Just to add to your lighting fun you may like to look at

http://www.action-electronics.co.uk/pdfs/P49.pdf

You can use a LED in place of the bulb ( with a resistor) and flash morse code from a suitable light fitting.

http://www.cornwallmodelboats.co.uk/acatalog/rb-signal-lamps.html

Hello Derek,

Thanks for the response, I must be using the ones you are describing. They look good on my ship and will use them on my next, when I get a chance.

Best regards

Dave

I know its an old original post but just found it.
I've been using Led's from eBay. All clear when off, but the lights are available in bright & warm white which is good for older style models, Red, Green, Yellow,Blue, flashing and not. in 3mm and 5mm. They all have resistors and long leads. 9-12v. Best of all cheap and in the UK.

Hello Dave,

Thank you for the response, I've ordered the part (extra bulbs as suggested) also gone for the 470ohm resisters as advised. I'll hopefully get chance to wire this in by the weekend. I'll let you know the outcome and upload a video showing my work. if you've not seen anything by next weekend I've done something really wrong 😊

Thanks once again

Dave

HI Dave
Yes the circuit looks OK. A 350 ohm resistor is not a common value the nearest is 330, but personally I would use a 470 ohm. Providing you are using bright LEDs there will be little difference in the light output. They will heat up in use and using a lower value resistor will cause more current to pass and make the LED run hot. Might not be a problem in the searchlight but the running lights will be a tight fit and therefore likely to get hot. I referred to another supplier in my last reply and realise this was not the web site mentioned, which will provided what you require and sell in job lots which will help replace any damaged when you do the installation. We all blow a few LEDS from time tI time, me included!
Dave

Sorry Dave,

I realised I only responded to half your questions. The Running light boards I will make from scratch, I may give the search lights a go but if they look rubbish I may order something suitable online.

Regards

Dave

Hello Dave,

I've uploaded a diagram in word of what I think (Hope) is how I need to wire in the running lights (I can add the Search lights by using the same process)

From your expert eye would this look OK? or have I made a newbe blunder

Regards

Dave

HI Dave
Your model will not have a great deal of room and weight will be Important.
As you are only considering running lights and searchlights there is little wiring involved and you can place a resistor in any convenient location for each LED. For the running lights are you making your own fittings or using ready made? I suspect you will need 3mm one red and one green. For the searchlight a 5mm should suffice but if it is the large version often fitted to destroyers you may be able to fit a 10mm. The searchlight on my 1:96 HMS Grenville allows one in the white metal casting I used, although I had to file off the front rounded shape to make it fit.
As well as Component shop you can buy off e-bay, I would avoid the overseas suppliers for the quantity you require.
Regarding the prewired LEDS they may already have a resistor fitted but it's a simple job to solder a resistor in the lead. You may find it difficult to fit a prewired into the space available for your running lights.
If you post a pic of the fittings I may be able to suggest the best way to install the LEDS.
Dave

Hello Alan,

yes this does, thank you for the advice. I think I will keep it simple and just go with running and search lights for the time being, I'm building a 1/96 scale version of HMS Diamond,

Best regards

Dave

As Dave M says, a lot depends on the model, how much room there is and how much lighting you are having, plenty of room and lots of lights I would probably make up some sort of peg board and fit the resisters to this.

The boat I have just finished has running lights, wheelhouse lighting and three search lights, each LED was fitted with it's own resister soldered in a convenient place in the cable and covered with a bit of shrinkable
Hope this is of some help to you.

Alan

Thank you Alan,

just had a look, there is a good article on the about working out the correct resisters for the LED's.

Do you purchase the pre wired bulbs and put a resister inline via a circuit board?

Thank you for the response

Regards

Dave

HI Dave, a good place to get your LEDs is here.

http://bright-components.co.uk/

I have dealt with them and they are OK

Alan

Hello Dave, not sure if the update I sent via the app uploaded? I'm building a 1/96 scale version of HMS Diamond.

Regards

Dave

No problem
It would help if I knew the model and scale at the same time
Cheers
Dave

Morning Dave,

You can never have too much info, thank you for the quick response. I'll have a look at your Olympic build, if I may, could I draw up what I think would be a correct circuit and get you to run your eyes over it?

Fingers crossed I can make a start on this before my 2nd child is born in 12 days.

Best regards

Dave

HI Dave
LEDS are excellent at providing lighting for models. in particular they generate little heat and are very low current so will not flatten your battery.
You can buy electronic switchers to control the lights using a spare channel to send the on/off control. Alternatively you can use an on board on/off switch using either the receiver od main power battery.
LEDS only require a low voltage of approx 2.5 to 3.3 volts depending on the colour and are often used with an inline resistor to limit the current ( max usually 20mA) when used with higher voltage batteries.
My Olympic uses about 500 LEDs in the portholes and they are wired in parallel and fed from a variable regulated circuit that allows me to balance the individual circuits. I use 5mm and 3mm LEDs that have different current requirements hence the need for mutiple circuits. I have used a remote control dimmer between the battery and my regulators and use this to vary the voltage allowing me to vary the lighting to suit the display. its very like a key fob with buttons to increase/decrease as well as on/off. Component Shop stock them, but you do need a regulator or resistor in series with the LED as the dimmer requires a load to work correctly.
You can link several LEDS in series so that they run off the battery voltage, Christmas tree lights use a similar method, and LEDS can be bought in lengths suitable for particular voltages.
They are polarised and need to be connected to the correct polarity or they won't work. Provided they have a resistor attached, wrong connection will do no damage.
The best type are the high intensity type and they can be had in a range of colours and sizes. As different colours require different voltages it is best to attach a resistor to each LED to avoid problems, especially with the red and green used fr navigation.
You can also now use surface mounted devices which make excellent bulkhead and ceiling lights. I use self adhesive copper strips ( ve & -ve) and solder the LEDS across the gap. When painted you can't see the copper.
Sorry if I have given too much info but you won't regret adding this detail. There are details in Build Blogs of my RMS Olympic.
Please keep us posted with your progress
Dave