Budget LED Setup for Mobile Detailers

B

bunkeroo26

New member
Looking at another current thread http://www.autopia.org/forum/topic/132600-my-led-frankenstien/


I saw the very professional setup pictured below (not my picture)


 


P1030573_zpsa1f0693a.jpg



 


Wow, this is quite a professional setup.  Very impressive.  I am sure that this provides quality


results, and allows you to get a good look at the paint defects.  The better the lighting is, the more


detailed and precise quote that you can make. A light setup like this seems perfect for a detailer


who details at a brick and mortar location, BUT is there a better solution for a Mobile Detailer.


 


My answer is YES.


 


There is a much more mobile and budget conscience alternative that is available to us.


 


I would like to introduce you to something called "Piranha LEDs". These are small LEDs that


can be soldered onto circuit boards for many different various uses.  They are extremely bright


and very efficient energy users.  If you are a talented electrician, you can try to create a light


bar using these LEDs yourself.  If you are not that talented (or short on time), then Ebay is


your friend.  I like to purchase the LED strips that already have a USB wire soldered onto it.


This saves me time and effort, as they already have the needed resistors and other components.


 


Here is an example of a few light bars that I use.  These are not my items, I am not soliciting


for you to purchase from these vendors.  I only am listing these for comparison.


 


This first one is a 42 LED bar with USB, and costs less than 8 dollars


http://www.ebay.com/itm/Super-Bright-DC-3-6v-white-Light-42-LED-Piranha-Panel-Board-Lamp-lighting-5v-usb-/400569497495?pt=Lamps_US&hash=item5d43cd7797


m9uSgnITjrSJni2lK5vhhBQ.jpg



or


This second one is a 7 LED board with USB, and costs less than 4 dollars.


http://www.ebay.com/itm/Super-Bright-DC-3-6v-white-Light-7-LED-Piranha-Panel-Board-Lamp-lighting-5v-usb-/261210380315?pt=US_Light_Bulbs&hash=item3cd15a181b


mLiP9ZBuHAnoiih5dJjLIwA.jpg



 


Piranhas are very bright for their size.  I have found that they work perfectly with small


USB battery packs.  Considering that you can find a 2600 mAh Battery pack for less than


8 dollars (including shipping), this becomes quite a budget package.  2600 mAh is quite a bit


of battery juice.  This is comparable to modern cell phones.  If you factor in that the LEDs


will take very little power consumption, you can assume that these lights will last quite a while


on a single charge. 


 


Example of Battery Pack.  I like the rectangular ones, because it allows me to gorilla tape a


LED strip onto it, with a professional appearance.  http://www.ebay.com/itm/2600mAh-USB-Power-Bank-Backup-External-Pack-Battery-Charger-For-Mobile-Phone-/350966428086?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&var=&hash=item51b73ab1b6


poa079551.jpg



 


If you want to make a larger light bank, you can purchase a larger battery pack, and a


USB Hub.  This then allows you to hook up multiple LED strips to a single battery.


I suggest a hub with switches, so that you can turn on all of the LED strips, or a single


strip individually. 


 


Example of USB Hub with Switches


http://www.ebay.com/itm/Black-White-4-Port-ON-OFF-Switch-USB-2-0-HUB-High-Speed-60CM-Cable-Laptop-PC-/271266093399?pt=Batteries_Chargers&hash=item3f28b81957


m8K10gyNfJYzAwl1tseggHA.jpg



 


 


If you decide to delve into these USB lighting solutions, I have one suggestion. 


A USB extension cable is your friend.  I use a 10 foot cable, and it helps immensely.


Not only does this help with lighting, but I use it to connect my cell phone to charger


so that I have extra mobility.  I have not used a 50 foot USB extension, but they are only


13 dollars with shipping.  If this length of cable transmitted enough power for the LEDs,


then you would be able to extend this all the way around the vehicle.


mxLYl2DHAjv8FjDtFW3H1NA.jpg



 


 


I hope that you appreciate this journey into the technology of USB lighting.


While is is not new technology, it has gotten significantly cheaper, which has made it a


good modern day solution for lighting.


 


There also was a great article about how to take a certain strip of LED christmas lights


and place them into a flood lamp case.  This also made an effective light, with the bonus


that it could be used in the elements outside. 


 


 


 


I would like to add that this is not a professional setup.  You probably will not get as good


of results as with the professional setup from the first picture and the first linked thread. 


This is for the weekend detailers, or the people who are just starting out their business


and have more important things to spend the money on.  If you combine some budget


lighting with some photography basics, you should get much improved results than without


either one of them.  Just remember that photographs are the core of a good detailing business.  You need something that makes you stand apart.  Results that your customers


can see will make the difference.  You want to be able to justify your difference in cost above your competitor. 
 
I am not going to comment about the link to the other Autopia.

Just kidding!


While my set up might not be optimal in some regards,

It does excel in two categories.


1) mobility. With USB power you don't need a power plug or Generator.

2) price. You can be set up for under 25 dollars. The is the cost

Of a single par 30 bulb.


Granted, I know there are better set ups, but this is great for starters.

I do plan on upgrading, with focus on multiple different spectrumed bulbs.


As a bonus these LED are so small, they work as great defense items.

If you are being attacked, you can easily blind someone temporarily, enough

to get in a few sucker punches or run away.



Pwaug, do you use the set up that you linked?

Other than folding up, how is it portable?
 
I understand what you mean about single diode

Versus multiple diodes. The single one gives you a clearer image

as it closer resembles the sun.


I have thought about this before, and I wonder if putting a

light filter (similar to camera flash) over the LED to provide

a better source for defect identification.
 
pwaug said:
One of the advantages of the Par 30 and 38 floods are they are single diode and really seem to highlight swirls and scratches even on light colored paint.  I don't know how multiple diode LEDs would perform in this regard.    If you're looking for a more "mobile" set up take a look at post #37 (near the end of the last page) of this thread--- http://www.autopiaforums.com/forums/show-off-your-garage/40239-finally-comprehensive-review-best-bulbs-out-there-3.html
Click to expand...


 


I've played with these LED "panels" and while they are great as general purpose task lighting (e.g. for washing, interiors, etc.) they definitely do not work well as paint correction spotting lamps. The light is never focused, and filters only act as diffusers to soften them further. You'll find many of these being sold for photography and video production lighting, such as these:


 


http://www.amazon.com/NEEWER%C2%AE-Dimmable-Digital-Camcorder-Panasonic/dp/B004TJ6JH6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1388627979&sr=8-1&keywords=video+light


 


Single diode solutions are absolutely the way to go for our purposes.
 
Curious to see the LED strips, or the larger bulbs?

If you want to see the LED bars, I can make a video

showing the brilliance of these lights.


For defect finding, I like the 7 LED strip.

Since they are at up in a single line, it allows me to pinpoint

the defects more like in sunlight.


Where these strips really "shine" (lol) is using them during

cleaning to check for thoroughness. They can easily set up

inside the vehicle to check crevices, or for detailing at night.
 
bunkeroo26 said:
Pwaug, do you use the set up that you linked?

Other than folding up, how is it portable?
Click to expand...


I only detail my own cars and sometimes a friend or relative so I use a simpler set up as shown in post #4 in this thread http://www.autopia.org/forum/topic/132600-my-led-frankenstien/  It requires allot of moving around, but is fine for my uses, but really shows the swirls and the results after polishing.


 


The double unit that I mentioned in the other thread is a heavier duty stand than  mine and ofcourse the 2 Par 30 single diode bulbs--as you can see it folds (quickly) into a small space so great for the mobile detailer.
 
pwaug said:
 



 


While this seems to be a great system for finding defects, the detailer is tied to the need for


electricity.  I enjoy being able to do a detail without extension cords or a generator.  Some of my


clients have me work in a business parking lot.  Since I would view a generator as annoying to the


business, I try to create methods without the need for them. 


 


I use these lights when I am outside on a cloudy day.  The sun isn't shining enough for me to see the


defects, but I don't want to need electricity for the quote.  Sure, I'll need to plug in for my buffer, but


I try to make my quotes as quick and easy as possible. 
Click to expand...
 
Great idea for lighting interiors.  No cords to drag in and out or work around.  make a bar that will hook to the handles over the doors and it could be perfect.
 
bunkeroo26 said:
While this seems to be a great system for finding defects, the detailer is tied to the need for


electricity.  I enjoy being able to do a detail without extension cords or a generator.  Some of my


clients have me work in a business parking lot.  Since I would view a generator as annoying to the


business, I try to create methods without the need for them. 


 
<p style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:'helvetica neue', helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">I use these lights when I am outside on a cloudy day.  The sun isn't shining enough for me to see the
<p style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:'helvetica neue', helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">defects, but I don't want to need electricity for the quote.  Sure, I'll need to plug in for my buffer, but
<p style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:'helvetica neue', helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">I try to make my quotes as quick and easy as possible. 
Click to expand...


Can you please clarify?  First paragraph you state you enjoy being able to do a detail without extension cords or generator.  Did you mean to put you enjoy being able to do a quote without extensions or a generator?  
 
Richard, this is off topic, but I'm order to minimize Generator use and noise, I try to work with battery packs as much as possible. This allows me to quote defect removal without using any gas, or being obtrusive.


The value comes from not needing to fire up the generator just to quote the customer. They haven't purchased anything, and you are burning gas.


And yes, I do some details without the need for extension cords or Generator. Would I still want to quote paint restoration? You betcha. My cord free work us usually corporate work, wash and wipe down stuff.


The power of these small units is impressive.

I will make a video tonight (if time permits).


While not for everyone, we do have a large sector of weekend detailers and hobbyists who have little need of a full fledged setup. This is definitely more multi use, as I take these lights camping and fishing, if even for book reading. Ten bucks for light bar and battery pack is hard to argue with.


The one thing I haven't tested much is is ability to withstand the elements. My setup had been babied, so it had not seen those stresses. I have a set of spray Never Wet to use to protect the board, just have not done that yet.


If you haven't looked at never wet, it is pretty neat stuff. Just do not expect long life length on flexible surfaces. The flex makes it wear off quicker. The sold board should hold the water resistance well. Some people use this to coat their cell phones innards. I believe that is how they make the Galaxy S4 active
 
Curious to see any of these in photo in action to see how bright the lights can perform. You can never have enough light!
 
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