Advice for lighting a ship model? LEDs ?

David_K

Member since
March 2012
From: Marysville, WA

Posted by David_K on Saturday, June 9, 2012 10:45 AM

Thanks for all the advice, guys! I got my lighting installed, and made a switch/battery box for the power...total cost for supplies was about 25 bucks...and I have a couple od spare LEDs and batteries....I put these pics on the Zvezda Black Swan thread, but I figure they're relevant here, too....

[View:/themes/fsm/utility/:550:0]

There's another LED on the gun deck, too...

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Current Project: Imai/ERTL Spanish Galleon #2

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BigJim

Member since
April 2005
From: Roanoke, Virginia

Posted by BigJim on Thursday, June 7, 2012 7:43 PM

Micro-Mark has a fiber-optic lighting gizmo.

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Phil_H

Member since
August 2005
From: Sydney, Australia

Posted by Phil_H on Saturday, June 2, 2012 10:42 PM

If you want a flickering effect and couldn't be bothered making up a circuit yourself, go to your local "dollar store" type place and pick up a couple of those battery powered fake "tea light" candles and rip the guts out of them. They're dirt cheap and often cheaper than buying the same number of button cell batteries on their own.

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rcboater

Member since
December 2002
From: Derry, New Hampshire, USA

Posted by rcboater on Saturday, June 2, 2012 10:23 PM

An LED circuit need three pieces-- a battery, one or more LEDs, and an appropriate resistor to drop the current through the LEDs to the proper level.

Here's a great site that will help you figure out how to design an LED circuit:

http://led.linear1.org/led.wiz

Webmaster, Marine Modelers Club of New England

www.marinemodelers.org

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David_K

Member since
March 2012
From: Marysville, WA

Posted by David_K on Wednesday, May 30, 2012 1:07 PM

Thanks Don, and B-man!!

I went ahead and ordered some 3V LEDS and a battery pack/switch for it....I figure I can rig the lights into the lower deck, and just keep the leads running out somewhere inconspicuous for now, and then once I get more of it completed, I'll decide where to terminate the switch and power source...

        _~
     _~ )_)_~
     )_))_))_)
     _!__!__!_         
     (_D_P_K_)
   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    ~~~~~~~~~~~

Current Project: Imai/ERTL Spanish Galleon #2

Recently Finished: Revell 1/96 Cutty Sark

Next Up: ???

Reply

Don Stauffer

Member since
November 2009
From: Twin Cities of Minnesota

Posted by Don Stauffer on Wednesday, May 30, 2012 8:39 AM

The scifi guys seem to be the masters on lighting. At a local club meeting a few months ago one of the scifi builders gave a talk about lighting, and showed lots of aftermarket lighting arrangements. Go to a scifi vender and see what they have. Most of their products should work as well for other genre of models.

Don Stauffer in Minnesota

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bondoman

Member since
March 2007
From: Carmel, CA

Posted by bondoman on Tuesday, May 29, 2012 11:43 PM

Do not put the battery in the ship. More trouble than gain. Put a plug somewhere hidden. In general you won't have the light on, and when you do it will be in a display situation, where you hide the wire.

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David_K

Member since
March 2012
From: Marysville, WA

Posted by David_K on Tuesday, May 29, 2012 6:52 PM

Nevermind.....found it!

http://www.modeltrainsoftware.com/3v.html

        _~
     _~ )_)_~
     )_))_))_)
     _!__!__!_         
     (_D_P_K_)
   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    ~~~~~~~~~~~

Current Project: Imai/ERTL Spanish Galleon #2

Recently Finished: Revell 1/96 Cutty Sark