Can someone send me a good link for 5mm LED’s. Possibly install instructions also would be great. Do they connect directly to the decoder? (NCE specifically) Of course with a resistor of one lead etc.
BTW the search engine for the forum is a disaster. 
Maybe I’m using it wrong.
Hi,
I bought all my LED’s from www.allelectronics.com.
Their prices are great and delivery is quick.
Hope this helps,
Mondo
this source has a good supply of LEDs and useful information on installing them.
http://www.ngineering.com/
Floyd
For small numbers, you might as well go to your LHS or even Radio Shack. LEDs are so cheap that you’ll spend more for the postage. www.demarelectronics.com is another source, if you’re buying enough that the savings will cover shipping. (They advertise in MR, so I give them points for that.)
I use a 1K resistor connected to the blue wire of the decoder. The other end of the resistor goes to the LONG lead of both front and back LEDs. The white wire goes to the SHORT lead of the front LED. The yellow wire goes to the short lead of the rear LED. Normally, you would use a separate resistor for each LED, but in this case you will never have both front and rear LEDs on at the same time, so it’s all right to do this.
Get some heat-shrink tubing, too. It is much neater (in both the “tidy” and “keen” senses of the word) than using electrical tape to insulate your solder joints for the wires.
Only use the “Advanced Search” option, by the way. As you said, the other one is indeed a disaster.
I have found that I can get all the LEDs I need (except for white) by tearing up old stereo equp.
For headlights, I like the “Golden White” LEDs much more than the bright white ones. The color makes them much more realistic, particularly for earlier eras. I model the 1960’s and they look much more like the more yellow headlights in use then.
HI Mr Beasley,
Is there a bulk source for the Golden white LED’s? I live in Australia and have only one source of them but would like to illuminate my layout more using the glow effect a you have described. If you could would you please write off list xdford47@yahoo.com.au. My web site www.xdford.digitalzones.com… Thanks
Trevor
Sorry, I buy mine in oneseys and twoseys from my LHS. Anyone else know where to get them?
The best source I have found, other than All Electronics, is http://www.superbrightleds.com
Trevor,
Places like Newark Electronics, Mouser, or Digi-Key Corp. would be the places to check for LEDs in bulk. However, golden-whites won’t be as common as red and green so they may be more difficult to find.
Tom
Try this link. They specialize in model railroad LED’s amoung other things.
I have purchased many LED’s from them in the past and found them to give great service and value.
I have no connection other than being a customer.
Hi everyone, thanks for the links… I can get them here from one source and hopefully what promises to be one of the bulk stores over here which I only found a link to last night … but its great to know there is more help available,
Take care all of you
regards
Trevor
I’ve had good luck with these guys. Reasonable price, quick shipping. i have no connection with them except to be a customer. …They are an E-bay seller…from Hong Kong…Chi Wing LED product shop… That is their listing… I have also used All Electronics… for LED s and bulbs.
Tom
Do a search on E Bay and you’ll get a big surprise especially with the prices. Seems there a several companies in China that will sell in bulk.
Fergie
G’day xdford,
what’s your bulk supplier in Aust? Other Auzzies are on this forum too.
I just bought two 3mm and two 5mm golden white LEDs and it cost me $10 at the Brisbane Model train show.
Here is my source. He has provided good service and prices are better than local electronic shops.
Radio Shack sells tons of LED’s. I know! I buy mine there. They come with leads attached so you don’t have to try to solder wires to tiny points on the backs of them. They come in 5mm in voltages ranging form 1.2 volts to 18 volts and every color of the rainbow and maybe a few extra. lol
Richmond Controls has some interesting LED solutions.
http://www.richmondcontrols.com/WhiteLED.html
I got some of their ‘sunny white’ LEDs. They appear very realistic for diesels.
george
Hi there Alan Jones (hopefully you are not THAT Alan Jones. I have just bought a group of lights from JAYCAR whcih seem promising for things like spotlights etc although I have not tried them out “in the field” just yet. Sorry about the late reply but I only just found this. Contact off list if you want to follow though
Regards
Trevor xdford47@yahoo.com.au
Just following on Alan, I tested out the ones I have and although they are reasonable headlights. I think they might be a bit orange compared to the Yellow/white combo… will keep hunting here in Australia!
Cheers,
Trevor