"Fun" with LEDs

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ctviggen

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"Fun" with LEDs
« on: 2 May 2020, 11:58 am »
I've been using LEDs to light up closets and the like.  This was my first project.  This is in the foyer, which is one of those 2-story versions.  The light in it is very bright and lights up the hallway upstairs.  This picture is taken in the morning on a sunny day.  Picture instead winter at 6am and trying to find something in the closet without turning on the massively bright light. 

So, I installed outlets in each closet and an LED system with magnetic switch.  The magnet is attached to the door and the switch is on the frame.  When you open the door, the lights come on, and when you close the door, they go off. 

At this time, I was comparing two different color temperatures: 3000k on top and 6500k on bottom.  I've never fixed this. 



For comparison, this is what it looks like without the lights:



This is the switch/outlet I put in (in all closets), so you can switch them off if you want.  I have to say that after using this for years, I've never switched them off.  An aside: having an outlet in a closet can be helpful, say to charge a battery-powered vacuum.



This is what I used originally, as I thought the ability to direct the light would be useful.  I show below what I started using instead, though. 

https://www.inspiredled.com/product/angle-adjust-42led-deluxe-lighting-kit/

ctviggen

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Re: "Fun" with LEDs
« Reply #1 on: 2 May 2020, 12:02 pm »
At some point, I had electricians here doing work.  I had them install the same switch system in all (almost all) the closets.  I did the LED lighting.  These are pictures of my daughter's closet on a relatively bright day.  For her closet, I set it up so that if she opens the left, the left lights turn on, and if she opens the right, the right lights turn on.  If you look in the corners, you can see the magnetic switches and the magnets.

With lights on:



Without lights on:



ctviggen

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Re: "Fun" with LEDs
« Reply #2 on: 2 May 2020, 12:08 pm »
I've done a total of  two two-door closets (like my daughter's, only on the other one, the switch is for only one door), and three additional closets.  Here's a kitchen closet:



Instead of the rotating kind, I started using these kits instead:



See here: 

https://www.inspiredled.com/product/pro-series-42-led-panel-deluxe-kit/

These are basically LED strips on thin aluminum.  And you don't have to be too picky where you put them.  This one is on the side of the closet, pointing "into" the closet, but I've put them next to the trim pointing into the closet and that works.  Also, you can put one on top, and stagger the other two, one on each side. 

ctviggen

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Re: "Fun" with LEDs
« Reply #3 on: 2 May 2020, 12:17 pm »
Our house had a set of shelves, which was ugly (everything in the house was brass).  See below:



My wife decided she wanted to take these off and paint them.   I put two coats of primer and 2 coats of white on them.  (And in the pictures below, they STILL had smudges, which I subsequently painted over when the shelves were up.)

Since she wanted this done, I thought I'd add LED lighting to them.  So, I cut grooves in them on my table saw for the LED strips.  Then I cut smaller grooves in them for wires (you can't run too many of these in parallel, so you have to run at least some in series, so you need to start from the power supply, go through an LED strip, to another LED strip, to another and end).

This is what it looked like.  The notch out of the top left corner, I cut on my table saw and it's used for a plastic track to hide the wiring:




ctviggen

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Re: "Fun" with LEDs
« Reply #4 on: 2 May 2020, 12:22 pm »
This is what it looks like after adding wire in the groove that's not painted and putting double-sided tape over that, along with a strip of LED.  I got all this from that same store. (Everything was bought in batches.  This project took over a month of weekends, and the closets were done when I had money and time.)



That side has a connector that uses a plug.  This side is hardwired.  You can see the two wires that rotate backwards to the connector. NOTE:  double-check polarity for each side...else it won't work.  Ask me how I know.  :cry:


ctviggen

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Re: "Fun" with LEDs
« Reply #5 on: 2 May 2020, 12:31 pm »
Here's the final result, where I realized that I used two different color temperatures.  Doh!



We liked the bottom version, so I ordered more of that.  This shows though that three shelves are connected together.  That is, the wiring goes from the the power supply and is split into two paths.  One path goes through three shelves (bottom, next higher, next higher), and one goes through the top and top two shelves (from top to next lower shelf and then to next lower shelf).

The blue box on the bottom left is the AC/DC power supply.  It gets the power from the box that sticks out.  I ran the power from a switch on the wall (not shown) to the box and also independent power to the outlet in the box.  The switch can be controlled by Alexa and can dim, and the power supply is made to accept the dimmed AC signal and dim the LEDs.  The outlet is the box has two individually controlled outlets, which also can be controlled by Alexa.  I have a system that can time these, too.  So, the LEDs now come on at night at 30% power. 

ctviggen

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Re: "Fun" with LEDs
« Reply #6 on: 2 May 2020, 12:32 pm »
This is the final result:




ctviggen

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Re: "Fun" with LEDs
« Reply #7 on: 2 May 2020, 12:37 pm »
This is what it looked like before the second shelf was put in.  The power runs from the first shelf, though a plastic track, to the second shelf, which is not in yet but the plug is there.  We decided where the shelves would go, then I cut part of the plastic track to make a hole there.  This means if we want to move the shelf a bit, that's possible, but we have to cut a different hole. 

The plastic track is a clam shell type, so you only see the "top".  You put the wires in, and snap the top to the bottom.  The bottom is the part I cut, which you don't see.

You can see the notch is cut big enough to go around the plastic track.


ctviggen

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Re: "Fun" with LEDs
« Reply #8 on: 2 May 2020, 12:39 pm »
This is what the bottom looks like.  All wires are run in a track, except they have to go from the track to the shelf, but these are hidden by the shelves.

Bottom:



Top:




ctviggen

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Re: "Fun" with LEDs
« Reply #9 on: 2 May 2020, 12:42 pm »
At some point in the past, I had the electricians run outlets to the top of the closets in the foyer.  Each outlet as two controllable outlets, which I control using a system that times them.  (It's possible to control them by Alexa, too.)

Since I had extra LED strips.  Looks much better in person, particularly the glass bowl. 


mcgsxr

Re: "Fun" with LEDs
« Reply #10 on: 2 May 2020, 03:00 pm »
I thought I was doing well installing LED lights hidden above my bar, or the snazzy motion detecting garage light switch (GOLD - just go do it), but this is GREAT!

Nicely done!

Wind Chaser

Re: "Fun" with LEDs
« Reply #11 on: 2 May 2020, 03:31 pm »
Man that’s a good idea, very practical and it looks really nice too.  :thumb:

Mudslide

Re: "Fun" with LEDs
« Reply #12 on: 2 May 2020, 03:35 pm »
Thank you for the LED link.  It's time for me to put on a designer hat. (Wife justly disagrees with that descriptor, decrying "goofball hat".)   :scratch:

You did a great job.  Congrats.

WGH

Re: "Fun" with LEDs
« Reply #13 on: 2 May 2020, 11:11 pm »
Very nice, LED's are fun with new features all the time.

I purchased my LED lights through a distributor because I needed a custom installation. My electrician originally wanted to install a generic Home Depot LED light strip under the kitchen cabinets, besides being ugly it had too much glare. LED's mounted at the cabinet back, close to the wall reflected off the granite top, it would have been like tiny spotlights in my eyes. I built my own lights using parts from Diode LED and mounted them at the front lip of the upper cabinets. The light is exactly where I need it without glare.
https://www.diodeled.com/

Blaze High Output Light Strip 2700k, 240 lumens/ft, 120 degree beam angle
Chromepath 45 degree channel for LED tape with Frosted Cover
Magnitude M20L12DC 20watt LED Magnetic Transformer
Lutron DVDL-600P-WH single pole dimmer



The 1/4" plywood white oak bottom hides the wires, yes I do design and woodworking as a living.




Creative cut designs

Re: "Fun" with LEDs
« Reply #14 on: 12 May 2020, 12:27 pm »
My fun with led lights


mcgsxr

Re: "Fun" with LEDs
« Reply #15 on: 12 May 2020, 01:47 pm »
Very nice, LED's are fun with new features all the time.

I purchased my LED lights through a distributor because I needed a custom installation. My electrician originally wanted to install a generic Home Depot LED light strip under the kitchen cabinets, besides being ugly it had too much glare. LED's mounted at the cabinet back, close to the wall reflected off the granite top, it would have been like tiny spot lights.

My kitchen has “tube style” round led bars under the uppers. I found they glared in the beginning, but rotating them can find the ideal blend for me.  Cool what you did!