Replacement LEDs for all of our 5mm Navigation Light Sets. These are the brightest 5mm LEDs we can find anywhere-much brighter than the typical 5mm LED you'll find at your local electronics store. They are the exact same LEDs we use in production, and can be used as direct replacements for an LED that has failed or has been damaged in a crash. The chart (2nd image) gives you the forward voltages of the various colors, for those of you who may be using them in other circuits, or who are simply experimenting with your own lighting devices.
IMPORTANT NOTE: All LEDs require a current limiting resistor inline on one leg to prevent damage to the LED's junction! Do not connect an LED directly to a battery or other power source to "test" it, as immediate and permanent damage will result. Reversing the polarity of an LED will NOT damage it (it just won't come on), but connecting an LED without the proper size current-limiting resistor will destroy it.
5mm LEDs (Pack/4)
If you are replacing an LED in one of our Navlight Sets, you don't need to add anything, the required resistors are on the circuit board that controls them. For other applications, if you aren't sure what size resistor to use, the links below will take you to an online calculator that will help you figure out what size resistor you will need. You will need to supply the calculator with 3 pieces of information, (1) the source voltage, (2) the forward voltage (Fv) of the LED, and (3) the forward current rating of the LED. The "source voltage" is simply the voltage of whatever battery or other pwer supply you plan to use to power the LED(s). The "forward voltage" of an LED is usually listed by the seller, either on the package or in the information provided when you purchase it. Optionally, you can use the chart above (second image) to find generic information on 5mm LEDs that should work for most common types. Note that the forward voltage (Fv) is different for different color LEDs, be sure to use the correct values. And finally, the "forward current" of an LED is the amount of current the LED draws while illuminated, and like the forward voltage this information can be found on the chart above. Enter these 3 values into the correct fields in the online calculator, and it will calculate for you the correct ohms value and the wattage of the current-limiting resistor required for your application.
Online Calculator for Single LED
Online Calculator for Serie/Parallel LEDs and Arrays
If you have any trouble using the online calculators above, fell free to give us a call, or use the Contact form, and we'll be glad to help you figure out exactly what you need.
