Starship lighting made easy

I have used one of the very lighting kits you noted to light up a cardassian cruiser. I only turn the lights on for short periods of time, so the small incandescent light bulbs work just fine. I recommend them.

QUOTE: Originally posted by MJHowe 'ang on a minute 'Snail, I didn't say I'd blown any LEDs It was the light bulbs that went "Poof"!

That explains it.
LOL. We blow our share of stuff (capacitors REALLY BLOW) during college. It's part of the learnig process, I guess.
Anyway. For LEDs we usually used 330ohms resistors and 5 volts.
You couls use 3 AA or AAA batteries and a variable resistor (1000ohms for example) so you can adjust the intensity.
Variable reistors are called "potenciometros" in spanish, don't know the excat name in english.
Lighting is not my speciallity but fell free to contact me for any doubt. It's the least I can do for a forum I have learnt so much from.

QUOTE: Originally posted by SteelSnail OMG! In all the 6 years it took me to get through electronic engeenier degree I didn't blew a single led

If I had a degree in electrical engineering I would hope note to blow up LED's either. But I have had my fare share succumb too everything from over powering them to mismatching polarities (short leg long leg) and then there is that whole thing of trying to figure out what resistors to use. Lighting models can be an expensive hobby in and of it self...

QUOTE: Originally posted by MJHowe Point taken...... It's interesting that the only people who frequently light up their models are the SF freaks and the model railway fraternity. I suppose the others are more "serious" than us. You never see a tank model with interior lights do you? The Bandai was on display at a club show and was powered up for an hour or so before everything went black. As the late Scotty would say "She could'nae take any more!". The LEDs are twice as bright, use a quarter of the power and will last longer than the model, as long as some idiot (me) doesn't reverse the power connections. Michael

OMG! In all the 6 years it took me to get through electronic engeenier degree I didn't blew a single led ( I did burn some other components). How you did that? How much voltage did you use?
Oh, and I haven't seen an armor or A/C model with lights. BUT I know someone who adds motors to their models. They were amazing: imagine a KA-50 Hokum helicopter which rotors move in couter directions in 1/72 sclae![:0]

hey at least if that happens you would have come up with a cooler way to blow up a model.

I would agree 100% on the mini bulbs but they can come in handy for some applications. I don't run the lights on lit ships for very long anyway. Its kinda like just flip the switch on to show my geeky friends that indeed I am the bigger GEEK