rgb Led lighting strips.. Talk to me

413x · 26 Sep 2012 at 22:02

I've been thinking about it for a while and am ready to go on it

I have mainly been looking on the bay at these kits you get with a tacky looking remote. Are they any good? One video review they did look good in.

Plan is to put it strip around the tv and in the unit and control it with a harmony remote

lucid · 27 Sep 2012 at 00:30

The remotes are cack. The emitters are not powerful enough to give any sort of range. Using any sort of learning remote is a good plan.

Next, colour accuracy. The cheap LED strips use LEDs designed for brightness rather than colour accuracy. The reds and blues aren't too bad. Red is a bit orange. The weak colour is the green. It is more yellow than green. Still, some of the colour combinations are effective; it's just that they don't match the colour on the remote buttons. White accuracy is pants. It's a kind of blue-grey colour. If you want a pure white then don't buy an RGB colour change strip.

For less than £30 with a transformer though all of the above limitations can be forgiven. The features and performance on offer more than justify the price. If any of those limitations prove to be unacceptable then there are professional versions of LED colour change strips using far higher quality components.... but at a far higher price too. As the saying goes, you pays your money and takes your choice.

PhillyDee · 27 Sep 2012 at 09:04

I have actually just bought 2 lots, pure white with an in line dimmer. I bought the 5050 sized SMD ones. 16ft long. It is to go into vivariums and will be controlled by a timer. The RGB one I bought is also 5050 sized, same length, with the larger 44 button remote. That will be used for night time viewing, and the colours are pretty good! I wanted the flexibility of both blue light, moonlight, or red depending on the purpose, and they are all sticky backed. The best thing, is they can easily be cut and joined.

Do not overestimate how bloody bright some of them are! I guess they are partially overdriven at the brightest settings.

413x · 27 Sep 2012 at 11:40

Yeah on the video reviews the green looked the worst I'm not too fussed tho.

I was thinking of getting the sound controller too and putting it near the sub.

It was the 60 leds per meter I was looking at 5050 smd and 44 button
Range isn't an issue tbh room is only 5 x4m ish

I may get a white set too.

One question. How many individual strips can you run off one unit? I'd like to use 3 separate strips all from one set of commands

Shelster · 28 Sep 2012 at 08:55

I have had a few of these off the well known auction site and have had no issues with them at all. Last ones were for in my sister-in-laws house as some accent lighting for under two cupboards in the kitchen and they love them.

The controllers that came with them had connections to be able to run 2 strips off one controller. Am not 100% sure, but do believe you can get splitter cables (similar to the old 2 molex from one type), so in theory if your transformer supplies enough juice, you should be able to run 3 strips from one.

As said, for the price that you are paying for them, I think they are more than adequate if all you want is some colour and accents.

Reminds me...I have a strip sat in the kitchen draw.....now where to run those...

413x · 28 Sep 2012 at 12:14

So if a kit runs say a 5m strip there is no problem running a 2m/2m/1m split from same controller?

Also do you have any pics? I'd be grateful

Tealc · 28 Sep 2012 at 12:20

Makes little difference how you organise the strips. Additional wiring between strips won't add much current draw to the load so you can be as creative with small and large strips as you want, within reason of course.

Given that a 60 LED/M strip will consume around 1.2A per metre (given 20mA per LED) you can estimate how many you can use based on the capabilities of your power supply and the control unit.

EllisDJ · 28 Sep 2012 at 13:20

this is simplistic in that it is only white - however if you look up daylight 6500k as abiad light it improves how your eyes focus on the screen and therefore improves image quality.

looks cool as well in white
http://www.energysmart.co.uk/products/LED-Low-Energy-Under-Cabinet-Lighting-500mm-Daylight-Tube.html

They do the coloured ones as well if that flaots your boat

spluff · 28 Sep 2012 at 14:51

i am looking for something which can add some ambiant light around the back of my tv without any wires dangling down to a power socket... I cant drill any holes so i think battery powered would be my best option?

Any ideas?

413x · 28 Sep 2012 at 17:27

Thanks so far.
Leds are much cheaper than tubes.

I think I can get 5m off 60W if the brightness isn't at max, I doubt it will be.

Does anyone have the music option set? Looks quite interesting. For parties etc.

spoffle · 29 Sep 2012 at 23:42

I've been thinking about getting some that can be controlled with a computer, but I haven't really put much time in to looking in to it, maybe it's time?

413x · 30 Sep 2012 at 11:17

spoffle said:
I've been thinking about getting some that can be controlled with a computer, but I haven't really put much time in to looking in to it, maybe it's time?

That would be perfect. Htpc on hand

413x · 5 Oct 2012 at 15:25

ordered some so can hopefully get them set up by next weekend

gone for 10m of 5050 SMD RGB LEDs at 60LEDs/M
10A transformer
Music controller (just to see how good it is)

planning to run about 6M off one controller
(1m down each floor stander)
(1 strip around the back of the tv probably about 3m)
(1m strip in the tv stand if it looks ok)

insane200 · 14 Oct 2012 at 18:19

Did you set up the lights ? any pics as im quite interested in this, and how did the sound controller work out.

413x · 14 Oct 2012 at 19:28

No not yet, i have to wait for some wiring to come, (the tape can't make the bend for the corners of the tv) probably going to be this week/weekend coming.

I've tried the sound controller briefly. It does the job, will have to fiddle about with positioning and sensitivity as my setup is quite loud.

One annoyance with it is that the IR receiver is IN the unit. So you have to have the unit in line of sight of the remote, just means a bit restrictive.

Plans/kit
1x10A transformer
1xmusic controller
10m 5050 smd leds @60leds per meter
Several meters of rgb cabling

Will be running one strip round the tv.
1 strip down the back of each flooratander speaker
Maybe a strip in the av stand where the xbox/amp/Htpc is

One thing.. Full brightness os not needed!

I will definitely post pics at each stage

insane200 · 14 Oct 2012 at 20:20

thanks, im just thinking of behind the TV to much would be over kill for me.

Defunkt · 15 Oct 2012 at 12:05

al4x said:
ordered some so can hopefully get them set up by next weekend

gone for 10m of 5050 SMD RGB LEDs at 60LEDs/M
10A transformer
Music controller (just to see how good it is)

planning to run about 6M off one controller
(1m down each floor stander)
(1 strip around the back of the tv probably about 3m)
(1m strip in the tv stand if it looks ok)

Hope you didn't pay more than today's offer on OCUK. The amount of times I have ordered something and see it on offer with OCUK the next day or week lost count.

413x · 15 Oct 2012 at 12:36

I winced for a second!

No I didn't. I got a music controller and 10m of leds.

Lethagized · 15 Oct 2012 at 17:02

Can somebody post a link to a youtube video review please. looks interesting.

413x · 15 Oct 2012 at 19:21

I'll do a youtube after I'm done.. Could only find one decent vid and sound was out of syncto the lights ! Fail!