Replacing Bulbs
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It sort of depends how many lights you need and if this is going to be a permanent or seasonal set up.
One of the easiest way would be replace all the light sets with LED sets, like this:
https://www.ehobbytools.com/Lemax-V...String-34667_p_848.html?dfw_tracker=16644-848
They should fit, I'm guessing, or there may be a similar Dept 56 alternative similar to the lemax.
To make the light a little warmer, just use a thin yellow-white paint and put a coat over the plastic lens.
That's the easiest way IMO, but again it depends on how many lights you have and what the intent is.
One of the easiest way would be replace all the light sets with LED sets, like this:
https://www.ehobbytools.com/Lemax-V...String-34667_p_848.html?dfw_tracker=16644-848
They should fit, I'm guessing, or there may be a similar Dept 56 alternative similar to the lemax.
To make the light a little warmer, just use a thin yellow-white paint and put a coat over the plastic lens.
That's the easiest way IMO, but again it depends on how many lights you have and what the intent is.
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LED's
Thanks, Tom for your quick reply
Maybe i should have given more information
The layout is a permanent Christmas Season Layout
The Dept 56 lights are used at the moment
I would like to change to bulbs to LED's - a bit warmer glow
Needs?? - maybe 25 lights
Thanks - MrToad
Thanks, Tom for your quick reply
Maybe i should have given more information
The layout is a permanent Christmas Season Layout
The Dept 56 lights are used at the moment
I would like to change to bulbs to LED's - a bit warmer glow
Needs?? - maybe 25 lights
Thanks - MrToad
Right. The lights I link are LEDs. The lenses could be painted a pale yellow to provide warmer light.
What's your level of skill with electronics? There are endless ways you could add LEDs, but if you want a 'plug and play' way to do it, what I linked is probably the easiest way.
Another way is with something like this, that someone else on the forum asked about and I purchased one to experiment, but haven't used it yet.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1-x-LED-st...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649
It can be as easy or as complicated as you want it to be, but again I don't know your skill level.
ADDED. As daschnoz said, you can get LED strip lights. Here's some warm white strips. These can be cut apart into small sections and powered individually... there are many others, but this is one.
https://www.amazon.com/Olafus-Dimma...&sprefix=12v+led+strip+lights,aps,121&sr=8-40
What's your level of skill with electronics? There are endless ways you could add LEDs, but if you want a 'plug and play' way to do it, what I linked is probably the easiest way.
Another way is with something like this, that someone else on the forum asked about and I purchased one to experiment, but haven't used it yet.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1-x-LED-st...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649
It can be as easy or as complicated as you want it to be, but again I don't know your skill level.
ADDED. As daschnoz said, you can get LED strip lights. Here's some warm white strips. These can be cut apart into small sections and powered individually... there are many others, but this is one.
https://www.amazon.com/Olafus-Dimma...&sprefix=12v+led+strip+lights,aps,121&sr=8-40
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The "warmness" or "coolness" of light is its color temperature. In shopping for LEDs, you may find this expressed with words like Warm White or Cool White or just White (which means cool). Or it may be expressed in terms of its color temperature in Kelvin (2700-3200K is warm, 4000-4500K is the domain of ugly florescent, 5000K and higher is cool).
Tungsten lighting is warm 2700-3200K while the native color temperature of white LEDs is cool and by most measures, unpleasant. Especially for an ole time Christmas scene. Unless an LED bulb says it's warm, it's likely cool.
In photography, filmmaking and theater, you convert a cool lighting source to a warm one by using a specific orange gel called CTO (color temperature orange). You can convert a warm source to cool using a dichroic filter. Filters reduce light output but resolve the problem. Gel is cheap and can be found using the search term "lighting gel". However Gel is cumbersome to work with in modeling because everything is so small.
When I started using LEDs, I experimented with the track powered LEDs from Evan Designs LEDs. I did not care for the yellow ones and the orange ones were too warm. I like the ones called Warm White the best when mixing them on a layout with traditional tungsten lamps. If it's in close proximity to a tungsten lamp, my color temperature OCD kicks in and I gel the warm white to make it warmer. but by itself in a Loco or building, the warm white is tolerated by my eye. YMMV See my Newstand retrofit: https://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=59097
There are other suppliers but the physics are the same. It is difficult to get an LED to match tungsten. YMMV
Tungsten lighting is warm 2700-3200K while the native color temperature of white LEDs is cool and by most measures, unpleasant. Especially for an ole time Christmas scene. Unless an LED bulb says it's warm, it's likely cool.
In photography, filmmaking and theater, you convert a cool lighting source to a warm one by using a specific orange gel called CTO (color temperature orange). You can convert a warm source to cool using a dichroic filter. Filters reduce light output but resolve the problem. Gel is cheap and can be found using the search term "lighting gel". However Gel is cumbersome to work with in modeling because everything is so small.
When I started using LEDs, I experimented with the track powered LEDs from Evan Designs LEDs. I did not care for the yellow ones and the orange ones were too warm. I like the ones called Warm White the best when mixing them on a layout with traditional tungsten lamps. If it's in close proximity to a tungsten lamp, my color temperature OCD kicks in and I gel the warm white to make it warmer. but by itself in a Loco or building, the warm white is tolerated by my eye. YMMV See my Newstand retrofit: https://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=59097
There are other suppliers but the physics are the same. It is difficult to get an LED to match tungsten. YMMV
daschnoz, I can tell the difference, did you use red LEDs, or are they the programmable type that you can adjust electrically?
Mr. Toad, in one of you other threads I see Mike suggested a power supply from ebay. As said, it can be as easy or as complicated as you want, so you'll need to tell us exactly what you want so we can make better suggestions. The easiest way is the first ones I linked, the Lemax LED replacement strings. They come in various versions, singles, doubles, 4, 6, maybe more. If you only need 25 lights then you can do that with4-5 strings and be done. A little pale yellow paint and you're done.
ADDED: Or the gel ErnestHouse mentioned... I never tried it, or even heard of it for that matter, but I'll have to check it out.
Mr. Toad, in one of you other threads I see Mike suggested a power supply from ebay. As said, it can be as easy or as complicated as you want, so you'll need to tell us exactly what you want so we can make better suggestions. The easiest way is the first ones I linked, the Lemax LED replacement strings. They come in various versions, singles, doubles, 4, 6, maybe more. If you only need 25 lights then you can do that with4-5 strings and be done. A little pale yellow paint and you're done.
ADDED: Or the gel ErnestHouse mentioned... I never tried it, or even heard of it for that matter, but I'll have to check it out.
If the base is E12 candelabra, you can get warm white LED bulbs here. I’ve replaced most of my C9 Christmas bulbs with the larger version and I like them.
https://www.amazon.com/Brightown-Re...ix=c7+led+christmas+light+buls,aps,189&sr=8-5
https://www.amazon.com/Brightown-Re...ix=c7+led+christmas+light+buls,aps,189&sr=8-5
Boom!
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If the C9 bulbs are too large, you can go with nightlight LED bulbs.
https://www.amazon.com/Emotionlite-...&sprefix=candelabra+base+night,aps,137&sr=8-7
https://www.amazon.com/Emotionlite-...&sprefix=candelabra+base+night,aps,137&sr=8-7
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Then Tom's two suggestions will be easiest and likely cheaper than a DIY project. Here's a chart for reference when LEDs specified in their color "temperature".
The ones I liinked are C7s at about half the price of the Emotionlites. I only mentioned the C9s because those are the ones I used for my Christmas lights.
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FWIW, I use yellow LEDs for interior lights. They give a nice warm look. To use nightlights or white LEDs make the buildings look like surgery suites. If you look on eBay, you can find LEDs with built in resistors to make them work from 12v. A little soldering and time with the hot melt gun and you are good to go.
Or you can get the LEDs, dirt cheap and the resistors are cheap too.
Or you can get the LEDs, dirt cheap and the resistors are cheap too.
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The easiest approach would be to use a dimmer on the Dept 56's existing bulbs. When you dim an incandescent bulb, it reduces output but also tones down the color from white to yellow.
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