I'm reasonably savvy with LEDs but I want to create a mitsubishi badge and illuminate it using an LED(s) on my bootlid. Why - 'cause I want to.

Anyone got links or personal experience with shaping lenses, prisms, plastic. What type of plastic. I have a lathe and a mill. Red LED of course!

Also keen for LED brake light mod too.

hey that sounds like a great idea!
unfortunately im fairly useless when it comes to plastics and stuff like that.

i can help a bit with leds and wiring, but not really hehe.

prob best if i shutup now and let someone who knows talk

They sell Ralliart and Mitsubishi light up badges in those ricey shops.
I am sure I have seen it.

hope that helps.

best thing i could think of, would be to get a couple of mitsu badges from the wreckers and use them as a trace for a bit of aluminium or similar to get the outline.

cutout the center to get your diamonds and then get some red plastic (?) to go over it.. using an old badge, maybe mount the LEDS onto that, and then glue the two halves together!

either that - or go buy the ones from the riceyshops, might be easier...

ooo a thought.

i buy really cheap leds from a supplier.
superbright ones for like 20 cents each.
so if you need pre-wired, or normal leds give them a try.
haha the postage works out to be more than the leds sometimes

(not advertising lol.)
its called besthongkong.com
anyone else had experience with them?

once you get the lens side of it sorted you can use that paper that was suggested for gauges the stuff they use for those lamps anyway use it as a diffuser on the back of the lenses so that you get a more constant beam of light shining through it instead of a concentrated one just use as mane layers as you want or you could use normal paper the leds shouldnt be to tricky it would just depend on the size of the diamonds/ desired brightness to the amount of leds you use per diamond

I'm not too sure what your after...but hazarding a guess, theres a few ways you could do it.

1. Big Light Pipe
Have a hole in the boot, enough for a light pipe to go through with the pipe splitting into the three diamonds. Given the correct design of the pipe, it would work quite well. LEDs could be SMD or through hole. Pros: Could have almost a flush mounted design as the work to guide the light is done out of sight in the boot. Cons: Hole in the boot. Trial and error with the light pipe design. May get hot spots

2. Small Light Pipe
Have 3 SMD LEDS for each of the mitsu diamonds, and a small light pipe with probably frosted lens to help even out the light. Pros: Easier install. Cons: Probably needs to be at least 10mm deep for PCB, LED and lens. May get hot spots.

3. LED backlight (as used for LCDs). or Electroluminescent backing
Use an LED backlight like for LCD clocks and mobile phones or some EL backlighting, and place a 3 diamond filter over the top of it. The red LCD backlights are probably more a soft red or pink as that helps to read the dark LCD infront of it, so may not be the best for a deep red mitsu logo. It may be better to go a white back light and place a red filter over it then the 3 diamond filter. EL paper is probably better but it also depends on the how bright you want it. Pros: Easy install, thin. No lenses necessary, just a filter and some clear plasic covering. Cons: not many cons. Constricted to the size of the LED backlights you can find. El red may be a bit dull, depends how bright you want it to be.

4. OLED display
One of my usual great ideas but never put into practice. It was for the exact same thing using an OLED display with a red channel (or RGB for whatever logo you want to create). Hook it up to a suitable micro or PIC and use it to generate the logo. Electronic design and coding is needed to be done up front, but once thats done, its just like building something mechanical. Also could be interfaced to the brake light, so that it turns full red on braking. Pros: Most versitile design and has ultimate rice factor. Cons: Won't get much change out of $100 materials.

I'd look into number 3.

I'm reasonably savvy with LEDs but I want to create a mitsubishi badge and illuminate it using an LED(s) on my bootlid. Why - 'cause I want to.

Anyone got links or personal experience with shaping lenses, prisms, plastic. What type of plastic. I have a lathe and a mill. Red LED of course!

Also keen for LED brake light mod too.

this is sounding like a really cool idea. can i steal it?

I will try and find pics of the product I have seen. I am sure I saw a Ralliart lighted version badge BUT again it may not be what you want. From memory they cost under $25.00 or so.

Also keen for LED brake light mod too.

As if you don't turn the mitsi badge itself into a red LED brake light!

That would look realy cool, as soon as brakes applied LED array in the badge turns on and starts glowing.

As an aside; you're a legend and I can't wait till have I have enough cash to buy all the aftermarket intake bits you've got available. :)

As another thought more related to the original question, has there already been a clear plastic mitsi badge of a "reasonable" size (say 1 - 1.5" length per diamond) made by anyone?

Have mitsi themselves ever put a clear one on any car?
Has someone made one after market?

If so; I think the cheapest (assuming that said badge doesn't cost a fortune) option with a reasonably effective (and potentially bright) outcome would be a small array of ultra-bright LEDs (or micro LEDs if you favour it being more slimline and less bright). Simply embed the micro-LEDs (think phone keypad size ones) into the back of the clear plastic. Minimal circuitry, could be done just with wires or a PCB, one hole through the boot lid to both attach it and power it and you'd be there.

Or, if you go ultra-bright you'd probably need to drill more holes in your boot lid.
I suspect 3 holes would probably do the trick, depending on what material the original badge had been made out of. If it was frosted, you'd be fine with 3. If it was a really clear fabrication you'd likely need more, or something more even for backlight.

I want to do this with my old phones LEDs (white ones) on my little front grille diamond now.

I reckon carve the holes in the boot lid, get some perspex and put a globe behind it inside the bootlid. You could make it fit flush that way too.

hey i'm in the prosess of doing the same thing(rear lights) but i'm getting them made up by a company, i just have to give them the dimensions and they will make the panel.

I reckon carve the holes in the boot lid, get some perspex and put a globe behind it inside the bootlid. You could make it fit flush that way too.

That was the initial plan, since there's a deep gouge right next to my boot badge I was gunna just cut the scratch out too.

Lots of info posted thanks everyone! :D Keep ideas and projects, esp links, coming incase a better idea or methods comes to light (no pun intended :redface: )

I reckon carve the holes in the boot lid, get some perspex and put a globe behind it inside the bootlid. You could make it fit flush that way too.

That looks alot more fiddly then it sounds.
To get the perspex to be cut to the exact dimansions and line up flush would take quite an effort.

i would get rid of the MAGNA letters in the garnish and put some LED's behind that.
Or as that joshua jenson said get a company to make you a replica.

hey i'm in the prosess of doing the same thing(rear lights) but i'm getting them made up by a company, i just have to give them the dimensions and they will make the panel.

Details?? Website? :poke: (That's me pumping you for info)

LEDs have about 20deg viewing angle, but you can purchase wide angle ones for about $4.00 ea.

You might be able to see your LED light at any angle, but the intensity drops dramatically outside its manufactured viewing angle

You can also easily increase the viewing angle using a simple method, with a good file or sanding disk grind the top down (take off the rounded bit).. this increases the viewing angle of the LED. (dont forget to finish it with a high grade of wet/dry to remove fine scratches)

Sacrifice a couple of LEDs to see how low you can go, the lower the cut, the higher the angle. We have achieved >140deg veiwing angle from standard 3mm LEDs. The also look better when mounted because it is easier to get them mounted flush with the surface.

This also creates better safer lights if using them to build Rear / Brake Light modules.

So if flattening the top gives better viewing angle, one would think use just to use square LEDs would solve it, not so.. The manfacturing process is different between the 2, the square LEDs have a general overall brightness with no real focus point, the round ones have a defined focus point, a focus point that we are still using, then spreading the light over a greater surface area.

PS.. if you have a IF remote control that has difficulty working from a point in a room.. eg. cant change TV channels from an armchair in a corner somewhere.. you can do this to IR LEDs as well to increase the usable angle of the Remote. This is very simular to the need we had to investigate all of this.. it involved being able to read the position of IR LEDs at extreme angles.

Hope this all helps..

LEDs have about 20deg viewing angle, but you can purchase wide angle ones for about $4.00 ea.

You might be able to see your LED light at any angle, but the intensity drops dramatically outside its manufactured viewing angle

You can also easily increase the viewing angle using a simple method, with a good file or sanding disk grind the top down (take off the rounded bit).. this increases the viewing angle of the LED. (dont forget to finish it with a high grade of wet/dry to remove fine scratches)

Sacrifice a couple of LEDs to see how low you can go, the lower the cut, the higher the angle. We have achieved >140deg veiwing angle from standard 3mm LEDs. The also look better when mounted because it is easier to get them mounted flush with the surface.

This also creates better safer lights if using them to build Rear / Brake Light modules.

So if flattening the top gives better viewing angle, one would think use just to use square LEDs would solve it, not so.. The manfacturing process is different between the 2, the square LEDs have a general overall brightness with no real focus point, the round ones have a defined focus point, a focus point that we are still using, then spreading the light over a greater surface area.

PS.. if you have a IF remote control that has difficulty working from a point in a room.. eg. cant change TV channels from an armchair in a corner somewhere.. you can do this to IR LEDs as well to increase the usable angle of the Remote. This is very simular to the need we had to investigate all of this.. it involved being able to read the position of IR LEDs at extreme angles.

Hope this all helps..

good info mate! very interesting

If you want an even light I would be using a cold cathode through thick perspex.

If you want an even light I would be using a cold cathode through thick perspex.

I think for the level of brightness that you will get out of that may make the EL (Electro Luminescent) option a better investment.
With EL you are 100% guaranteed an even light, yes they don't really "shine" as such, but they do glow clearly and they have perhaps the best option for forming your desired shape. They are also very slimline (generally less than 2mm thick) there is only a single connector for the whole shim, so wiring is easy.

I guess it all depends just how bright you want it. If you want it really bright, LED is really the only way to go.
If you value it being perfectly even over bright, EL is IMO the best bet.

A side thought; is it illegal to have a design for an LED brake light?

EG.
An array of LEDs to form the mitsi logo which illuminate upon braking?

A side thought; is it illegal to have a design for an LED brake light?

EG.
An array of LEDs to form the mitsi logo which illuminate upon braking?

i wouldnt think it is. all the ADRs and the like say is that with the exception of blinkers and reversers, all rear ward facing lights must be red. there may be regualtions on brightness though. itd be a good idea to check out the rta website. there are VSIs on there as well about lighting and stuff

Yep, though there's nothing clearly stating it. A while ago I rang up QLD transport to enquire about making shaped high-mount brake-lights, was thinking of a phoenix shape for a trike mob I did a website for; one minute it all sounds like it should be legal, then once they figured out they were all "oh, um, no you can't do that!", without being able to specify what exactly was illegal about it.

I believe their argument was that it would be distracting to other drivers, who would be more interested in checking out the design than realising you were braking. Or something along those lines...

lets go all pimp my ride style

stuff the leds!

put a screen in the bootlid where the mitsu badge goes.....

then you can have whatever on it :P