Question about single led

W

WiLLiSTER

2[H]4U
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Mar 24, 2008
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This isn't for a case, but it's the closest area I could find for the topic. I need to setup a single led but I have extremely limited space. For those wondering, I'm working on a Mini Munny (http://img382.imageshack.us/img382/9214/3400defaultlqe7.jpg) and I'm going to place the led in the neck area so the light shines into the head. My issue is that I've never setup led's before and since I'm really tight on space (neck is maybe a half inch in diameter, body is no more than 2" tall with maybe 3/4" diameter inside, so whatever I use needs to go inside and fit through the neck) I'm not sure what would be best to use as a power source and more importantly, how to connect it all once it's here.

As I understand it though, it should go [power source] -> [resistor] -> [led] -> [power source], correct? And if that's right, where would a power switch fit into that?
 
The switch can fit anywhere. Incomplete circuit=no light.

Maybe a couple pill style batteries would be enough to power it. I don't know specifics about what to use, or where to find a holder for the batteries, but good luck.
 
If you're not too worried about how it looks inside, you could probably just use a couple of hearing aid batteries stuck together with electrical tape. You won't get very long battery life out of any battery you can fit in that space, though. You'll probably want a very small switch, something you can't pick up from your local RadioShack. Take a look at the catalogs at mouser, digikey, or newark--they have more kinds of switches (and every other component) than you can shake a stick at.
 
Ah, okay. I don't really need super long battery life, I'm not going to run this very often. It's more of just something to say that I did it, take a few pictures, and let it sit on my desk until I work on the next one.

I'll give this a shot after I pick up a switch and report back on my success or lack there of.
 
Is the body squishy? It looks like it might be. In that case you might want to try a pushbutton type switch. That way you can just push somewhere and have it turn on instead of having to find a place to mount the switch where you can get to it.
 
Well, it's made of soft vinyl so it's just hard enough to be a solid figure and not really squish in, unless I had a really sensitive push button which could be possible. I was thinking of getting a switch and trying to set it up on the back of him like a tail :p
 
You could probably run it off a 3.6V watch battery... That's what those keychain LED lights usually use. You need at least 3V to run a LED though, 2ish V for the LED and some left over for the resistor.
 
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