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LED lighting for station building


ellocoloco

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@Jimbopuff

 

Canfranc would be quite a challenge - and 2.75m in HO scale..........I've gone for Sagunto, just north of Valencia, for my first attempt!

 

@atom3624

 

Canfranc is also a double terminus station, with the standard gauge coming out of the Somport tunnel and ending at Canfranc and the broad gauge line from Zaragoza ending on the other side of the station. There's also a turntable and half roundhouse. It would be a very interesting project!

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@Chrissaf

 

I've looked again at the spec of the unit I am using and it is rated at 0.125W, well below your estimate. I don't intend to have any more LEDs wired into that circuit and will monitor temperature in case there are any dissipation issues.

 

Thanks for the heads up!

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  • 3 months later...

Well I've got as far as I intend to with my station building before I actually build somewhere to put it.......8 3mm 3V LEDs mated to 1K Ohm 0.25w resistors all put through a potentiometer. It has been in interesting build and a big thanks to all who have kept me right on the electrics side. 

 

With hind sight I would possibly not have bothered with the lighting, as I hadn't intended to put a detailed interior and although it has gone as planned, I don;t think I am that happy with the lights. Will I every use them? Time will tell.............

 

The model is based on Sagunto, Eastern Spain around the turn of the millenium.

 

/media/tinymce_upload/c8e5dfd901f25e616532607db1f4403f.JPG

 

Posed on a temporary platform with Hornby's excellent (Electrotren) Renfe 564 DMU with interior lighting. Wire is temp power supply.

 

/media/tinymce_upload/db4d5bc80710ed888d7faaf447e18762.jpg

 

Station lighting turned down with potentiometer and cab lighting on DMU.   Photography was with an automatic camera on timer, so as close I could get to what it really looks like to me!

 

Thanks once again guys and thats one more small step towards starting a layout...................

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You should be OK Jimbo.

.

When a supply is unregulated....this just usually means that as the current drawn from the supply starts to go up. The output voltage starts to drop. A voltage that drops instead of going up isn't going to affect LEDs too much as it is voltages going up above their supported range that is the issue. A regulated supply maintains the same output voltage throughout its operating current range.

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But one also has to consider that an unregulated voltage will normally only start to drop when the current draw is high. LEDs aren't users of lots of current. Typically about 10mA or less per LED if used with a 1,000 ohm resistor.

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So 'all in all' in the overall scheme of things you probably have no need for concerns. Just make sure the supply to the LEDs is DC and not AC, regulated or not.

.

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House lighting on my layout is warm white Xmas string lights. Wilko flog for about £4.99 after Xmas. (Only 2 months away). They come with a battery pack with an on/off switch. They are on gold coloured lacquered wires. To change spacing cut wires and extended after scrapping lacquer off and solder or inline crimp. Run under the board and bring up to supply building as required. Or fit a mini 2 pin plug at each entry exit points so building can be removed if wanted. Do away with battery pack if desired and use voltage regulator. They look effective in 1950 types building with low out 60w bulbs.

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