Festoon Replacement or LED upgrade for La-2a Clone?

I am looking for a 6v festoon lamp to run in the Sifam meter on my Drip LA-2a v1 clone. I currently have a 12v lamp and you can barely tell it is on when powered up. I have looked at all the places I can think of and have only found 12v lamps. I was considering dropping in 3 diffused amber 2.1v LED's(6.3v total) but I wasn't sure exactly what was needed in regards to diodes/rectifiers to convert the 6.3v AC to DC on the la-2a. Does anybody have any suggestions?

I did this recently on all eleven meters on my mixing console.

Love it. Never have to tear apart the meter bridge again.

All I did was place a diode at one end of the string, oriented so that the AC only flows in the direction that the LED's want it to flow. No problems yet. At 60 Hz, I don't notice any flickering at all.
I don't know if this is the best way but it was cheap quick and easy. Someone more learned can slap me back to the stone age if they want to .

Call Ike at Meter Specialties.
Right down the street from you.
Do it right, the original lighting is way cool.
but blue leds are way cool too.
maybe both.
one for day, one for Norah.

I have already contacted meter specialties and am waiting to hear back from them. So how do I figure out what diode to use, is there a formula I should learn?

here's a circuit which uses a AC power for LEDs with very few parts:
AC LED
it's recommended to add spike protection - maybe a 12V zener diode.
though if you're going to string a few LEDs, check the max. current output of the FET and use one suitable to your total current draw for the number of LEDs being used.
-grant

[quote author="byoung"]I have already contacted meter specialties and am waiting to hear back from them. So how do I figure out what diode to use, is there a formula I should learn?[/quote]

I just used 1N4001's that i had in my parts box already. I don't think it has to be anything very esoteric. Probably anything from the 1N40xx family would work. Has for me so far, going on eighteen months.

Here is a drawing I found on the web.
I think I will try this for 110 VAC.

http://www.turbokeu.com/myprojects/acled/acled.gif


-ChuckD

Sifam USA sells all the bulbs ya need for your meter. Just get the right one
.

I use the LED festoons from Sunbrite....


http://www.sunbriteleds.com/product.asp?id=67