ac or dc?

Expected result.  Bulb powered by 6V AC.

Take a simple diode and insert it in series with one of the leads to the bulb. Then reverse polarity. If AC,the bulb will light both ways at half brightness. If DC it will light at almost full brightness one way,and not light the other. 

Dale H

and with this 6v ac there is no simple or inexpensive way to wire blinking LED to come on with the bulb...

I don't want to replace the bulb, I just want it to activate other LEDS remotely placed when it comes on. The Blinking LED's sold on the bay require a true dc, if I am not mistaken, I can't just can't solder two together to cancel out the reverse wave...

(?)

From the 6 volt power source, add a diode and capacitor in proper polarity. 33uf,16 volt or more should work for the capacitor.  Then a series resistor to each LED. 330 ohm,1/4 watt or more should work. 

Dale H

why a capacitor?

The capacitor will smooth out the ripple ,from pulsed DC to filtered DC. The blinking LED needs filtered DC from what GRJ says.

Dale H

Dog gone it Dale, you're right. I remember GRJ mentioning the need for filtered DC...

UF4007 diode be alright?

Most any 1n series diode is fine. I think you mean 1n4007. You could also use a full bridge but you said you wanted simple. The parts should cost less than a dollar total,but you will have to solder a bit. #26,or #22 wire is good. 

Dale H

Thanks for the info Dale... 

 Hooking the meter up on DC, I am getting nothing. Zero. Zip.

Did you try reversing the  VOM leads?

If you are feeding AC volts to the bulb, the meter will read AC volts but not DC. If you feed AC through a diode, the output of the diode will measure DC, and the input will measure AC.

Larry

You'll also typically measure some AC on the output of a diode from an AC source voltage unless you have a filter cap sufficient to remove all the AC ripple.

I am a big fan of using DC to operate all my accessories as they tend to work better. However, a little known fact is that incandescent bulbs will last longer if run on AC. It has to do with polarity reversal having a renewal effect on the bulb filament.

This is for bulbs operated at their rated voltage for the optimum of AC vs. DC... yes AC will let them last longer.

The effect is negligible at fractional settings of full rated voltage.

My LED's only run on DC, and their lifetime will exceed my lifetime.