Indicator LEDs...Which to do you use?

[blackedition]

Hi all. Noob question here. I have to order some replacement electrolytics from Mouser, and was thinking of buying some LEDs to fill out the order.

I have some diffused red and green LEDs but was wondering if they'd be too dim for use as an indicator LED? What mcd rating do you usually use for your indicator LEDs?

Thanks!

[AntKnee]

Im not as experienced as many here, but I believe those LEDs are fine to use. The brightness of the LED is determined by the CLR resistor. 4.7k ohms seems to be the default value most suggest, but I prefer 10k ohms.

[HamSandwich]

Mouser's a toughy for LED's. They have.. a lot. Diffused will work fine for you though.

[blackedition]

Yeah, there are definitely a ton of LED options there... I ended up throwing ten of these into the cart to try out: http://www.mouser.com/Search/ProductDetail.aspx?R=WP7113CGCKvirtualkey60400000virtualkey604-WP7113CGCK. I figured that I'd be able to control brightness with the CLR, but just didn't know what was the "norm." It seems slightly silly to pay for super bright LEDs and then use really large CLRs, as the super bright ones are much more expensive.

[AntKnee]

I usually get LEDs from Tayda. Best deal for small quantities,  by far.

[jtaormina]

I bought a variety pack off eBay from a Chinese retailer 100 for 6$. So far they are exactly the same thing I'd buy anyplace else just cheaper and in a nice plastic carry case. Worth it. I love having a bunch on hand.

[benlanc]

Personal preference, try a few and see what you like.

Personally, I like the 3mm ultrabright red LEDs. IMHO, the trouble with diffused and non-ultrabright ones is that it can be hard to see if they're on when there's overhead light as it can diffuse in the housing. Ultrabright generally come packaged in clear casing so you don't get a colour cast when light shines on them.

Pro-tip: I generally use bi-colour LEDs in effects that require a SPDT toggle (but I swap it for a DPDT) so the LED is a different colour depending on which way the toggle is thrown. Also useful for circuits with a second stomp so you can see when boost is engaged, for example, to save having to add a second LED.

[Muadzin]

I use clear blue LED's. In my experience this is a color that works very well in a live setting, as in my experience light techs love to douse the stage in red light and smoke, so any pedals with diffused red LEDs become nearly impossible to spot if they're on or not. I also prefer my LEDs to be as bright as possible so I use 1K5 ohms mostly.

[jball85]

I usually get LEDs from Tayda. Best deal for small quantities,  by far.

+1 on Tayda.