Someone may have already suggested this....
I constantly forget to order enough 3mm LEDs for loco conversion. Rather than pay over $2 each !!!! from my LHS or wait 2 weeks for a postal delivery from my usual online source ($1.50 per warm white LED) , I switched to these in a pinch......called LED umbrella lights.
Twenty-four brilliant white 5mm for less than $4 from the dollar store. They fit in HO locos (sometimes trim the plastic lip at the base to make a uniform diameter)....add a usual resistor and so on. They are quite bright, but can be dimmed etc. with CV alteration. The little contacts are a bit short once I snip the LED free from the circular board, but still quite usable.
Or how about 48 of the same for the same price elsewhere.
Some sites try to charge up to $19 for these, but they can be had in many places online with free shipping for $3 and change or check the dollar stores.
I'm curious. What are these used for by people who, unlike us, don't rip them apart for the LEDs? What power do you apply to them?
At that price, I could see using them for permanently-mounted under-layout lighting for doing wiring, or perhaps as fascia lighting to let operators see their switch lists during night operations.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
They go on your patio umbrella to provide light at night - the support tube goes through the hole.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Oh, so they're designed to draw bugs to your outdoor dinner.
Is the battery built-in, or is it replaceable? Any idea how long they last?
There are similar devices used in camping sold by places like Sports Authority too.
Richard
MisterBeasley Oh, so they're designed to draw bugs to your outdoor dinner. Is the battery built-in, or is it replaceable? Any idea how long they last? The bugs got to be able to see too!! Cheers, Frank
Yes, these have a blueish cast to the light.....not terribly out of place, but I do prefer the Yellowglo or Sunnywhite......hence the heading, "in a pinch".
At this time of year, go to Wal-mart, K-mart, or other big box store and look at the Christmas light sets. Some sets use inverted cone 5mm LEDs in warm white, which is closer to an incandescent bulb than the bluish cool white LEDs.
Some of the Christmas light sets are even using 3mm LEDs.