Which LED's for indicators?

[jtexas]

Any LED experts on board? Making a switch panel from scratch, JFTHOI (just-for-the-H-of-it), and want to add indicator lights, LEDs obviously being the most energy efficient - but I'm so confused.....colors, brightness, viewing angles.......which ones have the best visibility in direct sunlight?

btw, by the time its done, it won't much if any cost savings over an off-the-shelf panel, but it'll at least be custom-fitted and configured for my needs.

 

[drewpster]

Re: Which LED's for indicators?

I have used both LED indicators and Incandescent indicators in panels I have built. In bright sunlight it seems the color is more important than type. I use red incandescents in my old boat's panel for that classic look. They are slightly smaller than a dime and work well in bright light. The colors red and blue seem to be the best in the sun while amber and white don't show as well.
Personally I like LED's better for inside applications. And you can get ones that blink that add a little cool look, and are more noticeable.
I use red incandescents for my bilge fan and one for my bilge pump. I am constantly leaving my fan on, the light helps me to remember to turn it off.

 

[drewpster]

Re: Which LED's for indicators?

iboats carries both, incidently,

 

[wire2]

Re: Which LED's for indicators?

These people are fast, cheap and carry a multitude of different LED's.

http://www.besthongkong.com/

 

[Boatist]

Re: Which LED's for indicators?

If you do any boating at night then it needs to be red so will not destroy your night vision.

 

[jtexas]

Re: Which LED's for indicators?

thanks for the info, guys...bookmarked the link, wire2, appreciate it

 

[jtexas]

Re: Which LED's for indicators?

I highly recommend besthongkong.com, bright red LEDS in chrome holders prewired for 12V, 10 for $10, full visibility in all conditions, about 4 days from order to delivery -- excellent deal.

I also got a couple 10-light waterproof LED strips also prewired for 12V, for backlighting the switch panel - $5 apiece for yellow, white are a bit more - I'm getting some more of those for floor & storage bin lighting.

 

[Boatin Bob]

Re: Which LED's for indicators?

Hey jt...was on their site trying to find those strips you mentioned (great idea for behind the switch panel) but can't seem to find them, searchedunder a section called tubes and strips but only saw tubes, could you post a link right to the page? Thanks

 

[rickdb1boat]

Re: Which LED's for indicators?

Bob...

http://www.besthongkong.com/index.php?cPath=13_16

 

[Boatin Bob]

Re: Which LED's for indicators?

Thanks Rick but that link didn't show me the strips jtexas mentioned that have 10 leds on them, still can't seem to find them on their site?

 

[rickdb1boat]

Re: Which LED's for indicators?

Sorry Bob. I guess he's talking about these tube strips.

http://www.besthongkong.com/product_info.php?cPath=21&products_id=177

EDIT: Dang, just reread your post Bob and I see you found these. Hopefully JT will chime back in...

 

[jtexas]

Re: Which LED's for indicators?

yup, that's the one, the "24cm" version, I said it's 10 lights, but actually its about 10 inches, with 24 lights - they also have a 12cm and a 48 cm.

 

[Boatin Bob]

Re: Which LED's for indicators?

Ok...thanks jt and Rick...I guess i was thinking about a rigid strip of lights not a flexible tube, could work though just need to give it some more thought.

 

[jtexas]

Re: Which LED's for indicators?

I think I saw that sort of thing somewhere on that site - maybe not already set up for 12 volt - you'd have to get the resistors & do some soldering. Seems like you could find some automotive accessories like "ground effects" type of lighting might work for ya.

I haven't worked out how to attach the flex strips to the back of the panel, but they work for me cause I can bend 'em around to light more than one row - I'll have lights where no light is needed but at that price it's worth it, plus which if LEDs used any less current they'd be generating electricity.

 

[jtexas]

Re: Which LED's for indicators?

just wanted to show off my work, its not installed yet.....

and the back side, with those LED strips illuminated -

 

[drewpster]

Re: Which LED's for indicators?

looks good! where did you get the labels?

 

[jtexas]

Re: Which LED's for indicators?

printed the labels white-on-black on a laserjet, 1 copy on plain paper, 1 on transparency film, epoxied together between 2 pieces of plexiglass. The background wasn't dark enough with just 1 layer, so I used the transparency to avoid making the letters any more opaque, but I think another piece of white paper would've been better.

I used shapes in a microsoft word document to get the spacing like I wanted...including the holes with crosshairs to center the drill bits...glued a template to a piece of plywood, clamped to the metal plate & another piece of ply for drilling, so the drill bits wouldn't tear at the holes. did the cut-outs for labels with a dremel cut-off wheel - easier than I thought it was going to be.

 

[Boatin Bob]

Re: Which LED's for indicators?

Thanks for sharing jt...great job!

 

[TexasX]

Re: Which LED's for indicators?

Sorry to bump an old post, but I am going to add either 2 (48cm) or 2 (96cm)strips one on each side. What would be the proper inline fuse size? I would be running them off a switch in parallel.

Thanks!

 

[jtexas]

Re: Which LED's for indicators?

Those LEDs are set up to draw 21 milliamps at 12 volts. I figured, with the motor running it'd get up to maybe 15 volts, which puts it at about 26 milliamps or so apiece. So a 24-LED string is around 0.6 amps.

I've got the whole panel on a 2-amp fuse.