AC to DC LED Power Supply

thatoneguy

Joined Feb 19, 2009
6,359
I would love to find a neon bulb with resistor all in one that I could just solder into my circuit board. Do you know a source I can find them?
Radio Shack carries them, with panel mount fittings and all. We aren't too far away from each other, so the RS should still have them, though all stores have been cutting back on components, the ones in South Dakota still have a stack of drawers with common parts, such as this.
 

SgtWookie

Joined Jul 17, 2007
22,230
I would love to find a neon bulb with resistor all in one that I could just solder into my circuit board. Do you know a source I can find them?
I guess I wasted my time posting a link to the 5 suitable neon indicators that Radio Shack carries? :rolleyes:

I suggest that you actually take the time to look at all of the information that is presented. Otherwise, you are wasting my time; which I don't have an excess of.
 
Please don't attempt to do that.

We have to be extra careful here. Mains power is nothing to fool around with. We want for our members to have long, happy and productive lives. Electrocution can end a life in moments.

Neon indicator lamps work well because they take a fairly high voltage (55v-60v) to ionize the neon gas in the tube. Once the gas is ionized, a high-value resistor in series with the lamp keeps the current flow very low; on the order of a milliamp.

Radio Shack stores typically carry several neon indicators; there is likely a store near you. Have a look at this link:
http://www.radioshack.com/family/in...120+Volt&filterName=Type&filterValue=120+Volt

They also carry lighted switches rated for 120v:
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062522
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062519

You should not use a power strip that is rated for 120v with 240v. The outlets would not be rated for the higher voltage.

Your strip should have a circuit breaker or fuse that is rated at or below the lowest current rating of any item in the strip; ie: if the outlets are rated for 120v 10A, then use a 10A 250V fuse or circuit breaker.

A few words on insulation:
Use heat shrink tubing on your connections after you have soldered them using 63/37 (tin/lead) or 60/40 solder and rosin flux. Once properly applied, it will not come off unless you cut it off.

Do not use "electrical tape" or "electrician's tape", as the adhesives used on this kind of tape will eventually get "gooey" and the tape will come off. There is a type of RTV silicone tape which is rather expensive, available in some auto supply stores marketed as "Extreme Tape". It adheres to itself when wrapped under tension. However, it's somewhat difficult for n00bs to apply correctly the first few times they try it, and it has a fairly short shelf life. If you go that route, plan on using up a roll just learning how to wind it on properly. However, if properly applied, it's about as good as shrink tubing, if a bit more bulky.

Don't use twist-on "wire nuts" either, unless your finished project will be permanently mounted somewhere. Wire nuts can loosen up under vibration, so are not really suitable for portable devices.

I do not like the crimp-on style terminals that are available commercially. The crimp that a typical inexpensive crimper makes is really not all that good, and copper stranded wire inside the crimp will eventually corrode, making a high-resistance joint. The 4-point crimping tools used for connectors used on military specification projects work very well, but they are prohibitively expensive. If for some reason I need to use terminals, whether ring, spade, or whatever, I remove the factory insulation, slip a piece of shrink tubing over the wire, crimp it a bit, then solder the wire to the terminal, and shrink the tubing around the connection. That way I know it will not fail, and will be well-insulated.

For sealing the enclosure, consider using RTV silicone. If you epoxy the thing together, you'll have a very hard time getting it apart if you ever need to do so. RTV silicone will provide a watertight seal that is reasonably strong and electrically insulative. However, remember that most RTV silicone emits ascetic acid until it cures, which is somewhat corrosive. GE makes a red RTV silicone which is specifically designed for such projects; can't remember the number offhand.



The RTV silicone that Wookie is considering for the OP to use. Here's a link where to purchase it. time to time i buy from this site so i know they have the Red RTV silicone woolie mentioned in this post.

http://www.mgchemicals.com/products/106.html



Wookie is this the same stuff. I think it is.
 

SgtWookie

Joined Jul 17, 2007
22,230
The RTV silicone that Wookie is considering for the OP to use. Here's a link where to purchase it. time to time i buy from this site so i know they have the Red RTV silicone woolie mentioned in this post.

http://www.mgchemicals.com/products/106.html

Wookie is this the same stuff. I think it is.
No, it is not. The substance that you linked to is corrosive.

I think that the original GE part mumber was in the 500 range. I just can't remember it at the moment,
 
No, it is not. The substance that you linked to is corrosive.

I think that the original GE part mumber was in the 500 range. I just can't remember it at the moment,

Wookie unless GE discontinued that product,and the part number that starts with 500 as you suggesting changed. May be these silicone products would surfice. Could 500 be the temperture rating.Not the part number. The third link is a GE RTV red silicone non-corrosive sealant.Mayne that's it. I even when to there website.

http://www.galco.com/scripts/cgiip.exe/wa/wcat/catalog.htm?search-desc=GE%20RTV%20Silicone&search-name


http://www.drillspot.com/products/329875/GE_Silicone_RTV106_Red_Silicone?s=1
http://www.drillspot.com/products/1345292/103OZ_HTP_RED_Silicone_KK0205_103OZ_HTP_RED_Silicone


http://www.galco.com/scripts/cgiip.exe/wa/wcat/itemdtl.r?listtype=&pnum=RTV106-85ML-MGC

Here's the GE site.

http://www.siliconeforbuilding.com/
 
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