Mutant lighting

Sync · Post by **Sync** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 12:12 pm

So, I got permission to bring my mutant vehicle project and now have to build the thing and need some advice. It's basically a white rat the size of a pony built on a torn down scooter frame. The basic body is almost done, and now I have to consider lighting for night running, and of course times being what they are, cost. The guidelines for DMV say "Radically lit." So, what's that mean in practical terms? Will 60-70 feet of EL wire wrapped around the frame do it? A few sequenced led nets (Christmass lighting)? Is the concern just visability, or a combination of safty and eye candy? Any help or comments would be appriciated.

dragonfly Jafe · Post by **dragonfly Jafe** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 3:28 pm

Sync wrote:...Will 60-70 feet of EL wire wrapped around the frame do it?

most likely not

I do not work for the DMV, but from experience your MV needs to BLAZE at night. Believe it or not EL wire kind of blends in, and isn't all that easy to see some times (don't know why). Flashing EL wire is better than solid-on, multiple colors better yet. A strobe underneath (lighting the Playa) goes a long ways, and only takes a few watts. I am adding some solar porch lights to mine at the rear (they will always be on at night even if I park it and turn off the motor).

If you are using white material, consider a dozen or so UV LEDs up high (maybe at tips of whiskers pointing back?), they will make the white BLAZE.

It is 50% safety and 50% eye candy, IMHO.

Good Luck!

ibdave · Post by **ibdave** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 4:30 pm

http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Glo ... -Your-Bike!/

Got a few last year.. work great...

Captain Goddammit · Post by **Captain Goddammit** » Fri Jun 26, 2009 10:50 pm

It's largely about eye candy. It needs to be really cool, not just adequate to be seen. I'd also recommend stepping it up.
Also - I don't know if they hit everyone with this, but last year when I went in for my night license, they pulled a new, entirely unpublished rule out, saying all mutant vehicles had to have two red tail lights! Fortunately, WeDeliver (from here on the Eplaya) happened to be there and loaned me a set of trailer lights that I was able to attach and qualify for a night license with.
They claimed it was the BLM or some law enforcement agency's new rule.
I haven't checked lately, but I don't think they've published that anywhere yet. How nice.

dragonfly Jafe · Post by **dragonfly Jafe** » Sat Jun 27, 2009 7:47 am

Captain Goddammit wrote:....Also - I don't know if they hit everyone with this, but last year when I went in for my night license, they pulled a new, entirely unpublished rule out, saying all mutant vehicles had to have two red tail lights! Fortunately, WeDeliver (from here on the Eplaya) happened to be there and loaned me a set of trailer lights that I was able to attach and qualify for a night license with. They claimed it was the BLM or some law enforcement agency's new rule. I haven't checked lately, but I don't think they've published that anywhere yet. How nice.

Thanks for the tip, Captain! My MV missed last year, so I am 2 years out of touch now...

wedeliver · Post by **wedeliver** » Sat Jun 27, 2009 8:11 am

Captain Goddammit wrote:It's largely about eye candy. It needs to be really cool, not just adequate to be seen. I'd also recommend stepping it up.
Also - I don't know if they hit everyone with this, but last year when I went in for my night license, they pulled a new, entirely unpublished rule out, saying all mutant vehicles had to have two red tail lights! Fortunately, WeDeliver (from here on the Eplaya) happened to be there and loaned me a set of trailer lights that I was able to attach and qualify for a night license with.
They claimed it was the BLM or some law enforcement agency's new rule.
I haven't checked lately, but I don't think they've published that anywhere yet. How nice.

Thanks for the mention, and let me say how nice it was to see how professional the Capt hooked up the lights. Absolutly shop work. My thanks for taking care of them.

capt, you gonna come through this way this year? The mileage is the same full trip and it would give your vehicles a break on the journey.

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Sat Jun 27, 2009 9:15 am

They don't mean radially lit?

oneeyeddick · Post by **oneeyeddick** » Sat Jun 27, 2009 11:15 am

Yeah, I got hit with that "new" tailblight rule too, luckily it was just a matter of putting a fuse back in the fusebox for me.

When I asked why I needed to have them, the hotties said so the LEOs could tell whether the Penis on top was cumming or going.

Dork · Post by **Dork** » Sat Jun 27, 2009 11:37 am

70 ft of EL is actually pretty minimal in terms of allowing you to be seen from a distance. Can you provide more detail about how it will look and what the body is made of? If it's fabric, you can backlight it with any old cheap, efficient lighting. If it's solid, it's a little trickier but still doable. Also, what sort of power do you have available?

burnerboy33 · Post by **burnerboy33** » Sun Jun 28, 2009 12:17 pm

goto pep boys and check out there under carriage lighting kits. I got one for $79 and it had 2-48", 2-36" and 1-7" LED strips with a controller. You can change color, blink different pulses, all different kinds of settings. Two of those kits should do for a MV of that size.

Sync · Post by **Sync** » Tue Jun 30, 2009 12:28 pm

The ratâ€™s chicken wire frame is complete, and the fur is about half-way secured. As for the lights, I actually did find an undercarriage led system this weekend at Pep Boys that includes six strips. Hearing about the tail-light requirement is a little vexing. The scooter had tail lights, but they are buried under the ratâ€™s ass currently. I suppose Iâ€™m going to have to open the frame back up and extract the tail lights for re-installation on the outside somewhere. Thanks for the heads-up.

oneeyeddick · Post by **oneeyeddick** » Tue Jun 30, 2009 2:14 pm

You dont need brake lights, just tail lights...a red ledwire will get you through.

bdeywoo · Post by **bdeywoo** » Wed Jul 01, 2009 8:22 am

For the tail lights do you think Magnetic Red LED's that one can manually turn on and off would work? Glad i heard about this i had no idea!

oneeyeddick · Post by **oneeyeddick** » Wed Jul 01, 2009 8:50 am

Visibility is all that matters.

And the color red.

Sync · Post by **Sync** » Wed Jul 01, 2009 12:43 pm

So, just to make sure I have this right...all I need is a visable red light? No turn signals, nothing that reacts to breaks, just a red light I can turn on that's bright enough to be seen?

Token · Post by **Token** » Wed Jul 01, 2009 2:02 pm

Wait, Wait, Wait one minute.

You have a virgin Rats Ass available and you are debating about the location of the red light?

What is the world coming to?

Mutant lighting

Mutant lighting

Re: Mutant lighting

progress

tail light