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RGB LED Strip control


Fallingditch

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Has anyone any experience of this?

 

(I have installed 24V LED striplights running off batteries to a site with no mains power and they have been absolutely brilliant LOL. Wiring has to be thicker than usual, and you have to buy switches designed for the pleasureboating community, but in three years not a problem).

 

So I want to take it to the next level now :D

 

I want to put four strips in the kitchen diner - one on the galley plinth, one on the island plinth and two concealed in a couple of walls. I can't imagine that I want them to be changing colour every 5 minutes - but I do like the idea of changing them to a new colour every few weeks.  I can't imagine I want to switch them on individually - a single switch to turn on all four is what is required. Prefer not to use wireless - off/on switch by the door and a colour knob somewhere else would be ideal.

 

I don't (and won't) have a Building Management System but I so seem to have ended up with a lot of network points ...

 

Any suggestions as the device I can wire the strips back into?

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I have a rgb strip around a ceiling plinth that is over kitchen island. It is wired into six downlights that are also on the plinth. I have two light switches for the kitchen, one for the main lights and one for the lights on the plinth and the lights in the kitchen cabinets. No reason you couldn't do similar and have one switch to turn them on/off or two switches so you can have split the strips up and pair them with whatever other lights you intend to have.

The rgb lights have a remote sitting in the cupboard and like you I planned to change the colour every week but it's been on blue for over a year now!!!

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Hmmm .. how can I put this ... what's a ceiling plinth?

 

(or to put it another way, I can guess that its one on those square things stuck to and hanging down from the ceiling with concealed lights in it, but how are they constructed? what materials can you use? what stops them falling down? - maybe this needs a separate post!!)

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The way my roof was constructed to leave it open at the front meant I had a triple truss in the way of the extract vent above the cooker so I had to put in a false ceiling to give me enough room to get the duct under the truss and out. 

It is just an 8*4 sheet of 18mm MDF with a frame made up of studding. The frame is screwed twice to each truss that it crosses so there are alot of fixings holding it up. The spark left a plug socket to which I have the power supply for the strip lights plugged into so when I turn the downlights on the strips turn on.

This is the only pic I have in my phone.

 

Screenshot_20170102-102644.png

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20 hours ago, Declan52 said:

The way my roof was constructed to leave it open at the front meant I had a triple truss in the way of the extract vent above the cooker so I had to put in a false ceiling to give me enough room to get the duct under the truss and out. 

It is just an 8*4 sheet of 18mm MDF with a frame made up of studding. The frame is screwed twice to each truss that it crosses so there are alot of fixings holding it up. The spark left a plug socket to which I have the power supply for the strip lights plugged into so when I turn the downlights on the strips turn on.

This is the only pic I have in my phone.

 

Screenshot_20170102-102644.png

 

The turquoise light suits the bar stool design rather well, there.

Edited by Ferdinand
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The (cheap) 12V LED gel strip lights I have retain the colour setting when switched off. 

 

I have a mains AC supply of course so it's just a normal light switch that switches the trannie.

 

Just have to remember where I leave the remote when I get bored with the setting!

 

Aside from the DC switching surely that's all you want? 

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50 minutes ago, Onoff said:

The (cheap) 12V LED gel strip lights I have retain the colour setting when switched off. 

 

I have a mains AC supply of course so it's just a normal light switch that switches the trannie.

 

Just have to remember where I leave the remote when I get bored with the setting!

 

Aside from the DC switching surely that's all you want? 

Do you have a link to the ones that keep their colour through power on / off events please?

?

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30 minutes ago, Nickfromwales said:

Do you have a link to the ones that keep their colour through power on / off events please?

?

 

Will do...when I'm home as I can't remember the eBay password to look for the seller!

 

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10 hours ago, Nickfromwales said:

Do you have a link to the ones that keep their colour through power on / off events please?

?

 

OK then specifically eBay item  291361247328 to this spec:

 

led_002

 

I already had a suitable psu.

 

Set it up how you like with the remote, pull the plug and plug back in and same settings come straight on.

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52 minutes ago, Nickfromwales said:

Thanks. I want some for my boys room. 

Is that 4-core cable, and can you cut and alter it? 

 

The little white control box has 3 leads:

 

- 12VDC in from a trannie / wall wart via a DC plug

- 100mm of 3 core ribbon out to the IR sensor that's soldered on and covered by heatshrink. Looks like polarity's important.

- 100mm of 4 core flex out to a 4 way female socket.

- 4-way plug on the end of the LED strip.  It's quite chunky cable tbh. Can't gauge the size until I cut it.

 

SAM_4828

 

See the little arrow on the black plug, you need to align with an arrow on the white socket and you CAN get it round the wrong way by the looks of things!

 

What I'm playing with right now funny enough (bath can wait :) ) is extending these leads by about 3m. I've some 7-core 0.75mmwhich should take care of any v.d running from where the white box will be just outside the bathroom. Just the sensor might not function at that distance. I could have extended just the 4-core to the LED strip but want to lie back in the bath and fiddle with the remote and not have to faff pointing up at the ceiling, behind me etc or hidden in a cupboard. Will aim to slip the sensor INSIDE the LED channel behind the cover. Should be easy to replace too.

 

SAM_4830

 

SAM_4829

 

Edited by Onoff
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My only "worry" is the aesthetics of my detail as in what I'll see when lying in the bath and whether it'll annoy me!

 

At the mo, under the soffit of the recess I'm envisaging a stepped tile detail. 

 

More later if I can find some stainless panel pins!

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I get where you're going with the step. The LED strip will be part-in the void left by the 'stagger' I guess, but what'll you do to finish the tile edge ? I'd prob do that tile cut and then turn it around so the factory cut is facing the void and the cut you make is against the trim, and then mitre bond an L shape trim to it to give a clean edge. 

I'd do a drawing but I'm on coffee #1 and just can't be arsed yet ?. 

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