Basic Electronic Question

Yes. Remember a Wall wort is usually an unregulated supply so voltage will drop as you add a load to its maximum amperage draw. Not sure you can assume current draw on the lights though,they would be about 1/4 watt per bulbs at 100ma

Dale H

Thanks Dale,

Unfortunately, I don't have any idea what the current rating is, It is not indicated.  (Maybe I could measure it with a battery installed, hmm).

First off, wiring LED's in parallel without individual current limiting resistors can result in oddball behavior.  This is particularly true for those flickering LED's.

Next, the LED has a 20ma maximum as a rule, not 100ma, at least all the flickering ones I've found are that way.

I'd use a 5V wall-wart for this, wire them in parallel, and put a 150 ohm resistor in series with each lamp.  You can put the resistors anywhere in the individual feed wires, so you still don't have to do any mods to the lamps.  It's pretty easy to find 5V regulated wall-warts, many cell phones use them.  I have a ton of old ones that I save for this kind of project.

Thanks, a GROUP !!!!  Sounds like a plan!   I will post a picture as soon as I have them done.  (Need to help a friend wire his layout.)  THANKS  !!

BTW, the local Dollar store has those flickering tea lamps for two for a dollar.  Last year it was three for a dollar, inflation even at the Dollar store.   I bought some more anyway, I use the bulbs for conversions of the firebox light in locomotives.  I get a real flickering firebox and the part cost peanuts.

My impression was he was using light bulbs,not LEDs

Dale H

I don't think so Dale, I have a bunch of these.  They're the flickering LED tea lamps.  See image below his quote.

These teacup lights also flicker with a flame shaped bulb,  PERFECT !  The lamps are currently powered by a 3v disc battery.

John,  Your right on target, the LED tea lamps ARE the exact ones I'm using.  Just as pictured above.  I got 6 of them for $4.

In that case, my previous recommendation should be all you need to get it working.

Sorry about that. When he estimated 100ma draw I thought of light bulbs. If you could get an 18 v or 24v  source you could maybe drive all 6 in series with a small resistor. Total current draw would be 20 ma

Dale H

No problem Dale, when he described them, I realized what he was talking about.  I had the advantage of actually using a bunch of them and tearing them apart for the flickering LED.   They're a great value at the Dollar store, you can't buy the flickering LED's elsewhere for the price of the whole unit there!

Driving the flickering or blinking LED's in series is a non-starter, they will not work properly.  They depend on a constant source of current as they vary their current requirements.  My parallel connection advice is the way to go.

Thanks John.

Dale H