# LED question



## sanepilot (Mar 11, 2012)

Hi,all.. Just ordered 100 led light bulbs.1-what else do I need to make them work?


2-. Got a smoke unit which is a puffer. It has a paddle to make it puff. What or how is it set up in the train engine to make it puff[won`t smoke unless the paddle is moving.

Appreciate any answers or suggestions. Have a great rest of week,sanepilot


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

It really depends on what you're doing with the LED's, how are you planning on powering them? If you have DC, all you need is a resistor. I recommend a protection diode as well if they will run off AC.

For the puffer, there is no magic way to make it smoke without the mechanical pump being activated. My solution is a fan driven smoke unit replacement.


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## J.C. (Dec 24, 2016)

if your going to use them for locomotive headlights in DC I still would recommended a protection diode.


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## sanepilot (Mar 11, 2012)

*Led`s*

Thanks,John and JC.. The leds ,I was going to lite some 0 gauge passenger engines and cars. Be using ac for Marx.[ZW tranny]. Maybe some buildings.What diode would I use[size]. The volts will be 6 to 8 volts. Anything over 10 volts for me is too fast.


On the smoker,I found it in my junk pile and tested it today. Smokes good so I`d thought I would add it to a train engine.Is there something on the wheels or engine to make it work.I can move the small blade sticking down towards the track and it works.
Back into catching up on some train repair.
Thanks,Been raining for 6 to 8 weeks in the valley,may buy a boat,sanepilot

Sorry,guys..I should have looked this up before asking question on leds.I just found a thread on MTF if it will just soak in.I probably throwed my money away as I got 100 leds for $2.00 shipped free. Live and learn.


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## sanepilot (Mar 11, 2012)

*led info*

Hi,all. I checked out Gunny`s page. Rather awesome. Over my head,John. I found a train site that sells them ready to hook up to AC OR DC. No red or black wires to fool with,guaranteed to burn for at least two years. Price is reasonable. When I get more train money,I`ll get some. They have flashing colored lights also. Mix or match. the more you buy they get cheaper.

I`m gonna use a DC tranny for the buildings and track AC for cars and engine.The ones I got ordered,I`ll play with them. 
One other thing I read was: It is possible for Led lights to interfere with your TV,Phone,Tablet or whatever electronics You may have. Does anyone have any input on this. Just curious.

I`ll post a photo if anyone is interested where theyre at.

Have a good evening,everyone. Everett


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## Lemonhawk (Sep 24, 2013)

I can see fluorescent lights causing some interference and electrical noise because of the high voltage, but have not heard of LED's causing any problem. They are a really low current device, not much power involve so its difficult to generate interference.


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## sanepilot (Mar 11, 2012)

*leds*

Hi,all.. Well,Lemon..Don`t really know how to answer this,but I`ll try. Electricity and the ethernet are two different Mediums.Someone on here probably explain it better. At a better day,I could have. On electricity you have DC which is changed to AC. That is all. On ethernet you have zillions of frequency flotating around in the air which can interact [not normally] with any of them. A frequency is only so big of a bandwidth. They found out it could be split into smaller frequency and so we got a mess. Under ground transmission is better as the signals go straight thru the earth. Above the ground, The curvature of the earth,the wave won`t bend,but it bounce off clouds,dirty air and so forth.That is why We have so darn many antannas sticking in the air and towers. I`ve got three tablets and they started messing up about 3 or 4 weeks ago. Streaming video,they will shut down at the most wrong time. My wife`s tablet will ask her questions like what do you say,I didn`t catch that. .My home computer tell me my account is being used in another location. Leds-Right now,I got 16 led 75 watt bulbs scattered around the house,gonna add more in time.LOL The FCC [ the rulers of the frequencys control the airwaves. I`ve got ironclad PCs and tablets. But maybe you`ve heard the old saying,:Build a mousetrap and someone will build a better one:. Someone explain it better,I know we got some on here that is knowledgeable more than me at the moment.LOL

I either helped or confused you. Hope helped. Have a great weekend,sanepilot

Sorry for the long post which can be deleted if anyone wishes.Tnx..


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

You've got LEDs all over your house right now. Those
tiny red lights on various appliances are LEDs. Many
TV sets use LEDs in the screen. Many of the new
light bulbs are LEDs.

While it's possible to get some interference from them
the likely hood is about the same as getting cancer
from your cell phone.

I have a good number of LEDs in my HO cars and in layout
buildings. I haven't heard or seen the first beep or
blip they may have caused.
In my opinion, you can light up your world with LEDs and pretty
much know that your various electronic devices are
going to be in the dark about it.

Don


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## sanepilot (Mar 11, 2012)

*leds*

Thanks,Don... I don`t always believe what I read. I know enough about electronics to be dangerous.LOL. I hear about fake news and so forth on national TV. Nothing would surprize me in this old world.
I will put leds in my passenger cars and engines in time as my train money becomes available. One mtf person on here has a string of leds under his kitchen counter. Very nice. His wife loves it. I don` dare to show my wife or I`ll have to do the same.

I always love a new learning curve. On my TVs and tablets ,who knows. Electronics is weird at times. They always update things and that isn`t nice for the consumer sometimes.

Life is great,take care..Sanepilot


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## tr1 (Mar 9, 2013)

*Light Emitting Diodes*

The correct way to spell leds is "LEDs" Light Emitting Diode just so you know. Not a big deal though.:dunno:
Regards,tr1
Have a great tomorrow!


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## J.C. (Dec 24, 2016)

the only LED's I know of that may cause I tiny bit of interference are the self contained flashing ones, had some on a smoke stack on modular that one of the members said he could hear a tiny pop that was in time with flash on his cell phone when standing next to them, can't verify that as I don't have a cell phone.


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## sanepilot (Mar 11, 2012)

*leds*

Well,golly gee,tr.. I guess I was politically wrong on that one. I always thought to capitalize something on the internet meant you were shouting at someone instead of talking normal:laugh::laugh:I thought a die ode was what you put with the led to protect it.

This electronic stuff,actually who knows. I`ve got hearing aids and funny thing about it is. I can hear a pin drop 60 feet away but can`t hear door bell 20 foot away. or the telephone six feet away.I got name brand also.Cost a fortune but my hearing has improved about 90 or 95 %. Go figger. I can live with it.

Gotta go work on my wife`s computer.,have a good weekend everyone,sanepilot


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## Lemonhawk (Sep 24, 2013)

Hearing aids are amazing in that they have several programmable band filters in them that the user selects. Want to listen to music you use a broad band, speech a narrow band. It also will specifically amplify the frequencies that your hearing is deficient on. That's why just a broad band amplifier will not help hearing impairment. It just amplifies all the stuff you can already hear so you get the same noise - only louder. There is a reason those little hearing aids are so expensive and why it takes some testing to get it all straighten out! Now the hearing aids are also equipped with bluetooth, so you phones audio is direct into the hearing aid! So in your case the doorbell is not in the speech band but the pin drop probably is!


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## Shdwdrgn (Dec 23, 2014)

sanepilot said:


> I`ve got three tablets and they started messing up about 3 or 4 weeks ago. Streaming video,they will shut down at the most wrong time.


All of the tablets connect to your internet through Wifi, but that is a radio frequency and has a limited bandwidth. If all of your devices are trying to stream videos at the same time, they could be using too much bandwidth and causing network errors -- thus the playback of the videos stutters or fails completely.



sanepilot said:


> My home computer tell me my account is being used in another location.


I assume you're probably talking about your email? Change your password IMMEDIATELY! That warning message is used by a lot of service providers to tell you that somebody at another location logged in to your account. If that account is email, they are probably using your mailbox to send spam to everyone in your email history. Change your password to something longer, and don't fall into the trap of using the world's most common passwords like "password" or "qwerty". Yes people really do use those.

Regarding the use of capital letters... sometimes it's important to shout (see above).  But in the case of LEDs, you are referencing an abbreviation for Light Emitting Diodes, which is why the capital letters are correct.

No, LEDs by themselves cannot cause interference. However the device running the LED's can. I'm not too good on the radio stuff, but I believe interference is caused by turning something on and off. Even turning off your room lights can cause a short burst of electromagnetic radiation that you may hear as a pop over a nearby radio. But the real nuisances come from devices that turn on and off at a very high rate, and if that rate happens to match the frequency found on your radio, you could actually hear it translated as a solid tone. For example, ever held a radio up to a running motor? Each time one of the coils of the motor turn on and off as it spins, that creates a radio wave output (I'm greatly simplifying the actual process here, of course).

The point is, your original post said you wanted to light up some cars and buildings from the AC power on your track. If you absolutely wanted to make sure the AC cycle didn't generate interference (and this is extremely unlikely on such low-power devices as LEDs unless you have some sensitive equipment), you could include a very small capacitor soldered directly across the legs on each LED, and that would essentially absorb the AC cycle. Bonus points, this trick also works for those who get headaches from the AC flicker of light bulbs... With the capacitors in place, the LED's should not flicker at all.


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## sanepilot (Mar 11, 2012)

I agree ,I`m running wifi and bluetooth. My garage is 90% soundproof. Most people push the bell button just barely. I put a homemade bell and if held for 2 seconds or more ,it will ring about a 2 minutes on a 7 inch speaker at 100 decibels. 130dec or more will bust your eardrums. The home computers are monitored anytime they are on the internet anywhere from 10 to 100 third party people depending on what page your on. My computer tells me so. With a little research,I can find out who they are. i have some of them.My hearing aids have 4 speakers.2 front,2 back. I can use all or any i want. I can turn them wide open or off.Programable also. 

Kinda off the subject,so I found a place that sell LEDS that you can hook to ac or dc voltage ready to go. No black or red wires. 2 yr replacement for any problem. Starting price is $3.25 ea. More you buy cheaper. also have flashing ones mix or match. I`ll have whole house LED before I`m done.

Gotta go,time for dinner..Sanepilot:smokin:


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## Shdwdrgn (Dec 23, 2014)

sanepilot said:


> Kinda off the subject,so I found a place that sell LEDS that you can hook to ac or dc voltage ready to go. No black or red wires. 2 yr replacement for any problem. Starting price is $3.25 ea. More you buy cheaper. also have flashing ones mix or match. I`ll have whole house LED before I`m done.


That sounds absurdly expensive. I buy a lot of electronics cheaply from China, and if you buy bulk packs of 100pcs of each, you should be able to put together an LED, resistor, diode, and small capacitor for less than 40 cents (probably more like 20 cents) each. That should be enough to run flicker-free from an AC supply. The only difference is you have to spend a minute soldering the components together yourself.


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## raleets (Jan 2, 2011)

I've had good luck buying el cheapo 12V LED's with a built-in resistor from "We Honest" in China.
They are simple to install and will last forever. There's probably around 300 of them in use on my layout......no hum.....no buzz.....no problems.


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## sanepilot (Mar 11, 2012)

*LED*

Thanks,fellas. I ordered two weeks ago 100 LEDS and 100 rectifier diodes[ there words].I didn`t look up the number before I came on a few minutes ago something. The LEDS are nu 5 in size.Be here in the next few weeks.I buy a lot of stuff from China and overseas.I got $3.00 shipped invested so far. Now what else[number,please] do I need to go with AC for my 0 gauge. engines and cars. My accessories will be DC from a small tranny. 
New learning curve for me. Always interested in a new challenge in trains. 

In a few minutes I`ll post what I got ordered. I`ve never had any problems with overseas buying. Nice people. We got some very nice people over here. Some tho are money hungry LOL. I can give you examples of this.

Later alligator,Everett

The number is 100 pcs 1n4001 rectifier diode-1 amp 50v do41. what else do I need for AC 0 gauge.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

You'll need appropriately sized resistors, typically 470 is good for common track voltages.


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## sanepilot (Mar 11, 2012)

*resister*

Thanks,John. then If I double up the in4001 I`ll be all right or do I have to double them? Sorry for being such a dumb pest.LOL

have a good evening,Everett


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Resistors and diodes are for different purposes. You NEED a resistor in the circuit with the LED, and the diode will greatly increase the longevity of the LED by protecting against excess reverse voltage. The diode and resistor are in series with the LED and the whole network goes to track power.


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## Shdwdrgn (Dec 23, 2014)

The "nu 5" size is likely referring to a common 5mm diameter. Knowing the exact resistor to use would require knowing the "forward voltage" and the current used by the particular LED you ordered -- this information *should* be in the details. We also need to know the actual voltage from your transformer going to the buildings (if you have an accessory output on the transformer?), plus the actual maximum voltage that can go out to your track. With those numbers, we can calculate the exact resistor needed, but as John said, a 470 ohm is probably a good starting point.

One thing of note, you mentioned earlier that you only run your train at partial voltage. That's all well and good for you, however what happens if someone else comes up and throws the transformer to full voltage? If you use resistors suited for half voltage, then someone else turns up the juice... you've just blown ALL of the LEDs on your layout in one shot. This is why it's best to choose resistors for the worst-case scenario.

The 1N4001 diode will work, but they are way overkill for your application. The 4001 is rated to handle 1000mA of current, while your LED's most likely only draw about 10mA. You can get much cheaper diodes, such as the 1N4148 or 1N914 that will work perfectly fine (and are also quite a bit smaller).

As for the capacitor... I haven't actually used LEDs on AC, John maybe you can back me up here? I think a very common part that should work for this would be a ceramic disc capacitor which will be marked either as 0.1uF, or have the number '104' on it. They are pretty small, but you wouldn't need much for this application. Looking at ebay, you should be able to pick up a bag of 100 for around 75 cents.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

It's difficult to buy any common LED's that aren't 20ma rated. As far as the voltage, they range from around 2 volts to 3 volts, depending on color. On the red end of the scale, they're 2V, when you get to blue and white, they're typically 3 volts.

The 470 drops 9 volts, and you're doing half-wave track power, so you're getting around 9V effective voltage. If you use a capacitor, that boosts the voltage about 1.4 times, so then I'd recommend a 680 or 750 ohm resistor.

The .1 cap won't do anything for you, you'll need a lot more bulk capacitance to accomplish any flicker resistance. I'd start thinking around 33uf and work up.

As far as the diodes, while those other diodes are a bit smaller, I typically use the 1N4007 for most everything. Purchased on eBay, I pay less than a penny for them, so price isn't really a consideration. Yes, I do have some 1n4148 diodes for certain tasks, but my go-to diode is still the ol' 1N4007. 

If you're really wanting deluxe LED power, consider this circuit. I liked it enough to do a little board.  Parts, including the PCB, are less then $2 for the board.


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## sanepilot (Mar 11, 2012)

Thanks,fellas.. Another question,which is behind the LED,the resister or the 470?

I learned from experence not let anyone near my controls. My 6 months great grandson taught me good LOL. At 6 to 8 volts,my marx trains would fly if they had wings. I`ve got a lionel bridge rectifier. You can set it for whatever you want.The only trouble is it gets hot enough to burn you. I know.I made the mistake of picking it up.LOL.

Time changes here tonight,don`t forget.have a good sunday..Everett:smilie_daumenpos:


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

If you're just using the resistor, diode, and LED, they can be in any order. The diode has to be oriented with the band toward the positive lead of the LED, that's the only wiring consideration.


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## Shdwdrgn (Dec 23, 2014)

Funny, I hadn't even thought of using a bridge rectifier. I bet you could find some low-power pieces for pretty cheap, and that would also virtually eliminate any flickering.

Still feeling sick, maybe I should stay out of any technical discussions for now. I may have left my brain in the other room.


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## sanepilot (Mar 11, 2012)

*nice*

Dragon,Hope you start to feeling better.I don`t think I got any brain left. John now that is a very nice piece of work. I just ordered 150 pcs of the 1n4007 for 99 cents. I also order the 470 100 pcs for $1.30. This is going to be a interesting summer. LOL,so far I`ve spent less than $6.00 on this project. I`m gonna have inline watt meters along with amp meters and hope I don`t burn down my building.

Tomorrow is going to be a long day,have a good one. Thanks,fellas.


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## Shdwdrgn (Dec 23, 2014)

Even if the LEDs pull 20mA each, your entire bag of lights is only going to pull about 2 amps -- about the same as four regular light bulbs, but without any noticeable heat. Burning down the house with LED projects is just not something that's going to happen.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

The bridge does help with 60hz flicker as it bumps it to 120hz that most people can't see. I use a full-wave bridge and a 330uf cap on my commercially available LED Lighting Regulator.


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## Lemonhawk (Sep 24, 2013)

John, does he really need the 22 uh choke? A little SMD bridge, the cap and a CL2 and you might be able to put 2 or 3 LED's in series and light them. They will be very bright and dimming them would require a resistor in parallel to the LED's to divide the 20ma coming from the CL2.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

If he is using DCS, or ever plans on it, the 22uh choke is a very good idea. Let's go deluxe and have a module that allows you to configure for constant current, constant voltage, and even has a tap for raw DC from the filter before regulation.


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## Lemonhawk (Sep 24, 2013)

You've got all the tricks! I've been experimenting with using WS2812 RGB LED's connected to an Arduino, sort of the ultimate in versatility but a little bigger that a 3mm LED! Nice PCB renderings!


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

As long as the 3D models are in DipTrace, it's just a click away to get the 3D renderings. 

I have a bunch of the same LED's, I'm going to do a little processor board with a PIC and a few of them. I figure they'll be cool for something like my Phantom set, and maybe the Hogwarts Express.


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## Lemonhawk (Sep 24, 2013)

I was surprised as to how responsive they are. I have a string of 16 that I'm experimenting with and can run a "Welding" sim using a couple of the LED's while the others are doing light chasing and other animation! The dimming capability is top notch.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

You can do a ton of processing in even the tiniest of processors nowadays. I don't even scratch the surface of the processing power when I use the PIC, my biggest issue is running out of RAM or FLASH with the code.


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## sanepilot (Mar 11, 2012)

*Leds*

Hi,fellas,,I don`t think you have to worry about me going Hi-tech with my trains. I watched Lionels :I love toys train show: yesterday and there standing was a man in besids a awesome layout with 4 t0 6 trains rolling along fast enough you couldn`t count them, going every which way. He had two controllers in his hands,try to hold one and adjust the other.It was a passing screen shot as it only lasted a few seconds. I guess they didn`t wanna show that about Lionel stuff or remote.

I have enough fun with conventenial running as I`m a hands on person. I`m always impressed what you can do with a processor and how small ones you can buy.

My hearing aids are wireless bluetooth and wifi,. They will stream video or sound direct to you from any device.

Have a great week,sanepilot:smilie_daumenpos:


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## sanepilot (Mar 11, 2012)

*LEDS*

Hi,all.. not to interrupt ,when somebody has time,I`d like to ask another question.: Is leds AC or DC or will they light on either. 
Reason I`m asking. I`ve had a large picture of New York city[Twin Towers] put back for a few years. Loaded with white road markers and flashing red leds on the tall buildings. I hooked up this evening and they burned on either, using train transformers at 8 volts. nothing outstanding on the wiring. The only thing I saw on the wiring was a few small[whatever] colored coded things[Gee,I`m dumb]. 

I`m still about 3 weeks before I start on my lighting. Slowly gather parts from overseas, and USA.
. I can post photos if necessary. I can`t make up my mind whether to keep or destroy the picture for parts.

Sorry for the long post,Have a good rest of week and thanks,Sanepilot


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

LED's are DC devices. Although you can feed them AC, they don't like it much. However, if there is no current limiting device, LED's will go up in smoke quickly!


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## sanepilot (Mar 11, 2012)

*Very Good person*

Thanks,John.. U DA Man.. Now,One more. What causes the red LEDS to flash? I think I`m getting LEDS down pretty good. I been reading posts on here and other forums. I found a 101 on leds 
which I`m pretty sure is your post. It was a few years old. 


Many thanks,have a good evening,Everett


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

You probably have flashing LED's. You can get LED's with flashing, flickering (like a flame) multi-color flashing, and even slow color changing. I have some of all of those types.

It's also quite possible that a flashing circuit was used to flash some of the LED's, it really depends on the device.


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## sanepilot (Mar 11, 2012)

*leds*

Tnx,John...I got another order today. 3 down and 3 to go. Then I`ll start.

I trashed that picture this morning. It had a Red,black, black, and silver stripe on a yellowish case. No writing. Man,is it small. Only had three at diffferent places.

Thanks,again and have a nice weekend,Everett- Started spring this morning and from here on out,it will be busy,Kinda wish I was still working.


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## sanepilot (Mar 11, 2012)

*LEDS*

Hi,all.. Found a simple diagram for Leds. If I replace 470 resister with a in4107 rectifier then a 33uf capicitar in front of that then my LEDS will I need anything else. I got this diagram setup with a 5 mm bright Led and it was too bright so I added 3 yellowish 3 mm and they burn. I didn`t use any 470 only a small resistor like shown only different colors.I put another 5mm in line and it wouldn`t burn. I probably need to buy different white bulbs. I turned out my regular lights and the setup didn`t look right. Any suggestions appreciated.
I hope this makes sense. It is all greek to me. Someone have a simple circuit like this with the parts named Lol. Hate to be a bother.

Have a good april everyone,Sanepilot


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

If you don't have current limiting, your LED will last about 30 milliseconds! Maybe a bit more, you might see the flash as it burns up, hard to say. 

You MUST have current limiting, that's the resistor.


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## sanepilot (Mar 11, 2012)

*LEDS*

Thanks,John.. You are 150% right. I been experimenting with what I got off the picture. Yesterday,my 5 mm bright white came.
Naturally I hooked one up to a 9 volt battery and it nearly blinded me when it blowed in a millisecond. The junk off the pic had evidently resisters as I hooked up one 3mm off white and it burned,then I hooked up two more and I had 3 burning,then I hooked up a 5 mm bright light and it burned,four burning.I waited till dark,hooked it back up and it looked weird. I got 100 hundred 470 resisters on the way. Should be here anyday.

I`m gonna order some 3 mm lights and some red,probably 5 mm flashing. I got a bunch of signals to light LOL. I appreciate everybody help If I can repay in anyway,let me know.Thanks

Raining in the valley today,so I`m stuck inside, Have a great weekend,Everett


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Looks like your rain is coming here, I'm getting my lifeboat ready.


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## sanepilot (Mar 11, 2012)

*I need*

Hi,John, I think I need a mud runner. We haven`t had only less than 5 inches of snow all winter. This is unheard of here but winter isn`t over yet. We have had mostly rain but no great amount at once,just everyday. I`ve saw it snow in Cleveland in June in 1969.

Life is great,make good use of it,Have a good weekend,everyone,sanepilot:laugh:


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

We haven't had much snow this winter either, and I'm just fine with that. I overdosed on it a couple years ago!


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## sanepilot (Mar 11, 2012)

*LEDS*

Right,I agree.. My 470 resisters came this afternoon,Just got home. Here is what they sent,now a dumb question. How do I cut them and solder them to the lights. Got two holes and don`t look like any wires to solder too? That little black square the resister? Never saw anything like that before[excuse me for being dumb]

Have a good sunday,I`ll try to get on forum before I pass out from fatique LOL,Later,Everett-gotta go eat..


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Dumb question, why did you buy SMT resistors? For one-off LED wiring, I use standard thru-hole resistors.

https://www.superbrightleds.com/images/uploads/resistors-0004-2b.jpg

You can use the SMT resistors, you just solder to each end on the silver metallic material.


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## sanepilot (Mar 11, 2012)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> Dumb question, why did you buy SMT resistors? For one-off LED wiring, I use standard thru-hole resistors.
> 
> https://www.superbrightleds.com/images/uploads/resistors-0004-2b.jpg
> 
> You can use the SMT resistors, you just solder to each end on the silver metallic material.


 No question is dumb,John LOL...The only answer I can give you is :i didn`t know any better :LOL. I saw 470 resister on the ad and ordered them.Now I know. I might try to solder one just for a experiment but I`m gonna start hunting like you posted. I`ll put them in the junk box. Dang it, I don`t like to order,I like to see what I`m getting. I`m gonna check with Jeff and see if he has got them.
I live in the country and 45 mi[Parkersburg,wv}is the biggest city and they don`t have a hobby store. or electronic store.
State electric may have them tho. I`ll call monday and see.

Thanks a bunch,have a great sunday,Everett


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## Lemonhawk (Sep 24, 2013)

I had to have a lot of help from John in using SMT devices and its really tedious. You could get this assortment form Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IWXEUI...t+resistor&pd_rd_r=PERETRYZ3QHFM24AR1B0&psc=1
and some heat shrink tubing and it would be a lot easier to use. you could also get this just to make it easier try out any circuit you have without soldering.
https://www.amazon.com/a14060500ux0...146183&sr=1-14&keywords=electronic+test+board


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

One of the issues I have with most resistor assortments is for model train work, about 90% of them are values that I'd never use. With individual resistors being so cheap, I just go to a place like Digikey and buy the values I figure I'll actually use.

Heat shrink in various sizes is a must for some of this work!


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## Lemonhawk (Sep 24, 2013)

There's good and bad about assortments. I know I'll never use some of the resistors, but when I'm messing around and need a particular resistor it's nice to have the assortment. As time goes by it makes the most used values obvious and then I can concentrate on just adding those.

I use the soldering iron or a hair dryer on shrink tubing, some day I'll get a real hot air blower. Heat Shrink tubing can makes a project look better and may give the connections a little stress relief.


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## sachsr1 (Mar 3, 2016)

I started with an assortment, and now I back fill the common values. I also created a bread board set up with a variable resistor. I plug in my LED and adjust it until I'm happy with the output and then use a fixed resistor. My first attempt at putting an LED into a loco resulted in a blinding experience. The good part was it casts really nice shadows of my trees as it past them.


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## sanepilot (Mar 11, 2012)

*LEDS*

Hi,fellas,Thanks for the input. Very good suggestions.Gunny John has sure been absolutely very good at helping me. I have used heat shrink tubing since day one,I like it. Heating is easy, I first used my wife`s hair dryer,that went over like a ten ton bomb. She knew just where to look for it as I forgot to sneak it back in the house,when she needed it. A auto heat gun{used for painting] is the ticket for just about any heating job.I generally use kitchen matches as they are more handier and really cheap. 

On the leds,I ordered some more 470`s resistors and bulbs,will be here friday,which is good as my train schedule just went south,snow forecast for friday..More or less this orders of things. I got flooring to lay in two rooms Already started on grass. Plowing to do.,about 100 flowers bulbs to plant,Garden to plant,Garage inside to paint,Got six acres of grass to mow as needed. Now how in the world do I get to play with trains. I generally have a full week scheduled. hwell:

hope everyone had a good sunday.Life is great,have a good rest of the week,Mornings comes early around here,Thanks,everett


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## Cycleops (Dec 6, 2014)

sanepilot said:


> . Heating is easy, I first used my wife`s hair dryer,that went over like a ten ton bomb. She knew just where to look for it as I forgot to sneak it back in the house,when she needed it.


Careful Everett, could be grounds for divorce! Buy your own specialist tools, I've learned the hard way.


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## sanepilot (Mar 11, 2012)

*LEDS*

Hi all.. You are right there,cyl. Mine don`t get mad she gets even. She`ll take something off my layout and put it in the house,then I`ll hunt for it.LOL

Have a great rest of the week,Sanepilot


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## sanepilot (Mar 11, 2012)

*LEDS*

Good evening,everybody..I just got back on LEDS.About 2 hrs last night and one hr today. How do I get 4-- 5mm white bright Leds to burn together. I got a Yard tower with 4 bulbs on it. For the life of me,I can only get 3 to burn using 15 volts DC. Put the fourth one hooked up and the other three goes out. I reversed the wires on the fourth and nothing. I think[according to HOYLE] theyre wired up right wjth all the doodads I need.I`d pull my hair and scream but I don`t have any. I thought about my wife`s hair but I don`t think that was a good thought.

I got them wired in series[which I don`t like],I think if one burns out,none will burn.

Any answers appreciated,have a good evening,sanepilot


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

First off, wiring them in series is no problem. If you're having trouble with four on 15VDC, try this.

Wire two in series with a 470 ohm resistor and the other two in series with a 470 ohm resistor. Connect both of these series strings to the 15 VDC. Obviously, all the polarities have to be correct if you want them to light.

There's no issue with series wiring for LED's if you don't over-stress them, they should last longer than you do.


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## sanepilot (Mar 11, 2012)

*LEDS*

Many thanks,John. That is what I`ll do next time I get to playing. The only reason I don`t like series is in AC house wiring,I was under the thought that if one went out,the others wouldn`t burn either.Making test each one to find the burned out one necessary.

You have a really good week,hope everyone does. We`re gonna have 3 or 4 dry good days,maybe I can get some work done. LOL..
Take care,Everett


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Nothing that I'm aware of in home wiring is series, so I'm not sure what that is about.

As far as LED's, you're right, if one goes out the whole series string goes. OTOH, the fact that properly wired LED's will last tens of thousands of hours means this isn't really a big factor.


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## sanepilot (Mar 11, 2012)

*LEDS Tower*

Good evening,everyone.. I took time off to play this evening.Got my tower light going thanks to Gunny and the forum. Now that is some search light tower.






. Gotta run my wires down thru the frame yet. I think these are wired right. 
Gonna start wiring my crossings and cars,and engines next.

On construction,we had light strings in series but they might had something added to them so only one burned out[don`t know] at a time. I`ve used them when I was working construction. Thanks,John and everyone else who helped me and answered.


You-all are the best,Everett/sanepilot:smilie_daumenpos:


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

They look like they're all lit, so that's a big improvement.


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## sanepilot (Mar 11, 2012)

*improving big*

Hi,all..I like that,Gunny.. You caused it. Man,Have I enjoyed April. For the last week or so,I been reading a thread with 179 pages on LEDS.Here of course[about 3 years or so worth.]. On there a poster mentioned he had ordered a test breadboard. He had the URL posted,so i looked.Naturally for $4.95 I ordered it not knowing what I was getting. Then I remembered what a breadboard was. 

Of all things,If I would have had it three weeks ago,I wouldn`t have burned my fingers on my soldering iron about 10 times or soldered my coffee cup. Went up on Ebay and ordered for $6.00 a board,power supply and 65 jumpers cables. [shipped]. Hey,fellas,Am I on a roll or not.  Found a tutorial on how to use it. So far,I`ve spent about $30.00...Now is that cheap or not.

Life is good,enjoy it,Thanks and have a good rest of week..Sanepilot/Everett:smilie_daumenpos:


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