Lighting tutorial: Different types of LED's

[@ragingmando5956]

Just getting into scale modeling. While I have to paint even one kit yet (currently waiting for all my materials I ordered to arrive), I wanted to get a start on researching how to light a kit. THANK YOU for these videos. You get to the point and speak like a normal person.

[@badgrendels]

Thank you, your comment is why I made them. So normal people can learn.

[@ModelManTom]

Cheers, John! I've never seen that first rgb flasher, just the all slow or all fast. I take the dremel cutting wheel to leds when I need them shaped. Thanks for the lighting gel notes, I'd thought they were massive-money! There are two types of 'side-fire', the other has the leds aimed at a right angle from the strip, only avail in single density. With the 'side fire' I sent you, the LEDs are still aimed perpendicular to the strip, but spread the light like butter all down the strip.

[@atariandre5014]

Thanks for this video. I was especially interested by the flat top LEDs.

[@aquaristic]

Thank you for your videos, I am trying to teach myself how to build LED lights for models and whatever else I can dream up. One question if I may: I am thinking of using regular AC to power my creations. Do you have a video on using AC to power LED's?

[@hangerbird]

Just found your site... but your link to modeler's brand brought me to a survival food site. Any updates on where to get the flat tops, etc.?

[@eflecha]

Perfects thanks! I got a project that I'm gonna be using some leds. My concern about this project is that I need low voltage/bright leds and a very simple circuit with a push on/off button. That means the brightest I can get for the lowest voltage and the least amount of cables. Also, I'm gonna be using approximately 6 LEDs. What can be your best advice?

[@martinwhitehurst9893]

Ok thank you, I played around with it and I figured out if I come from my positive wire with a resistor for each LED they both will work.

[@badgrendels]

@ModelManTom Thanks for the info on the side fire. And no the lighting are not that expensive if you want the basic four pack. But if you want a specific color, then they get you. One 10x10 sheet is about $7 on ebay. But the four pack is about $9.

[@w.rustylane5650]

I added some bright white LED's to one of my railroad coaches and my wife said it looked too bright to be prototypical. So I took it apart and painted each LED (12 total) with some yellow acrylic paint. Now it looks like the old incandescent bulbs typical of lighting in older gas lit coaches. Acrylic paint works better than color gels. I'm also a photographer and have a number of gels to go over my lens. You still get that harsh bright spot (hot spot) even using a gel. Try using some acrylic paint on top of your LED's. It works quite well. W Rusty Lane in eastern Tennessee (Witherington Place Railroad)

[@badgrendels]

Thanks for the comment, good tip!

[@greenskin3000]

Will you be uploading that 555 IC video you where talking about soon? Thanks for the LED information!

[@badgrendels]

LED's require direct current and will not operate on AC. But if you get a wall adapter you can plug it into the wall and power your LED's. They are commonly called wall warts, and you can find them really cheap at places like goodwill. Or when something electronic breaks, you can just salvage the adapter. For example if your cell phone dies, you can keep the charger and use it to power your LED project. That is what I have been doing. They have the voltage written on them.

[@snowballis2cute]

Thank You so much for your reply! I have asked several You Tubers with no reply! I am interested in devloping a back up lighting for my Home! But I have been told by LED Providers / Dealers they would burn out when hooked up to my 12V DC Battery Bank! I am finding this not to be true when a Rectifier Diode is in the beginning of the circut! Do you find that to be true?

[@badgrendels]

I don't know a whole lot about lighting and major batteries. Most of what I have done is with AAA or your simple 9V. It wouldn't surprise me if what you are saying is true. A AAA will only supply about .5amps of current, while the batteries you are talking about are capable of far more than that. So you will need something in there to limit the current or it will just burn them out.

[@catrina3151]

I do alot of costuming and have only ever used Diodes in props before. I am attempting to add an LED strip to a skirt of a dress. The skirt will have three layers of chiffon organza (sheer) fabric to help diffuse the light. However since im going to be walking around with the dress lit up is their a way to circuit the LED strips to a small battery power pack that i can hide within the costume?

[@badgrendels]

@yahmana I would take a look at a few of the commercial plant lights and find the color they use. Like 3000K. Once you do that, then just do an ebay search for that color. You will find plenty of results. Raw LED's are usually found under electrical and test equipment.

[@tiendaforense]

best video i have seen on KZbin so far

[@badgrendels]

Thanks!

[@eflecha]

Is there a good website to buy many different types of leds?

[@CosPlayNay]

Your tutorials are amazing! By any chance if I sent you a costume would you be able to install LED lights into the costume and make it glow?

[@badgrendels]

+NAiquan718 I could, but I won't have any time to do so. I have a small business, and commonly work 70 hours a week....

[@badgrendels]

I don't, but for the most part most white LED's will require the same voltage, most red the same voltage etc. What changes from regular to pico or mini is the power consumption. I know that a 3mm LED has the same power consumption as a SMD so it might be the same.

[@badgrendels]

I go to ebay for this, but you could try Jameco electronics. Or Modelersbrand.

[@TheBoBuilder]

Quick question: what types of led's are used in watches? I noticed that they have pentagon shapes

[@badgrendels]

Dani Martinez Those would be custom made for the watch manufacturer....

[@smsno1]

thunderpaws got BIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIG!!! tbh, TOM was REALLY helpful when i bought the blues for my voyager.

[@badgrendels]

Yes they are. And that has been the big problem with converting LED's to house hold light bulbs.

[@brianmeltzer5318]

question, trying to learn the diff types of lead's. I am going to build underwater sealed swim lights that go under the back of our boat(very expensive to buy). anyhow needs to end up around 2400 lumens and i think the flat top's you showed as we need the to broadcast out about 50 ft.most have 6 to twelve led's in each light. what led's are the brightest ? do i wire in a series or parallel? how do i drive them, as i want durability? and do i need to worry about heat?Thanks

[@badgrendels]

Not sure on this one, since I don't work with water proof LED's..

[@TheJoeyfishy]

What are the type of LEDs used in light bars for off road vehicles?

[@badgrendels]

Not sure but I bet you can find them on Ebay. But if I had to guess, it is something like this: www.ebay.com/itm/5x-10W-Bright-Clear-White-Light-LED-6500K-High-Power-1100LM-12V-10-Watt-Lamp-/141568674249?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20f62689c9

[@raymalvern5785]

Hi, can you provide manufacturer and part number of the side fire led's? The ones in the video appear to be centered on the strip while most others I see on-line seem to be along the edge of the strip. I tried to contact Modeler's Brand but his site appears to be frozen currently. - Thanks!

[@MonicaDeanLightHeals]

do you have information on pico or mini LED's and power required to emit?

[@Generalsplatton]

Those new lights look way better.

[@eirikmurito]

LEDs is the greatest thing ever!

[@snowballis2cute]

Are all LEDS D/C Voltage? Thanks

[@rubencastro322]

What store do you get your leds from? and do you know where to get some circuit boards...thank you

[@badgrendels]

I just go to ebay and pick out a seller that has good feedback. Then buy from there. I have also used modelersbrand as well. He is in the USA and ships fast.

[@rubencastro322]

badgrendels awesome thanx man!!

[@martinwhitehurst9893]

Hey i need some advise...... I was trying to hook up a Red LED and a Green LED using the same power supply and the Green will work and the Red will not??? any idea?

[@badgrendels]

The red LED would like to have 1.8 V passing through it while the green would need 3.2V. So you need to add a resistor to that red LED to coexist with the green. Most likely you have burned out that red one if the green one is lighting up.

[@badgrendels]

@smsno1 Yes he has, and will get bigger still. He still has 6 months of growing to do...... Tom has been very helpful to me as well.

[@ifly65]

What are you using to test your LEDs?

[@badgrendels]

I have a lab quality power supply I got off of Ebay. You can get them on Amazon as well. This way I can control the voltage very precisely.

[@kairus1]

have u ever seen anyone print an image on a Gel sheet?? for example a star wars control panel with lots of lights and shapes. i was thinking of making an image on photoshop and then printing the image on a gel sheet, then putting lights underneath the Gel. it would look like the control panel is lit with lights. i was wondering why i haven't seen people do that?

[@badgrendels]

I have not, but I have thought about printing images on white decal paper placing that on the model and lighting the underside. I think the main problem is light leak, So whatever you do you would have to be very careful with blocking out undesired colors.

[@brianmeltzer5318]

Also our boat is to big to pull out of the water so need to get it right the first time. Also if you google underwater boat lights you will see what I'm talking about. Thanks again

[@badgrendels]

@greenskin3000 I will, probably within the next two weeks. I have to do some research first, I didn't take good notes the first time I when through this chip.

[@michaelwhite387]

What would people recommend for making an LED torch (containing multiple LED's in one circuit) built into one of my Nerf guns. I do a lot of night wars an found quite a lot of torches disappointing. Planing just to build some in to the blaster itself. Note they need to be bright for camera Thanks

[@badgrendels]

It can be done, just wire them in parallel, two AA batteries will power 13 LED's for quite a bit. Just get some bright white 5mm leds. Don't mess with the 10 MM, they don't put out enough light. IF you use the two AA batteries, you won't need resistors in parallel.

[@michaelwhite387]

So basically, however many LED's I need/want up to 13, and wire them up in parallel to 2x AA's and I'm good to go. The LED's are just white 5mm ones? Ok sweet thinks. Hopefully this will be the start of the light interventions to my Blasters, and various other things that come across. Thanks for the help

[@badgrendels]

Michael White The LED's are just white 5 MM ones. When you get ready to do some wiring, do a google search for the LED wizard, it will show you how to wire them.

[@KeelingSmithCruise]

great videos..

[@whiteboy2600]

how's it going I need some help I'm trying to make an led light bar for my rc truck using a 9v with 6 leds what type of resistor ? I got a value package from 1/4 to 3.3

[@badgrendels]

Here is a website that can help you: led.linear1.org/led.wiz

[@badgrendels]

Type LED wizard into Google you will find a website that will design the circuit for you. Two AA batteries can power that for quite some time. I would use only white LED's then get some transparent paint and paint them the colors you need.

[@eflecha]

Wao, awesome imformation! thank you very much!

[@badgrendels]

@Generalsplatton In a lot of ways they are better. They spread the light out more.

[@RespawnRestricted]

The fast flash would be so much better if it was just a consonant fast flash like to slow flash is a constant slow. the fact that the fast flash ones change I do not like

[@badgrendels]

LOL, my daughter kept changing it and I didn't notice. It doesn't work well with the red ball.

[@blazin20s]

great stuff!

[@badgrendels]

Thanks!

[@w0mblemania]

Your mouse ball colour keeps changing from red to blue, and back. It's really freaky.

[@badgrendels]

Thanks!

[@obstaclewon]

thanks for the tips bud!

[@JoelHudson]

This video Should go viral because ThunderPaws FTM For The Meows! Oh and LEDs too

[@badgrendels]

thanks!

[@Amatshezi_events]

oh 2012 stuff, how much the tech has changed

[@richeagles7379]

thanks for this helped make a lighting decision. :-)

[@badgrendels]

@tagwashere Thanks!

[@woltar9]

nice vidio can you look my and give me some idea how to doit?

[@johneli495]

goatee magically disappeared

[@badgrendels]

LOL!!!

[@badgrendels]

Your welcome!

[@meliodasy2822]

Can someone explain to what's the difference having different watts?

[@badgrendels]

Watts are power or brightness. A 1 Watt LED is not as bright as a 2 watt LED