Both neons and LEDs have the same problem - series ballast resistors. These
high value resistors with high voltage drop always drift high over time,
reducing the current and leaving the light dim. The solution? If you can
hack the fitting apart, replace the resistor. Pretty simple job really. I've
never found the neon or LED to have actually dropped in efficiency. It's
always the resistor.

"petrus bitbyter" wrote in message
ll.nl...

"Ted Swirsky" schreef in bericht
newsp.s76g2bukrwebfy@oemcomputer...
I can't believe it's so hard to find simple parts any more. Radio Shack
seems to have become worthless in the past few years.

I installed a 120V neon indicator (pilot) lamp in some of my wall
switches to tell me when an outside or otherwise unseen light is on.
Seems like these little neon lights get dimmer over time until they are
worthless.

I've heard of 120V LED pilot lights. Are they much better than the neon
ones?

I'm looking for a known mail order supplier who will sell me only two or
three at a reasonable price and not kill me on shipping. I'm surprised I
didn't see them on the Hosfelt Electronics site. I've found them on some
other sites but the prices seemed kind of high to me. I thought someone
here would know of some good suppliers.

I'd just buy a switch with a pilot light, but some of the places I
installed them are double wall switches (two in a group) and are of the
fancy rectangle switch kind instead of the older toggle switch. I just
drilled a hole in the switch place between the two switches for the lamp.

Any help or comments or alternate ideas would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Ted

Ted,

IMHO the simple neon bulbs are still the easiest indicators. They will
last long, most of the times longer then the equipment they are build in.
That's where I get most of them from. Neon bulbs are made for various
currents. They will give more light and live shorter when you feed them
more then the nominal current. Less current gives less light but a longer
lasting indicator. Neon bulbs are for sale by Farnell for instance. But,
of course, you'll have to pay much more for handling and shipping then the
price of the bulbs.

If you can get the right LEDs cheaper they are a good alternative. But
LEDs require verry low voltage and relative high currents. So a "standard"
20mA LED will consume almost 2,5W to be dissipated in the serial resistor.
I ever made a circuit to use such a LED even at 230V but it takes quite
some space (and money). So to keep things simple, you'll have to use high
efficiency LEDs that require 2mA or even less. To make it really efficient
you'll have to add a bridge rectifier but four small general purpose
diodes will do. Sometimes someone advises to use one antiparallel diode
but then you throw away half of the light you can have for the same money.

petrus bitbyter