LED Headband
Hi!
Today we will be making a headband with LED's attached to it (SMD-size)
They are still very bright, and durable.
This is not for the shaky hands since it contains soldering on very very small parts.
You can use it at parties or whenever you feel like shining :)
Today we will be making a headband with LED's attached to it (SMD-size)
They are still very bright, and durable.
This is not for the shaky hands since it contains soldering on very very small parts.
You can use it at parties or whenever you feel like shining :)
Parts?
First off you will be needing the headband itself.
I'm using a broad plastic one, since it's a common one you can find just anywhere in any shop.
Then you need :
And ofcourse the usual, Cables, cables, cables, soldering iron, hot glue and patience :^)
I'm using a broad plastic one, since it's a common one you can find just anywhere in any shop.
Then you need :
- 10+ 5050-SMD led's (i have RGB-coloured, so i can use which 3 colours i want)
- Copper-tape 5mm or smaller
- Batteryholders. More about them later on.
- Some sort of switch.
And ofcourse the usual, Cables, cables, cables, soldering iron, hot glue and patience :^)
Lay a Path.
First off, we need to make 3 paths for the headband where the electricity will go.
2 Paths for the LEDs, and one path for the electricity to double the voltage and loop back.
So cut 3 pieces of your coppertape that match in lenght.
You then want to put them on the headband very straight and the distance between them is very important.
You want the "LED-strips to be far enough apart so the leds will fit between without touching the strips (see pics)
Now remove the backpaper and slap them onto the headband.
2 Paths for the LEDs, and one path for the electricity to double the voltage and loop back.
So cut 3 pieces of your coppertape that match in lenght.
You then want to put them on the headband very straight and the distance between them is very important.
You want the "LED-strips to be far enough apart so the leds will fit between without touching the strips (see pics)
Now remove the backpaper and slap them onto the headband.
Mounting LED's
Alright!
Now we want to put the led's onto the headband.
Put the led's just between the coppertape-strips. NOT ONTO THEM.
For this i used a drop of hot glue on the back of the LED's (use too much and you will cover the small legs on the LED's, and you can't solder)
Then smacked it onto the headband before it cooled.
Be sure to put the led's in the same direction. i don't think i need to say why :)
Rinse and repeat untill you filled your headband!
(The more you use, the more power they will drain, so calculate out how long you want them to last then put on the desired amount of LED's)
Now we want to put the led's onto the headband.
Put the led's just between the coppertape-strips. NOT ONTO THEM.
For this i used a drop of hot glue on the back of the LED's (use too much and you will cover the small legs on the LED's, and you can't solder)
Then smacked it onto the headband before it cooled.
Be sure to put the led's in the same direction. i don't think i need to say why :)
Rinse and repeat untill you filled your headband!
(The more you use, the more power they will drain, so calculate out how long you want them to last then put on the desired amount of LED's)
Fixing Power!
Alright, now you have all your LED's placed onto the headband.
Now we need a powersource.
Take the two AA-battery holders and glue them onto each side of your headband.
I know they look somewhat bulky, but they are not. :)
Now we need a powersource.
Take the two AA-battery holders and glue them onto each side of your headband.
I know they look somewhat bulky, but they are not. :)
Soldering It All Together!
If you've managed to get this far, it's time to solder it all together.
This is a tricky part, and it requires a steady hand.
Depending on which pins you solder, you can get different colours from the LED. In this case, red, blue or green.
(The red colour has Vf of 2,2V and I don't know why. The others have 3V)
When you have soldered all the LED's in place, you solder the batterywires to the coppertape aswell.
Doublecheck so you don't solder anything backwards.
Then don't forget to add your switch somewhere!
I used a simple cableconnector ( see pic ) To turn it on and off.
This is a tricky part, and it requires a steady hand.
Depending on which pins you solder, you can get different colours from the LED. In this case, red, blue or green.
(The red colour has Vf of 2,2V and I don't know why. The others have 3V)
When you have soldered all the LED's in place, you solder the batterywires to the coppertape aswell.
Doublecheck so you don't solder anything backwards.
Then don't forget to add your switch somewhere!
I used a simple cableconnector ( see pic ) To turn it on and off.
Finito!
Now you are done!
Feel proud of yourself!
Pat yourself on the shoulder and say : I'm good at this!
Other Ideas:
If you think the batteries look pretty bad stuck onto the sides, you can build some horns over them to cover it up.
If you wonder why I did not use small flat batteries, it's because they would last for ~10 mins max.
Any other questions, just fire away!
Feel proud of yourself!
Pat yourself on the shoulder and say : I'm good at this!
Other Ideas:
If you think the batteries look pretty bad stuck onto the sides, you can build some horns over them to cover it up.
If you wonder why I did not use small flat batteries, it's because they would last for ~10 mins max.
Any other questions, just fire away!