Re: model lighting

Ahh, LEDs aren't hard to work with. You do have to learn how to solder
properly tho before you can really put them into models tho otherwise you'll
be pulling the models apart to fix your wiring errors. For you, the cheap
25W RadioShack soldering iron will work fine enough. I don't use them
becuause my standards of soldering (I work in electronics as a professional)
are a lot higher than what that iron can possibly do.
Resistors are dirt cheap when you buy them from the right places -
RadioShack has a huge markup (cost to me for a typical resistor is a penny a
piece and that isn't even for the cheap ones) on them because you are only
buying 5 or so at a time - and LEDs are also pretty cheap.
I'd suggest that you pick up an elementary electronics instruchion book and
learn what the terms mean and the two basic formulas that deal with basic
electronics so that you can calculat the right values for resitors and so
forth.
If you're in a significant sized city, there will probably be an elecronics
discount place somewhere in the city that has such parts for a bit less than
RadioShack and that is where you should go. I'll note that electronics
parts can be bought by price as they all work well irrevelent of the price.
Cheap LEDs can be had for less than a dime apiece in quantity. If you let
the smoke out on one, you aren't out that much.
As for components in general, unless they are rated to run at a particular
voltage or current like ICs are, running things like lights and resistors
and so forth ilve longer at lower voltages, currents and so forth. For
example, an incadescent lamp rated at 12V will last basically forever at
something like 8V. Running a 1/4W resistor with 1/10W of power dissipation
will also keep it alive forever. I'll also note that thermal stressing of
parts can make them fail faster than if you just leave them running - lamps
are particularlly susceptible to this as the tungstun in the filaments
doesn't like to be stressed in this fashion as the typical failure mechanism
of a ligh bulb is the fracturing of the filament due to heat stress.
Go buy the cheap stuff and have a ball with it. Lots of people use them in
their construchion every day without any problems!

--
Why isn't there an Ozone Hole at the NORTH Pole?


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