LED size

[jerry56]

Just a general question, I figure you usually use a 5mm LED for headlights. But for break lights and back-up lights do you use 3mm....

[Benni]

Until now, everytime I've done lights on my RCs I've used 5mm for headlights and 3mm pretty much anywhere else, but I've been exploring SMD and I'll probably use that as a majority of the lights...

[jerry56]

Thats kind of what I thought....one other thing for the tail lights my LEDs are clear...do you paint them red just for looks or do you buy red lens LEDs

[jerry56]

LOL...LEDS first then I'll look at SMD

[frizzen]

I'll run 3mm or 5mm pretty interchangibly depending on what the body needs. Sometimes you may need to put it in a lens bezel or something.

If you get into surface mount leds, the pre-wired ones are easier to deal with.

A White led can kind of wash out how your red lens to more of a pink, but so can a bright Red led. You can balance that with translucent red paint, or dimming the led with more resistance.
I prefer to run a Red led where i want red, Yellow where i want yellow. That way it's not a blue led filtered to white, shining through a red lens.

Some colored leds are Clear, if it'll be exposed i'd probably paint with something like tamiya Translucent Red, unless i just wanted something looking Altezza style

[jerry56]

I have red LEDs but the lens is clear....I thought about painting them just for the look

[Benni]

Originally Posted by jerry56

I have red LEDs but the lens is clear....I thought about painting them just for the look

That's pretty much what I did, light coat of red marker with red LEDs. Came out great until I lost one lens in a tumble, then, on the same trip my wife rammed the other one and broke it...