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Thread ID: 52676	2004-12-26 08:58:00	How to make a USB Light	Willuknight (6541)	PC World Chat

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
307633	2004-12-26 08:58:00	USB Snake light Inspiration from http://www . metku . net/ An easy and fun mod which doesn't take too long, nor cost too much . All writing and photographs are copyright of William Stewart, 2004 . Feel free to tell your friends about this mod, or post about it elsewhere on the net . I do NOT give permission for people to copy and paste this article and publish it elsewhere . If you would like to ask my permission for distribution, please contact me on Willuknight @ gmail . com DISCLAIMER: It is not my fault or responsibility for you or your computer parts . Nothing happened to me while I made this mod . HOWEVER I accept no responsibility any damage or injury caused while following this guide . By reading the rest of these instructions, you signify that you have read and agree to this Disclaimer . Have fun ! NOTE: Do not try this with multiple LEDs / different resistors unless you know what your doing . If in doubt, ask someone experienced with electronics . If you follow the guide and get the same LED / resistor, i doubt you'll have any problems . If you get a different value resistor or LED, you could blow your USB controller . Parts Needed: (DSE = D ick Smith Electronics) 1x USB Cable (I got a spare USB printer cord and chopped off the printer end) 1x LED (I got an Ultra bright White LED from DSE for NZ$7 . 95 . Part number Z3980 1x Resistor . Type will vary depending on what LED you use . If in doubt, ask someone at an electronics store . If you use the same LED I used, then you need the R 1058 Resistor @ DSE Electrical Tape Or you could be cheap and use sellotape . EXTRA'S Cable Cover I got a 3meter length at Repco for $9 . You can also buy rubber covers for cables from Payless Plastics . They look really good inside your case to cover up Molex cables, ect . You could also try Heatshrink, ask at DSE Lamp Mount / Cover Use your imagination . I found a loose Icicle Christmas light cover, worked quite well . Wire If you get some wire, then you can make the light act like a snake light, i . e . bend it and it will hold its shape . Really Handy . You can get an old wire Coat hanger for this, or any other sort of wire that is easy to bend, yet will hold up the weight of the light . I only have thin wire spare, so I folded it 4x for enough strength . TOOLS: Soldering Iron and Solder Utility Knife Wire cutters Also handy is a vice or something to hold the wires in place . -------------------------- Instructions Step One: Skinning a) Get your USB cable, cut off the end you don't want . Cut off 5cm of the plastic cover of the cable with your utility knife, being careful not to cut any wires (its good practice) . There will be about 4 wires in the USB cable, and possibly a foil shield, surrounded by a weave of outer wire shield . b) Pull back the shields, until you can see about 5cm of the Coloured wires . c) The only wires we need to use are the Black wire and the Red wire . Red is 5volt, Black is Neutral . Trim back the plastic cover of these wires, until you can see about 3cm of the copper wire . Be very careful not to cut any of the copper wires . If you cut too many, you will have to trim back another 3cm . . photobucket . com/albums/v336/willuknight/Assorted/USBLight/Pic1 . jpg" target="_blank">img . photobucket . com Step Two: Soldering a) Get your LED, and look at it . The longer leg is the positive wire, the shorter is the negative . You may want to trim the legs back so they're not so long, BUT BE CAREFUL NOT TO FORGET WHICH LEG IS + AND WHICH IS - My suggestion: trim the - leg first, then make sure you leave the + longer . Use Wire cutters to trim the led legs . (Just a tip about soldering, the less solder the better, i . e . use enough for the job, but not a big blob of solder . Also be careful not to melt the LED casing, resistor or wire sleeves with the soldering Iron . I've ruined one component that way . You may want to do what I do, and use a cardboard shield . Just get a small cardboard rectangle, and cut a line into it about halfway . Then put the wire you want to solder through the cut . The idea is that the cardboard protects the rest of the wire/components . Then when that wire is soldered, tape it up before moving to the next one . ) . photobucket . com/albums/v336/willuknight/Assorted/USBLight/Pic2 . jpg" target="_blank">img . photobucket . com b) Now solder one end of the resistor to the + leg of the LED . c) Then solder the red wire to the other end of the resistor . d) Now solder the Black wire to the short leg of the LED . Now test your light . All going well, it should work . If not, check that none of the wires are touching each other, and that the Black and Red lines do not touch anywhere . Now you have a functioning light, but it’s still pretty ugly and fragile, so you need to finalize it . You can bend the wires around if you need to, but make sure they don't touch each other, or break ---------- Step Three: Make it Pretty a) Now, if you have a led mount, affix the led to the mount . remember to make sure no exposed wires touch . b) Wrap up the end with electrical tape, and cover all exposed wires . Remember the other coloured wires, and the cable shield we didn't use ? you can cut this back, or tape it under . Remember not to let any exposed wire to be in contact . c) Now get your heavy gauge wire, for the snake light part of your light . This wire should be weak enough to bend without too much effort, but still strong enough to retain its shape, and bear the weight of the LED . Wrap the wire around the cord and tape it at intervals of 5cm or so, for strength . Your USB light should now look like this: . photobucket . com/albums/v336/willuknight/Assorted/USBLight/Pic3 . jpg" target="_blank">img . photobucket . com You can spray paint the cord, or wrap it in cablesleeving or heatshink if you want it to look better . My Finished Product : . photobucket . com/albums/v336/willuknight/Assorted/USBLight/Pic4 . jpg" target="_blank">img . photobucket . com . photobucket . com/albums/v336/willuknight/Assorted/USBLight/Pic5 . jpg" target="_blank">img . photobucket . com Well, that was exciting . All up it cost me $7 . 99 to make this, not including USB Cable, Electrical tape, solder, LED mount, Cable Sleeving and 1 hour or so time . That’s about what it would cost to buy one on trade me :D However I’m still pleased I did this, as it was enjoyable, educational and now I get to have my very own home made USB Accessory! Sorry about the lousy photos . My current 2mb camera isn't good at dark photos or close-ups . I lost my good Sony Cyber shot in a fire :( I hope someone else out that takes up the challenge, costs could probably be saved by buying a normal LED instead of an Ultra bright one, which cost 99% of my budget . I'll defiantly be trying variations on this mod, maybe some LED spotlights inside my case :) Cheers, Willuknight AKA William Stewart	Willuknight (6541)
307634	2004-12-26 19:55:00	i might try this......	Codex (3761)
307635	2004-12-26 21:41:00	I have been thinking of doing this for some time..... nice of you to write it all up for others.	robsonde (120)
307636	2004-12-27 00:23:00	here is another version www.siliconchip.com.au	Eric (378)
307637	2004-12-27 01:18:00	Mines customised for New Zealanders though :D Its probabably cheaper and easier to go buy yourslef one from trademe, however nothing beats having made something like this yourself :D	Willuknight (6541)
307638	2004-12-27 04:40:00	Mines customised for New Zealanders though :D Its probabably cheaper and easier to go buy yourslef one from trademe, however nothing beats having made something like this yourself :D Hardly seems worth the hassle when you can but one which looks a lot smarter and costs less www.dansdata.com www.dansdata.com	Greg (193)
307639	2004-12-27 05:23:00	i been thinking of doing this for a while too... tho mines alot simpler... I blew a LED when connecting it to the 5v's on the usb tho...*scratches head*	hamstar (4)
307640	2004-12-28 04:47:00	I had to buy a "fun" Christmas present and thought I would buy a DSE Christmas tree which you plug into the usb port and it lights up!! They had sold out	dolby digital (5073)
307641	2004-12-28 05:21:00	I had to buy a "fun" Christmas present and thought I would buy a DSE Christmas tree which you plug into the usb port and it lights up!! They had sold out lol u serious?? i mean they look so cheap lol well i guess its the xmas spirit that counts :xmouth: :dogeye:	Codex (3761)
307642	2004-12-28 09:00:00	It was of those $5 pressie things... I was surprised they had all gone :o	dolby digital (5073)
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