Is it possible to get 24 volts?

[argve]

Aric the biggest problem is getting them charged back up - the alt's on these trucks output for 12v batts not 24 volt systems... I haven't drawn out the circuit your taking about but I just don't see it working in my little brain at this point.

 

[adrianspeeder]

works on electric golf carts

I believe they have a 24v charger, and any 12v load is simply connected to one battery.

Adrianspeeder

 

[Agnem]

I'm still trying to figure out why you need 24 volts to run LED's. I must be missing something here. Last I checked, most LED's ran on 1.2 to 1.4 volts as a component. Maybe you have something that is assembled into something specific? Maybe it could be modified by a tech savy person.

 

[yARIC008]

I'm still trying to figure out why you need 24 volts to run LED's. I must be missing something here. Last I checked, most LED's ran on 1.2 to 1.4 volts as a component. Maybe you have something that is assembled into something specific? Maybe it could be modified by a tech savy person.

Well i'm using five luxeon 3 stars, each has a voltage drop of 3.9 volts. So in series that's a total voltage drop of 19.5 volts. I coult run two in series, then three more in a different series and what not and use resistors to fix the current and voltage to make them work, problem is the thermal situation. I've tried using just plain resistors, i've got some 15 watt resistors and when everything is on with the LEDs it gets very very hot, enough to probably start a fire. So i ditched the resistor plan and bought http://www.luxeonstar.com/item.php?id=863&link_str=240::241&partno=3021DE1000.
It's a power drive made for these LEDs. You can run up to 8 luxeon 3's in series with this driver, problem is you have to have a voltage going into the thing higher than the voltage drop incurred by the LEDs. So in my case, i need 24 volts to exceed the voltage drop of the 5 LEDs i want to hook up. Only other way would be to have two of these powerdrivers, but then it'd be a problem dimming the LEDs with the built-in dimmer on the powerdriver and i'd have to spend more money. So anyways, that was the problem...

 

[Agnem]

Ah. Boy I didn't know LED's had gotten so complicated to run.

 

[Diesel JD]

What are you using LEDs for?

 

[yARIC008]

Instrument cluster.

 

[h2odrx]

Hey this should be the first electronics thread?

 

[yARIC008]

Maybe it should be moved to the powerstroke forum

Last night i ordered heat sinks and a fan for the LEDs. They say to try to keep them around 120 degrees. Just letting them sit on last night connected to my battery they got to 200 according to my thermal gun.

I'm thinking about pointing the fan down to suck hot air out and pull in new air from.. well don't know where yet. Also was thinking about cutting a small hole in the A/C vent tube that goes past the cluster behind the dash, that way i could also blow cold air in there.

You can kinda see that in this picture.

I'm going to build all of it in my left over Eseries instrument cluster. Once i get that working and running cool I'll modify the F series cluster. I just hope that the LEDs will illuminate everything properly. From my little preliminary tests it doesn't seem very promising but i was just using one of my luxeon flashlights to mess around with trying to light up the plastic fiber optics stuff on the back of the cluster panels.. But I'll soon find out once i get all my stuff to hook it up. I don't even have a soldering iron. I always use my dads so I've got one of them ordered too.

 

[93turbo_animal]

I believe they have a 24v charger, and any 12v load is simply connected to one battery.

Adrianspeeder

actually they are 36 volts and they use 6 6volt batteries to power them and your right most charge at 36 volts but some don't but I don't know whats on the golf cart that makes it able to charge that way. We were working on 2 chargers tonight one puts out 36volts the other only 6 volts

As for the diodes if I had the time I'd buy a few and try it out

Ok now another question I'm to tired to figure out if you can hook the batts up to get 24 volt but still wire it up to steal just 12 volts why couldn't you hook the altenator up the same way to each battery and charge them independently