Pruitt It is a waste of money, because it's a completely useless part. I know because I bought some. It's like buying a bag of dog food when you don't have a dog. Spend the money on something else.
It is a waste of money, because it's a completely useless part. I know because I bought some. It's like buying a bag of dog food when you don't have a dog. Spend the money on something else.
Rich
Alton Junction
Mark P.
Website: http://www.thecbandqinwyoming.comVideos: https://www.youtube.com/user/mabrunton
Pruitt I wouldn't waste my money.
I wouldn't waste my money.
It's a hobby. Either every penny that you spend on model railroading is a waste of money or none of the money that you spend is a waste if it is just a hobby.
I'm not saying to use metal LED holders unless you choose to, but they sure do look professional and they are more reliable than the black plastic holders.
It's all about where you draw the line on how much you spend and where you spend it.
Just drill a 3/16 hole in the panel / fascia and insert the LED from the back. There's a nominal .009 inch interference, but the hole is wallowed out just a tiny bit when drilling by hand - enough that the LEDs are a slightly tight press fit (at least in Lexan). No need for glue of any type!
I did that on my control panel on a prior layout and it worked great.
Some years ago, just before Radio Shack started their decline, I bought some very similar mounts From RS. Just be sure to drill the hole as the instructions say and they work extremely well.
Yes, they do look nice. I'm using lighted pushbuttons so I won't have a seperate switch and LED. I'm experimenting with using PCBs as panels. Since you can get PCB solder mask in many colors, and also several colors of silkscreen on them. I figure a bit like a sandwich - one board that the switches are actually soldered to, just a utilitarian board with a simple connector (I'm using RJ45 sockets) to link to my control board, and then a second board with the track schematic with holes clearanced for the moving part of the button that sandwiches on top with standoffs. You can get boards made in different sizes, from a little tiny one where one turnout sits there all by itself to a larger panel which should hold enough buttons for my entire yard.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
rrinker If the whole ends up a bit too big with the plastic clips, a dad of white glue will hold the LED in, and it can be easily pushed back out if you need to remove it for any reason.
If the whole ends up a bit too big with the plastic clips, a dad of white glue will hold the LED in, and it can be easily pushed back out if you need to remove it for any reason.
If the whole ends up a bit too big with the plastic clips, a dad of white glue will hold the LED in ,and it can be easily pushed back out if you need to remove it for any reason.
Some years ago I was cheap and drilled for 3mm bi collared red/green LED's for Tortoise turnouts.
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.
Those look like the 2-piece items I bought from All Electronics 9 years ago, HLED-4. I put mine in a (11/64" thick, I think) aluminum control panel. (CORRECTION: 5/64" aluminum). I don't recall what drill I used but nothing special. I just measured the indented collar outer diameter, that surrounds the LED and would be in contact with the control panel, at 0.247". That compares to 0.244" in the diagram of the Amazon part.
TWO PIECE LED CLIP FOR 5MM (T 1 3/4) | All Electronics Corp.
Note that the longitudinal length of the collar mentioned above, is small. I measure it at about 0.1", which would suggest that ideally the control panel thickness be that or a smidge less for the collar to seat with the control panel. That measurement is not shown on the Amazon diagram (where it shows "CLIP"). My holders came with a ring that is intended to clip on the back but I did not use those. Mine just squeezed into a 1/4" hole nicely, the collar did not actually seat, but the force fit of the 4 tabs worked fine to keep them in place. I'm sure I did not CA glue them in place. They do not move if touched and look nice.
20200603_154226 by Paul Ahrens, on Flickr
Paul
Modeling HO with a transition era UP bent
I must be the cheapskate of the bunch. I just glue them in from the backside of panel with a dab of superglue on the back of the LED. The LEd's usually have a small lip on the back edge fo the LED (not all have this) and it sits in the hole quite nicely.
Granted i use 3mm flat faced LED's instead of 5mm. Sorry they are not lit on the panel below you get the idea.
Here is the back side of the panel wit hthe LED's Glued in place.
Colorado Front Range Railroad: http://www.coloradofrontrangerr.com/
Randy beat me to it, but I agree with his assessment.
Yes, those little black plastic LED holders work just fine, but the hole has to be precise. If the hole is too small, the LED holder will fit, but you won't be able to push the LED through. If the hole is too large, the LED holder will fit, but the LED will fall back out. Rather than drilling a hole, I use a metal reamer to make an exact fit.
Another possibility is a metal LED holder. This type of holder fits better, ensures a good LED fit, and looks more professional. Here is an example.
https://lighthouseleds.com/5mm-led-bezel-chrome.html
I used those, or at least an identical looking piece, and they worked fine. You do have to watch panel thickness with those, though they doi not specify it or give you measurements in the drawing to calculate it. If you are making your control panel with hardboard or plexiglas, they should be fine.
The text description has to be wrong - the diagram shows the diameter of the outer part to be 7.9mm (the actual bezel that surrounds the LED when installed in the panel) and then the text says to drill an 8mm hole - the whole assembly will slide through that. Pretty sure I just used a 1/4" bit and maybe wobbled it out slightly - the clip part at the back has to squeeze in to pass through the hole you drill in the panel and then springs out to clip the thing in place, and 1/4" might be a tad too tight, but unless you have metric drills, 9/32" will probably be too big, unless you happen to have an 17/64", that may be a good size. On hardboard like masonite that might leave a fuzzy edge when drilling a hole, twirling a hobby knife in the hole will clean up the inside.
Product recommendations for mount that I can use to attach 5mm LED to fascia/control panel? Example: LEDs indicating turnout throw direction.
Do these work well?
https://www.amazon.com/Chanzon-Holder-Headfor-Emitting-Diodes/dp/B083Q9Q1ZR/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&hvadid=78271548238011&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvqmt=e&keywords=5mm+led+mount&qid=1613657119&sr=8-6&tag=mh0b-20'
Thanks!