Re: building lighting

Plastic round stock is really the cheaper stuff for doing fiber optic. The craft industry has the cheap stuff that they use for the sprays of light pipes that will do an excellent job of moving light where you need it. In addition, the ends can be shaped to throw the light in particular patterns with little difficulty. Light loss is minimal with most of the fibers which means that you don't need megawatt bulbs to light something.

-- Bob May Losing weight is easy! If you ever want to lose weight, eat and drink less. Works every time it is tried!

Mike=A0Tennent replied:

---------------------------------------------- snipped-for-privacy@webtv.net (Bill) wrote: I like miniature Christmas tree lights

---------------------------------------------- Mike Tennent replied: I think that qualifies as an understatement.

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Can't pass up on a bargain, Mike!

Bill Bill's Railroad Empire N Scale Model Railroad:

No. It is normally _about_ 16 volts. Old selenium rectifiers wasted about 4 volts so the difference between AC and DC outputs has traditionally been 16 to 12 volts. The "12 volts DC" is based on the 12 volt accumulator or car battery which is 13.8 volts, so 16 volts AC could well be 17.8 volts. Transformers generally put out a higher voltage at low current than at high current draw, particularly the small trainset types, so a single 16 volt mini-bulb on a transformer AC accessory output could well be receiving 20 volts, which would result in a very short lifespan.

Buy yourself a cheap digital multimeter - you should be able to get one from a chain store for $5- to $10-.

Regards, Greg.P.

That's what I tell folks at shows when they ask what to use to power my FX boards. Most people have 3 or 4 of these things lying around the house from some toy or device that died. Check the voltage, snip off the adapter end it came with, and use it.

Mike Tennent "IronPenguin" Operating Traffic Lights Crossbucks Special Effects Lighting

Haaa, now you're about to discover the 6 volt ones give the brightness you want and you're gonna have to spend another 99cents! ;-)

Regards, Greg.P.

I have some unused power supplies for phones that went belly-up. I'll have to see what they're rated at. Thanks!

I have a couple of unused Spectrum powerpacks - I'll use them! Thanks!

Frank Eva wrote: I have a couple of unused Spectrum powerpacks - I'll use them! Thanks!

----------------------------------------------- You're welcome, Frank. I'm sure you'll be pleased with the results from them.

Bill Bill's Railroad Empire N Scale Model Railroad:

DC won't shorten the life of an incandescent bulb. On the contrary, it may even increase the overall life, by reducing the expansion and contraction of the filament induced by the reversal of polarity and the subsequent voltage drop 60 times a second. If you wish to increase the life of an incandescent bulb, run it a couple of volts under its rated voltage - eg: run a 16v bulb at 12-14v, or run a 12v bulb at 9v, or a 1.5v bulb at 1.4v. The increase in lifespan is geometric, as the percetage of reduction increases. I have 1.5v headlight bulbs which are still good after over 30 years of use, running them from a diode-drop constant lighting circuit, which produces 1.4v.