Question about fairground

[mattypark]

Hello, I have a question about the Faller fairground and was amazed by the lighting effects. I am trying to add lights similarly on my models, and did a lot of research online, but did not find much help describing how to solder multiple SMD LED 0603 series.

Does anybody know how to solder them like a string? Any tips? Recommendations? I wish it was as easy as gluing them in place and plugging them in, but sadly, that doesn't seem to be the case.

Thank you, and the Wunderland is truly a beautiful work of art.

Matty

[HahNullMuehr]

Hello Matty,

Welcome to the Forum first. Hope, you'll enjoy your stay.

To your questions:
First consider that LED are diodes, they let the current pass only in one direction.
So before soldering several LEDs in one line you have to be sure that they are all aligned correctly, let's say the minus-pole of each diode has to be connected with the plus-pole of the next. If you connect the leftover plus-pole of the first with the plus-pole of some currency source and do so with the minus-pole of the last one, the chain should be lit.

Then you have to be sure about the voltage your LEDs can bear, that depends on the cloor. For example an red LED can stand 1.6 Volt. Higher voltage will destroy it.

If you did connect e.g. 10 LEDs like explained above, this chain should be able to deal with 16 Volt (10 x 1.6). It should be lit with a little fewer voltage, in oder to prolong its lifetime.

Furhtermore a LED sholud NEVER be lit without an appropriate resistor switched into the line. The resistor is meant to reduce the current flowing. By chosing differnet resistor values you can reduce brightness; besides your LEDs will live longer with the correct resistors.

I now put some link here http://www.led-rechner.de/ to a kind of calculating tool, that would reckon the correct resistor values for you, depending on number and color of LEDs and desired (or available) voltage. Sadly it is all in German, but I'm sure there is some similar tool on the net in English somewhere.

So far the theoretical side of using LEDs. There are some guys here, that use this kind of SMD-LED a lot an will have some tricks how to deal with them mechanically.

Regards

[mattypark]

Thank you Micha for the information! Yes, I learned very well that a resistor is required, as well as I must be sensitive to positive and negative sides.

I experimented a little last weekend and found the 0603 series to be very tiny indeed! I am now experimenting with 0805s as well. My goal is to create something along the lines of this picture:

http://www.coaster-net.com/pictures/her ... l-UAcl.jpg

However, was wondering if it would be possible to solder directly onto copper, or will each LED need to be individually wired?

For example on the Wunderland Ferris Wheel, was each LED wired individually or can I get away with soldering a bunch onto a copper strip?

Here is an amazing video I found that resembles the Jupiter Wheel on your layout:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doObo5zaH_o

Thanks again to any who can help!

[HahNullMuehr]

Hi, Matty,

of course you can solder the SMD-LEDs onto copper directly. You have some kind of circuit board in mind, have you?
I feel, the mounting into some fairground attraction would be easier if the LEDs were connected by wire. (But I never tried such a thing yet.)
When mounting onto the board (or two copper strips) make sure that the strips are separated from each other thoroughly. If you chose the wired way, you need magnet wire in order to avoid short circuits.

Here's a scheme to show the difference in mounting. If you're mounting parallel, the voltage must not be higher than for one LED, e.g. 1.6 V for a red one.
In series connection the voltage has to be multiplied with the number of LEDs in one chain.

Regards

[mattypark]

Thank you for the information HahNullMuehr

I am experimenting this weekend with soldering using 38 Guage Magnet Wire. The first problem is dealing with the tiny size of the LEDs and Wire. I am finding using a clamp tweezer and small amount of solder is the trick.

However, does anyone have any other tips on how to solder wire to the SMD LEDs?
In the Wunderland "Jupiter" Reisenrad, do you know were they able to get the lights so close to each other?

Ultimately, I would like to get the lights on a string close to each other, but I suppose they would have to be wired individually? For example, I wonder how this author was able to get the lights so close together with little wire in between each light:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CI9ZSVoH ... ure=fvwrel

I just wish there was a way to solder multiple LEDs at a time directly onto 1 strip, but it probably is not that easy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CI9ZSVoH ... ure=fvwrel

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