A status report for those who have been waiting patiently (thank you, by the way, for your understanding). I hope to be able to get to new orders by the new year, but it depends on how well this batch turns out. So far, knock on wood, no catastrophies.
I spent maybe 5 hours today preparing my new lamps and wanted to share some pics of the development so you all could get a hint of what to expect:
First off, here's to my original LEDs, still kicking, even though they're so terribly unrefined it's not even funny.
Take a look at these beauty queens: (This same dirt/grime is what leads to the rapid deterioration of regular lamps) In my case, these lamps are nearly 2 years old and I'm actually surprised that the copper contacts aren't more corroded.
Now, out with the old, and in with the new revision. This one's much simpler to construct. Two larger LEDs instead of a board with 4, which is so much easier to rig up. The light output, while still pretty close to pure white, is a little bit influenced by the fact that the epoxy slightly yellowed, but this still presents a pleasing, yet distinct light. I also share the opinion of a few who believed my original lamps might have been a tad too bright, so this design takes that into consideration. Either way, these lamps are plenty functional and much more robust and reliable.
As you can see, there's a slight bit of aura hanging around below the car, but it's not as pronounced as before:
And here's a slightly underexposed image to make obvious the two-led design:
Right now, I've gotten about half of 20 or so pairs assembled; Once all are at least glued down, then I have to apply the sealant, but that should be straight forward. After a few days of curing, I can start shipping, finally!