LED Xmas lights

Dec 22, 2008 11 Replies

Just occurred looking at these that they have a pretty constant light output in all directions - unlike most LEDs which have a lens focusing it in fairly narrow beam. So pretty similar to an ordinary filament lamp. There's a few occasions when I'd like LEDs like this, but haven't seen them on sale in the component suppliers. What should I be looking for?


LED Xmas lights I guess :-) Seriously though - could a set of these things be cannibalized to yield what you want?

ps I bought a set of lights from B&? last year (filament I admit) but

1/3 of the lamps have already packed up.

I bought a set in woolie's sale the other week and they're already dying.

But for 70p...

Owain

I bought some spare LEDs from Wooleys. They were 6p for a pack of several (somewhere between 6 and 10 - can't recall now). Tried them when I got home, and they're blue (at least, the first 2 were). Must admit, I did wonder why you'd want spare LEDs -- now I know.

I did once buy some axial LEDs which radiate in all directions except along the axis. They were from a radio fare. Never seen them since. I presume they were for making up light strings. (Axial LEDs which emit in one direction are easy to find.)

No - those are still far too directional. I want something with a light output pattern similar to a GLS lamp. Ie, all round with the exception of the cap.

Yes it can work., I filed one down past the lens once but the surface needs much polishing - noit worth the effort really.

The christmas ones seem to have a conical hole for a lens. If you can accurately drill into the end, you might be able to create the same effect.

=A0 London SW

Generic name is "inverted cone" or in big LEDs "side emitting"

HTH Adam

them on sale in the component suppliers.

Thanks for that. The ones I was looking at seem to have what looks like a sphere round the electrodes - then the whole lot encased in a transparent tube.

Flame polish them. It won't be optically perfect, but you explicitly don't want that...

...you can also do them tens or hundreds at a time.

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