# LED light strip experts need your help!



## Finality (Jul 16, 2006)

Hey guys complete newbie to the whole LED lighting scene so forgive me if the questions I post sound a bit daft 

Thinking of doing some work to a bar & cabinet I'm about to make for my place and was looking for some LED lighting solutions. More specifically I have no idea what I should get.....
Basically I'm looking for an RGB solution to display multiple colors solid-on or special effects controller with fade, strobe, different colors, chase etc.

I found something on E-bay http://cgi.ebay.com/Commercial-grade-LED-strip-lighting-lights-ultra-bright_W0QQitemZ7589447790QQihZ017QQcategoryZ58145QQcmdZViewItem which looks like what I want but I'm worried about the quality of the lighting. The controller appears to be able to do what I want but I want to be able to contol the timing so that either its short fast sequences or longer sequences. 

Secondly I'd like to be able to control the intensity of the LED bulbs ( I dont know if this is possible with LEDs but it would be nice).

Thirdly I'm looking for a strip thats about 4-5 meters long and then splits off ie a Y pattern to two more LED strips off about 3 meters each. I'd also like a second solution consisting of 3-4 pieces of seperated 2 meter length pieces running in an 'extended Y' configuration (its something similar to the 2nd set of pictures). Both these setups need to be able to work in a 220V - 240V enviornment.

If anyone knows any stores that sells custom lengths or could tell me what I should look out for in terms of features of which LED bulbs & controllers I should look out for. I dont mind paying a bit more for the higher end quality parts I'm looking for a simplified solution. I was talking to an EE friend of mine and his soluion was to plug a PC into the controller board to control everything........

To give you an idea I'm looking to build something like this:

http://www.europebynet.com/images/Products/ILSBD002/ILSBD002_D.JPG
http://www.europebynet.com/images/Products/ILSBD002/ILSBD002_D2.JPG
http://www.europebynet.com/images/Products/ILSBD002/ILSBD002_D4.jpg
http://www.europebynet.com/images/Products/ILSBD002/ILSBD002_D3.JPG

They have a controller on their website http://mfgcn.com/_wsn/page7.html but it looks like that plugs into the serial port to get the desired effects. I'm guessing I can just preprogram it and let it be? Would it be hard to code for something like that (I'm clueless when it comes to this stuff). I'm really not to keen on plugging my laptop in every time I want the effect change I would rather pay for an external controller box. Though if something could be arranged through a simple connection like a USB one I it would make my life easier.

This is also something else I like:

http://www.pulsarlight.com/Hi-res/QE2 129.jpg


http://www.pulsarlight.com/Hi-res/QE2 131.jpg
http://www.pulsarlight.com/Hi-res/QE2 132.jpg


http://www.pulsarlight.com/Hi-res/QE2 127.jpg

One thing I dont like is what looks like color bleed in the white shot though I'm guessing there isn't much I could do about it? My best guess is that I need a true RGB solution vs 3 sets of LED lights in individual colors?

I'm basically looking for a higher end LED lighting solution with very even color changes, I take it this is a task of the programming but if a utility is given to me to work out the minor kinks it would be great If anyone could help me out I'd really appreciate it  

*Vendors feel free to pitch me your products.*

_Edit: Images converted to links - hotlinking not permitted - Empath_


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## Finality (Jul 17, 2006)

55 views and no reply? Did I post this in the wrong forum?


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## carrot (Jul 17, 2006)

Welcome to CPF... I hope you find your answer here.

Everyone here likes flashlights. Less know the technical end. If you'd posted here years ago (which I obviously wasn't around for) when there was much more tech talk you'd have probably gotten your answer right away. 

If you can't find it here, a more specialized and technical group like sci.electronics (on Usenet) probably can tell you what you need. If you don't get an answer within a few days there... perhaps you need to seek out another group on Usenet that does know. Wish I could help more.

With LED it's quite possible to dim and strobe and do whatever you like, but I couldn't think of any boxed solution that would work (not that I know of much anyway). I've seen Christmas lights on strings that use LEDs, which would be perfect if you just modified them a bit and added some kind of microcontrollers. You could even string up a bunch of controllable multi-die RGB LEDs (which do exist... I just can't remember where to get them) by hand and control them all via computer.

MillerMods on these forums may be able to make you some kind of custom controller to do it; Goldserve, another member, creates these boards he calls FluPIC for controlling the LEDs in flashlights, perhaps he might be willing to offer you a solution as well. However, I think your EE friend has the best and easiest solution, to rig up something using the computer.


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## Empath (Jul 17, 2006)

Finality, welcome to our forum. Please take time to read our rules.

Your images were in violation of CPF's rules regarding images. Please take note of the section referenced regarding images, and it will describe the method permitted for posting images. Those converted to links were oversized, and were hotlinked (linking to a image on a site without authorization).

I've moved your thread to the proper forum.


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## Finality (Jul 17, 2006)

Empath: sorry about the violation of the rules wont happen again 


Carrot: thanks for the info. Through your advice and the link to google groups I've been able to locate a couple of companies that seem to have ready made solutions to what I want. I just e-mailed them to see how far I can use their standard box controllers without having the need to customize the solution.


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## Finality (Jul 17, 2006)

Thought I'd update you guys on whats happened.

http://www.chauvetlighting.com has exactly what I was after, more specifically their 'COLORdash' series. They appear to have some very high end LED tubes though I'm not sure if the price if ~$180 for 1 meter can be justified. The trick would be to find a good quality LED strip which has a DMX 512 interface or a DMX 512 to RS485 interface.

They do have specific color controllers basically my solution is to combine the 'COLORcontroller 2.0' with either a DMX controller like the DMX50a or instead of a DMX controller the showexpress controller http://showxpress.thelightingcontroller.com. One of their engineers told me its pretty simple to use but I'm not finding it that easy to create sequences. For the layman I suggest a DMX50a and a Colorcontroller to make their lives simplified, its clean and simple without any complications.

Hopefully I'll be able to source a cheap high quality led light rope with a 512 interface. Right now with what I want to do its going to cost me $4000 just for the 22 meters of LED lights  The rest of the hardware is relatively cheap for what it does something like $300 for the DMX & color controller.


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## Ken_McE (Jul 17, 2006)

>Secondly I'd like to be able to control the intensity of the LED bulbs 
>( I dont know if this is possible with LEDs but it would be nice).

LEDs take very well to dimming. Check in with RGBPhill and see if he's got anything. He had a good price on some RGB boards last time I spoke (typed) with him.

http://www.rgbsunset.com/

[email protected] 

>I'm looking for a strip thats about 4-5 meters long and then splits 
>off ie a Y pattern to two more LED strips off about 3 meters each. 
>I'd also like a second solution consisting of 3-4 pieces of seperated 
>2 meter length pieces running in an 'extended Y' configuration (its
>something similar to the 2nd set of pictures). 

Simplest thing is probably to buy them in boards , mount the boards as you please, plug each board to the next, put a diffuser panel over it when you're done.


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## Wim Hertog (Jul 18, 2006)

You can find a very nice stand-alone controller over here: http://www.led-tech.de/de/Technik-u...elle-LT-KSQ-indiv.-(3kanal)-LT-650_29_31.html

and more versions (even 4-channel RGBW): http://www.led-tech.de/de/Technik-und-Zubehoer/LED-Steuertechnik-c_29_31.html

You can program it via your RS232 port and let it do whatever you want. Price is also ok. 

If you want something even fancier I'd go for a DMX controlled solution. 


One very important thing: I wouldn't use 5mm LEDs for a (semi) professional product. They are just not reliable enough. I you want your product to perform great for more than a year I'd definitely use Luxeons (and I mean the real Lumiled ones).

I've designed quite a few different RGB solutions for customers and we always had bad luck with 5mm and superflux LEDs, and they were always driven at or below spec.


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## Finality (Jul 18, 2006)

Ken: thanks for the advice going to e-mail Phil right now.

Wim: you have PM.


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