Where to get multi color changing 5mm LEDs?

VidPro

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you can buy the leds from e-bay sellers by the 10s or 100s, from hong cong, or a few us sellers resale them for more money

they are really cool when it comes to voltage, pretty forgiving, you can shove about 4V max into them, they run on 3.6V very nicely. and when the voltage drops the blue, then the green slowly drop out.
basically as one might expect, when the voltage gets low, the led gate that takes the most voltage dims first.
and the curcuit keeps on going, so at the end of the battery life (or voltage) the thing is still cycling, but only the red lights up.

runs great DD off of a trio of ni-mhys, i was using AAAs on a 11 string, and the current to them was just about right.

i hope that splains it.
they come in fast changing, which changes very discoey, the rapid change stands out, and can become obnoxious.
and in slow changing, so slow that it could be called mesmerising, or boring, or meditative.

the Pattern of change is very sofisticated, its not just flashing but going through a series of types of pattern changing. rather amasing set of leds.

if your thinking of stringing them on your xmas lights, i figured from the fluxuations in power (current) it does would make it unusable in a series string, so if you want a string of them your probably stuck stringing them in parellel , which works great. (that means they probably will NOT work in ANY of the average 120v Xmas string lights without major modification of the string somehow)

because each is slightly different, a string of them will only sync or chace for so long, so basically they are all on thier own, each doing different things.

let me see if i can find you a seller
http://search.ebay.com/search/searc.../ws/&fkr=1&from=R8&satitle=rgb+led&category0=
try that, that usually find them.

remember there is Fast ones and slow ones, and they are very different speeds.
i think i also saw they have them in milky too not just clear.

ya know while i am rambling here :) the things actually do make white light during thier cycling by lighting all three of the colors, although each emitter is offset , i am surprised they dont make a rgb "white" that doesnt flash using this same method.
(most rgb leds have to be powered seperate)
 
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x2x3x2

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cool, thanks for the wealth of info man :) the torch from fifth unit changed both fast and slow too. just one more thing, are the changes controlled by an external circuit or all built in the LED itself? ALso some are 4pin n some are 2pin, what are the differences?

btw ur search also came up with a 3 watt version of these RGB LEDs, wonder y the Surefire Kroma didnt use these RGB LEDs...
 
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EngrPaul

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I think they are RGB LED's driven by a separate circuit. Have you watched the video? It's pretty obvious they are not running independent. I believe you can get some RGB LED's from besthongkong.

I have one on the way. I can tell you more later.
 
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VidPro

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there is an unbelevibly tiny chip inside the led itself, makes my computer look like its from 1940 :)

i made a 12W flashlight from the 6 wire "prolite" led emitters, it does about 170 different color combos as controlled by 3 nflexes, its insane , the color that things look with real RGB color is amasing.
 

VidPro

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well i use all of them , somehow.
but the flashing ones i was discussing, are the 2 pin ones.

the 4 pin things have to have 2-3 different voltages sent to them, total pain in the :)
 

x2x3x2

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ok cool, these look pretty versatile.. only that their lumen output isnt that much.

Do u use your prolight emitter to get better color rendition off object or change the colors for the fun of it? :)
 

VidPro

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x2x3x2 said:
ok cool, these look pretty versatile.. only that their lumen output isnt that much.

Do u use your prolight emitter to get better color rendition off object or change the colors for the fun of it? :)

its good output for a 5mm, remember MCD is a SPOT based measurement, other than multidie leds they all are limited in output.


i use the prolight for BOTH :) its one of them flashlights you cant just walk down the path with , buttons and light to play with to much fun. the original purpose of it was for "proof of concept" that i could rotate the color splotches to formulate real white light, and basically it does that.

eventually i am going to have to sell it, as i am low on funds, want to buy a 600$$$$ flashlight :)
 

DonShock

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There are some available from The Sandwich Shoppe for $3.50 each. It is a 5m LED with 2 pins. I was experimenting with different battery combos and made the mistake of trying to direct drive it off a li-ion cell with no resistor and burned it out.
 

HaPPI

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Bror Jace

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I have one of the DAE 3AAA "Colorful" lights and have another on the way.

Of all the lights I have shown my co-workers (admittedly, mostly women) it's this silly Colorful one with the 5 LEDs that put on a show that gets the most oohs and aahhs. :)
 

x2x3x2

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im getting a few of those from FU for some of my little nephews too :) they really do find it fascinating... ehehe
 

ROVER

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I've tried the ones from lsdiodes.com They are cool if you put a couple next to each other because, although they go through a predetermined sequence---they get slightly out of sync with each other---and it's beautiful chaos.
 
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