How To Wire Leds For Your Hookah

[PhishPhood]

Ok, so here is how I did it... 2 double A batts just held together with electrical tape...

Off one end I have one wire going to a switch. Off the other end of the switch I have one wire which splits into 2 one going to each LED. Then there is another wire off each of those going to the other side of the batteries.

All soldered together which was easy even for me who sucks at it. I just taped it all up tightly so that I can change out batteries as needed.

Feel free to ask any questions

I did not solder onto the batteries. Just taped so that it would be secure

There have been some great mods. One idea credited to BillySoCo7 was to put them in a piece of cardboard under the base to illuminate the vase. http://www.hookahforum.com/index.php?showtopic=16526

[lonasindi]

I think it's important to note that LEDs, being diodes, will only work in one 'direction'. New LEDs will have one lead longer than the other, and I want to say the longer is the anode (being the side you connect to the +) but I could be wrong, so don't take that as gospel.

If you're wiring anything up, be sure to try it before you solder. If the LEDs do not light, flip them around.

It's also important that you supply sufficient voltage, check the ratings on your LEDs and construct your battery pack accordingly. If you're providing more voltage than they're rated for, be sure to include a current limiting resistor, (whatever you have lying around/can buy at radio shack will be fine) to make sure you don't toast them. They go POP if you overvolt by too much. And if they don't pop, they'll get very hot.

If you wire several of them in series, you'll need to add up their voltage drops and provide that much, if you wire them in parallel then just supply the voltage for one LED. Edited January 7, 2008 by lonasindi