Backlighting a Simworld overhead panel

[fordgt40]

Martin

My overhead has opaque white panels. It all depends on the light intensity of your leds. Are yours to the same specification as the ones referenced in my article?

David

[tiburon]

I don't really know. The link in your article doesn't work anymore. Anyway,with led strips there are not that many options, I believe. Mine are these :
http://www.ebay.nl/itm/ws/eBayISAPI....E:L:OC:NL:1123

[fordgt40]

Martin

I just tried the link and it still works, however, the supplier is not now showing the orange strips.
The reason why you are disappointed with your led strip trial is that the light output is well below what you need. You get what you pay for

My led strips have, I believe circa 500 lumens per led whereas your are circa 300 per metre length.

David

[tiburon]

After a bit of research it seems there are two kinds of SMD leds, the 3528 and the 5050
The 3528 seems to have about 300 Lumenr and the 5050 about 900 lumen. Mine is the 3528 variety but obviously I should have taken the 5050.
Or am I talking complete nonsense ?

[fordgt40]

Martin

I do not know the technicalities other than the led strip I used has ample light and a good spread. The docs for the led strip say "lumens.int MCD 500 per led - not per metre. Provided you keep to that spec you will be ok
David

[Flight_Master]

Martin

The method of using clear acrylic overlayed with white and then grey paint is the preferred way and gives a better look when unlit. However, they are generally used with small incandescent bulbs which are inset into the acrylic, ie you have to remove any paint backing. As a result the "light" bounces around inside the clear acrylic, being trapped by the outer white paint

David

David,

This is exactly what I did. I drilled 3mm holes into clear acrylic and strategically placed incandescent bulbs. The light was dim and not uniform. I believe the white paint used is either wrong or too thick. I wonder if something changed since the last time I bought panels form Simworld.

Peter

[fordgt40]

Peter

You could be right - too much thickness of white paint will kill the backlighting. Perhaps the only option is brighter and more bulbs

David

[damien]

Hi Martin,

I have been reading the discussion about backlighting the Simworld panel.

Since the last post is from March 16th I was wondering if you already succeed? Then some pictures of course would be appreciated too!

[tiburon]

Hi Damien,

I haven't been able to make much progress but at least I know which road to take : I have cut perspex back-lighting panels for all overhead panels and will use warm white led strips.

[razeer]

Good day David!

Thanks for the PDF with how you did this, but I still don´t get one thing clear. On page 3, "Picture of annunciator components", and the panel to left, the one with the text, or all the "white". I dont understand how this simple piece is done! Can you tell me how it´s done, or give me a link if you now where I can read more about this?

Cheers