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Author Topic: Lighting LED options!?  (Read 1966 times)

tizdaz

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Lighting LED options!?
« on: November 18, 2021, 09:19:24 am »

Hi guys!


ok I've been having a browse at the MANY different options for lighting my 1/12 TID, which are best type to go for? i want them 12v & preferably pre-wired with resistors.


I was thinking 5mm as i would like them to be bright but the problem with most LED's is the glow is directional (unlike GOW bulbs which are pretty much 360 glow) so i guess when i fit them i would need to face the actual LED pointing outwards, what's best method to fix them in place so to have the LED facing outwards for my nav & deck lights?


is there such thing as miniature LED's that give off a glow all round & not 1 direction?


Thanks guys
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malcolmfrary

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Re: Lighting LED options!?
« Reply #1 on: November 18, 2021, 09:47:28 am »

As a check, I tried turning on the flashlight on my phone.  Although it is recessed, it is very visible from almost side on.  From memory, much the same is true of Christmas tree LEDs.  You see them from all directions.  While there are LEDs with built in current limiting, the choice of enclosure is less than that of "raw" ones. 
Unless there are extra optics involved, LEDs, even "narrow beam" types, are pretty indiscriminate about what direction light escapes them. Even if most gets concentrated into the stated arc, there is not a sharp cut-off.
Old style fixing to a panel was to use a two part plastic ferrule in a 6mm hole.  Later practice was to just have a LED size hole, poke it through from the back of its panel and glue in place.  You could see which were on and which were not from behind the panel.
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tizdaz

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Re: Lighting LED options!?
« Reply #2 on: November 18, 2021, 09:53:06 am »

Hi Malcolm,


Thanks for reply :)


yeh i was thinking of just gluing them in place with gorilla gel superglue, will the heat not make the glue come loose or will it be fine?


As for the viewing angle, i have a couple of LED's already that i had laying around & the ones i have definitely are much dimmer when viewing from any angle other than top down :(
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C-3PO

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Re: Lighting LED options!?
« Reply #3 on: November 18, 2021, 10:36:10 am »

Data sheet for LEDs will specify "viewing angle"

Component Shop - "wide angle" LEDS - https://www.componentshop.co.uk/leds/ultra-bright/5-mm-wide-angle.html

RS Components - look like they have one with max viewing angle of 140 degrees...https://uk.rs-online.com/web/c/displays-optoelectronics/leds-led-accessories/leds/?searchTerm=5mm+led&applied-dimensions=4294378723

Typical angle 25-60 degrees

Look at the side bar filters on RS site - you can pick viewing angle

Regards
C-3PO
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tizdaz

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Re: Lighting LED options!?
« Reply #4 on: November 18, 2021, 11:02:14 am »

Data sheet for LEDs will specify "viewing angle"

Component Shop - "wide angle" LEDS - https://www.componentshop.co.uk/leds/ultra-bright/5-mm-wide-angle.html

RS Components - look like they have one with max viewing angle of 140 degrees...https://uk.rs-online.com/web/c/displays-optoelectronics/leds-led-accessories/leds/?searchTerm=5mm+led&applied-dimensions=4294378723

Typical angle 25-60 degrees

Look at the side bar filters on RS site - you can pick viewing angle

Regards
C-3PO


cheers buddy :)
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Fred Ellis

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Re: Lighting LED options!?
« Reply #5 on: November 18, 2021, 06:23:18 pm »

I have now started to use SMDs  for most of my lighting, along with a Voltage Reducer (Voltage Reducer with LED display (Input 3.5V-30V Output 1.2V-30V) from Component Shop.
By using SMDs the light goes forward our which way you fix the SMD.

Fred
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tizdaz

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Re: Lighting LED options!?
« Reply #6 on: November 18, 2021, 11:13:38 pm »

I have now started to use SMDs  for most of my lighting, along with a Voltage Reducer (Voltage Reducer with LED display (Input 3.5V-30V Output 1.2V-30V) from Component Shop.
By using SMDs the light goes forward our which way you fix the SMD.

Fred


Good suggestion, i will have a look, as i already have a cpl of spare [size=78%]voltage redcuers, thanks buddy [/size] :-))
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Re: Lighting LED options!?
« Reply #7 on: November 19, 2021, 02:37:55 am »

I said it before and I think this is better on your TID build thread as lest we forget you're building to something like 1:12?  This puts allot of things into different perspective as most folk strive to fit in tiny scale openings but in your case you have plenty of scale on lamp lenses you can perhaps hide almost anything inside to suit!  It seems better to to think of the lamp housing diameter then think if I were producing that I'd make it perhaps from something like clear rod.  If I drilled a hole through the middle just about any light source inside might be distributed by the fact I might not leave an optically clear bore inside.  I think your strive for lighting is allot easier than most folk and there are many, many posts out there that will give appropriate inspiration.  I am with some posts on other threads out there and these days there is a propensity now for ultra bright LED's or ones of wrong colour to be used.  Don't set something ultra bright or ultra white when it's not supposed to be!  Navigation lights for example are barely, if at all noticeable until it is dark and must not illuminate any part of the adjacent structure.


...I think we are all wanting to see this model come together!  It is some project so far.


Rich
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malcolmfrary

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Re: Lighting LED options!?
« Reply #8 on: November 19, 2021, 08:46:37 am »

Quote
yeh i was thinking of just gluing them in place with gorilla gel superglue, will the heat not make the glue come loose or will it be fine?
The nice thing about LEDs is that they don't get hot.  Those with a built in regulator will probably have the regulator generate heat, but the actual LED mostly just gives off light very efficiently, whereas an incandescent bulb generates heat in order to give off light.
Mostly, when building a panel, the trick was to rely on the close fit of the LED in its hole plus the natural springiness of the wiring pushing it in against its shoulder.


Are we talking nav lights or deck lights?  On the real thing, nav lights are rarely bright, and can be difficult to spot on a ship with a lot of lighting.  OTOH, (on a smaller scale tug), standard 5mm red, green and yellow LEDs running at about 10-15mA were quite visible in the dark at 30+ yards.  Yellow because white was in the future back then. 
Edit - looking at the boat again, 3mm LEDs.  Although naturally inclined to chuck most of the light out of the domed end, they were either painted or mounted in an enclosure so that they were viewed from the side.  If the reflecting surface is not light absorbing, the light rattles round until it finds a way out.
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tizdaz

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Re: Lighting LED options!?
« Reply #9 on: November 19, 2021, 11:42:53 am »

The nice thing about LEDs is that they don't get hot.  Those with a built in regulator will probably have the regulator generate heat, but the actual LED mostly just gives off light very efficiently, whereas an incandescent bulb generates heat in order to give off light.
Mostly, when building a panel, the trick was to rely on the close fit of the LED in its hole plus the natural springiness of the wiring pushing it in against its shoulder.


Are we talking nav lights or deck lights?  On the real thing, nav lights are rarely bright, and can be difficult to spot on a ship with a lot of lighting.  OTOH, (on a smaller scale tug), standard 5mm red, green and yellow LEDs running at about 10-15mA were quite visible in the dark at 30+ yards.  Yellow because white was in the future back then. 
Edit - looking at the boat again, 3mm LEDs.  Although naturally inclined to chuck most of the light out of the domed end, they were either painted or mounted in an enclosure so that they were viewed from the side.  If the reflecting surface is not light absorbing, the light rattles round until it finds a way out.


will be nav & deck lights, I've ordered some 5mm ones from here https://store.brightcomponents.co.uk/product-category/leds/round-leds/ultra-bright-pre-wired/9v-12v/5mm-9v-12v/


i got the red/green & some yellow & warm white as not sure which im going to use out of the yellow & warm white, or yellow :-))
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Fred Ellis

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Re: Lighting LED options!?
« Reply #10 on: November 19, 2021, 12:50:28 pm »

Hi
That is a very good company, he helped me out no end,


Fred
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tizdaz

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Re: Lighting LED options!?
« Reply #11 on: November 20, 2021, 02:12:43 am »

I sent them an email before hand as they only do packs of 5 minimum for each colour, so i wanted to ask if i could mix and match as i didn't really need 5 red & 5 green but they said they cant do that :(


but on the plus side its under £2 per pack of 5 so i guess it just means i will have a few spares and no doubt once my current build is completed i will need more of the same for my next build :)
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Fred Ellis

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Re: Lighting LED options!?
« Reply #12 on: November 20, 2021, 07:31:44 am »


Hi tizdaz

Have you placed your order? as I just may have some LEDs in Red & Green.

Fred
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Fred Ellis

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Re: Lighting LED options!?
« Reply #13 on: November 20, 2021, 07:58:14 am »

Hi tazdaz


I have a few 3mm in Red and Green non wired, as for white all mine are supper white.


Fred
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tizdaz

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Re: Lighting LED options!?
« Reply #14 on: November 20, 2021, 07:58:51 am »

Hi tizdaz

Have you placed your order? as I just may have some LEDs in Red & Green.

Fred



Hiya Fred,


Yeh placed it last night, but its all good like i say, just means i will have a few spares! but thanks anyway buddy  :-))
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Fred Ellis

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Re: Lighting LED options!?
« Reply #15 on: November 20, 2021, 10:06:29 am »

Hi


Sorry that I did not think of it sooner, if you need any bright white I may have just what you are after in my box.


Fred
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tizdaz

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Re: Lighting LED options!?
« Reply #16 on: November 20, 2021, 10:37:39 am »

Hi


Sorry that I did not think of it sooner, if you need any bright white I may have just what you are after in my box.


Fred


No probs!


thanks again buddy :)
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Re: Lighting LED options!?
« Reply #17 on: November 20, 2021, 12:56:16 pm »

Wonder how many strings of perfectly good LEDS are chucked in the bin when the solar cells and batteries have expired? Have seen both bright and soft white ones on the strings.


  Regards  Ian
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