Hey everyone! I'm working on an RC Battleship and currently using a 4x 6 volt battery pack. I've got a 6 volt fan to cool the motor, and I want to add a red and green LED on each side of the ship. I checked with Perplexity A.I. and it suggested using a 220 Ohm resistor for each LED, wiring them in parallel with the fan powered by the AA battery pack. However, some videos mentioned something about forward voltage drop, so I'm a bit unsure if the A.I. got it right. Can anyone guide me on how to properly wire the 6 volt fan along with the regular LEDs and resistors? Just want to make sure I do this right to avoid any shorts. Thanks a lot for your help!
1 Answer
Absolutely, you can wire the LEDs in parallel with the fan. The red LED usually needs about 2.2 volts, and the green one around 2.3 volts, so the 220 Ohm resistor is a good choice to limit the current to about 20 mA. Just remember, there will be some drop across the resistor, so your LEDs may not be at full brightness, but for a model, that should be fine. Additionally, you should consider connecting the LEDs and their resistors through a separate switch if you want to control them independently from the fan. This way, you can have them on even when the fan isn't running if needed!
Thanks for the detailed explanation! It really helps clarify how to connect everything. Do you think I'd be able to add another LED for the helm area without draining too much power?