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How To

How to Make a Bicolor LED

Contributor
By eHow Contributing Writer
(4 Ratings)

LED lights are longer-lasting alternatives to incandescent light bulbs. Because LEDs last up to six times longer than other bulbs on the same battery strength, they are suitable choices for lamps and flashlights. Converting a flashlight to LED is fairly simple, but may be difficult if you have no experience with wiring. Making a bicolor LED flashlight involves substituting 2 LED bulbs for 1 incandescent bulb.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging
Instructions

Things You'll Need:

  • A small flashlight
  • 2 LED bulbs of different colors
  • Wire cutters
  • A drill
  1. Step 1

    Remove the incandescent bulb from your existing flashlight. Either save the bulb or exercise caution when disposing of it to avoid broken glass shards.

  2. Step 2

    Select 2 colors of LED bulbs to replace the incandescent bulb with. White and red are both common colors for LED lights and are widely available.

  3. Step 3

    Locate the LED leads for both LED bulbs. Trim the ends off of the leads using sharp wire cutters. The leads should be about 1/4-inch long for a small flashlight.

  4. Step 4

    Insert both sets of leads into the bulb socket. Test the light by turning on the switch. If the LED lights don't light up, try reversing the leads. If they still don't light up, remove one of the LEDs to make sure that you are following the basic process correctly for a unicolor LED.

  5. Step 5

    Check to make sure that the lead wires are not touching one another as this will inhibit the individual LEDs lighting up and allowing your bicolor LED flashlight to function.

  6. Step 6

    Remove the reflector panel from the existing flashlight and use a drill bit to widen the hole to accommodate the LED bulbs, which are typically larger in base diameter than incandescent bulbs.

  7. Step 7

    Replace the batteries of the existing flashlight with N-cell batteries for the best light output from the bicolor LED. The number of N-cell batteries needed and the process for installing them will differ depending on the size of the flashlight. You may need to create artificial spacers with battery contacts or screws to conduct electricity through the excess space.

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