CURRENT LAMP HOLDER
I use mini incandescent bulbs with wire leads, which I wrap around a two position header strip and solder in place. On many of the lamps I built, I applied some kind of insulating goop to protect against shorts if the leads touch but it makes the lamp a bit ugly. These plug into two position sockets on the PCB, enabling easy replacement of any dead bulbs.
ISSUES OR WORRIES
Because the bulb is simply suspended on its leads above the header strip, it is not held in exact alignment with the opening in the honeycomb matrix into which it has to fit. Bulbs can be cocked because one lead is a bit shorter than the other. They can flex over to the side as well.
Some of the sockets are tilted over, rather than at right angles to the PCB since I didn't have a jig that assured proper alignment. This tilts the lamp plugged into the socket.
This degree of variability makes the insertion of the PCB with all 164 lamps installed a bit fussy; the bend in various lamps may cause them to not slide into the honeycomb cell without some encouragement with a thin screwdriver.
The leads can short together, particularly if the lamp is bent over because it fails to enter a honeycomb cell during installation of the PCB into the matrix. The goop is not a perfect solution to this problem.
POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS
I will go back over the board to manually realign any sockets that aren't perpendicular, reflowing the solder while I position the socket with a suitable tool. That part is easy to address.
It will be necessary to build a holder for the lamps, something that keeps the wire leads separated, holds the bulb upright and perpendicular, and ensures that each lamp is well aligned with the honeycomb matrix so they slide right in.
I am exploring having them 3D printed, after I build a design that I feel will properly maintain alignment for all 164 bulbs. Over the coming day or two I will noodle around with various designs until I find one that is promising enough to have some samples made.
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