I'm restoring a vintage receiver, and as is the case with most of them, this too have small incandescent bulbs. Yeah you guessed it, they have burned out. Now I wanna replace them with 3 mm LEDs, but there's no omnidirectional ones I'm aware of... or is there?
There's definitely 5mm bipolar LEDs.
(or, at least, there was... it's obsolete)
Edit: a slightly longer look turned up 20+ at Mouser with 5 types still available in small quantities (but all 5mm).
If it was that easy. I want omnidirectional, just like a old light bulb, 360 degrees light.
Is this because the original incandescent bulbs were powered my AC?
If so all you need is a diode in series to turn it into DC and then any ordinary LED (with a current limiting resistor) will work. There are bidirectional LEDs that have a different colour depending on the current direction as well.
1 Like
D'oh! I'll go find my dunce cap and sit in the corner for awhile...
It's ok, omnidirectional is nothing LED is known for...
Yes there's AC, I'll take care of that.
You can get "diffused" LEDs but depending on the situation you may have to use more than one or maybe reflect and further diffuse the light, etc.
1 Like
I love posts that drip feed information in response to suggested solutions. (not)
Anything else you would like to tell us before we waste any more time?
There are LEDs with 360˚ light output you know.
1 Like
Diffused is probably one step in the right directional direction. I'm thinking there might be some reflector to use.
The die tends to get in the way. Take two prewired SMD LEDs, glue 'em back to back and dip them in clear resin? That sounds awfully fiddly.
1 Like
From my first post.
Yes, it's also a possibility. And as you said, the die is the obstacle.
I can't help it if you are not aware of them.
They have an inverted cone indentation in the flat front end to give 360˚ coverage.
2 Likes
I'll search, thnx!
Look at this:-
https://askjan.org/vendors/Super-Bright-LEDs-Inc.cfm
There's one thing that could work, a LED strip. Not sure though, the acrylic plastics that distributes the light is jagged.
It'll be a bit too bright. Just a normal white LED will be enough. It would be nice if the right color could be achieved too, but for that to happen i need a max 4 mm LED and light spread (there are two green transparent rubber hats), or to use RGB LED's.
Time to sandblast LED's 
And why is that a bother?
Another drip feed of information, I am getting fed up of this. Anyway:-
There are translucent inks available at craft shops designed for painting on glass to make it look like stained glass. Use this to make the LEDs any colour you like.
Are you in the UK?
Just go into a pound shop and look at a string of LEDs most of them have this sort of end.
1 Like