German rear convoy light
 

For many years people have accepted the rear German convoy light to be blue but why?
Some time back our friend Kent Wiik, posted about a rear Notek find, the light was complete with lens and for many years people have asked what was the real colour, also for many years it has been known that the soft skin version had green lenses
Post from Kent Wiik
http://www.network54.com/Forum/47207...e+%29+DAYAFTER
These are 2 post war convoy lights both with green lenses
http://images49.fotki.com/v1520/phot...394016L-vi.jpg
http://images49.fotki.com/v1508/phot...3_of_57-vi.jpg
These are the links kent Wiik, posted about the convoy light find
http://www.network54.com/Forum/63797...e+convoy+light
http://www.network54.com/Forum/47207...+light+fitting
This is the picture with the lens illuminated showing it to be green
http://www.network54.com/Forum/47207...e+%29+DAYAFTER

So armed with this information I set about modifying a rear convoy light to represent the real thing as closely as possible, I’m surprised that this conversion has not yet been done by anyone
Attachment 2235834
Attachment 2235835

RE: German rear convoy light
 

good job there!<div> Get fed up telling people, It wasn't blue!! </div><div>But what do I know? I'm a Newbie! </div><div>My Dad wasn't! ...He towed the things in, in North Africa! RASC Eighth Army.</div><div>Cheers</div><div>Stu</div>

RE: German rear convoy light
 

Some have done it in 1/16, but not as good as yours. What scale is it,1/6? Very cool !!!

RE: German rear convoy light
 

Stu, some modellers will never listen to sense nor fact they will always give weld lines rust and depict brand new tanks as rusted 10 year old relics
Maus, this light should have 4 bulbs fitted even in 1/6 scale this is not possible, in 1/16 it’s even harder but when it’s achieved even with 1 bulb it looks outstanding, praise to anyone in the 1/16 world who has a working Notek convoy light

RE: German rear convoy light
 

Mark, that's a real beauty, I love the end caps and bracket.

I didn't spend a lot of time on this, I learned the lesson of too much detail on RC when I used the full Aber on my first Tammy Tiger I, but I pulled off what I wanted.

It's based on the same info of satin black with green bulbs, I used two green SMD LEDs on the ends of a clear styrene sprue, with black epoxy putty behind it to give the illusion when off. It's wired to the normal LED circuit of the tank.

RE: German rear convoy light
 

Looks good. IS this on your StuG? Where did you get the SMD LED's?

RE: German rear convoy light
 

Yep, the waffle/Schurzen one.

I bought the SMDs a while back for nav lights on UM planes, so I really didn't know what to look for, I think I got them from Electronic Goldmine. At this point, I'd go with Digikey, you could probably get brighter ones or even smaller traditional LEDs to use as the end caps. They have an amazing selection, you can choose by size, shape, brightness and spread. I got a variety with my last order, and found these small orange ones to use as hit indicators that you can see from a distance in sunlight.

RE: German rear convoy light
 

Its not always out of ignorence, some people just want a more dramatic looking model. That's the glory of modelling, you can make something as realistic or Hollywood as suits your taste. My Leo has rain streaks and other weathering that in peace time wouldn't be tolerated, but I think it makes a more intresting model so that's how I chose to depict it.
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RE: German rear convoy light
 

Hi Mark since you or someone mentioned that these lamps were in reality green and not blue I've been wanting to make up a batch of greenies nit bluies.

The spacing on this blue example isn't correct and well they are blue but with patience and a bit of luck it is possible to make a functional lamp with four
603 type LEDs, a sliver of circuit board even in the smaller scales. My example is 1/10; perhaps a shade large but there it is.

603 LEDs are REALLY small. I use a magnifying glass to make certain I have the polarity, identified by a pin***** sized mark, correct.
While I'm out on holiday I hope to make up some greenies...

Jerry

RE: German rear convoy light
 

Wow Gerry that looks spot on!

RE: German rear convoy light
 

Good finding! I always told that a blue light was too unreal to be true. It was a nonsense on a military vehicle that needs to be invisible to enemies.</p>

Thanks god there is a real notek light to show us how it was. I will change the one on my tiger trying to put 4 leds. Thanks for sharing Rivet!</p>

RE: German rear convoy light
 

I don't care what color it is -Kudos to you if you even put a convoy light on your tank :D<div>
</div><div>and don't feel bad if you didn't either ;)</div>

RE: German rear convoy light
 

Speaking of my lights as my tiger is in the same scale of rivet counter one, I have the convoy light fully working, however in my building process I used already green leds but it was the 4 windowed tube (post war) version, then I replaced it with a dark blue transparent cover but with a red light in it, this simulating a violet one. Infact I was pointing in a completely different direction than the blue light thinking about a possible UV light visible only with some kind of glasses. I will fix my light as soon as I will finish 2 kettenkrads rc conversion.

RE: German rear convoy light
 

Jerry,
I have to take my hat off to you the work you have done is increadable to say the least, if you can get 603’s in green then go for it all you then need to do is turn the glass tube in a lathe and using sand paper take the glaze off then using black paing give it a thin coat then coat in clear varnish this is all I have done the black paint while looking historicaly correct also tones down the glow of the LED’s, I may have to take your lead and use 603’s in my light so that I can have all 4 bulbs working.