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[tonyH]

Thanks both,

Wom, is there any way of identifying which type is which from catalogue descriptions? They all give the view angle and the majority seem to use the word 'radial' which I would have thought  described the 'sideways' scatter but .........

Tony

[TCC]

I used LEDs right across my model, they are all in parallel, in that I have a + & - wire leading up the superstructure and I have 4 pairs of 'searchlight's' ( off that plus 2 nav lights and 1 mast light. So 11 LEDs.

The rear has 2 lights and another 2 pairs of searchlight (so 4 LEDs)

So that's 15 LEDs off a battery pack of 2 AA batterys.

My query is I didn't know they had a voltage, I knew they blew with 6 v, but 3 v lights them all OK.

The searchlights are yellow as there was no white in the mid 90s. The red & green are a cert for nav lights. [GOW bulbs where too big.]

Seriously, I didn't know there was various voltages, I just used to buy 'LEDs' and I've even had non-techy family members buy them for me when they've seen them at car boots, etc. So am I in danger of blowing the lot of them when I finally DO use them for a prolonged period? [I've just tested them while building.]

Can someone tell me what's probably happening? Have I bought 3v LEDS?

[malcolmfrary]

Luckily you are running them off dry cells, which act as though they have an internal resistor built in, and limit the current they can deliver.  With a single LED on two dry cells I would expect it to be rather bright, and the life expectancy to be reduced, but several in parallel will cause the available current to be spread out.

[TCC]

Luckily you are running them off dry cells, which act as though they have an internal resistor built in, and limit the current they can deliver.  With a single LED on two dry cells I would expect it to be rather bright, and the life expectancy to be reduced, but several in parallel will cause the available current to be spread out.

Good.. a bit of dimness is ok.. it's not like I'm hunting the High seas Fleet every night, is it.

By the way, my maths is terible.. it's 17 LEDs and it now needs 4 more (just found out accurately where they go... wish me luck soldering wire as thick as human hair! (I'll need it) I'll probably end up tieing the wire joint!!