LED project for model boat - clueless and need help

[oates151]

Well i'm looking to do more work with electronic devices on my model boats and start playing around with LEDs and such.

Now, if I wanted to add, lets say to start, 3 LEDs to my ship in the position outlined in the attached image, what kind of LEDs would I need, wires, switches, any any other stuff. Homemade ideas are also good, i'm a DIY kinda guy.

I really appreciate your help as I get started with this project and begin using LEDs on my projects.

-Pat

 

[PhillDubya]

You can go as far as you want with this.

You can simply have led's that are flipped on with a switch manually, and that is it; or, you can get as complex as lights that only turn on at night, when in proximity to certain objects etc..... The list goes on, and can get as advanced as you want.

As far as led's?

Any led that runs at low current, low voltage, I am sure will be fine, as you will be using a portable power source (battery), since it is on a model boat.

They have tons of them at Radio Shack, or you can order them online at DigiKey.com

Then get youself a switch from one of the above mentioned places, along with a power source (some batteries), connect them in series, and your good to go.

 

[audioguru]

LEDs are not light bulbs.
An ordinary LED mounted at the top of the mast will shine straight up and not be seen at the sides.
An ordinary LED mounted on the side will shine straight out and not be seen at the front and the rear.
High power LEDs have a viewing angle of 170 degrees which is better but you still won't see it at the top of the mast.

How bright? How heavy a battery? How long do you light them for?

 

[oates151]

Well basically a tiny bit of light in a dark room is all I need for each of those 6 LEDs - i'm thinking a 9V, D, or AA battery will do the trick - its really only needed for when friends/visitors come over and I want to show off a bit I can change the battery as much as necessary - i'm thinking maybe pointing all the LED lights forward since i will only need to illuminate one side of the boat in the display case. So I should get a switch, what kind of wiring? Where should I get the LEDs from?

Thanks guys!

 

[PhillDubya]

Led here ---> LED Link

Wire Link Don't get the stranded though, look for the "solid" conductor.

Switches, of many options:
1

2

 

[oates151]

Ok now I asked my father (he was an electrician) about some possibilities at dinner tonight. He said he thinks this is how it may have to work (image attached). In the image, the LEDs will be spliced together (maybe minus that mast since I think it will look better with just the base lit up), but in the end it would have to reach some sort of AC adapter (he said batteries would drain? don't know if that is really true) and then be plugged into the wall since LEDs are usually DC?

Is this how I would have to do it. If so, where could I find this AC adapter for LEDs in particular

 

[Leftyretro]

Ok now I asked my father (he was an electrician) about some possibilities at dinner tonight. He said he thinks this is how it may have to work (image attached). In the image, the LEDs will be spliced together (maybe minus that mast since I think it will look better with just the base lit up), but in the end it would have to reach some sort of AC adapter (he said batteries would drain? don't know if that is really true) and then be plugged into the wall since LEDs are usually DC?

Is this how I would have to do it. If so, where could I find this AC adapter for LEDs in particular

Well you don't have a location posted in your profile, but if your in the U.S. your local Radio Shack should have several sizes and colors available. After that mail order is the best choice as there are so many styles, colors, brightness types available.

As far as wire I would think you would want as thin a gauge as possible to not distract from the model. An LED current is usually under 20ma so you can use thin wire. Also you are going to need a resistor(s) to limit the current to the proper value. The number and value of resistor depends on how you wire up the LEDs, series or parallel. If you are going to use a 9v battery then you could easily wire 3 LEDs in series (watch the LED polarity) with one resistor (say 330 ohms) to your switched battery power. The battery should last for several weeks or months if your just going to show them for a few mins at a time. A DC (not AC) "wall wart" power module would also work well and would never run down. They can be found for under a dollar at second hand and thrift stores, look for one rated at 9-12 volts DC output (they are common) and their output voltage rating is usually marked . Radio Shack also has power modules, but overpriced in my opinion.

RadioShack.com



Good Luck and why don't you post us a picture of your model

Lefty

 

[Boncuk]

Hi Oates,

you can use a cluster of four OSRAM 'Mini TOPLED' for the toplight at the mast. They have a radiation angle of 120 degrees and should be visible from any direction.

There are two white Mini TOPLEDs available, both the same size, but different forward voltages and currents. I selected the low current version (10mA) for long lasting battery operation.

Connect two LEDs in series and add a current limiting resistor as shown in the sketch.

Boncuk

 

[oates151]

I will post a pic of the model once I get this dang camera working (well I just have to charge the battery and i'll take one tomorrow morning).

So I went to Radio Shack today and bought the supplies as follows:

LEDs: RadioShack.com - Cables, Parts & Connectors: LEDs: LEDs: 5mm Red Wide-Angle LED (in both red and green)

Switch: RadioShack.com - Cables, Parts & Connectors: Component parts: Switches: SPST Push On-Push Off Switch

Wire: RadioShack.com - Cables, Parts & Connectors: Wire: Hookup wire: 75-Ft. UL-Recognized Hookup Wire (22AWG)

Now, from here, how do I work this all with the switch and a 9V battery? How would I connect all the pieces together. I also was unsure what type of resistor to get, so please advise on that aswell.

Thank you very much guys!

-Pat