I’m starting to put together some DPM structure kits. I plan to light these with incandescents, and will have the recommended light-blocks so that only some of the windows are illuminated. Since these are small buildings, I’m a bit concerned with heat buildup inside the structure. I will be putting the supplied clear “window glazing” material on the windows, but for both ventilation and looks I’ve added some extra window sash pieces to make some of the double-hung windows appear open, and I’ll mount the window glazing accordingly.
What experience do others have with this? Do I need to really worry about heat buildup, or are a few “open windows” going to be enough?
the 12 volt lights will not get hot enough to melt plastic…I’ve used them for years and had no problems with them…I now use 1.5 grain of rice bulbs for a couple of reasons, 1. they look better because they don’t glow so brightly, and 2. i use lots of lighting and the less power i pull from the power source, the more lights i can install…this is what i do for interior lighting, I mount the bulb above the windows in the middle of the room so all you see is the glow of light, not the bulb itself, i accompli***his by either mounting the bulb to a piece of balsa wood high enough to go above the window or by glueing in a piece of strip styrene across the ceiling level with a hole drilled in it to hold the bulb above the height of any given window …if you use the 1.5 volt bulbs you’re going to have to build a circuit to drop the voltage down if pulling the power from a 12v power pack…
here’s a picture…the lights in the house are above the windows for a nice looking warm glow chuck
Why not use LEDs? Heat isn’t a problem. They don’t use at much power. You can get different colors for different effects (like maybe red and yellow for a fireplace glow, or bluish white for a TV set).
LED’s are not used much because they throw out more of a linear light than the incandecent glow of a light bulb for lighting houses and buildings…the LED’s light is not bright enough to throw it out of the windows like an incandecent bulb can…I use LED’s for things like locomotive headlights, search light targets, and control panel lighting…i use incandecent bulbs for lighting buildings, street lamps, and porch lights …chuck
I use 14v bulbs but I limit the voltage to 12v. This has several benefits. The life is extended and the heat is reduced as well. Keep them away from direct contact with any plastic and you will be fine. I have not left any of my windows open. I use an old Lionel SW transformer and control output with one of the throttles. You can buy the sockets separately and make your own so the length of the wiring can be adjusted to whatever you need.
I light structures with 2.5 volt (el cheapo Christmas light) bulbs, run on 1.5 volts. They give a nice (not over-bright) light, there is no noticeable heat buildup and the bulbs should last for years.
Since I also use the sockets from the Christmas light strings, changing a dead bulb when and if will only require pulling the bad one and replacing it with a like serviceable item.
As for your idea, a few windows open at the top or on an upper floor can be matched with a couple of 1/4 inch holes through the ‘ground’ to assure plenty of air circulation.
I use 12/15v grain of wheat bulbs from Radio Shack. They do not get hot and last quite a while. When I install them, I first paint the inside of the structure flat black as this keeps the light from shining through any unpainted parts on the outside . Next, I glue in a small square piece of mirror on the floor of the structure, or up inside the roof and glue the light right next to it so the light is evenly distributed inside. Seems to work pretty well. Its something you could experiment with.
I am going to use fibre optic strands to light my indoor and outdoor structures, street lights and vehicles. You can have LED’s under your layout and run fibre optic cable to lamps, ceiling lights and even vehicle head and tail lights. With 1 LED you can run 10 or so different strands, and there is no need for colored lights cause all you have to do is use a marker of any color to mark the tip of the strand and it will emit that color.
I bought my fibre optic strands ( .7mm x 18 inch length ) from Monroe Perdu Studios, a pack of 25 strands for $4.00. They also sell some neat LED’s that flicker to look like arc welding or campfire.
Please post some pictures. I doubt that you will get a satisfactory light effect from just using fiber optics. My experience has been that they are much like a LED in that the spread of light is very narrow and focus and will not sufficiently light up a room. Please post a pic and show me otherwise.
On the LED side, I have found some smd LEDs that have a fairly wide angle of view and have worked well when placed at/on the ceiling of a room.