View Full Version : Blue LEDs - Why so pricy?
Slate
03-10-2005, 10:42 PM
Blue LEDs are $4 at Radioshack.. Why are they so pricy?
I did a search on this.. I didn't come up with any results matching my question.
Lord_Magus
03-10-2005, 11:05 PM
Well, I can't answer your question as to why blue LEDs are more expensive
than others, but if you have a look on ebay you can find them dirt cheap.
I think I got around 100 for less than $10 once...;)
Slate
03-10-2005, 11:13 PM
I guess it's just the stores i go to. Figures.. Always the priciest in my area, but dirt cheap everywhere else. LOL :hmm:
SuperNES
03-10-2005, 11:19 PM
i know they are usually pricier, they are in my area, but i have no idea why though. ive' always wondered. ebay i the best way to go for LEDS. you can find any kind of LEDs on ebay.
Slate
03-10-2005, 11:29 PM
Thanks!
FABombjoy
03-11-2005, 08:52 AM
It has to do with the composition of the blue LEDs semiconductor element. LEDs produce color within specific wavelengths, and the formulation for blue happens to be a little more expensive.
vulcanjedi
03-11-2005, 09:03 AM
Hey
The blue is at the far end of the spectrum from the cheapest red frequency ones.
I would try a technical explanation but I havent had any coffee yet. And I can't help but think back to when all LEDs were low intensity and still $2 each. Now they are 20 times brighter and still only $2
VJ
gamegirl79
03-11-2005, 09:20 AM
http://www.lsdiodes.com is your friend
$0.45 for a blue LED
They don't charge an arm and a leg for shipping either.
Slate
03-11-2005, 09:44 AM
Thanks! :)
yuppicide
03-11-2005, 09:47 AM
Doesn't Radio Shack just use a blue tint on the end?! Kind of like them cheap car headlights with a blue tint to them. They wear off in a few weeks or so because they're not meant to be used constantly.
Slate
03-11-2005, 10:05 AM
Doesn't Radio Shack just use a blue tint on the end?! Kind of like them cheap car headlights with a blue tint to them. They wear off in a few weeks or so because they're not meant to be used constantly.
Now that is a Low quality product.... :hmm:
Jasoco
03-11-2005, 04:13 PM
I'd much rather have a white LED. I love the white LED's on my Mac mini, Apple display and iBook. If I had the means and money, I'd replace the four green LED's on my Cable Modem, the 7 on my router, the amber one on my iMac 333, the red one on my PSTwo, the green one on my TiVo and the green one on my Xbox. Maybe my NES, SNES and N64 ones too. Perhaps the Cube one too. Oh, and the DC.
White LED's for everybody!
Oops. Forgot about the 9 LED's on my UPS.
Blue is just so tacky. It's overused. Especially in the PC Modders genre.