lighting a MTH bridge

LED's aren't that complicated, if you want to do the wiring yourself.

Not sure exactly what "effect" you're after, but google "side glow fiber".  You illuminate one end of the fiber with one (1) LED and the entire fiber glows.  By masking, painting, apply black tubing over, etc., you can create discrete points of light without having to wire up, solder, mess-with dozens of individual microscopic LEDs.

Thanks ! I will check it out

You can do led strip lighting pretty inexpensively, if that would work?

Rod

Just trying to find something to use to look like a lighted bridge.  Strip lighting would work, but I want to use transformer power.   Thanks

Not seasoned yet posted:

Just trying to find something to use to look like a lighted bridge.  Strip lighting would work, but I want to use transformer power.   Thanks

You can use one of grj's constant current modules to supply power to the strip; it will accept any AC or DC power source.

Rod

I've recently purchased a number of AC to DC buck converters from eBay. They will take your AC transformer voltage to a nice clean DC voltage that you can dial in (thru a potentiometer) to use with your LEDs. This one includes a bridge rectifier on the board. Copy and paste this number into the eBay search box:

323405457109

  -- Leo

This is a good way to go.. and should run plenty of led strip lights,  Also the battery operated tiny grain of rice 4.5VDC stings that cost less than 5 bucks in wall marts and other stores..

I just used a small battery operated set leds.

So the buck converter looks to be a way to go, how do you hook this up to work with the battery string lights and my transformer ? I am wondering the set up steps.  Thanks All

The string, purchased just after Christmas one year was complete with the battery holder, 2 "c" batteries with on/off switch.   The  string is long enough to weave through one side and then the other.   

Not seasoned yet posted:

So the buck converter looks to be a way to go, how do you hook this up to work with the battery string lights and my transformer ? I am wondering the set up steps.  Thanks All

So if the string of lights is powered by two AA cells say, you need 2 x 1.2 volts = 2.5 volts approx. So you adjust the screw adjuster on the buck converter to give you 2.5 volts and go. Hook your transformer to the ac input connections. Input voltage is not important, just not more than the module is rated for. Dead easy, but you  will need a $10 digital multimeter set on the 20 volt DC range to test the module output.

Rod

Rod, do the leads from the led lights ( cut from the battery holder) wire go to the DC output ? and the meter set on 20 so as to not exceed that output and would use the screw adjuster to be in that "20" range.  Sorry, electric inputs and outputs, volts, etc always get confusing for me, I just like to plug and go... lol.  Sometimes, if I see it in diagram format the concept is clearer for me to follow.   Thanks

Christmas tree mini lights would work and be very inexpensive.  Strings of 10 or 20 might work for this job and no batteries to mess with..  If they are colored, lacquer thinner will take the paint off.

Charlie

Quote:  "The world is made up of two kinds of people:  One, tries to use LED lights for everything and two, tries to use incandescent lights for everything."

That's a thought   Thanks.

Not seasoned yet posted:

Rod, do the leads from the led lights ( cut from the battery holder) wire go to the DC output ? and the meter set on 20 so as to not exceed that output and would use the screw adjuster to be in that "20" range.  Sorry, electric inputs and outputs, volts, etc always get confusing for me, I just like to plug and go... lol.  Sometimes, if I see it in diagram format the concept is clearer for me to follow.   Thanks

Sorry I missed this until now. You only need the meter hooked up to the DC output from the converter while you adjust it. And no, don't set it for 20 Volts; 2.5 volts output is all you need to supply the light string. Once set, just hook the string directly to the converter output. + to + and - to -. Dead easy.

Rod

Thank You !