If you make the same unit but with 10 strips on channel one , 5 strips on channel 2, 3 strips on channel 3 and 2 strips on channel 4 you can get 15 different brightness levels with the same parts just by turning on and off the 4 channels. More control same parts. You can turn on almost any number of strips from 2 to 20.
- Hi. Yes that makes perfect sense. Great idea. The relays are able to handle 10 amps each so there is no issue with channeling a heap of strips through any one of them. Great. Cheers.
You still owe us the battery backup part (I was paying attention on earlier video). I've been looking for the best diffuser for some projects (mostly light strips in corner angle channel to mount up where ceiling meets wall, run my wiring through attic) and got interested in Fresnel Diverger lenses as the most efficient type (rather than lose efficiency by randomly scattering that a sanded surface would create including a lot of lost backscatter). Only thing I've found are called Wide angle fresnel sheets for car windows when backing up that come in 8"x10" sheets (amazon, aliexpress). I'm hoping they work (different from a magnifier or its reverse, collator). Also just thrilled by the way you do your projects, thinking them through as I try to do, your particular way of communicating is very clear to me. In fact, you remind me of the F1 mechanics explaining things; they really know their stuff but always need to think conceptually on the fly so their explanations are clear and communicate the principles as well as details in a terse manner.
- Hi. Thank you for the clear and useful feedback. The video you are looking for is coming. I now have all the parts I want to use and I am just finishing up some relevant testing. Maybe 3 -4 more weeks. Cheers.
Michael can you make this into a flexible LED mat instead? I would like to try to make one for videos but want a portable option...actually foldable. Thoughts? Thanks.
Hi. The only challenges would be keeping the led strips stuck to your flexible backing material and making sure that any flex you introduce doesn't result in a short between any of the exposed strip positive or negative contacts. The rest of the approach would be the same. May be just add a small gap between each strip to provide a small safety buffer and don't make the backing material too flexible, not like cloth that you could fold in multiple directions but more like a small rubber exercise mat that really lends itself to being rolled up one way. Hope that helps. Cheers.
hi, i have recently built a led light from a octagon and led strips and after 2 mounts of fiddling i have found a way to dim the led's with a remote using the controller out of a mi light led bulb (the mi light controllers have scan lines but the controller out of the bulb does not) i made a video showing how to connect everything. hope it helps
- Hi. Yes a car 12-13.6v supply would work fine. The power supplies I used were a 12v power brick rated at 6A and a bench power supply set to 12v @ 5A. The LED's are tolerant to a point and can run from 9v to 14v. Cheers.
One of the best DIY videos I've seen on LED panels, however... Instead of being able to turn each section of, I would be very interested to hear if you know how to dim the lights instead without flickering and without overheating issues, which some of the other LED panel DIY tutorials suffer from. :-) Keep up the great work - you seem to have a talent for making these kind of videos. If you don't mind me asking one off-topic question: What mic and camera are you using?
- Hi. I haven't done a video on Pulse Width Modulation which is one method to achieve dimming but I might sometime. The other way of controlling brightness and avoiding flicker is to control the number of leds turned on at any one time (as in this video). It also helps with the heat issue. The trick with PWM is that it needs to be very fast to avoid flicker being detected in video or affecting photo work. Many simple plug in solutions like the one I used in my previous LED panel video are not fast enough, but it is possible to get it right. Thanks for the compliments. I typically use a Canon DSLR 700D (T5i) with an F4 lens and audio is captured through a RODE Smart Lav + and a Zoom audio recorder. The RODE stuff is excellent. The only exception is the standard ROD Lav mic which is too noisy, but the Smart Lav + is broadcast quality. Cheers.
you need to atleast mount them on an aluminum plate..... This is the second time I see you mounting them on a heat insulating flammable material, the absolute worst choice.
- Hi. I'm not sure I agree unless you have some data to sway me. The cheap MDF material used for backing has an ignition temp of 200C. The hottest I ever saw the LED panel get was 52C. Thats a big safety margin. If something catastrophic happened such as an uncontrolled short then the other materials are going to burn before the MDF. Cheers.
Well its not only about safety, its also about efficiency, the cooler you run them the better the efficiency and the longer they last! it's not that these strips are high power so they dont get really hot, but it is something to take into consideration anyway because it makes them last longer and run cheaper.
Damn you're so good at Soldering.. I'm getting jealous
If you make the same unit but with 10 strips on channel one , 5 strips on channel 2, 3 strips on channel 3 and 2 strips on channel 4 you can get 15 different brightness levels with the same parts just by turning on and off the 4 channels.
More control same parts. You can turn on almost any number of strips from 2 to 20.
- Hi. Yes that makes perfect sense. Great idea. The relays are able to handle 10 amps each so there is no issue with channeling a heap of strips through any one of them. Great. Cheers.
Where ya been all my life? Thanks for helpful suggestions - that's why it takes a village to make a proper LED light.
You still owe us the battery backup part (I was paying attention on earlier video). I've been looking for the best diffuser for some projects (mostly light strips in corner angle channel to mount up where ceiling meets wall, run my wiring through attic) and got interested in Fresnel Diverger lenses as the most efficient type (rather than lose efficiency by randomly scattering that a sanded surface would create including a lot of lost backscatter). Only thing I've found are called Wide angle fresnel sheets for car windows when backing up that come in 8"x10" sheets (amazon, aliexpress). I'm hoping they work (different from a magnifier or its reverse, collator).
Also just thrilled by the way you do your projects, thinking them through as I try to do, your particular way of communicating is very clear to me. In fact, you remind me of the F1 mechanics explaining things; they really know their stuff but always need to think conceptually on the fly so their explanations are clear and communicate the principles as well as details in a terse manner.
- Hi. Thank you for the clear and useful feedback. The video you are looking for is coming. I now have all the parts I want to use and I am just finishing up some relevant testing. Maybe 3 -4 more weeks. Cheers.
Michael can you make this into a flexible LED mat instead? I would like to try to make one for videos but want a portable option...actually foldable. Thoughts? Thanks.
Hi. The only challenges would be keeping the led strips stuck to your flexible backing material and making sure that any flex you introduce doesn't result in a short between any of the exposed strip positive or negative contacts. The rest of the approach would be the same. May be just add a small gap between each strip to provide a small safety buffer and don't make the backing material too flexible, not like cloth that you could fold in multiple directions but more like a small rubber exercise mat that really lends itself to being rolled up one way. Hope that helps. Cheers.
@@michaelsstuff4402 Thank you!!
that's awesome, good job 👍
- Thank you. Cheers.
If you have access to an old laptop you can always grab the diffuser from behind the screen.
- Good tip. Thanks. I hadnt even thought of doing that. Cheers.
hi, i have recently built a led light from a octagon and led strips and after 2 mounts of fiddling i have found a way to dim the led's with a remote using the controller out of a mi light led bulb (the mi light controllers have scan lines but the controller out of the bulb does not) i made a video showing how to connect everything. hope it helps
Very interesting
- Thanks.
Nice video - thanks. would a regular 12V car battery work to power this? Can you give any details of exactly what power supply you did use?
- Hi. Yes a car 12-13.6v supply would work fine. The power supplies I used were a 12v power brick rated at 6A and a bench power supply set to 12v @ 5A. The LED's are tolerant to a point and can run from 9v to 14v. Cheers.
How would you make one with LED lights that change color and have a remote?
- Hi. The simple way would be to use the optional multi colour LED strips the same as I used but coloured. Cheers.
sticky backed velcro would have easily sorted out that diffuser panel.
- Yeah probably would have. I had some too. Still working on this one. Cheers.
Y u cannot make rechargeable for this
how to buy a rf pair TX-Rx otherwise how to make it home maid
One of the best DIY videos I've seen on LED panels, however... Instead of being able to turn each section of, I would be very interested to hear if you know how to dim the lights instead without flickering and without overheating issues, which some of the other LED panel DIY tutorials suffer from. :-) Keep up the great work - you seem to have a talent for making these kind of videos.
If you don't mind me asking one off-topic question: What mic and camera are you using?
- Hi. I haven't done a video on Pulse Width Modulation which is one method to achieve dimming but I might sometime. The other way of controlling brightness and avoiding flicker is to control the number of leds turned on at any one time (as in this video). It also helps with the heat issue. The trick with PWM is that it needs to be very fast to avoid flicker being detected in video or affecting photo work. Many simple plug in solutions like the one I used in my previous LED panel video are not fast enough, but it is possible to get it right. Thanks for the compliments. I typically use a Canon DSLR 700D (T5i) with an F4 lens and audio is captured through a RODE Smart Lav + and a Zoom audio recorder. The RODE stuff is excellent. The only exception is the standard ROD Lav mic which is too noisy, but the Smart Lav + is broadcast quality. Cheers.
you need to atleast mount them on an aluminum plate..... This is the second time I see you mounting them on a heat insulating flammable material, the absolute worst choice.
- Hi. I'm not sure I agree unless you have some data to sway me. The cheap MDF material used for backing has an ignition temp of 200C. The hottest I ever saw the LED panel get was 52C. Thats a big safety margin. If something catastrophic happened such as an uncontrolled short then the other materials are going to burn before the MDF. Cheers.
Well its not only about safety, its also about efficiency, the cooler you run them the better the efficiency and the longer they last! it's not that these strips are high power so they dont get really hot, but it is something to take into consideration anyway because it makes them last longer and run cheaper.
- Hi. Yep on that point, completely agree. Cheers.