Diffusing LED's

vlester · Post by **vlester** » Sat Dec 06, 2008 10:59 pm

I've started work on lighting my Lambda shuttle model and am having a problem with the engines.

I ran a few tests and found that in order to get the light scattered far enough that it looks "Normal", I have to hold the led a good 5-6" behind the lens.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y140/g ... G_0810.jpg

Otherwise, it just looks like a spot..

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y140/g ... G_0816.jpg

Is there anyway to get the light to spread without moving it that far back from the opening?

I'd thought about facing the lens forward then creating a shiney wall to bounce the light back with aluminum foil maybe.

Or, am I stuck having to get LED's with a wider angle?

Thanks!

jwrjr · Post by **jwrjr** » Sat Dec 06, 2008 11:22 pm

pointing the led backwards should work. But don't line the chamber with aluminum foil. Instead paint it using flat white. That will diffuse the light.

Richard Baker · Post by **Richard Baker** » Sun Dec 07, 2008 7:49 am

Another option would be to use several LEDs in a row and fill the chamber with crumpled white tissue paper...

.

vlester · Post by **vlester** » Sun Dec 07, 2008 10:45 pm

Thanks guys, I'll give each of those a try, appreciate it.

Locke_333 · Post by **Locke_333** » Mon Dec 08, 2008 1:22 pm

both options works good depending on what you want and space available. i would also go with the white paint in this case as the aluminum foil be cause the same problem if it's too shiny.

ignatz · Post by **ignatz** » Mon Dec 08, 2008 3:10 pm

You might try sanding down the lens on the encapsulation. Sometimes that makes the light spread out a little more. Maybe sand the surface down with fine sandpaper too. Or you might consider www.superbrightleds.com 360 degree LEDs. The epoxy encapsulation are actually coated with phosphorescent coating so it gives a cool diffused glow in every direction. I bought a few of them for my own starship lighting and the light quality is very good.

Madman Lighting · Post by **Madman Lighting** » Mon Dec 08, 2008 8:49 pm

All these ideas will work, sanding the lens, reversing the LED, etc.

I like cotton as a light diffuser, it worked pretty good on my NX-01 deflector.

I have a question: Where'd ya get the Lambda shuttle and is the kit still in production? I'm hoping to get one and put a Starship Lighting kit in it as a demo.

Thanks,

-John C.

Richard Baker · Post by **Richard Baker** » Mon Dec 08, 2008 8:57 pm

http://www.starshipmodeler.biz/index.cf ... uct_ID=703

.

Chacal · Post by **Chacal** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 9:52 pm

Madman Lighting wrote:I like cotton as a light diffuser...

Or some of those synthetic fibers with which people stuff teddy bears, pillows, annoraks etc.

Richard Baker · Post by **Richard Baker** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 11:07 pm

Hobby Lobby & Michaels carry similar stuff this time of year to make fake show in Christmas dispalys.

.

Balok · Post by **Balok** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 11:56 pm

I got excellent results lighting a single clear acrylic rod from the ends and painting it white then covering it with foil to prevent light leak. Run the ends a bit long. I used 2 blue super bright SMD LEDs on each end of the rod. Rough up the acrylic just at the engine opening to give a more diffusing surface. Also the SMDs make perfect nav lights for this kit at the tips of the wings because they have 130 Deg viewing angles. It is a little brighter at the ends but less than these pictures suggest.

<a href="http://www.starshipmodeler.org/gallery8 ... htm">Rebel Tyderium</a>

vlester · Post by **vlester** » Fri Dec 19, 2008 6:02 pm

Madman Lighting wrote:All these ideas will work, sanding the lens, reversing the LED, etc.

I like cotton as a light diffuser, it worked pretty good on my NX-01 deflector.

I have a question: Where'd ya get the Lambda shuttle and is the kit still in production? I'm hoping to get one and put a Starship Lighting kit in it as a demo.

Thanks,

-John C.

Sorry, hadn't read this in a couple of days. I don't believe it is in production, I got this one off of that evil auction place a few months ago.

Richard Baker · Post by **Richard Baker** » Fri Dec 19, 2008 6:13 pm

The Starship Modeler Store has 3 in stock (at the time of this posting)
http://www.starshipmodeler.biz/index.cf ... uct_ID=703

The older Ertl kit is OOP (eBay time), but if you want a Lamda Shuttle you can get the Revell-Germany version- a little smaller and would take more work to make into a good dispaly, but the hull is more accurate IMO