operational Security Flood Light

[Gazza]

Hi everyone,

just wanted to ask if anyone knows of any manufacture who actually does a operational Security Flood Light ground level?

I know Viesmann do one code 6333 at £10.00 each and they are fab, I need 6 to put on my Twin Jib Crane. £60.00 pounds for 6 lights is quiet expensive, does anyone know a cheaper alternative, supplier, web site or anyone scratch built one, but at the end of day I may have to fork out £60.00 pound for the Viesmann ones

[Ark Royal]

Hi Gazza,

 

You don't mention what scale you are modelling too?

Have you got a picture of the crane to show us? Might help decide other factors.

 

But if it's to HO/OO scale and it's not that critical that these lights are exact to scale then i'd be tempted to make them, dependent on ability. It's not for the faint hearted and requires some skills but is achievable

 

A. Whats your soldering technique like?

 

B. Do you have a temp controlled soldering station?

 

I'd use the following method:-

 

1. Use surface Mount LED's 0603 (1.6mm x 0.8mm) if you want to get close to scale 0805 (2mm x 1.25mm) or 1206's (3.2mm x 1.6mm) if not. Scale wise even the latter would give you 9inches x 5inches or there abouts.

 

2. Cut a piece of single sided printed circuit board slightly oversize and remove the copper-clad from the centre using a knife and rule. Make sure there is adequate gap between the two remaining sections... minding pinkies aswell! Test gap with avo or multi-meter to ensure both pads are indeed separated.

 

3. Drill small hole, to one edge of the board (not centrally allowing sufficient room for the LED to sit flat across the pads) through PCB into each pad and place a wire too one of these pads from behind so the stripped wire is sitting on the pad....... trim to make pretty ensuring no bare wire is showing through the back of the board.

 

4. Clean ..... no really clean copper clad pads, place a small amount of quality flux on pad, re-locate wire and place SMT LED onto pads so it sits flat against the pads and the contacts of the SMT are on the pads. Hold with a set of tweezers or cocktail stick.

 

5. Pre-tin soldering iron with low melt solder. Place on pad ensuring good solder flow but don't leave on too long..... No more than 2/3 seconds.

 

6. Repeat process with other pad.

 

7. Clad with 0.5mm ABS plastic or similar to make housing.

 

If that's too much you can buy SMD's with wires on ready to go

 

Wired 0603's

 

Both ways will certainly be cheaper but considerable effort needed to reproduce the same results for six identical items, though not totally unachievable and certainly more rewarding

 

Either way you are still faced with having to run the wires back to somewhere you can sight the appropriate resistors and connections to the power source. This could be achieved by running fine Phosphor Bronze or Brass wire up the jib to create a BUS, to solder the wires too where they are located.

 

Food for thought anyway!

 

Hope this helps

 

 

Mark