Simulated lamps on models
 

What is the consensus on what is better to simulate headlights on tanks, WWII vintage.

Clearly bright white/ blue leds aren't correct as I'd imagine the lamps of the era tended to be
yellowish. Yellow leds would be too yellow.

So does that leave grain of wheat bulbs? I believe that's what Tamiya used in their Pershing and probably
others.

I read parts of a thread here where the author mentioned 1.8mm yellow leds but still they see too yellow
then I haven't tried them.

What is everyone's thoughts on this?

Jerry

RE: Simulated lamps on models
 

I found a site for rairoad stuff that sells the perfect LED for this. 1.8mm warm white and they will work on up to 9v.
www.modeltrainsoftware.com. I use them in alot of my builds now.

RE: Simulated lamps on models
 

I am giving these a try - Grain of sand bulbs with a suitable resistor.

<font size="-1"><font size="-1">http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/WTI0095P?FVSEARCH=L5AJ6606+&amp;search=Go</font></font>

RE: Simulated lamps on models
 

On my HL KV-1, I removed the LED, hollowed out the headlight housing, ground off the tip of the LED and reinstalled it in the housing. There was now clearance to fit a headlight lens over it. Before doing that I gave the LED and inner headlight a coat of yellow acrylic followed by coats of silver acrylic until it was the muted yellowy-off white I wanted. Looks better than the hideous glowing nipple of the original HL design. Sorry no pics, image loader seems kaput on this board...

Mike.

RE: Simulated lamps on models
 

Hi guys !!! I bought some 3 mm high intensity leds a while ago for my smoking gun project ...Here's a couple of pics. to compare the shades...( I'm using a 240 Ohms 1/4 Watts resistors ) ...
Here's the link for the data sheet for the leds ...<a target="_blank" href="http://pdf1.alldatasheet.com/datasheet-pdf/view/282990/BETLUX/BL-L304UYC.html">pdf1.alldatasheet.com/datasheet-pdf/view/282990/BETLUX/BL-L304UYC.html

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RE: Simulated lamps on models
 

I use "yellowglo white" leds. Simulates incandescent bulbs. Not too white not too yellow, looks like old headlights.

RE: Simulated lamps on models
 

Anybody knows if " Yellowglo White " and " Warm White " are 2 different colors ; or are they 2 different names for the same color ?????

RE: Simulated lamps on models
 

I went the cheap route, I put some yellow Teflon plumbers tape over the LED inside the light housing.  It is kind'a yellow, but it was already paid for.

RE: Simulated lamps on models
 

Jerry......
My solution is simple, hope this helps.........All of the lamps on my WWII tanks have been shot out, damaged, stolen or taken off.

Problem solved.

RE: Simulated lamps on models
 

Yep ... don't even install them on mine.


- Jeff

RE: Simulated lamps on models
 

The warm white leds look pretty good to me according to those pictures ....www.google.ca/search

RE: Simulated lamps on models
 

Rex:

That or hide 'em under a few German tin pots (helmets) like they used for lamp shades in quite a few or the WW2 movies (Patton in partiucular, for lighting his map-boards)

But if ya gotta choose... Tamiya ~does~ make a transparent yellow paint for lenses, as well as a red. Found that out a while back when working on my 4x4 Mountaineer (and his cousins) Then there is the simple idea of buying some colored overhead cels from an art store or even gift-wrap cellophane from the old stand-by, the dollar store!

And now that I think about it, any yellow overhead marker or highlighter should do for 'painting' the styrene. If ya got kids, try the markers first. Test it on a bit of sprue!

WhiteWolf

PS: And gently 'frosting' the inside of the lens helps diffuse the glow from a point to a full-lens glow. The Easy-Off/Mean-Green cleaners will frost the clear plastic... though a pit of coarse polishing compound on a Q-tip would do as good (if ya got any) In a pinch, Conet or any of those other 'grit' cleaning products do for a coarse polisher, and old toothpaste for a fine one (long as ya don't mind the lenses smelling minty-fresh! ;-) )

RE: Simulated lamps on models
 

Modified headlight on my KV-1 with yellow and silver acrylics for dulling. Excuse the silver on the headlight bezeltank is still undergoing final paint and weathering.
Mike.

RE: Simulated lamps on models
 

Rex as always your solutions are out of the box.... priceless...

Thanks to everyone for their replies.

While I like the warn white led idea I have a dozen or so 3-4v grain of wheat bulbs I purchased
at the old San Antonio Hobby shop years ago before they closed. A sorely missed shop.
I'll use those for this little project and see how they work; when they burn out I'll use Rex's
ploy...

Jerry