Scale Runway lights...blinking LEDs

You mean like the high intensity approach lights or runway end strobes? The runway lights themselves are a steady white light.

If you are patient while I go through my old copies of Popular Electronics I know there are some simple circuits in them that will do exactly what you want. I should get back to you tomorrow.
Bruce

I think I may have solved my problem.
A motor with a magnet on the shaft that turns around in a circle of magnetic reed switches.
speed and spacing will determine rate.
thanks for your reply though.

Peter

QUOTE: Originally posted by peterthinks I think I may have solved my problem. A motor with a magnet on the shaft that turns around in a circle of magnetic reed switches. speed and spacing will determine rate. thanks for your reply though. Peter

uhh... one more time in English? I've been trying to figure something out like this myself for some time and have come up with nothing. And while I think I can grasp some of what you're saying, I've never heard of reed switches. Also, how big would this be? I'm looking for something small
enough to go into my Battlestar Galatica to run the lights in the landing bays. I'm sure that there's a small IC circuit out there somewhere, I just haven't found it. I'm looking for something to light about 5 lights in sequence. I'm also hoping to use something like that it in my Knight Rider KITT up this would need to count up/then down.

So Peter, tell me more about reed switches and Bruce, if you find something in you PE's Let me know.

Thanks

Don

Paraclete-

I think I know what Peter is talking about- A "reed switch" is a magnetic switch;
a good example is the contact switches used for window and door alarms.. When the magnet half is next to or in contact with the wired half, the circuit is completed...

If you were to mount a magnet to a motor shaft and several wired reed switches in a circle around it, each time the motor turned the magnet would complete the circuit on each switch in sequence, presumably to light each LED in a strobe effect.

Hope this helps

This can be done with a simple electronic circuit. I made one years ago that used 4 LEDs that blinked in rotatation and the timing could be altered. You could put in as many LEDs as you wanted. I don`t have the schematic any more. I probably got it from one of the do it yourself electronic magazines.You could write or call one of these mags. and explain want you want or call one of the electronics writers in one of the RC magazines. It is not expensive to build. As i recall I put the whole circuit on the inside , including LEDs and battery, the plastic cover from a spray can of paint.

Dave

http://www.clubphoto.com/reward.php?id=909764&mid=members15_peter627123&pwd=
above is a link to a drawing...it's at the bottom of the page

G13078 or G1347
are magnetic reed switches search for them here

http://www.goldmine-elec.com/

put the switches around a cardboard tube and lay on it's side to fit in small space
spin magnet in tube
a micro servo would be best for a small space the top most gear right under the servo arm usually has a peg on it to prevent it from spinning all the way around...cut it off
and so you don't have to make a driver circuit bypass or just remove the circut in the servo....hook the motor directly to the power.
voltage determines speed...put it on foam may be noisy...or mount it away from model and use wires.

Peter

search reed switch at the goldmine only one of those products shows up on the search

Sequential Led Flasher Kit at the http://www.goldmine-elec.com/

http://sales.goldmine-elec.com/prodinfo.asp?prodid=2259

I think this may be the solution

http://sales.goldmine-elec.com/prodinfo.asp?prodid=2316
here is a kit you can use on your knight rider car...flashes back and forth...replace the green display bar with a red one...hmmm can't seem to find red on goldmine but you should be able to use red rectangular leds...you'd have to use wires to get it to front of car anyway no room up there for board mounted display.search for below on ebay...the size you need is there most likely.
"Assorted LEDS • 100 pieces • 10 LED types"

Peter

Most good Hobby shops and Electronic stores should have a selection of
electronic Kits that do that and other functions.
You will need a bit of soldering experience though.

Most Kits of running lights I have seen feature a row of 10 LED's, there are also conversion kits that will replace the LED's with small light bulbs available.

Advantage of the Kits is that all the parts are supplied and you can control the speed & directions via a dials and switches.

I got a nifty little bicycle rear lights yesterday 3 & 5 LED's and the board has 7 settings from straight on to flashing(2 speeds) and 4 running lights modes and runs of 2 penlight batteries too, and a 20 light string of small wheat lights that flash together with own battery box.

Great stuff for Diorama making and dirt cheap too.

Peter et al:
The old PE mags I have show a couple of solid state projects for doing what you want, but the articles are at least 20 years old so that means the PC board would not be available from the listed source, although the parts are all still common. The sequential flasher on the Goldmine site is the same thing, so I recommend you use it to avoid making a circuit board and hunting around for the other parts.

If you intend to substitute the LEDs with others more suited to your runway lights, let me know and I can search my catalogues for suitable parts for you.

Your motor and reed switch method will work, but it will not be as reliable as the electronic version and the motor will chew up batteries and spit them out compared to the electronic type. The motor type will also be bulkier, plus you have to putz with modifying the radio servo and mounting the reed switches, so for all those reasons, if it were my project I'd go with the electronics.

Let me know if I can help at all and good luck,
Bruce

Try your nearest model railway store.

Bramo, PIKO and Faller do loads of these things. Everything from traffic lights, with sequencers, to emergency vehicle lights etc.

Karl