So I’m thinking about running a couple of yellow LEDs below deck on my Black Swan ship, since it has open windows…first I was considering using a 9v battery, but then I thought it might be too bulky…anyone know if I can use a small watch battery (or two) to power two 2v LEDs?
Any advice, suggestions, or tried-and-true techniques are welcome…I hope to avoid running any wires from the ship, if I can. I was thinking if I could maybe install a little watch battery enclosure down in the deck, something I can retrieve through the stairway from above-deck if I need to change the battery later…
Do not put the battery in the ship. More trouble than gain. Put a plug somewhere hidden. In general you won’t have the light on, and when you do it will be in a display situation, where you hide the wire.
The scifi guys seem to be the masters on lighting. At a local club meeting a few months ago one of the scifi builders gave a talk about lighting, and showed lots of aftermarket lighting arrangements. Go to a scifi vender and see what they have. Most of their products should work as well for other genre of models.
I went ahead and ordered some 3V LEDS and a battery pack/switch for it…I figure I can rig the lights into the lower deck, and just keep the leads running out somewhere inconspicuous for now, and then once I get more of it completed, I’ll decide where to terminate the switch and power source…
If you want a flickering effect and couldn’t be bothered making up a circuit yourself, go to your local “dollar store” type place and pick up a couple of those battery powered fake “tea light” candles and rip the guts out of them. They’re dirt cheap and often cheaper than buying the same number of button cell batteries on their own.
Thanks for all the advice, guys! I got my lighting installed, and made a switch/battery box for the power…total cost for supplies was about 25 bucks…and I have a couple od spare LEDs and batteries…I put these pics on the Zvezda Black Swan thread, but I figure they’re relevant here, too…
