Warm White LED Question

Tchail · Post by **Tchail** » Wed Dec 21, 2011 11:04 pm

I was taking a look on Ye Ole Bay'o Evil for Warm White LEDs.

Preferably in 5mm and 3mm sizes.

But most of the pictures they showed were awfully yellow looking.

Is this normal?

Thanks,

-Tchail

southwestforests · Post by **southwestforests** » Thu Dec 22, 2011 12:53 am

I use warm white LED in those sizes for model trains.

Have not looked at e-bay and don't know exactly what you are seeing.
I raided Christmas light sets for cheaper than model train supplier ones.
Although they vary a bit they aren't any more yellow, light-wise, than regular incandescent light bulb. Off, are clear plastic.

Warm white color of two 3mm LED stripped from Christmas light set.
These are ones with "regular" round ends in an over/under pairing.
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa30 ... mm_LED.jpg

Of course with coming from a light set the current rating info per LED is a mystery. They do seem to be 1.5 to 3.0 volts.

There are some trains and trolleys where the LED "bulb" casting is yellow/amber and those give way too yellow a light - they get replaced immediately around here.

WarpeD · Post by **WarpeD** » Fri Dec 23, 2011 7:04 pm

When you've got the LED, the camera flash, the camera electronics, color tone of your monitor and all of the other fiddly bits involved in getting the picture of the LED from LED to your eyes, the color balance has way too many opportunities to get skewed. I suggest ordering a small quantity and trying them out. It's the only way you'll be sure it's what you want.

Sparky · Post by **Sparky** » Fri Dec 23, 2011 8:12 pm

You're only hope is to get the actual 'color' warmth rating then find another example that you can look out with the same ratings then you'll have a good idea of how yellow the light is. The battery powered lights from target that say warm white are pretty nice think of a grain of wheat blub that has better diffusing. Or you can go check out the display. They have two kinds, one with built in flasher circuit in the battery housing or somewhere, and the other that is always on.

ChrisQ · Post by **ChrisQ** » Fri Dec 23, 2011 10:11 pm

I bought a 100 pack of the warm white 3mm off of Ebay. They are indeed yellowish when you compare them to "cool white" LEDs.

In the first link, the light panels over top of the MSD where the guy is pointing are 8mm cool white LEDs from Unique Leds. The floor is also lit with the 8mm cool whites.

The panels on the back wall were lit with the warm whites.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/ ... CI0163.jpg

In the next image, the overhead panels were lit using the 3mm warm whites and they definitely look yellow when compared to the console on the right side.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/ ... CI0156.jpg

Tchail · Post by **Tchail** » Sat Dec 24, 2011 1:01 am

Thanks for all of the feedback!

I found 20 for $2.00, so I'll start with that.

Then I'll see how I do.

-Tchail

en'til Zog · Post by **en'til Zog** » Sun Dec 25, 2011 2:29 pm

Good work, Chris.

Keep on keeping on.

Madman Lighting · Post by **Madman Lighting** » Mon Dec 26, 2011 9:48 pm

Nice little diorama there dude. Thanks for sharing.

ChrisQ · Post by **ChrisQ** » Mon Dec 26, 2011 10:52 pm

Thanks, guys.