Anyone work with LEDs?

[cKGunslinger]

Being a SW guy, I'm pretty much a n00b when it comes to hardware. Big on ideas, short on expertise, some (my wife) might say.

Irregardless (which, is NOT a word,) my current little project is to build some accent lighting into my built-in PC desk. What I was thinking was a short (3-4") wall about 2" from my actual wall, on top of my desk (I also want to put a slight curve in the corner.)

The wood-working effort is pretty trivial, but I was planning on putting LEDs inside this space, to serve as accent lighting up on the wall and back around behind my monitor. The goal is a soft "glow" cast on my wall.

The wiring is where I fall short. Ideally, I would have a standard plug that fits into the wall socket, and a dimmer switch that would control the intensity of the lights. I'm assuming LEDs can be dimmed (via current or voltage?)

Questions include:

• How much of this could I get pre-fabricated? Can I get an AC-driven LED strip with wiring for a dimmer switch? Or am I better off buying individual bulbs and resistors? Order parts online, or pick up something in the lighting department of Lowe's/Home Depot?
  
  I have no idea how bright the different LEDs types are. I don't want to light up my office like a Griswald Xmas, nor do I want to spend a weekend cutting, gluing and wiring, only to have a "I think I see some light" experience. Although, I guess if they can be dimmed, being able to run through that spectrum would be OK.

Just getting this up would be nice, but then I think, "Hey, you know what would be totally ghetto? Having the light intensity sync'd with my PC's audio output! Or being able to change colors!"

 

[shortylickens]

You may get better repsonses in the AV forum or Peripherals.

 

[minendo]

Originally posted by: shortylickens
You may get better repsonses in the AV forum or Peripherals.

Or even Love and Relationships since his wife refers to him as short.

 

[herm0016]

http://www.ledropelightsandmore.com/ledropeacc.html

done. google ftw.

you should use pulse width modulation to dim leds you can find schematics for controllers all over. you best bet though is the led rope light, it will have a more even glow, instead of a bunch of points of light.

 

[Leros]

It would be cheaper to build you own (LEDs are under 25 cents each, resistors are dirt cheap, wire is cheap, and a wall wart is $5-10), but if you wont something prebuilt check out EL lighting. You can get dimmable stuff, sound activates stuff, etc.

here is one source i found

http://www.thatscoolwire.com/s...ory.asp?CategoryID=168

The EL wire will give you a very even glow, and I think it comes in strips too (instead of round wires) that would be easy to attach to a desk.

 

[Colt45]

piece of cake. i'd run strings off of a 24v wallwart or something, so you dont get zapped... each string needs it's own limiting resistor.

dimming is best done via pwm... a dual comparator, couple passives, and a fet should do that. Rectify the audio and put it on the comparator if you want it to pulse with music..


Changing colors is more of a pita....

 

[cKGunslinger]

Originally posted by: minendo

Originally posted by: shortylickens
You may get better repsonses in the AV forum or Peripherals.

Or even Love and Relationships since his wife refers to him as short.

:shocked:

 

[gorcorps]

Originally posted by: minendo

Originally posted by: shortylickens
You may get better repsonses in the AV forum or Peripherals.

Or even Love and Relationships since his wife refers to him as short.

bwahahaha 10 points

I don't know a ton about wiring OP but I do know you can dim the LEDs using a variable resistor... which should basically be a dimmer switch. I believe these are pretty common (ie radio shack would have them) so that part shouldn't be too hard to do however you end up doing it.

 

[gorcorps]

ack... double ><

 

[PottedMeat]

You can buy cheap strings of white / red / green / orange / RGB LEDs from places like dealextreme

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.10293

As said above, you can control the brightness through current control - vary the current through a single series string, or voltage PWM control for a bunch of paralleled LEDs.

 

[0roo0roo]

checkout candlepowerforums
they have a couple people that build their own stuff.
you can get some insane bright stuff these days

 

[Throckmorton]

It will look like crap. If you use white LEDs, you'll get a harsh bluish glow, if you use any other color it will look like a set from the 80s Battlestar Galactica. Well, maybe the Luxeon Rebel is OK-- it's something like 5500K color temperature.

 

[Throckmorton]

http://www.luxeonstar.com/item...&partno=LXML-PWN1-0080 4100K

It takes 3v. Just get an old AC adapter and wire them up so that each LED gets 3v. For example, if it's a `12V AC adapter, wire 4 in series. If you want 8 lights, wire 2 sets of 4 in series

 

[0roo0roo]

yea one must take into account color temp

there is a much easier solution. what you are trying to do is add some bias lighting, reduces contrast between bright monitor and background and lowers eye strain. i just use a cheap ikea grono lamp and a 3watt cf from ikea. hides perfectly behind monitor, doesn't glare, doesn't look ugly, and doesn't take any work

 

[AndrewR]

I saw the topic, and for a brief moment, I thought you were asking about IEDs. A little more dangerous to work with than LEDs.

 

[halik]

Irregardless = Grammar FAIL, irrespective what wikipedia tells us.

 

[lokiju]

Why not just build the wall and then use a rope light?

Sounds like it would work perfect for what you're trying to do IMO.

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: lokiju
Why not just build the wall and then use a rope light?

Sounds like it would work perfect for what you're trying to do IMO.

And if you want to go crazy, use a router to create a channel for the lights to sit.

 

[cKGunslinger]

Originally posted by: lokiju
Why not just build the wall and then use a rope light?

Sounds like it would work perfect for what you're trying to do IMO.

I can't get a sense of how bright the rope lights are, and if they would create the effect I'm imagining - an indirect glow, creeping up my wall several inches.

 

[Rubycon]

Betalights

No power required - ever. No wires to conceal. Glows regardless of temperature. EMP attack survivable, etc.