I need to highlight a pathway in a location that's off the grid. I want to fab twelve luminaries and light each one using one LED per station. I have a limited knowledge of LEDs so i'm loaded with questions.



1. What is the brightest single 360 degree available?
2. What resistor to use?
3. Want to power each station individually with standard AA batteries. How many AA's should I use for
each? Or would 9v be better?
4. Need a tiny on/off switch for each station. What's available?
5. It would be great if each one blinked slow fade on/off. This is not a deal breaker but it would be nice as
long as it's not to complicated for a novice such as myself.

Any advice would be appreciated and thank you in advance.

 

I need to highlight a pathway in a location that's off the grid. I want to fab twelve luminaries and light each one using one LED per station. I have a limited knowledge of LEDs so i'm loaded with questions.

1. What is the brightest single 360 degree available?
I have never seen an LED with a 360 deg beam width, perhaps a 120deg with a reflector could give a wider beam.
High intensity White LED's would be OK.

2. What resistor to use?
This depends upon the LED forward voltage and battery voltage.
eg: a White LED, say 3.5V operating voltage at say 20mAmp from 3 * 1.5V AA batteries [ nominal 4.5v], approx 47R or 56R

3. Want to power each station individually with standard AA batteries. How many AA's should I use for
each? Or would 9v be better?
A 9V battery would be inefficient for a single 3.5V LED, use 3 * 1.5V AA

4. Need a tiny on/off switch for each station. What's available?
Would it have to be weather and water proof.?

5. It would be great if each one blinked slow fade on/off. This is not a deal breaker but it would be nice as
long as it's not to complicated for a novice such as myself.
This would mean using a ready made module, if you could find a suitable type or some electronics.

Any advice would be appreciated and thank you in advance.

hi
Does this help.?
E

 

Have you tried google? If you can't even be bothered to source a switch, why would you expect anyone else to do it for you? This project sounds way beyond your abilities.

 

What's wrong with something like this? I see these all over the place this time of year.

 

Google solar garden lights.

 

hi
Does this help.?
E

Hey Eric, thanks for the info. That's stuff that I didn't know. This gives me place to start. Thanks again, Eddie

 

Have you tried google? If you can't even be bothered to source a switch, why would you expect anyone else to do it for you? This project sounds way beyond your abilities.

Dear blocco a spirale, thanks for reading my post. I'll be glad to answer your concerns. Yes I have tried google. that's how I found this forum? Yes I am bothering to source a switch, thats why i'm here seeking information to know what to look for. Why would I want anyone else to source things for me? I don't, i'm simply seeking knowledge about some things that I have little knowledge of. Isn't one of the reasons this forum exists is to seek and share information? And lastly hank you for your concern regarding my abilities. Let's see now, the ability to purchase needed items.....check. The ability to mock up items.....check. The ability to solder items together..... check.. The ability to use electrical tape.....check. The ability to use heat shrink.....check. The ability to properly route wiring.....check. Well I think that pretty much covers it. Once i've appropriated all of the items I think i'll be okay but thanks for your concern, Eddie

We're all ignorant, just about different things.....Mark Twain

 

What's wrong with something like this? I see these all over the place this time of year.

Wayeh, you're right and I have used that before. I was wanting to put a different spin on it and try something different. Thanks for your reply. Eddie

 

Google solar garden lights.

MrChips, you're correct that would be the easiest and most sensible way. But i'm looking forward to experiment with something that i'm not familiar with. Thanks, Eddie

 

ek4313, I do apologise. For an interesting, efficient and easy to build LED driver; google "Joule thief". This is a great little circuit.

 

Hello,

There are no 360 ° leds.
The widest angle I have see is about 120 °.
There are some SMD leds with a higher angle upto 170 °.

For information on leds in general, have a look at this page of the EDUCYPEDIA:
LED

For information on switches, look in the links of this page of the EDUCYPEDIA:
Switches

Bertus

 

Chinese claim to have it, but it is probably its enclosure optics.
---->

Optosupply part number is OSMSXX100FC (for 6V) and others

Yes, best option is garden lights.

 

I was wanting to put a different spin on it and try something different.

That's cool, but what differences are you hoping for?

 

Plenty of different spins here :
----> https://duckduckgo.com/?q=led+lighted+path&t=canonical&iax=1&ia=images

 

ek4313, I do apologise. For an interesting, efficient and easy to build LED driver; google "Joule thief". This is a great little circuit.

Apology accepted, every things cool. To be honest with you I feel a little inferior on this forum because of my lack knowledge in electronics. For example I didn't know that there is no such thing as a 360 degree LED, now I do. The learning cure over the last couple of days has been significant thanks to all the help i'm getting here. (Thanks Guys) The actual assembly process shouldn't be a problem after I find out what components to use and what goes where. I think i'm on my way to get things sorted out. Thanks for suggestion about the video. I hope I wasn't too over the top with my reaction to your last post. Thanks Eddie

 

Hello,

There are no 360 ° leds.
The widest angle I have see is about 120 °.
There are some SMD leds with a higher angle upto 170 °.

For information on leds in general, have a look at this page of the EDUCYPEDIA:
LED

For information on switches, look in the links of this page of the EDUCYPEDIA:
Switches

Bertus

Bertus, thanks for your post. I'll definitely check it out.

 

Chinese claim to have it, but it is probably its enclosure optics.
---->

Optosupply part number is OSMSXX100FC (for 6V) and others

Yes, best option is garden lights.

Externet thanks for the reply and the vid. You are correct about the garden lights. That's without a doubt the best option. I just want to experiment and learn about something that I know very little about. You know the saying "It's not necessarily the kill but the hunt" Thanks again Eddie

 

That's cool, but what differences are you hoping for?

I have used the candle in a bag and it works pretty good as long as it not a windy night. Plus I have to bring them in (which is a pain) each night because after the candle goes out the humidity in my area really does a job on the bags. I experimented with putting candles in different colored painted glass jars. The large size like pickle jars. This works fairly well plus I don't need to bring them in each night. But the paint on the glass dims the glow of the single candle power looking at it from the outside. So here's the method to my madness. I envision using led's. My plan is to use the jar lids, drill a hole the right size for a led holder. Then mount the led on the underside of the lid. Screw the lid onto the jar. Now the led acts like a dome light in a vehicle. Because I am using them in an area where there is no grid electricity I need to use DC. Mount some type of DC pack with mini switch and bodda bing I don't have to light candles, extinguish candles, or bring bags inside. Sorry about the long answer. Eddie

 

Plenty of different spins here :
----> https://duckduckgo.com/?q=led lighted path&t=canonical&iax=1&ia=images

You're right it's a lot of variety. I'm doing this on the cheap and as an experiment to see if my idea will work. Thanks for the link. Eddie

 

How far off grid are you? Or is just the path off grid (a few hundred feet). If you are close to grid, then some low-voltage landscape lighting is easy as the cable can be exposed or buried only 2" without conduit. Get the 10 or 12 gauge wire and use LED bulbs to minimized voltage drop along the length.