My LED Questions thread!

[jgeck90]

Hey guys I'm new here and i have lots of questions about LED's! Please bare with me on this! Instead of multiple threads i will make this One thread for all of my questions!
Here it goes guys!

Question #1
What i want to do is make address signs for me and my family. I would like to use LED's to power/light the sign. I will be using a Light Dard Relay (LDR) so it will come on only at night. I need suggestions on how to do the lettering/numbering on the sign. I thought about many ways. The way i would like to do it is by using tubing. I have seen this type of tubing where you put the LED in the end and it has some type of chemical or gas? that picks up the light and sends it further through the tube. I found the product i was talking about here it is. ://www.bivar.com/docs/news/?p=smpt I also need suggestions on how to make a holder for the address sign. Any suggestions will be considered!!

Question #2
I currently use 5mm LEDs and when i make them i do the usual way. I solder the resistor to the LED pigtail and then i solder a lead wire to the other end of the resistor. Now what if i want to make ten LEDs wired to a single positive and negative what would the best way to go about that? i have tried wiring four LED's into a single positive and negative and it was a pain in the butt to solder that many wire's together! what other ways are out there to go about this??

Thanks much guys. I really would like to know these two things at the time
:wave:!

 

[Black Rose]

Question #2
I currently use 5mm LEDs and when i make them i do the usual way. I solder the resistor to the LED pigtail and then i solder a lead wire to the other end of the resistor. Now what if i want to make ten LEDs wired to a single positive and negative what would the best way to go about that? i have tried wiring four LED's into a single positive and negative and it was a pain in the butt to solder that many wire's together! what other ways are out there to go about this??

I purchased some LED mounting boards from Alan Parekh for this type of thing, since I wanted to avoid having to solder resistors to each LED and then wire them up.

I haven't had a chance to use them yet...too many other things going on right now.

 

[jgeck90]

Thanks a lot but it looks a bit complicated for my little electrical experience.

Any other ideas on 1 and 2 guys?

 

[knabsol]

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[knabsol]

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[knabsol]

Hi!
I dont know about any lightpipes with a gas or "chemical" transmitting the light. Usually it´s acryllic or a plastic/fibreglass pipes.
For a sign I see atleast three simple solutions.

1. Having the house number cut out in thick polycarbonate, this way you can give it to a signmaker and get a nice font and all that. And then sandblaster it on all sides except where the light is coming in.

2. Use side emitting optical fibre and bend it into the sign using a heat gun.

3. Skip the leds and make the sign of EL light-tubes.

I guess it can be done in hundreds of ways but it depends on how you want the result and what you are willing to give If tubng is your choice then maybe side-emitting fibreoptics can give such a result?
Good luck and be sure to post images of the result!

 

[jgeck90]

That's a great idea but i would like to use my LED's. I have 500 of different colors and would like to use them up.

 

[Oznog]

Yeah it's a solid plastic or clear rubber (urethane/vinyl/acrylic) light pipe. The LED can be on the end, behind it down the length, or embedded in it. Not liquid or gas filled. Google "LED neon".

I don't know of a way to make an attractive one at home, I can't think of any readily available product that gives the right degree of clear light diffusion.

 

[jgeck90]

That site is sending me free samples so i'll see how it goes.

If that won't work i think my last option would be to get some acrylic and send it out and have it professionally cut with the letters/names in it. I can then drill 5mm holes in the sides and put LED's in it. What do you think about that?