Model Railway Forum

I'd like to fit some lighting in my buildings. I wondered about the strip LEDs which you can cut to length and solder wires onto for the power feeds.

I guess lots of you have done this - any advice on the best ones please and the power supply required?

Thanks.

Power supply - Use a Regulated DC power source ideally 12 volt DC rated with at least 1.5Amp or greater output.
I buy Warm White strips form China ebay sellers in rolls of 300 LED/strip.. Obtain the non waterproof type. Cut up into 3, 6 or 9 way strips. I often add an additional series resistor too to reduce the LEDs brightness. 5K0 may be a good starting place?

Typical 12v Power Supply 2.0Amp Example link

Typical 5Mtr (300 LED) LED warm white strip... LED strip example

Thanks Brian. I was thinking of running a power supply to a switching board - a switch for each house/station/building for independent control. I imagine I could solder a resistor, like the one you advise, on to a piece of veroboard and run the power from there to the switches as described.

Does that sound ok?

Hi
No, do not fit the resistors (various values for differing levels of illumination) at the switches. They need soldering to the Positive pad of a cut up strip, the other end of the resistor to the Positive supply wire. - One resistor per strip to suit. Or try an LED strip without an additional resistor and see what they look like! You of course can switch individual feeds thereby allowing a selection of whats On or Off.

Thanks again - so one resistor per lit building, as it were?

So put the resistors between the switch and the light strip each time.

Wire like this examples...

Fantastic Brain, thank you so much

I have a power supply and my LED strips. What resistance would you advise Brian - I am fairly tech competent but this is familiar but not confident territory.

Sorry should have added - power supply is 12V DC 2 Amp. LEDS are 60SMD/metre.

Having done some beginner's research briefly I am thinking maybe the number of LEDs I use in each building is going to be a factor.

Maybe there's a basic calculation I can use? I am familar with Ohm's law but not sure of my calaculaton for this set up.