Hi,
I’m thinking about using super bright LED’s to light my buildings, instead of
using incandesent bulbs.
Since there is a large variety available out there, I was hoping that someone here
could steer me to a good source of them on the net. Something that works well
and is reasonably priced.
Thanks!
Kyle.
Kyle,
You can probably just pick some up at a Radio Shack near you and save on the shipping. I have 3mm LED’s in both of my locomotive headlights and they ARE bright. There are smaller ones available on the market. Depending on the size of the LED’s, you’ll need to pick up some resistors, too. (Otherwise, your LED’s will go “poof!”.)
For a building though, I would pick something that you could adjust the intensity to - e.g. using a old spare power pack for your source. (That would pretty much negate the LED’s. They’re either ON or OFF.) The grain 'o rice or grain 'o wheat lights put out a fair amount of light but shed a “softer” and “warmer” appearance to the objects near by. IMHO, I think you’ll find the LED’s for indoor or outdoor lighting to be a bit harsh.
On the other hand, the real advantage to the LED’s is that they rarely ever burn out. Whenever you design lighting for your layout, you also have to keep in mind how you are going to replace any burned out bulbs. You don’t want to have a bulb inside a building that, once it’s glued down to your layout, is inaccessible when it burns out. Kyle, there is a “golden-white” LED that has a more “incondescent” or warmer look to them than the stark white ones. That might be worth considering, if you decide to go with the LED.
Hope that helps…
Tom
The disadvantage to LEDs is that they’re sort of like a flashlight–all the light shines out the front. They’re not that good at area illumination, but are great for headlights, and I think would be good for those gooseneck lamps over industrial doorways. Be sure to install the right size resistor in series with the LED or, like Tom says, they will go poof. Each LED requires its own resistor.
That’s true, the lens is focused in a narrow beam so you may want to experinent first. All Electronics is a good source for LEDs.
Not true. There are LEDs on the market that illuminate evenly around their body.
Again, not true. We’re about a year away from seeing LED lightbulbs on the market, simply because they use up much less power and because there are LEDs on the market that give off even light.
True, MOST LEDs you see are top illuminating, but if you end up with some of them, just bend their leads over to aim them out the window(s) you want lit.
For possibly the biggest selection of LEDs online, head to www.digikey.com. They’re used to supplying small numbers of LEDs to people, and even have variety packs. You’ll also be able to get any resistors, caps, diodes, and LED housings you’ll need. They’re also one of the best sources for pure while LEDs.
For the latest in LED technology, check http://www.superbrightleds.com in Saint Louis, MO. You can order direct from them on-line.
I did that in a couple of buildings using the yellow light LED’s and the light wasn’t too bright…the bright white LED’s are great for locomotive headlights…I now use the grain of wheat bulbs for my buildings…
You might also check out www.ledmuseum.org
Also, www.hosfelt.com has some good prices on LEDs and DPDT toggle switches.
Bob Hayes
Thanks everyone for your replys!
First off, I don’t have a good electronic store in my neighborhood that has a
panel with sample LEDs so that one could tell what the LED will be like.
So I’ll have to order them online, without “seeing” them before.
Looking at some of the LEDs that are available, I’m wondering about the MCD
value of an LED and how to tell how bright it will be.
Apparently, just because an LED has a high MCD rating, it doesn’t necessarily
mean that it is all around brighter then one with a lower MCD. It could be just
very narrowly focused - exactly what I don’t want!
So, how can you tell the overall brightness of an LED without seeing it hooked up?
Now, as far as I can tell, the type of LED that I’m looking for to light my buildings should be (a)bright, (b)have a warm white light and (c)should be diffused or at least wide angled.
I found some LEDs that have one or even two of those trades, but I have yet
to find one that has all three of them.
Does any of you have a link to an LED that has all of those trades?
And thanks again for everyones help!
Kyle.
Kyle
Are you willing to compromise on color? White LEDs are on the cool side of the color spectrum. However you may try using a yellow LED next to a white LED to cancel or blend the colors.
I did come across a Super Bright White LED with a 120 degree viewing angle for $1.10 - $0.90 each from Electronix Express. Minimum order is $20 plus shipping.
Are you dead set against incandescent bulbs? In the May issue of Model Railroader, page 39, Micro-Mark is having a sale on their grain-of-wheat bulbs. With shipping charges, 100 bulbs cost $0.45 each. The price is only available by phone, fax or mail orders. I’ve bought these and they give off a warm white light , don’t give off much heat and last a long time on 12v ac or dc (rated at 12-14 volts).
Thanks for the suggestions!
Those bright wide angle LEDs are looking good. I could use them in some of
my industrial buildings, where one would expect cool fluorescent lighting.
For the private homes I could go with an incandescent bulb for the warmer light.
I’ll check that out. Thanks.
Kyle.
If you go to www.ledmuseum.org they have some test shots of how the light from various LEDs looks as well as colors which may help you determine which ones to buy.
Bob Hayes