# LED expert? **URL:** \ **Category:** Canada Nissan Off Topic\ **Created:** [May 23, 2007, 11:42am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/led-expert/146857 "2007-05-23T11:42:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Doozer](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/doozer/32/5818_2.png) [@Doozer](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Doozer)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2007, 11:42am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/led-expert/146857/1 "2007-05-23T11:42:06Z")
Is anyone out there pretty comfortable doing things with LED lights? I’ve installed a few on some computers and whatnot, but just the basics. I want to create some random flashing LEDs, probably running off a battery, for a toy that my neice has. I figure that someone here has probably done something similar with LEDs at some point, and would know to connect a relatively safe (ie, the toy can’t catch fire or get hot) circuit of flashing lights. If I can get a basic light setup working, then it shouldn’t be too tough to figure out how to get it into the toy. I’'ve got some LEDs, but I figure I’d need a switch, a battery, a flasher, and some resistors? It’s connecting the resistors and the flasher that I’m not sure about. ---
**Author:** ![jdms13rhd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@jdms13rhd](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/jdms13rhd)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2007, 2:35pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/led-expert/146857/2 "2007-05-23T14:35:26Z")
go to active on 63rd and gateway area. They will have what you need. ---
**Author:** ![Doozer](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/doozer/32/5818_2.png) [@Doozer](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Doozer)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2007, 5:37pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/led-expert/146857/3 "2007-05-23T17:37:54Z")
That’s part of the problem … I don’t get to Edmonton very often anymore, and I’m not sure where to go in Calgary. ---
**Author:** ![Blackout-Spec](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9fc29f/32.png) [@Blackout-Spec](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Blackout-Spec)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2007, 8:11pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/led-expert/146857/4 "2007-05-23T20:11:47Z")
try a hobby shop or something. they might know. ---
**Author:** ![n1zm0](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/n1zm0/32/3302_2.png) [@n1zm0](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/n1zm0)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2007, 11:53am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/led-expert/146857/5 "2007-06-01T11:53:12Z")
there is an Active Electronics store on 32nd east across from Coco Brooks. you can buy anything electronics there, switch, resistors caps TTL chips… But being a speciality store its quite expensive for somethings… LED’s function only when fwrd biased so conventional current flow (neg to pos), and they usually start emitting at .7v(most diodes too) , so create a circuit in which you have enough power for whatever you want to use (be careful if you put the diodes in series or parrallel, led’s don’t have spectacular way of dying so you’ll be ok, i.e no sparks/smoke) or if your really crazy do the calculations, Kirchoff’s/Ohm’s Law, and come up with a perfect circuit 🙂 lol i actually learnt something from Avionics :roll: GL! oh ya cathode(negative) is the flat part and the anode(positive) is the straight part (looking in the case which holds the semiconductor materials) ---
**Author:** ![beatshack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f0a364/32.png) [@beatshack](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/beatshack)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2007, 3:15pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/led-expert/146857/6 "2007-06-01T15:15:47Z")
i did the same thing once, i found a schematic on the web and bought all the components at radio shack ---
**Author:** ![Doozer](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/doozer/32/5818_2.png) [@Doozer](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Doozer)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2007, 5:08pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/led-expert/146857/7 "2007-06-04T17:08:33Z")
Thanks guys, I’ll check out Active in Calgary. ---
**Author:** ![Evan\_Mcclleland](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/41988e/32.png) [@Evan\_Mcclleland](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Evan_Mcclleland)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2007, 6:38pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/led-expert/146857/8 "2007-06-04T18:38:27Z")
there is also b&E electronics in south calgary. just off blackfoot and 46th ave! i go there all the time! ---
**Author:** ![Doozer](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/doozer/32/5818_2.png) [@Doozer](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Doozer)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2007, 5:07pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/led-expert/146857/9 "2007-06-20T17:07:33Z")
Thanks guys. I managed to get to Active while they were open (easier said than done), and they actually had a few basic kits that had some LEDs, circuit board, potentiometers, and resistors all in one package. It’s probably not the final product, but it’s exactly what I need to get started …