Easy LED strips

mvmagic

mvmagic

Well-Known Member
I was building a small light-up prop for a tv show last week. Was talking about it with a friend and he suggested I use a led strip and gave me one for testing. Fell in love with it! Adhesive-backed, you can cut it yourself and takes anything between 6 and 12 V. Nothing more than connect the battery and thats it. Highly recommended for prop building. You can get it here:

ParaGrafix™ Modeling Systems

Just a heads up for those who havent used it.
 
I love this stuff. Save yourself a ton of money and buy it by the reel on the bay. Search 5050 300 to ensure you get the 300 LED version and not the 150 count. RGB isn't much more.

Under $30 for 15 feet from China
 
Perfect! Thanks. I feel this is definitely something one's gotta have on hand. Good thing I didnt order any yet!

But I have the sudden urge to stick LEDs everywhere!
 
Heh, I used those all over my bike at Burning Man...
319289_10150371084375733_595195732_10232581_1250176799_n.jpg


The white ones in the wheels are the 300 count, the blue ones on the frame are 150 count color-changing RGB. You can change the color (or have it cycle) via a small remote control (you can also dim them). Even at Burning Man people were impressed. :cool
 
How thick and flexable is this stuff?

Do you think it could be sewn into the hem of a hooded robe?

I'm doing a costume next that has glowing runes along the seams, including around the hood. I've been trying to find a way to light the rune letters with EL Wire or EL Tape, but that much EL Tape would get prohibative (Tape seemts to be about $9.00/ft, I'd need at least 13 feet, too much for my budget with everything else the outfit needs).

I have a hunch this stuff might be too stiff, but if not...Score!
 
So how are these powered? I see that they typically take 12v. But what kind of wiring abilities do you have to have? Is there a converter that just plugs into the wall or battery pack?
 
Awesome kitchen Thomas... great looking touch with the LED's. And thank you MVMAGIC for the tip on the LED'S.

Dominic
 
DarthGM said:
How thick and flexable is this stuff?

Do you think it could be sewn into the hem of a hooded robe?

I'm doing a costume next that has glowing runes along the seams, including around the hood. I've been trying to find a way to light the rune letters with EL Wire or EL Tape, but that much EL Tape would get prohibative (Tape seemts to be about $9.00/ft, I'd need at least 13 feet, too much for my budget with everything else the outfit needs).

I have a hunch this stuff might be too stiff, but if not...Score!
Click to expand...

You can almost wind some of these strips around your finger, so flexibility isn't an issue. What may be is sufficiently diffusing each LED without making the total thickness too great, even if you place each rune directly over each LED. Hopefully someone who has some in their house and is willing to experiment can help you there.

darthgordon said:
So how are these powered? I see that they typically take 12v. But what kind of wiring abilities do you have to have? Is there a converter that just plugs into the wall or battery pack?
Click to expand...
You can sometimes buy them with sockets already attached but usually you have to solder them on yourself; the datasheet will tell you which wire or pad corresponds to what. Then you just plug in your power adaptor and away you go. If you're using a battery pack, check the datasheet to see how much current the strip will be trying to pull out of it.

These strips are just groups of LEDs and resistors (and sometimes control ICs) that are connected in parallel down the length of the strip; that's why you can them short every X number of LEDs and they still work.

Confusius said:
What do I have to do to access this link? I just made my 20 post, but it's still not working...
Sorry for being such a noob :confused
Click to expand...
Give it a day or too; the guy with the syringe has been busy lately. When you hear the knock on your door in the middle of the night you'll know what to do. In the meantime, here's the relevant link from that thread: Home Made Porno Lights for the Bedroom - YouTube
 
mvmagic said:
Thomas, LEDs or not, I want your kitchen! Really nice! And good taste in chairs... ;)
Click to expand...

Thanks man, those pics were taken when I only had one kid. Now that I have two, it looks very... um.. "different" :confused

DarthGM said:
How thick and flexable is this stuff?

Do you think it could be sewn into the hem of a hooded robe?

I'm doing a costume next that has glowing runes along the seams, including around the hood. I've been trying to find a way to light the rune letters with EL Wire or EL Tape, but that much EL Tape would get prohibative (Tape seemts to be about $9.00/ft, I'd need at least 13 feet, too much for my budget with everything else the outfit needs).

I have a hunch this stuff might be too stiff, but if not...Score!
Click to expand...

Definitely not too stiff to sew into a hood. They have many different kinds. some of them are stiffer because they are covered in a clear flexible plastic to make them waterproof. However, the ones that are "raw", are just flexible tape, as thin as paper, with small led lights every few inches. i would consider the diffussion of these though. Unlike EL tape you'll probably see each individual led light if you put it in clothing.

darthgordon said:
So how are these powered? I see that they typically take 12v. But what kind of wiring abilities do you have to have? Is there a converter that just plugs into the wall or battery pack?
Click to expand...

Almost no wiring ability needed. My LED's have two wires + & -. I hooked mine up to a "rgb controller." That gives me the ability to control my lights by remote. Then I hooked 4 of these controllers up to a power pack, still just two wires per controller. The power pack just plugs into the wall.

Garthok said:
Your house is stunning
Click to expand...

Thanks man. I did a remodel a few years ago. Figured I'd do it right once and for all.

tk 9464 said:
Awesome kitchen Thomas... great looking touch with the LED's. And thank you MVMAGIC for the tip on the LED'S.

Dominic
Click to expand...

Thanks again guys.
Just PM me if any of you need any help. I didn't get my LED's off ebay though, I have a local store here that I pick them up from, so I can't really help with finding them online.
 
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