LEDs are low power, and create gorgeous saturated color. Love them.
Some projects and thoughts -
- NightLights (better name needed)
- AAA BatteryBooster.
- Powering LED widgets
- Camping disco balls
- LuxeonLights
- Illuminated hats -
- Collimated luxeons shining vertically thru a cylindrical hat, with mini smoke source a la zero blaster... or even incense??
- Blacklight shining vertically, into gauze / chinese mystery garnish, spackled with highlighter ink / other fluorescent.
- Illuminated crickets
- Illuminated convection - heat source, or heated liquid? I did good science with a hot spring this way...
Some Eagle PCB BoardFiles.
Supplies
- http://www.superbrightleds.com has been fast/good/cheap. NOTE they have new 8-degree beam LEDs, but they're no good - they have a lot of side leakage.
- TOO SLOW / TOO EXPENSIVE http://www.luxeonstar.com/ has luxeons - 1-watt LEDs! They arrived affter nearly a month. A little cheaper than 15 ordinary superbrights, easier to wire, and a much more concentrated point source. They aren't blinding except to look at, though...
- BETTER! http://lumileds.com is the home site for luxeons; the recommend calling 1-888-luxeon2 to order. I believe this is Future Electronics. Cheaper, 60% of the price. Around $6 for a 1W luxeon with optics. Much quicker! Annoyingly, there's no part/availability list on the site; however, they use the same part numbers as luxeonstar.com. (Update: They now offer direct ordering through Future. $8.50 for a 1W with optics.)
- City Lights Lighting Showroom, 1585 Folsom Street in San Francisco (415-863-2020) has a great selection of weird light bulbs, including colored Compact Fluorescent bulbs.
Old-timey lights