Time to Buy Building and Car Lights

There's some good reasons why LEDs are getting more popular.

 

There's some good reasons why LEDs are getting more popular

 

Color temperature, 180 degree light illumination, low cost, and the ability to dim to very low light levels are not among them

Yeah Michaels had those 10 battery powered ledlight sets in warm white, red and various colors. Look for coupons in Sunday's papers for additional savings. They even have a 36 nsno white led battery powered set that is great for storefront window displays! Stock up now or wait a whole other year!

Don't like the battery, as the gunrunner stated so many times on this forum to get those buck converters on da bay and you are set!

Well, I can get wide angle LED's that have a pretty wide angle, probably not 180.  However, the ability to dim to very low light levels is not an issue with LED's, don't know where that idea comes from.  Since I can get LED's in white, warm white, amber, yellow, etc., it's usually not an issue trying to find the right color.  Also, different maker's LED's have different color temperatures, so it's usually possible to zero in to a color pretty well. 

 

Let's not forget the very low current consumption and heat dissipation that allows you to put LEDs where you could never put incandescent bulbs...

 

YMMV

 

 

GRJ

 

I have personally never found an LED that can match the old incandescent bulb color I am going for.  I have tried several types and brands.  And I always throw in the towel and go back to an old fashion grain of wheat bulb.  Admittedly this can be a matter of perception.

 

As for dimming:  In a lot of places on my layout, I want to be able to see a lit bulb, but not have that lamp provide much light.  Again, I have never been able to tune an LED to that degree of precision.  I keep coming up against the on-off threshold. 

 

And I run my bulbs at such low voltage, that I am not up against any kind of heat limitations. Or even bulb lifetime

 

I also have a lot of lamps, so cost does becomes a factor

 

I do use LEDs in all my passenger cars, marker lights, switch indicators, signals, etc. They work fine for me there.

 

My attitude is each type has its own place.  

I agree John, for instance I normally use incandescent bulbs for cab lights on my upgrades, the ease of light distribution works well.  There are other places where, even if an LED could be made to work, it's just easier to use an incandescent, point taken.

 

However, I'm not understanding the dimming issue at all.  I can dim LED's to the point that you can only see them in the dark, and I have continuous variability up to full brightness from there.  There is no on-off threshold that I'm aware of with an LED.  If you limit the current to the LED, you can dim it as much as you like.  If you're trying to drive them with a voltage controlled DC source without controlling the current, I can understand why you don't get satisfactory results.  The difference between full brightness and off without current limiting is a tiny range with an LED.

If you're trying to drive them with a voltage controlled DC source without controlling the current, I can understand why you don't get satisfactory results.  

 

And I don't know how to control the current without sequentially substituting a range of resistors, which I find rather cumbersome compared to just varying the voltage.  How do  you vary the current easily? 

Constant current source is how I do it.  I'm not sure why if you vary the voltage that you can't do the same with a variable resistor to control the current to the LEDs.

 

Hello,

 

Please excuse my pseudo hijacking of this thread, but can someone post photos or explain how they use old school or LED Christmas lights to illuminate buildings?  I am not the most experienced with electrical matters but I do have three buildings on my layout I need to illuminate and I am looking for the easiest and most inexpensive method.  The three buildings are in a row so hopefully that makes it easier.  All my other buildings came with lights already installed and wired. 

 

Thanks,

Joe