Vintage style lamps/LEDs for Arduino project advice?

Using Arduino Project Guidance
1

I'm going for a vintage look with a project I've got in mind.

I want the LED lamps I intend to panel mount onto an oak board to look the part.

Any ideas on how to achieve this? I mean I suppose they needn't be LEDs, they could be actual tiny 240v filament lamps but I'm a bit loathe to go down that route because of how it would complicate my project.

Any tips?

I've tried searching for different LED bezels etc, to no avail.

Thanks!

2

If you really want to use filament lamps, why not use 6v ones.

You would need to drive them via transistors, and you'd need to run from a 6V supply, but its a lot easier and safer than controlling mains lamps.

3

Hi, if you want to use LEDs then may I suggest you use PWM to turn them on and off softly.
If you have more lights than PWM outputs then a resistor capacitor charge/discharge connected to the LED.

I have to admit, tells my age, that sometimes just those small touches can make a project look good.

I made a standard broadcast radio receiver AM/FM on day from a junked radio I got a trash and treasure market.
Put it in a wooden case and made a circuit to soft start the dial lights (tinted to look like filament type) and a circuit to make the speaker hum about for about 3 seconds after turn on and then to clear and let the radio audio come up.
So I had an imitation valve/tube wireless.

Tom..... :slight_smile:

4

sparkfun sells an LED holdere.

when you say vintage, what are you looking for ?

5

Hi Tom,

I had the same thought about turning them on softly. i.e if the LED is hidden behind a coloured lens that looks authentically old, it would probably be hard to tell it was an LED, if you used a white LED, and perhaps introduce some sort of random flicker or fading
Not that real filament lamps would flicker really, but if its an impression of something eg Steam Punk style, it may have the desired effect !

6

I'm not sure what you mean by vintage lamps. If you want flickering to simulate candle light, you can get LEDs that automatically flicker, such as: https://www.tindie.com/products/LowVoltageLabs/10mm-yellow-flickering-led/.

Or you can get tea lights that flicker, available lots of places including: Amazon.com

With tealights, it should be easy to solder in wires replacing the battery with your power source or replace the switch with a transistor pin to drive it.

7

Warm white leds.....

Mount them inside miniature lampposts.

8

Or 1 white + 1 amber 3mm leds in parallel mounted close together behind a diffuser. Experiment with the series resistors to get just the right shade.