Active pickups LED indicator

[Rydock]

Hey guys. You guys may think this is a silly idea, but I have this idea for a project I'm working on. I wanted to know if there is a way to hook up and LED in the circuit Duncan Blackouts somewhere to cause it to light up when they are activated (when cable is in the output jack). Or if you guys have any other ideas of how to make this light up, please share your thoughts. Will this mess up the signal output from the blackouts? If so, this idea will be thrown out the window.

Thanks

[ArtieToo]

It would be easy to do. You'ld just hook up an LED, in series with the right size resistor, from ground to the positive side of the battery. It would never be in the signal path.

Here's the "rub" . . . an LED will draw about 30 to 40 times more current than a pickup. You're battery life will be greatly reduced. Other than that, no problem.

[Rydock]

Thanks a lot for the quick response. That's exactly what I needed to know.

But yeah, 30 to 40 times more current draw is an awfully high amount of drainage.

Probably won't do it because of that drawback. On the other hand, don't people usually replace their batteries way before their spent? Because there doesn't seem to be a way to tell the battery is drained, so I hear some people change them before they play a show. At least with the LED, you will know when to replace them right?

[Rydock]

I just found a device on a site called the "LoBat". It's basically a battery indicator that lights up when your battery needs to be changed. And it runs with very low power consumption or so as they claim. If only it was the opposite where the light turns off when the batter needs to be changed. I emailed the manufacturer about this.

[JB_From_Hell]

Change them before a show? That's insane. I don't know about the Blackouts, but I remember from my EMG days that they lasted 3000 hours. Three THOUSAND hours. That's a long freakin' time, and you definitely get warning that they're going out, as the guitar starts sounding like crap.

You've heard Zakk Wylde and Chad Kroeger's techs talk about changing the batteries every show, or once a week to "keep the signal hot" or whatever, right? Well.... that's pretty much BS. I'm sure they change them, but they're wasting their time and money in doing so. An EMG with 1 hour on the battery won't sound any different than one with 2500 hours. Even when they start sounding bad, you still have PLENTY of time to finish the song (probably the whole set) and change them at a break.

[formula73]

Change them before a show? That's insane. I don't know about the Blackouts, but I remember from my EMG days that they lasted 3000 hours. Three THOUSAND hours. That's a long freakin' time, and you definitely get warning that they're going out, as the guitar starts sounding like crap.

You've heard Zakk Wylde and Chad Kroeger's techs talk about changing the batteries every show, or once a week to "keep the signal hot" or whatever, right? Well.... that's pretty much BS. I'm sure they change them, but they're wasting their time and money in doing so. An EMG with 1 hour on the battery won't sound any different than one with 2500 hours. Even when they start sounding bad, you still have PLENTY of time to finish the song (probably the whole set) and change them at a break.

+1, although I have a Dean with EMGs and a battery indicator...I've had it for 2 years, played it relatively frequently, and have never seen it come on. I guess that just goes to prove his point...

[ArtieToo]

As JB and formula said, it will drain more, but it might only be the difference between changing the battery in a year, or 4 months. (I'm guessing.) Still not bad. Why not try it and see. The worst it will do is cost you one premature battery.

One other thing, I'll double-check my manuals and books, but I think they may have some new LED's that only draw a fraction of what old ones did. You might be able to get one down in the 3-4ma range.

[DonP]

You can also use a larger resistor, which will reduce the brightness, but increase battery life. Experiment to find a good mix.

[Rydock]

Thanks a lot Artie and everybody else! All of you posts were very helpful for me.