LED interior light module shop (CLOSED again)

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tideland Prius @ Jan 27 2007, 09:12 PM) [snapback]381847[/snapback]</div>

I did initially have a lower price on the license lights, but that increased pretty quickly once I started making some! The less I enjoy doing something, the more I have to charge... or just stop like I'm doing now.

I mean no offence, of course. It isn't like I've ever begged anybody to buy these!

 

Noted! You can see that my door is no longer being broken down for these. After a while I'll count up what people want, order the parts, and see about another run. Thanks for posting!

 

I've got you on the wish list, Steve. Thanks.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Stepclimb @ May 26 2007, 08:53 PM) [snapback]450651[/snapback]</div>

Stepclimb-

Do me a favor and send me an email so I can easily add you to my list. (ev at darelldd dot com).

The short answer to your question is no. And yes. While all the components are "off the shelf" - they must all be sourced, and then arranged properly on a circuilt board (that's custom-made, of course) in order to fit in a usable footprint. The original circuit took untold hours and money to design, prototype and test, and is now on its third generation. Trying to buy the components (and designing the board) in small quantites would be foolhardy at best, and impossible at worst. There's a good reason that nobody else is yet doing this!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Bob64 @ May 28 2007, 01:28 AM) [snapback]450946[/snapback]</div>

I do appreciate the thought.... and...

The short answer is that this won't happen.

The longer (probably snotty-sounding) answer is that it takes literally $1000's of dollars of assembly tools to do this right (these are all surface-mount components that are not designed for hand-assembly). It has taken me years to collect all the tools (and - while I'm sounding snotty already - all the skills) needed to work on small electronic curcuits like these. It isn't something that goes right the first time! The customer support aspect of an undertaking like a "DIY" circuit would be impossible. If one component is damaged or installed incorrectly, we're right back to where we started. And because of that problem alone, the "kit" would need to cost far more than the completed assembly where we KNOW it was done right - and tested for functionality before being shipped.

Here is a page with a few of the tools I use for this kind of work.
http://darelldd.com/light/tools.htm

There has been enough interest lately (lots of new cars?) so it sounds like I'll start up the assembly shop for another short run this summer. I will keep everybody posted on that! Now's the time to post here (with an email address!) or email me directly to let me know your desires.

 

As I've told countless others - the license plate lights are the LAST ones I'd replace for two main reasons:

1. Difficulty in access.
2. As the driver of the car, you don't ever see/enjoy them!

Next in line - or second-to-last - would be the vanity lights that so few people actually use.

First choice is front, middle dome light (operates with the doors every time) and the cargo light (factory light is not up to the task).

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tideland Prius @ May 28 2007, 02:44 PM) [snapback]451125[/snapback]</div>

The cost is on my LED purchase page (linked from the OP on this thread, I'm pretty sure... also from my Prius Mods page). The Summary:

My modules are very expensive. The Chinese ones are very cheap. There is simply no way to compare the two. It is similar to trying to compare a Yugo and Porsche 911 twin turbo. They're both cars! There's no reason for me to make cheap ones since you can buy them anywhere. But nobody else makes high-output regulated units - at any cost. And there's a reason! Did I mention cost?