Running Mini LED Lights: What is the Best Battery to Use?

LED lights draw very little power, so you have a lot of options when it comes to lighting them. If you only want to light a few, there are tiny batteries, such as coin cell. If you want to light a lot of LEDs, there are battery choices such as AA or 9 volt.
Another consideration is what types of LEDs you want to use. Mixing flashing or flickering lights will need more power than solid lights by themselves.
Check out our different wiring options: evandesigns.co...
Explore our collection of mini LED lights: evandesigns.co...

[@lutsurugi]

they can light MULTIPLE LEDs at the same time!? you have absolute NO idea how much that video helped me right now!!!

[@Taylorfr777]

Yes, just don't wire it so the volts add up, wire it so the current adds up

[@GEMSofGOD_com]

Man, this is literally mid school knowledge

[@enginepy]

These videos are so helpful when planning the lights. Your site has so many options available that I get a little overwhelmed, so these are tremendously helpful

[@EvanDesigns]

We are glad to hear it!

[@HoneyBadger42]

I'm so happy I finally stumbled across this video. I was trying to figure out how to take an existing led light and wire a switch into it. This helps me skip a few steps, plus the prices seem really decent.

[@scenicswhilemoving4452]

Love the 9 volt options! How do i find that light in your website?

[@EvanDesigns]

Hi Scenics! The 9 volt snap is here: evandesigns.com/products/battery-snap-switch-combo The lights for 5-12 volt are in lots of places, you can use this filter: evandesigns.com/collections/hobby-leds?filter.p.m.custom_filter.voltage=5-12+Volt+DC

[@arianagm2332]

Lol I was like: I'm not using a 9 volt... Then I find this video!!!! 😅😂

[@syxxpoppin8830]

Good video I love to see ladies messing around with electronics 🎉

[@EvanDesigns]

haha a few of us do. You may have heard of Lady Ada over at Adafruit kzbin.info/www/bejne/fWemdKeirsZsfsk

[@syxxpoppin8830]

@@user-fu9dd5vc6x lady go have a bowl of oatmeal 😭... I was talking to her in particular she didn't have a problem why are you typing and texting 🥴

[@syxxpoppin8830]

@@user-fu9dd5vc6x how am I patronizing or being sexist im giving props to the opposite sex! Don't put any labels on me please! Or do you know the difference and definition

[@syxxpoppin8830]

@@user-fu9dd5vc6x listen please find something to do I don't have any time to go back and forth nor explain what I do and don't like 🥴

[@ckbrickcollection7531]

Love it! I was looking into soldering and buying the components and doing it myself. But just stumbled onto this video! Your pricing and product is perfect for what I'm looking for. Thanks for having this on the market.

[@evandesigns6605]

Thank you! We are glad the video was helpful!

[@EvanDesigns]

Glad I could help!

[@ser1828]

Hi, I would like to ask if you have any videos on how to strip this LED light wire. Thank you

[@arni7810]

Coool where can i buy the one with the bigger battery?

[@MichelleBrownAU]

Thanks for this overview! It is so confusing when getting started and your explanation was great!

[@EvanDesigns]

Glad it was helpful!

[@terrencetristan5865]

I guess Im randomly asking but does any of you know of a method to log back into an Instagram account?? I somehow lost the login password. I love any tricks you can give me

[@spencerwells1851]

@Terrence Tristan instablaster =)

[@terrencetristan5865]

@Spencer Wells I really appreciate your reply. I got to the site on google and Im waiting for the hacking stuff atm. I see it takes a while so I will get back to you later with my results.

[@terrencetristan5865]

@Spencer Wells it did the trick and I finally got access to my account again. I'm so happy:D Thank you so much, you really help me out !

[@karakkmurukk.16]

Where to purchase those kind of mini lights??

[@Bluespade115]

I absolutely LOVE the first one, can it be made with 2 white/2 red?

[@EvanDesigns]

We have red and white LEDs sure! Try this page evandesigns.com/products/chip-nano-pico-leds?variant=39985935482928 and for the small coin cell holder you can find that here: evandesigns.com/products/small-coin-cell-holder-with-separate-switch

[@EvanDesigns]

you can message us too, evandesigns.com/pages/contact-us

[@Morgan-yl3ou]

I'm so annoyed I've been hunting for weeks for a shop and channel like yours My clay figures need some led set ups.. ...I finally found you ... ...and you are in america ....🙁 Whilst I'm in uk....lol Your shop is amazing ... ...its so clear and easy to use and understand . It's got everything I've ever wanted Where have you been all this time ? 🤣😉 💚💚💚💚💚💚

[@EvanDesigns]

Hi Morgan we are happy you like our lights! We do often ship to the UK. We have small lights that are great here evandesigns.com/collections/hobby-leds/products/chip-nano-pico-leds

[@Morgan-yl3ou]

@@EvanDesigns Yes , I loved your led lights ... Almost bought some off you . But .. To deliver a £ 5 unit , it costs £14 .. So it's not not worth paying all that . Would love to buy loads of your stuff though. That's why I'm so annoyed you are in USA, lol. Cant you move your business to uk .?

[@jackobacko3219]

I’m new to this stuff but if your LEDs are 3v each how are you powering so many with the AA battery pack? AA batteries are 1.5v each. Wouldn’t this be insufficient voltage?

[@EvanDesigns]

Hi Jack, thank you for contacting us! Our AA holder has 2 batteries in series to give 3 volt power. You may be able to see this at this link. evandesigns.com/products/aa-holder-with-switch. A single AA battery has 2,000 milliamps, 2 batteries in series also have 2,000 milliamps so it can run 100 LEDs easily.

[@CarlosGutierrez-ou2bb]

yo there, what gauge wire do you use, and what is best

[@EvanDesigns]

hi Carlos! Thanks for getting in touch. We have fine magnet wire: evandesigns.com/products/magnet-wire-twisted-50-ft-spool that is pretty easy to hide, but not that easy to strip, you can sand it to expose the copper or you can use heat to strip it, but it takes a little while either way. And we have kynar wire evandesigns.com/products/kynar-hook-up-wire that is pretty easy to strip with wire strippers or a soldering iron but a little harder to hide. We have twisted kynar too which is the same wire twisted together to make it neater: evandesigns.com/products/twisted-kynar-wire

[@gemm8320]

Sorry if the video already answered this question but I’m not experienced and I’m scared to mess up or set something on fire. I have a red 5mm led that breaths/ fades in and out, the website I bought them from says they are 2.1v what power set up/ resistor do I need?

[@karakkmurukk.16]

Mam can we use this lights for doll house?

[@meefthepotatoe4363]

Can I run one single led using a tiny hearing aid battery? I want to use it on 1:64 scale hotwheels …..thank you 🙂

[@EvanDesigns]

Hi! That sounds like a really great project. We have a super small 3 volt battery here: evandesigns.com/products/small-coin-cell-holder-with-separate-switch?variant=6762418176048 that is one of the smallest 3 volt coin cells there is. It can run 1-4 of our 3 volt LEDs. For hotwheels we have tiny nano LEDs in cool white and red here: evandesigns.com/products/chip-nano-pico-leds?variant=39985934762032 let me know if you need help picking things out. Use the contact form on our website

[@phyllisolson5148]

Can you add a timer to these LEDs? I’m trying to replace lights in all my faux gingerbread houses to a 6 hour on, 18 hour off version. Thanks!

[@EvanDesigns]

Hi Phyllis you've come to the right place! We have that timer right here! evandesigns.com/products/timer-for-leds

[@departmentofexternalservic2331]

How about running the light 24/7 on one D cell for 2 months? Easier than a timer circuit. You can make LED light units for arts and crafts for about 2 dollars each with no electronics knowledge in less than 10 minutes. Short video with QR code at the end: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rKjHppaVmt6VY9U "Sims Dead Cell Candle" Google it.

[@RohitSingh-pq8ss]

Does they need resistors with led

[@EvanDesigns]

Hi Rohit, thank you for your comment. Most LEDs are natively three volt so they will not need a resistor to run with three volt batteries. There are a few exceptions. Colors such as red, orange and yellow are two volt so they will need a resistor even to run at three volt.

[@Jokidus]

Great video! I need a small, bright (ish) led lamp which is to be used in a locked display case. The lamp needs to last as long as possible continuously on. Have you any suggestions as to how to achieve this?

[@EvanDesigns]

Well, some batteries will give you a nice long run time, but eventually you will need to unlock the case to change the batteries. I wonder if a solar solution might work for you!

[@departmentofexternalservic2331]

For long run time make a "Sims Dead Cell Candle" (Google it). You can make one using a solar lawn light in about 10 minutes. Run time is about 8 weeks. Run more than one for more brightness plus change out the LED for a LED with a focused beam.

[@benmack1334]

If you extend the wire that’s connected to the LED a few feet, will it dim the light at all

[@EvanDesigns]

That's an interesting question. No, the LEDs will not be any dimmer if you extend the wire a few feet. They draw very little power, and most wires have a good amount of carrying capacity and very little resistance.

[@wavesofkatrina]

Can you send me the link for the second option? Id like to purchase

[@ironmanguitarhero]

Links in the description

[@na4211]

I have connected all LEDs in parallel and connected to one port of just plug in A/C and they all work fine. Do i rea)ly need to calculate out what resistor i may need?

Do you mean an AC to DC power supply, or straight to mains AC? Either way, LEDs don't like when you supply current above their maximum ratings and they will fail open. You need to find what's the current rating of the LEDs, and put a suitably rated (appropriate power dissipation) in series with the LEDs to limit the current. This will depend on several factors, like the supply voltage as well as the forward bias voltage of the LED.

[@juniorkublax6085]

Do You Guys Have Any Good small LEDs for 1/28 RC Cars like the little ones and do you guys have one for the same size 1/28 but when you turn left it will blink for left and right brake lights and reverse plzzz let me kno

[@na4211]

What are the advantages of using cell vs A/C.

[@yoeribolderdijk1257]

Portability?

[@na4211]

@@yoeribolderdijk1257 is that only reason?

You need to know what you're doing if you are working with mains AC. That high voltage could easily kill someone (e.g. a child or a pet). If you have to ask, that means you are not qualified to do this type of work. On the other hand, batteries are lower voltage and generally easier to work with. You can still end up causing problems (e.g. a fire) if you don't build things properly. So please stay with low voltage DC and keep learning

[@wamsly2334]

I'm confused how is 3V powering white leds? I thought the forward voltage for white was higher than 3V. Is there something I'm missing?

[@EvanDesigns]

One of the reasons LEDs are hugely popular (there are many) is that they can run over a wide range of voltages and do so quite happily. Our white LEDs are 3 volt yes. evandesigns.com/products/3-volt-solid-leds But they will run right down to 2.9 volts and still be pretty bright. Even our 5-12 volt lights (resistored to 12 volt) will light up at 3 volt but not as brightly. evandesigns.com/products/solid-leds-for-hobbies

[@wamsly2334]

@@EvanDesigns thank you for your response! I always thought they were set values and it was pretty exact. I never realized it's more of a range! I just found current vs voltage graphs for leds. Thanks for the help!

[@lovelyyluciddreams4352]

Hi, I’m so glad I found this channel!! I was wondering. I purchased these pre wired lights on Amazon for a model I’m building…. They have resistors on them already but I am confused as to how many I can put on one battery pack now because it says they are “12v” surely that doesn’t mean I can only put one light on right? Does that just mean I can use up to a 12v power source? Here’s the info on the listing: Light Color: Warm White Voltage: 12V Current: 20mA Resistance: 500Ω Brightness: 12000-14000 mcd Wave Length: 2800-3200K I wish I would have found your site first! I’ll definitely be purchasing from you in the future!!

[@EvanDesigns]

hi! Thank you for reaching out to us. If you have 12 volt lights, you can connect them to your 9 volt or 12 volt power supply. The number you can connect is only limited by the power supply you plan on using. We have a 12 volt adapter that can run 1-50 LEDs here: evandesigns.com/collections/wire-switch-more/products/regulated-12-volt-dc-output-adapter-transformer?variant=32102905413680

[@StillxAvoidingxTomorrow]

Im a master electrican turned to artist looking for a good source of miniture controls for projects .like led controls and such,,,I may have found it.thx

[@shegardener1221]

Wow! Master electrician to Artist. That sounds like quite a transition. Let us know if you need things like timers or sensors!

[@eightyonebg]

Is there a chance to light up about 40-50 of these mini leds with some kind of adapter and plug it in 220V? I`m trying to figure it out for a ship model. Any kind of help will be priceless! Thank you!

[@EvanDesigns]

Hi Eighty one thank you for your interest! Yes we have a 3 volt power 2 amp power supply that can run 1-100 LEDs on 220 volts: evandesigns.com/collections/wire-switch-more/products/3-volt-adapter-transformer and a pin converter to let it run on EU plugs here: evandesigns.com/products/international-plug-adapters as far as which LEDs, you can check the sizes we offer here: evandesigns.com/pages/information-about-led-sizes let us know if you have more questions, or email us directly evandesigns.com/

[@eightyonebg]

@@EvanDesigns I wrote an email, thank you very much! :)

[@TALKATIVE_CARTOON]

I was wondering would a led driver be needed to regulate the current?

[@EvanDesigns]

hi Arc thank you for getting in touch! A simple resistor works fine for single LEDs. Regulators are typically used when you have a lot of LEDs to connect to power. We add a resistor to each LED if it is needed. I hope that helps!

[@vilgrid6683]

Hi , Is this 1mm led ?

[@EvanDesigns]

The LEDs we used in this demonstration are 3.2mm LEDs. We have 1mm LEDs on this page of our website: evandesigns.com/products/chip-nano-pico-leds?variant=39985935450160 I hope that helps. But let me know if you need more help or have any other questions!

[@SlotCarDojo]

What gauge wire is recommended when extending the length of the wire?

[@EvanDesigns]

LEDs draw very little power. So you don't need heavy gauge wire to extend the runs. 20AWG or 30AWG are both fine. We have some nice wire we recommend here: evandesigns.com/products/twisted-kynar-wire

[@minimotomad2762]

Where can I buy the first ones you showed? What are they actually called.... the thing that holds the battery 🔋 I need some ASAP please thanks

[@EvanDesigns]

We have small battery holders here evandesigns.com/collections/wire-switch-more/products/small-coin-cell-holder-with-separate-switch

[@andyneipert2527]

Can run colors flashing and sawid off reechar bader spli?

[@EvanDesigns]

Hi Andy if you use regular AAA or AA or a 9 volt or a lipo battery you can run both solid and flashing. The trouble with AAA and AA rechargeable batteries, they are too low voltage. A typical rechargeable AA or AAA is only 1.2 volts so 2 of them would be 2.4 volts. That's not enough power to run an LED.

[@payuyoeuniece934]

How did you make the circuit?

[@EvanDesigns]

Hi Payuyo thank you for your interest in our battery LED information. There is no circuit board, these lights are just being connected directly to a battery. Find out more about this on our article here: evandesigns.com/pages/battery-operated-leds

[@mrymajid2580]

What kind of leds are you operating on these batteries?

[@EvanDesigns]

Those are our chip LEDs. We have those in 7 colors. The lights in the video are cool white. You can find those here: evandesigns.com/products/chip-nano-pico-leds?variant=39985934073904

[@flightofapaullo72]

What kind of on/ off switches you using? Like to order some. Great video btw.

[@EvanDesigns]

Hi we're glad you liked the video. We have switches on all of our battery holders or you can buy the switches by themselves on this page of our website: evandesigns.com/collections/wire-switch-more

[@flightofapaullo72]

@@EvanDesigns I appreciate that, thank you.

[@austink215]

Question I hope you may be able to answer; I have some led strips wired up to AA battery packs, and they started to go dim after about 2 hours. It seems that the batteries were getting really hot for some reason, because the lights would be bright again after leaving them off for a little while. Do I need to wire in a resistor, or is there something else going on?

[@EvanDesigns]

Hi Austin. Your 2nd idea, something else is going on. Heat at the battery indicates a short circuit. It's a dangerous situation because batteries don't respond well to heat. Disconnect the power! Check for anyplace a red or + wire might be contacting a black or - wire causing a short. That will be what you need to search for!

[@robogamers746]

ummmm how long will the Led last iff i connect 3 3V leds to one 9V battery

[@EvanDesigns]

Hi! Interestingly, a pair of AA has 2,000 milliamps while a 9 volt battery has around 700 millamps. So for longer run time you are better off with the AA pair. We have a holder with an on/off switch here: evandesigns.com/collections/wire-switch-more/products/aa-holder-with-switch then you would not need to wire the LEDs in series, you could put them in parallel, red to red and black to black. We estimate that 3 LEDs would run around 100 hours. LEDs don't draw much power at 3 volt and they tend to draw less as the battery runs down.

[@andyneipert2527]

How mene switchs can you run off 9v battery?

[@EvanDesigns]

Hi! you can connect as many switches as you would like to a 9 volt battery. It's the number of LEDs you have to consider. We have run 50 LEDs on a single 9 volt, you can see that video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d6C6nHyegbehoKc We have another video we recently made about switches, you can see it here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z5myhpdrbdVmrJI

[@willammiller1932]

What about a 10 watt 4-5 v IR led

[@EvanDesigns]

Hi William thank you for your interest! For that style LED we do not have a battery holder, unfortunately. You will need to search for a 3 x AAA or a 3 x AA holder. 3 of AAA or 3 of AA in series will get you 4.5 volts

[@jazzgot101]

hi is this available in Europe?

[@EvanDesigns]

We are based in USA but we do ship to Europe every day

[@yenpagaduan5873]

How much resistor did you used on a 9v battery?

[@EvanDesigns]

hi! Thank you for your interest in our LEDs. We use a resistor based on the voltage and also the color. For 9 volt battery and solid LEDs we use 470ohm on white, blue and green. We use 560ohm on red, orange, and yellow. If you are running on 3 volt, there still needs to be a resistor on red, orange, and yellow because those colors are 2 volt. What are you making with LEDs?

[@yenpagaduan5873]

@@EvanDesigns I'm using 10 LEDs, what voltage am I gonna use?

[@EvanDesigns]

@@yenpagaduan5873 Hi Yen if you want you can use a pair of AA batteries and run all 10 LEDs in parallel. A single AA pair can run 1-70 LEDs. Do you have LEDs already? We have 3 volt LEDs all ready to go here evandesigns.com/products/3-volt-leds