Led Pilot Light

[Johnrcurry]

I would like to replace the incandescent pilot light on my amp build with an led. I want to power the led from the 6.3v heater supply. On a breadboard I have tested the circuit shown in the attached document. It works to light the led, but I'd like some more knowledgeable folks to take a look and let me know whether I am overlooking something, or if there is a better way to do this.

Thanks

[mikeydee77]

Valve wizard is a good resource for these kinds of questions. He recommends back to back diodes

See http://www.valvewizard.co.uk/heater.html

[g1]

Valve wizard is a good resource for these kinds of questions. He recommends back to back diodes

One of the diodes is the LED. So no additional parts from the original drawing, just rearranged like this:

[xtian]

If your pilot lamp is the normal sort, you can just get 6v LED replacements online:

https://www.amazon.com/Bayonet-Nonpo.../dp/B094QSS1FG

[Johnrcurry]

Thank you all for your helpful replies. I appreciate it.

John

[Chuck H]

If your pilot lamp is the normal sort, you can just get 6v LED replacements online:

https://www.amazon.com/Bayonet-Nonpo.../dp/B094QSS1FG

FWIW I looked around and found the Ba9S base 6V LED in the more modern "warm white" without the white tinted globe diffuser. So it would probably look almost just like the standard 47 bulb I guess it's a big deal for the pinball machine genre. They want to use LEDs but they don't want to change the look of the vintage games. So we guitar amp people get to go along for the ride.

[The Dude]

FWIW: The 6.3V bayonet style replacements are all over eBay in various colors and quantities.

[Johnrcurry]

Thanks.

[Zouto]

FWIW: The 6.3V bayonet style replacements are all over eBay in various colors and quantities.

https://www.tube-town.net/ttstore/pi...kel-baa9s.html

[Chuck H]

My point above has to do with "my" particular sensibilities. Since I'm a painter and I deal with light and color from a design perspective I'm sensitive to light color and type. Anyone else notice how awful new LED Christmas lights and home incandescent replacements looked for the first couple of years? That cold, sterile light color. Yigch! Well owners of vintage pinball machines noticed that too. Switching to the LEDs made their vintage games "look" weird. Enter the "warm white" option. Newer (and slightly more expensive) LED options for Christmas lights and home replacement bulbs don't look so bad anymore because they more closely match the spectrum of the incandescent light we're used to.

I think the clear, warm white LED without the white diffuser would probably most closely resemble the effect of the old incandescent 47 bulb when installed behind a pilot jewel.

If you don't mind the cold light of plain ol LEDs or want to experiment with other LED colors that's fine too, of course. This is just a piece of insight from me in case it matters to anyone here. It clearly mattered to vintage pinball machine owners for some reason.

[gui_tarzan]

I noticed it too when they came out because I also have a very sensitive eye for color. I used to mix paint for auto repair and could match anything thrown at me. And believe me, some factory colors weren't to spec. I just went through three different LED candelabra-style light bulbs for our kitchen lights before I found one I like.

I do love the blue LED Christmas lights though, they are very deep at night with no other light source around them. It's mesmerizing to me.

[Enzo]

I like those too, like they border on UV or something, they seem to be a deep color.