are used, then they've a fwd voltage in or around the 2V...an LM386 is biased at 4.5V DC for a 9V supply ....so with 4 LEDS in play (4 x 2V = 8V)  they are well into their 'off' region.....with the only coming on once the AC signal voltage gets above 8V....therefore, only by applying a large amount of signal gain will the LEDs even be coaxed into turning on....and even then you've only got 1V of 'on' range (essentially you end up with the leds either fully on or fully off  within this small 1V range ....almost like a switch)

You'd get better results/response with just 3 Red LED (therefore 6V needed to turn them on ....LM386 is biased at 4.5V ....1.5V of AC signal needs to 'ride' on that DC bias, to turn them on....so you'll have less of an 'on/off' led response with a little it more 'in between full on or full off.

So for the purposes of the circuit I'd say go with 3 x Red LEDS and 150R resistor. (even for 4 leds, 150R is too high ...use  56R resistor ....this will yield 20mA at 9V)

For blue or white leds....... any more than 2 LEDs wouldn't work as shown (their forward voltage is about 3.3V ...therefore 3.3 x 3 = 9.9V needed ...can't be done with a 9V supply), so for blue leds...use two LED in series & a 150R ....if you need more than 2 leds....rinse repeat (ie just keep add two in series with a 150R to the supply)

[deadastronaut]

^+1  , i only ever use 2 leds, (for eyes )  and i never use batteries...

[Gurner]

^+1  , i only ever use 2 leds, (for eyes )  and i never use batteries...

Aaah...I've batteries on the brain...I meant 9V supply (original post updated!) Your layout shows 4 leds ...it might be prudent to show only a couple in their else folks will possibibly think that slapping 4 LED in situ will work.

Just be aware that with 2 LEDs...if you choose red, then they'll be biased on even without a signal (2 x red fwd voltage of 2V = 4V, but the LM386 is sitting at 4.5V)....so better using 3 RED leds or 2 white/blues leds.

[objector]

Thanks for the interesting explanation everyone! If I'd be able to build the effect in working order, I'll consider adding this, looks like a cool experiment! 

[deadastronaut]

@gurner:  sorted!..