Accent LED Brightness

[Darth Enab]

I've been testing my parts with a breadboard, and wanted to see how my accent LEDs would light up my milky quartz, which I've heard diffuses light good. When I put my crystal up to my LED, it hardly lighted up. I tried wiring them in series and parallel, and with multiple resistors -- nothing. The LEDs themselves light up fine, but cannot light up my quartz. The dimentions of my milky quartz are about 1.6 inches long and 0.75 inches wide. I tried to light up smaller crystals too, but nothing. It doesn't light up in a light or dark room. A Christmas light lit it up fine, but bulbs, I believe use AC current. Help?

[Sunrider]

I use lasers to light opaque crystals. For a 1.6 in long crystal you would need 1 laser on each end. I would use a smaller or clearer crystal.

[Darth Enab]

I use lasers to light opaque crystals. For a 1.6 in long crystal you would need 1 laser on each end. I would use a smaller or clearer crystal.

The thing is, I don't have access to lasers or many other crystals, although I have more access to crystals than I do lasers. I've tried with smaller crystals, as in a half inch tall and quarter inch thick. Even those didn't light up.

[cannibal869]

can you post up pics of your crystal? also what size led are you using?

if you use two AAA batteries for 3V, any 5mm led should light up bright enough to light up a crystal...

[Darth Enab]

can you post up pics of your crystal? also what size led are you using?

if you use two AAA batteries for 3V, any 5mm led should light up bright enough to light up a crystal...

I'm using two of the "Red LED Indicators" (the kind with the bezel) sold by the shop powered by 3 NiMH batteries (3.6V) with an 82 ohm 1/4 watt resistor.

I'll have pics up soon.

[Jedi-Loreen]

No wonder you're having trouble lighting up your crystal, those LEDs aren't very bright. There are high output LEDs with clear covers that are much better for this. But you'll have to source those yourself.

[Rhyen Skytracker]

I use high output 5mm LEDs to light my crystals and they are bright. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMRluDtTCHI

[Darth Enab]

No wonder you're having trouble lighting up your crystal, those LEDs aren't very bright. There are high output LEDs with clear covers that are much better for this. But you'll have to source those yourself.

Oh, well I guess problem resolved. I'll go out and get a couple other LEDs and save the accent LEDs for another project. *HintHint*

I use high output 5mm LEDs to light my crystals and they are bright.

I think I'll try that.

[Loachri MacTalabh]

I use lasers to light opaque crystals. For a 1.6 in long crystal you would need 1 laser on each end. I would use a smaller or clearer crystal.

What kind of laser are you talking about, the pointer type?

[Azmaria Dei]

the accent LEDs here are not that bright - likely so you don't blind yourself with your own saber while dueling. but there's a place called google that can help you find all sorts of them that are really bright. ^_^ and your local electronics store should have some too.