Just a heads up. Today I found my local Wal-mart has begun stocking the Christmas lights (no surprise there), but for the first time they had a few (3) boxes of Warm White LED strings. 60 LEDs for $7. They didn't have them last year. My Target has them this year as well for about the same price. Targets have the dome top, where-as the Wal-mart ones are the concave tops. Just an FYI in case anybody has some layout lighting projects planned in the next year. Get'm now before they're gone.

Bobby

An additional heads-up on Target: My local Target is blowing out Lionel's Christmas Story set for $180. Lionel's MSRP was $329.99. Check your Target to see if they're doing the same thing.

quote:

Originally posted by NickyBigBoy:
An additional heads-up on Target: My local Target is blowing out Lionel's Christmas Story set for $180. Lionel's MSRP was $329.99. Check your Target to see if they're doing the same thing.

WOW. That is a good deal!!

I'm considering buying them all and flipping them on Ebay...

Do they actually say they are warm white LED's, or is there something very unique about them that gives this away?

Thanks,

Fred

I find that Target has battery operated 18 LED strings for the wreaths. this is also great for Buildings and factories. the battery bos is small and doesn't take up much Real estate esp in two or more stories buildings as well as those IHC/Atl aSO engine houses. All I do is get the Plastruct green shades for the LED's and instant efficient lighting!

quote:

Originally posted by Fred Brenek:
Do they actually say they are warm white LED's, or is there something very unique about them that gives this away?

Thanks,

Fred

The boxes do say "Warm White", where-as the other clear LEDs say "Cool White".

Bobby

I just picked up one those $6.99 60 LED warm white sets from Target. (Kind of out of the way in the shelves.) They're not nearly as blue as the cool whites, but with a little tinting they might get closer to looking like an incandescent bulb. Also, from the side, they don't emit too much light, but look at them head on and you will go blind! These are definite headlight material.

I seem to remember a way to change the LED light direction by flattening out the tip of the LED and either painting the flattened tip silver and/or black. So I think I will give that a try and see what happens.

Target is also supposed be stocking (though not in yet) a smooth rounded warm white LED 60 light set for about $11.99. I'm looking to see if they stock some replacement LED's to see what their color is like and how they disperse their light.

My local Wally World didn't have any of their Christmas stuff out yet, if you can believe that. I will have to check their offerings later.

For what we have here though, it's not bad. It's certainly cheap enough to provide some experimentation fodder.

Fred

I think the LEDs I got at Wal-Mart were concave tipped, and that is supposed to help reflect the light to the sides better. I'm not sure how well that works though.

Bobby

Why would anyone want 120 volt bulbs on a toy train layout?
Joe

quote:

Originally posted by NickyBigBoy: I'm considering buying them all and flipping them on Ebay...

Have you considered a career on Wall Street yet?

quote:

Originally posted by JC642:
Why would anyone want 120 volt bulbs on a toy train layout?
Joe

Joe,
It is just like the old days. These aren't 120 volt light bulbs. You cut up the strings and use them individually.

Gene Anstine

quote:

Joe,
It is just like the old days. These aren't 120 volt light bulbs. You cut up the strings and use them individually.

Gene Anstine

Are you saying those bulb taken from a 110 volt Christmas wire set will light up with 12-18 volt AC?
Do they draw excessive current?
Joe

quote:

Are you saying those bulb taken from a 110 volt Christmas wire set will light up with 12-18 volt AC?

The LED's are individually rated at 3.5-3.8 volts. You can't just run them on straight 12-18V AC current. They'll need resistors, an AC/DC inverter and maybe a capacitor to regulate the current to a safe voltage. There are couple of threads out there explaining how to do this.

Fred