A new big flat white LED!

robiwon · Post by **robiwon** » Tue May 06, 2014 7:29 pm

Check out these cool new LEDs! So many possibilities.

http://www.adafruit.com/products/1622

StarCruiser · Post by **StarCruiser** » Tue May 06, 2014 8:59 pm

Even better - there are 3 sizes of them...

Bookmarked!

Joseph Osborn · Post by **Joseph Osborn** » Tue May 06, 2014 9:53 pm

That is cool. I wonder if the acrylic "lens" can be cut down at all?

robiwon · Post by **robiwon** » Wed May 07, 2014 3:44 am

I plan on ordering about 10 of these next payday. You should be able to since it's just an LED mounted in an acrylic base. The anode and cathode should be at the base. Don't know if shortening it would change the light up characteristics of it. When I get some I'll experiment on one.

Tchail · Post by **Tchail** » Wed May 07, 2014 6:54 am

Thanks for this!

It looks like a better alternative for lighting the Enterprise-D's nacelles than using EL sheet.

robiwon · Post by **robiwon** » Wed May 07, 2014 8:03 am

The only issue I see that would limit useability is that it is not flexible like EL sheet. Lighting a large flat engine panel, flood lighting the interior of a ship, dioramas, etc would be great uses.

WarpeD · Post by **WarpeD** » Wed May 07, 2014 9:44 am

Use in models....for me...Hah! But for my flight simulator....another thing. This will make creating my next generation of control panels extremely sweet. Must share with my cockpit building buddies. Excellent find!

Rondie · Post by **Rondie** » Wed May 07, 2014 10:55 am

Nice find! I ordered a small stack, I'm hoping to use it as engine lighting in my AMT tydirium. Could be a great fit!

robiwon · Post by **robiwon** » Thu May 08, 2014 4:04 am

Seems there is only a reflective backing on the back side and nothing on the edges. So, you should be able to make these a bit smaller, or shape them to some extent.

Tchail · Post by **Tchail** » Mon May 12, 2014 11:26 am

Yesterday I ordered two of each size.

My brother was asking if it'd be possible to cut it into custom shapes.

I don't see why not...

starseeker · Post by **starseeker** » Fri May 16, 2014 10:44 am

If those sizes aren't right for you, you could also make your own. Lee Valley sells the diffusers in 3/4" x 36" lengths (frosted or opal, opal is best for things like the 1701 nacelles) item #s 00u42.32, 00u42.52 and 00u42.72. (the difference is their shape). $3.20 each. If you look for
"24 white SMD SMT LED 9-12V Modules Sign backlight DiY"
at your favorite on-line auction place, you'll probably find perfect light strips for your 1701 nacelles, too.

So if Lee Valley sells them, the raw diffuser sheets have to be available somewhere. I just haven't bothered to look. Yet.

WarpeD · Post by **WarpeD** » Fri May 16, 2014 10:55 am

Starseeker...what you're describing is a different beast with multiple LED's behind a plastic light diffuser of some sort. The LED product in this thread is a single LED applied to the edge of a special formulation of acrylic that produces an even glow throughout the miniature panel.

Rondie · Post by **Rondie** » Fri May 16, 2014 11:09 am

Got them in yesterday. Not completely impressed with the amount of light coming off of them (the bigger the dimmer), but then again, they aren't high voltage or anything. I do think the light is pretty well distributed over the whole surface of the thing.

robiwon · Post by **robiwon** » Fri May 16, 2014 4:25 pm

Pictures, we like pictures.....

starseeker · Post by **starseeker** » Sat May 17, 2014 8:36 am

WarpeD wrote:Starseeker...what you're describing is a different beast with multiple LED's behind a plastic light diffuser of some sort. The LED product in this thread is a single LED applied to the edge of a special formulation of acrylic that produces an even glow throughout the miniature panel.

I know. Just saying that if you need different sizes or shapes, you can get the same effect (tho' possibly brighter?) with over the counter items. In the dark days of flint knives, stone tools, and 3 and 5mm leds, you were always stuck with hot spots because of the round tipped led's very narrow angle of illumination, 5 to 10 degrees maybe. Which makes them great for spotlights and good for indirect illumination if you make the inside surfaces of starships, say, reflective. Smds have become cheap and plentiful, are available in several sizes from the microscopic to the relatively mammoth (but still darn small) and have much wider angles of illumination like 40 degrees. Put them together in an inexpensive light strip, behind a good diffuser, and no hot spots in your nacelles any more.
It seems these new items are trying to perfect something like a very large smd. Totally cool!

robiwon · Post by **robiwon** » Sat May 17, 2014 10:32 am

Just like any new non-modeling related product that is re-purposed for our hobby, someone will find a use for it. It may not be the best item to use for say a warp engine, but may be great for lighting the engines on a Galactica or the back wall in a Falcon cockpit. I think they will be great for doing small flat areas that need illumination.

WarpeD · Post by **WarpeD** » Sat May 17, 2014 10:38 am

starseeker wrote:... In the dark days of flint knives, stone tools, and 3 and 5mm leds...

LOFL!

You can add 10mm LED's to your list, and warm white one's at that. Last month I got a number of 10mm white one's for my Seaview searchlights. Huge mutha's.

Tchail · Post by **Tchail** » Sun May 18, 2014 3:01 pm

robiwon wrote:Pictures, we like pictures.....

Got my order in on Friday, so here are some pictures:

All three sizes:

http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg12 ... c10be0.jpg

Here's the largest:

http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg12 ... 935e24.jpg

And the medium:

http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg12 ... fb2da2.jpg

Lastly, the smallest:

http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg12 ... 786a88.jpg

The smaller sizes put out a decent amount of light.

Unfortunately, none of them are a good fit for the Enterprise-D nacelles.

http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg12 ... 9c4a52.jpg

robiwon · Post by **robiwon** » Sun May 18, 2014 5:31 pm

May not be good for the Enterprise D engines, but lighting up a Galactica's engines...

I think the medium would be perfect for the 3 footer. One for each section. One might be able to light up one whole side of a Moebius, two in total.

Thanks for posting those. I think many will find some good uses for them.

Disillusionist · Post by **Disillusionist** » Sun May 18, 2014 7:00 pm

Well, this thread is certainly giving me ideas for a whole line of laser cut goodies

robiwon · Post by **robiwon** » Thu May 22, 2014 7:26 am

Disillusionist wrote:Well, this thread is certainly giving me ideas for a whole line of laser cut goodies

Ooh, like what...?

Disillusionist · Post by **Disillusionist** » Thu May 22, 2014 8:46 am

Well...I'm familiar with the acrylic they're using for these LEDs. There are two flavors, one optimized for edge lighting, and another optimized for diffusion with back-lighting. I'm thinking warp grills and such cut specifically to size and shape for specific models might be quite useful to a lot of modelers. No more hot spots.

zysurge · Post by **zysurge** » Thu May 22, 2014 11:03 am

Disillusionist wrote:Well...I'm familiar with the acrylic they're using for these LEDs. There are two flavors, one optimized for edge lighting, and another optimized for diffusion with back-lighting. I'm thinking warp grills and such cut specifically to size and shape for specific models might be quite useful to a lot of modelers. No more hot spots.

I like this idea!

SpaceRanger1 · Post by **SpaceRanger1** » Thu May 22, 2014 12:00 pm

zysurge wrote:
Disillusionist wrote:Well...I'm familiar with the acrylic they're using for these LEDs. There are two flavors, one optimized for edge lighting, and another optimized for diffusion with back-lighting. I'm thinking warp grills and such cut specifically to size and shape for specific models might be quite useful to a lot of modelers. No more hot spots.
I like this idea!

Mee too!

Tchail · Post by **Tchail** » Thu May 22, 2014 12:46 pm

SpaceRanger1 wrote:
zysurge wrote:
Disillusionist wrote:Well...I'm familiar with the acrylic they're using for these LEDs. There are two flavors, one optimized for edge lighting, and another optimized for diffusion with back-lighting. I'm thinking warp grills and such cut specifically to size and shape for specific models might be quite useful to a lot of modelers. No more hot spots.
I like this idea!
Mee too!

I'd like to hear more!

LEDs definitely have an advantage over electroluminescent sources, because of the half-life associated with ELs.

Disillusionist · Post by **Disillusionist** » Fri May 23, 2014 5:20 pm

Once I finish burning through my Wonderfest workload, I'll get some of the material in here and start doing some tests. I've got a refit here that I'm just about to start work on the nacelles. That should make a good test bed.

Disillusionist · Post by **Disillusionist** » Sat Jul 19, 2014 12:13 pm

Just a little update. I finally got the materials ordered and they should be here any day now.

cappy · Post by **cappy** » Thu Aug 14, 2014 11:07 am

Has anyone determined, if the length can be cut down without affecting
whats left.

cappy · Post by **cappy** » Thu Aug 14, 2014 11:18 am

Sorry guys. Checked the adafruit blog and someone already
tried. Cuttting the length appears to not affect the performance much if
at all. Just need to recover the cut end with foil, to reflect the light back in.

robiwon · Post by **robiwon** » Thu Aug 14, 2014 12:16 pm

I'll have to check out their forum. I wonder if cutting a large one down, recovering its end with foil would increase its brightness?