ghost-signs.com Posted April 22, 2014 Share Posted April 22, 2014 I'm about to embark on making some flashing Belisha Beacons for a road crossing on my layout. My plan is to use a coloured transparent plastic bead for the lamp and a fine metal tube for the lamp post. This tube will also act as one of the electrical connections from an LED concealed under the bead, with a second wire running down the middle of the tube. At the bottom end, both wire and tube will be attached to a Maplin flashing LED circuit kit. Before I start, does anyone have any experience with a similar project? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted April 22, 2014 Share Posted April 22, 2014 Hi I would use a yellow, orange or white flashing LED in each as opposed to a flasher circuit, as normally the two beacons don't flash together in unison. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost-signs.com Posted April 22, 2014 Author Share Posted April 22, 2014 Many thanks Brian. My flashing LED kit has two separate circuits which hopefully can be timed differently. I can also adjust the flashing rate, which I think is probably important as the self contained flashing LED I recently used for a tail light flashed rather rapidly for a belisha beacon. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost-signs.com Posted April 23, 2014 Author Share Posted April 23, 2014 Here's the circuit kit I plan to use. Further to Brian's comment I figured I could set the flashing rates slightly different for each lamp and they'd never be perfectly in sync. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdp298 Posted April 27, 2014 Share Posted April 27, 2014 Could I suggest the use of enamalled wire SMD LEDs, or at least enamelled wire 3mm LEDs? These chaps, who in 10 orders to date I have found reliable, can provide such things, or even pre-made beacons. www.hezhiqing.com Finally, make sure you file the top off the 3mm LED before it gets installed into the orange globe. This will diffuse the light from its design of somewhere between 60 and 120 degree forward angle. If you don't you'll get a nice bright circle at the top of the globe and the rest will be dimmer below the line. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost-signs.com Posted April 30, 2014 Author Share Posted April 30, 2014 Huge thanks for all advice so far. I've now got my beads from Creative Beadcraft in Soho. Especially coloured to order - and only 36p for 10! Metal rods for the posts will have to wait for payday! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NERBOB Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 I'm about to embark on making some flashing Belisha Beacons for a road crossing on my layout. My plan is to use a coloured transparent plastic bead for the lamp and a fine metal tube for the lamp post. This tube will also act as one of the electrical connections from an LED concealed under the bead, with a second wire running down the middle of the tube. At the bottom end, both wire and tube will be attached to a Maplin flashing LED circuit kit. Before I start, does anyone have any experience with a similar project? Belisha Beacon Plan.jpg Hi there. I'm not familiar with the Vellerman Kit but this is sure to be a "multi vibrator" giving a flash each second or so. If it has potentiometers in the pack or variable resistors or there will be a complimentary resistor to each circuit which will give a square wave output which decides how long the LEDs are "on" and "off". If you manage to identify the two resistors (irrespective of whether or not there are variable resistors also) then by changing the value of this resistor will give one, or both either a longer or shorter on/off timing. Having said all that, the idea of having flashing LEDs would look more prototypical as they will flash at random. There again there's nothing like the satisfaction of having "done it yourself"! Good Luck with it and have fun, that's the best thing! ps - I use BB gun pellets which are about 6mm diameter. Got them from the Pound Shop with 500 in a bottle!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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