I'm working on a window for my cdrom right now. It is taking me some time but everything is going well.

I'm sanding the metal cover so it looks a bit like chrome metal or something like that.
the problem is that i'm not always wetsanding it to get a good structure.
Is this a big health problem?
I think i breathed some metal dust which it iritating my troath.
I would recommend a good ventilated workplace and perhaps a duct cap.
it's hard to get that line-y metal look. it's taking be 2 hours already. I think I'll finish in an extra hour with just the sanding part.

where can I find a manual on how to connect a led in the cdrom again??

dvd rom mod here is a mod with lights

I read someware hot to connect leds inside the cdrom.
What is the limit on the number of leds I can use, (I would like 4)
I can only get standard leds.
How do I connect them.
and anything els I need to know.
I don't know anything about transistors.
I would also like to connect a switch in between.
I also missed the chapter on electricity in the transfer between the US and the Netherlands.

I finished the metal cover and I think it looks good.
I'll post some pics in a new topic when it's done.
I still need some advice on how to connect the leds,
but I can't find anything myself on the web.

thanks

well what i would do.. is solder a wires from the inside of the cdrom running to the backside of the molex connector plug in spot.. this way u can hide the wires in side the cdrom.. and u can use 12volts.. which means u can run 4 blue leds with out a resistor.. well mine u can cuz my blue leds are around. 3.3 volts each.. you will have to do the math.. but no biggie.. but thats how i did mine..

good luck..

the problem is that I don't have any blue leds.
I just have green and red. I wanted 2 green and 2 red.
I don't even no clue on how to figure out the voltage.

haha this first started the guys asking for help and the first reply is he check out this cd mod...sorry...i just think thats funney..

Resistance = (VoltageSUPPLY – VoltageFORWARD) / Current

A Blue LED that is 2.8 Volts, 20 mA

To figure out Resistor Needed = (12 – 2.8) / 0.020 = 460 (the 12 being 12v from the powersupplie)

Answer: 460 Ohms

thanks.
I think I got that.
I know that if I put 2 leds behind eachother that the led's volts to subtract from 12v will be added together.
I still have to figure out how much my leds are though.
How much would I need to lit up a cdrom.
4 not so bright leds??
2 bright blue leds??
I think I have the cheapest kind of leds there are in red, green, orage, and yellow.

I could still need everything you would tell me.

2 leds normally of anykind should light up a cdrom..
if you want blue.. toss two of them blue bad boys in there..

If you got 2 leds.. and one is like 3.3volts and the other is 2.1 volts.. one is 20ma and the other is 10ma you would be like..

3.3 + 2.1 = 5.4 which is ur total voltage and 10 + 20 = 30 thats ur Ma

then you would go.. (12-5.4) / .030
which is like.. 220 so you would need to find ur self a 220ohm resistor and place it on the hotwire (positive) before the leds.

The Ma and Voltage should be on the package ur leds came in.. if not.. I would say roughly each blue led is gonna be 3volts.. at about 20ma

ur other leds are gonna be about 1.5 volts I would keep a 20ma aswell..

So if u want to use the 2 blue.. u are going to want.. 250 ohm resistor...
and if u wanna use 4 of those no so bright ones.. I would say.. 300Ohm.. I up the resistance a tad to be on the safe side..
But yeah.. there you go.. good luck!

Resistance Calculator

A better LED Calculator

For the algebraically challenged... (i.e. ME!)


Hope this helps

Thanks for the help (again)
I finaly got something working!!
I tested 3 red leds.
I would rather have green, and red in my power supply if I ever get to mod it.

I'm so happy now.
I'm just bouncing around


I'll get the green tomorow.
here is a pic of the cdrom without leds.

and on other pic

I RROOOOCCKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!
and so does my cdrom!!!!

(no more suger/chemical candy for me today)