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Old 10-24-2010, 03:58 AM
hancocp hancocp is offline
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Flickering LED Solution

I needed a flickering white LED light for a blacksmith's forge on a friend's model railway layout. I found some flashing LEDs in my spares box 'built' this. Very effective for only four parts, the flashing LEDs are only about 40p each.

The white (steady) LED flickers due to the interaction between the small variations in the flashing LED flash rate. I used two colours as the flicker was more pronounced this way. I used a tiny piece of matrix/vero board to mount the flashing LEDs, then covered this with a small length of heatshrink tubing. Black paint sealed the ends. You can use any colour for the flicker LED (orange makes a good flame simulation). No current limiting resistors are needed, as the flasher circuitry provides this. Built with both 3mm and 5mm LEDs and all good. Obviously 3mm save space.

I may be able to post a quick video of the flicker later.
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Old 10-24-2010, 08:39 AM
2Kamser 2Kamser is offline
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intriguing idea, might look good at the back of an aircraft or a spacecraft too
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Old 10-24-2010, 08:49 AM
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airdave airdave is offline
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I have some small candle "tea lights" that are LEDs
We get them at the local "Dollar" store.

Battery operated, exactly the same size and shape as normal tea lights.

They use only 2 LEDs behing a red/orange lens
...one stays on all the time,
the second switches on and off randomly.

The effect is very convincing of a flickering flame.

(Go to Bing.com, click Images, and do a search for "led tealight" and you'll see what I'm talking about)
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Old 12-23-2011, 05:33 PM
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TLHarrell TLHarrell is offline
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http://www.evilmadscientist.com/ has candle flicker LEDs in their store in "warm white". I have some for a lamp project. The flicker is very nice.
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Old 12-23-2011, 05:44 PM
spaceagent-9 spaceagent-9 is offline
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try throwing some jewelry beads over them and tape the back and sides to make a light fixture, you can achieve really great bounce lighting effects and also jagged and strange patterns that change when the different leds hit the fauceted jewel.
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Old 02-11-2012, 11:53 PM
Mrfixit70 Mrfixit70 is offline
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dollar store tea lights

I have done quite a bit model building/ experimenting with flicker effects.
Today's dollar store tea lights work great, unlike there predecessors the
controlling AVR microchip is now built into the led so all you have to do
is hack it apart and install it, then apply power whether it's battery or my favorite the cheap multi volt dc adapter at 3v. they are very realistic.
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Old 02-12-2012, 12:01 AM
Mrfixit70 Mrfixit70 is offline
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dollar store tea lights

I have done quite a bit model building/ experimenting with flicker effects.
Today's dollar store tea lights work great, unlike there predecessors the
controlling AVR microchip is now built into the led so all you have to do
is hack it apart and install it, then apply power whether it's battery or my favorite the cheap multi volt dc adapter at 3v. they are very realistic.
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Old 02-12-2012, 04:02 PM
hancocp hancocp is offline
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The point of the discrete LED build, was that tea lights have a flash pattern that is far from random. The LEDs appear more random due to the variations in the flashrates interacting with each other. Also, the white LED gives a brighter flash.

Horses for courses
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Old 02-12-2012, 05:42 PM
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ringmaster ringmaster is offline
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Thank you.
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