Using LED power supply to run incandescent bulbs

The OP hasn't told us his application, so we don't know the cost v size v noise v availability v hassle tradeoffs. He also didn't say how many bulbs he actually wants to light.

Agreed if it's a small scale then a power brick or similar may be a better bet. However I'm just suggesting options if they do want scope to go larger.

Most desktop PC PSUs are fairly quiet BTW especially when not near peak load

- it's only if you start wanting about a kilowatt or so then noisy server PSUs are in the frame. Which is probably way OTT for the OP, but can come in handy for other applications - they're popular with RC modellers for charging LiPo for instance.

Theo

If you must use something common, why not a PS for 12v halogen lamps? But do get the load reasonably matched to the PS.

Well depends on the supply. I thought most leds these days were pulsed at high power, not straight dc?

Brian

Sounds like this is getting very complicated, He does not say all bulbs will be on all the time and whatever method is used may well affect brightness of the other bulbs ans different numbers are turned on and off. Brian

In message , Theo writes

OK. Look here, which may explain other questions I have asked, such as stripping cable, staplers, carpets and more. Scroll right down :

There are +/- 50 MES bulbs at present, with at least 20 more to add. Not all will be the same wattage, although similar (say 2.2). At present, there are four pairs of two bus bars of stripped copper wire under the boards, for supply and return. 8 altogether - two across each end, and two down each side. Each pair is powered by whatever old 12v train transformer/controller I have to hand, the more amps the better. Output is set a little under maximum, to prevent the bulbs being too bright.

The problem is, the more bulbs I add, the more likely the controllers are to overload and cut out. Roughly 8 bulbs per transformer. I cannot add more bulbs without adding more bus bars and transformers unless I can reasonably cheaply and simply up the power supply, i.e. more amps.

Although a private layout, it is open to the public 10 days per year, so I want to avoid mains voltage above baseboard level. I have never run mains voltage above the boards.

Graeme formulated on Friday :

Have you given any thought to converting to using LED's in place of the bulbs? There would be much less current / amps needed for the same output, the LED's can be had cheaper and they can be really tiny.

In message , Harry Bloomfield writes

Harry, yes I have, but I probably have around 100 bulbs in use (including those not actually on the layout), and at least that many as spares. Plus, if replacing with LEDs, I would want the ones that are made to look exactly like the original incandescent bulbs. Add to that the variety of voltages for various applications (3.5, 4, 6, 12, 14, 18,

Thanks to Harry B, the write up is now fixed

Bob

Harry that is a brilliant find! Thank you so much. Bob

Unfortunately my broadband is so slow here that I can't get to all the pics in a sensible time, but from the thumbnails it looks pretty impressive (and a lot of work). I talk about projects like this but there's a never ending list of things to do on the "new" house so engineering projects are shelved for the time being. I got the (2 tonne) lathe and (1/2 tonne) mill into the workshop this week (after far too long under tarps) but have now decided I want the lathe against a different wall so lots more jacking and rolling are needed - bu&&er!

Just tried that on a forum I follow - a car one where pics are important. Doesn't work.

Oddly if I look at my posts before the 'ban' the pics still show. But not those from others.

However, I'm now using imgbb.com which is similar to PB, but still works. If only there was a way of transferring my PB library over.

As silence doesn't seem to be essential and there is plenty of room to hide them I'd use old computer ATX PSU's. They have the advantage that they can be switched on and off easily using the low voltage control built into them.

I've got a spare DPS 750 server PSU (details at

It is big - 12 x 12 x 30cm and fairly heavy - 5kg

If its any use you can have it for the price of the postage (which should be less than £10). I can do the wiring mods for you.

Glad you could make something of it. I've now fixed the forum links for the photos and as the forum auto scales the pictures it might load faster for you. Now I'm retired and time -rich I can embark on projects like this. Good luck with machinery move and hope the rust has not crept in under the tarps. My myford lathe and VMC mill are quite modest by comparison but still not relishing moving those anytime. Bob

What's the tale behind the middle finger?

Not to be read at meal times!

It got attacked by a planer (a different one). Tendon transplanted from my leg, skin from my forearm and flesh sourced from the next door finger. The surgeon sewed the damaged finder to its neighbour which gave the transplanted flesh a blood supply (called a cross finger flap).

Whilst in that state, bandaged (and bored), I joined a different woodwork forum with the user name "9fingers". A few weeks later, the finger were separated again but if I had changed my user name to

Well you did ask....

Bob

Excellent. I had/have various relatives who lost one or two fingers to belts on farm machinery ...

You aren't a Joe Abercrombie fan, by any chance?

I have a nine-fingered friend who lost his when he jumped off a trailer in motion and his wedding ring caught on something on the trailer. I believe it's called a "degloving" injury. :oO

An enjoyable 30 minutes has just been spent reading your project write-up - very impressive! I don't know how long it took, but it might have been faster to extend the workshop ;-)

One of the photos showed parts of your extraction system - I'll start a separate thread on the subject in the hope that you can describe what you've done