If you think you know electrical, help me out!

[jrider]

I'm trying to wire an LED into the unused "Security" spot in my gauge cluster to my aftermarket alarm. I figured I could just splice off the LED for my alarm and it would work like that. But the LED's I have work around 4 or 5 volts and when I hooked it up I noticed nothing was happening. I got out the voltmeter and noticed that the LED coming from the alarm system is only getting about 1.7 volts. So, if I wanted to sync it up with my alarm system, how am I gonna do it? I know if I needed to drop down voltage I'd use a resistor. So what is the opposite of a resistor? Something that will up the voltage? Or is that not possible? Any help would be awesome.

 

[Gary 420A RS]

you have the resistor which is was acts as a barrier towards current/ voltage.. iam not sure where you can find one but there are transformers which run on a little dile type deal which you can tune to the desired voltage.. but not realy safe it would prob burn out.. cause.. so your trying to up the anti from 1.7 to 4-5 volts? i would say look for a different voltage drop and work from that... work your way down voltages rather than up.. you can also multiply the voltages buy getting them in series with others... its sounds harder than it all is... but the hardest part is me trying to type what iam saying in my head... hopefuly something i mumbled out helped....

AVIATION TECHNICIAN for 3 years now

 

[jrider]

How about this... what if I were to use the positive lead of something completely different (something that has a constant 4-5 volts (or even use something with a constant 12 volts [much easier to find in a car] and use a resistor, and use the negitive lead off the alarm system LED? That way it would still be consistent with the blink of the alarm system LED. Will that work?

 

[Gary 420A RS]

AIM garyhibner1212

 

[Gary 420A RS]

what are you using as a resistor and also you want the led to flash at the same time as a led you already have? if so thats realy realy realy easy.. i was saying go on AOL cause its gonna take forever to explain it over threds...

 

[trevor_shiggs]

You could also stick you aftermarket led in place where the stock security light is. Then it would light up the little film thing that says security.

I donno if that made any sense.

 

[crankbender]

The best way to step up voltage when dealing with systems that have an unspecified available current is to use a relay.

Just wire up the old led with a resistor to the battery with the relay in line (positive side) then use the led system from the alarm to throw the relay.