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How to make an inexpensive LED leaklight


Professional LED leaklights available from instrument repair suppliers cost well over $100.00 and are not flexible to go through bari sax necks or around bell bows to check the low C pad. This homemade version works almost as well and can be made for under $10.00 (less if you already have a 12 volt transformer lying around the house.) To make the LED Leak Light you will need the following tools and supplies: a soldering iron and rosin core solder a small wire stripper a small pair of wire cutters a pair of tweezers a couple pieces of shrink tubing (not shown)

The parts required are as follows: (2) Waterproof LED light strips
http://stores.ebay.com/jaydencar08 (USA dlr.) 24 mm pvc LED 2 for $5.49 - free shipping

A 12 V 1A Power Supply (If you don't already have one lying around the house)
http://stores.ebay.com/dayxmas search: DC 12V 1A Power Supply CCTV $1.00 each, $1.69 shipping from Hong Kong

A 5' length of 2 wire electrical cord


a RCA jack speaker cord or comparable cord Radio Shack, also common houshold item

A Female "M" power jack (optional)


Radio Shack $3.00

Instructions 1. Glue the two LED light strips together using gap filling super glue or plastic cement.

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Utah Music Educator's from the power source, you can clear. to disconnect the LED leak lightAssociation Conference St. George, Utah February 4, 2011. able Carefully stripifthe insulation fromshrinkmale end of yourwire to supply, strip the wires of wire. both the power attach a femaleshort power of the ends. You may, you like, simplysocket totubing over the power be attached to the clear from off the light cord. Do First, insert a "M" piece cut the the not cut and male endyouthe power to the light strip, twiststep. supply the the cord off attached supply if you do this together, solder, and cover with shrink tubing. Caution: the small gauge wire is tubing longsupply plugged inall of the small wires over theyou solder. Touch insert a piece of shrink delicate. enough to cover to check the polarity before power cord. Next the wires together with the power Strip the insulation from both wires in the power cord attached to ThenThen twisttwist wires to put theand solder the on before you attach the wires. carefully the the ends Caution: LED light strips. of the shrink together. the Remember together wires tubing connections.

Red goes to red, and clear the wire to clear. to the red wires on the light goes to that went Important: remember which wire of the power cord went to the red. Very important:Attach strip to the center of the jack. When the wires have been soldered, slip the short shrink tube in place and heat carefully. Then slip the Insert the black plastic cover of the female power jack over the its entire length longer shrink tube in place up to the light strip and heat carefully cord threaded side facing out, and solder the wires to the appropriate connectors inside the jack. Then screw the cover back on.
Note: If the light doesn't go on, there is a possiblity that the wrong wire was connected to the center connector of the jack, or if this step was skipped---to the wrong wire from the power supply. The LED strip requires a certain polarity in order to work properly. There is no harm if the polarity of the wires is reversed. The light just doesn't come on.

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