Resin Cast Terrain Tiles - All colors and translucent!

[Nwojedi]

watch batteries are too much of a PIA and it's hard to get an LED to run off 1.5V. Much easier to bump it up to 3VDC or 4.5VDC then you can run it off of AAA's. More accessable batteries but will take up a lot more room. I could rig something up, if I had more time. We also have color changing LED's that morph into 6 different colors. The rate on which the colors change can be altered with different capacitors and resistors. You might be able to install a variable capacitor or POT.

[Agent Minivann]

Um, AAAs are 1.5 volts.

[Nwojedi]

Originally Posted by Agent Minivann

Um, AAAs are 1.5 volts.

Yes, i know, but I was talking about using double and triple battery holders. Sorry I should have specified. Usually 4.5 volts is a good voltage to run LED's at, since you don't get a lot of loss in your amp reduction.

[dreamdragon]

you could say that the tiles telport to other maps to that color peice

[SuperflyTNT]

You can get low voltage LEDs and use watch batteries just fine. They take up far less room, too.

Why a potentiometer? Why not just a button micro-switch?

[Nwojedi]

so you can change the rate on which a color changing LED will morph. Watch batteries are nice for saving space but a PIA to find when it comes to replacement, as there are many different type. Also, finding a socket to mount is a task as well. AAA's are small enough, that can easily fit under a 2 hex unit. and can have a Double AAA holder. Which would last much longer than a watch battery.

[SuperflyTNT]

Originally Posted by Nwojedi

so you can change the rate on which a color changing LED will morph. Watch batteries are nice for saving space but a PIA to find when it comes to replacement, as there are many different type. Also, finding a socket to mount is a task as well. AAA's are small enough, that can easily fit under a 2 hex unit. and can have a Double AAA holder. Which would last much longer than a watch battery.

Ah, I see what you mean. I was thinking of a surface mount single color LED. With a little breadboard maybe .32 thick you can mount the LED on the topside in a shaved cavity and pop the LR725 inside a holder.

You can call Future Electronics', Newark, or DigiKey to get the parts cheap - they break reels. I do agree that the AAAs are longer-lived, and as long as a holder fits under a 2-hexer you're really going to be better off with the AAAs.

What do you do for a living - EE?

[Nwojedi]

I restore pinball machines and pinball playfields. Thou most of my work is art based. I do, do my own boardwork of diagnosing chips and other electrical problems. LED's are commonly used as "Mods" for pinball as well. We use them daily. Hence why I know a lot about ones that run on 3-6 VDC or AC. As must GI's and Lamp matrix's for pinball are run on 5 or 12 v..

[Agent Minivann]

Why not take a two AAA holder and rewire it so it is parallel rather than series?

[Draconious]

use a tiny lithium polymer cell often used in micro-mini indoor rc planes... only brand type I can think of is at plantraco.com in canada...
extra advantage over size and 3volts... is its rechargeable.

[SuperflyTNT]

LOL I used to do similar work to MAME machines and NAMCO stuff WAY back in the day. I was that kid making redboxes to call my girlfriend for free

Yeah, surface mount LEDs are pretty flat, run cool, and can run on low voltage and very low current. Cheap too!

[Nwojedi]

but how bright are they? Go to Superbriteleds.com. THey have a large selection of LED's and you could put in a 555 style socket, so you could change colors if you wanted. Could go blue, or mutlicolored. Now they have purple too. Which is totally new for LED's.