LOOOOONG LED Strips $1 per foot

erco

OK, I utterly failed Ken, who asked me to find some Ebay deals on short LED tapes/strips/panels with leads. But when I fail, I fail big time. Not only did I NOT find short LED strips for cheap, I found good deals on LONG LED strips. Just what the doctor didn't order...

Anyhoo, there are 5 meter strips available in many colors. Typically they have 300 LEDs, that's 60 per meter. You can bid on them or "buy it now" for $13 (non-waterproof)-$18 (waterproof). Have a look at this seller star-doo:
http://www.ebay.com/sch/star-doo/m.html?_nkw=led+strip&_sacat=0&_odkw=&_osacat=0&_trksid=p3911.c0.m270.l1313

That's around a buck a foot, not bad. Wish I coulda kept that ratio and found Ken some 6" strips fo' fitty cent...

RGB types are a bit higher. Here's a 5-meter RGB strip I won for for $16: http://www.ebay.com/itm/110772366651 and you can get controllers for few bucks: http://www.ebay.com/itm/24Key-IR-Remote-Controller-RGB-5050-LED-Light-Strip-/150579073457?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item230f3651b1

Search Ebay for "led strips lights" and let us know what you find...

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)

Try DealExtreme. They've got some shorter ones designed for decorating cars and bikes. They're not super cheap, though.

-Phil

$WMc%

Buy by the foot
'
Non of that metric Smile!!

erco

@Walt: Sorry, I meant "metre"...

Ken Gracey

Erco, you weren't the epic fail. I'm still busy shopping from the prior eBay leads you provided!

As for the rolls, they're really not all that great. Seems like the only people in our building who have much success with the soldering to those little 2 oz copper pads are our manufacturing team, mostly because they solder all day. In my hands the LED tape is an exercise of great frustration with poor results. It's really difficult to scrape off the gel cover and get to the pads without wrecking them along the way.

Ken Gracey

W9GFO

9.5" 12V weatherproof 24 LED strips with leads, in white, red, green, blue or yellow for $3.50.

http://www.ledlightsworld.com/95-inch-flexible-grill-led-strip-motorcycle-car-lights-24leds-p-122.html?zenid=svpnkql3nhl8mp43jvjp6n9j02

erco

@Ken: Oooohhhhhhh, I wasn't even thinking about cutting them apart. Although if you cut each LED apart individually, the cost per LED does drop to $13/300= 4.333 cents

Heck, with the holidays coming, I figure I can do some decorating with several 5M rolls. Those LED controllers look interesting enough.

Ken Gracey

W9GFO wrote: »

9.5" 12V weatherproof 24 LED strips with leads, in white, red, green, blue or yellow for $3.50.

http://www.ledlightsworld.com/95-inch-flexible-grill-led-strip-motorcycle-car-lights-24leds-p-122.html?zenid=svpnkql3nhl8mp43jvjp6n9j02

Rich, these are neat also: http://www.ledlightsworld.com/rectangular-waterproof-led-module-with-2-trichip-smd5050-p-163.html. As you know I'm interested in finding small strips with wires for the ELEV-8 booms, so we need 7" or less for a really tidy fit with heat-shrink. Even two LEDs/module would work pretty well. I'll order some of these and try them out. Nice find and thanks for sharing!

Ken Gracey

W9GFO

They say you can just snip off the ends (in 3 LED segments) if they are too long - might be better than using two smaller strips.

Ken Gracey

Yes, I read that too. They're certainly an appropriate solution.

I think that as far as ELEV-8 is concerned, these LEDs fall into the category of "pimpin' your ride" and that the customer should have that kind of fun on their own. We'll provide the 3/4" clear heat-shrink tubing to go over the boom, but leave the customization up to them. Think that would be about okay?

Such an exemption doesn't keep me looking for the ideal LED solution, however. I'm starting to think that we should just make a rigid PCB strip and throw them on our P&P ourselves, exactly the way we'd like them to be made. But that's not practical right now - I have too much to do already.

Ken Gracey

W9GFO

Ken Gracey wrote: »

I'm starting to think that we should just make a rigid PCB strip and throw them on our P&P ourselves, exactly the way we'd like them to be made.

I think that would be a cool product! Make them daisy-chainable, serial addressable RGB LED strips.

What is the clear heat-shrink for - if not for the LEDs?

I wasn't expecting the LEDs to be included, but it would very nice if they were.

Ken Gracey

W9GFO wrote: »

What is the clear heat-shrink for - if not for the LEDs?

An opportunity to share a picture:

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)

Is it safe (or even possible) to spin the platform in flight fast enough to do POV imaging with the LEDs?

-Phil

W9GFO

I don't think so. The gyros are going to have a max angular rate - something like 300 deg/sec is pretty common.

erco

There are also small lightweight SMD LED panels designed to replace "festoon" incandescent light bulbs in the dome light of your beloved 1967 Chevy Corvair Monza 140. Or is that just me?

$2.20 12 LED http://www.ebay.com/itm/White-Car-Interior-Light-Panel-12-LED-SMD-Dome-12V-/110734497908?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&vxp=mtr&hash=item19c84a5874

$2.29 24 LED http://www.ebay.com/itm/Light-Panel-24-SMD-LED-38mm-Dome-Interior-T10-Adapter-/190594741883?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&vxp=mtr&hash=item2c6054f67b

$2.59 36 LED http://www.ebay.com/itm/Light-Panel-36-SMD-LED-T10-BA9S-Festoon-Bulb-Adapter-/220878055911?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&vxp=mtr&hash=item336d5ba9e7

$2.89 48 LED http://www.ebay.com/itm/Light-Panel-48-LED-31mm-Interior-Bulb-T10-Base-Adapter-/270850776534?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&vxp=mtr&hash=item3f0ff6ddd6

available in white and other colors

also a non-SMD 36-LED super bright panel to replace an 1156 turn signal bulb: http://www.ebay.com/itm/1156-Car-Lamp-High-Power-White-36-LED-Panel-Light-Bulb-/300557003359?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item45fa97ea5f

Lawson

Ken Gracey wrote: »

Seems like the only people in our building who have much success with the soldering to those little 2 oz copper pads are our manufacturing team, mostly because they solder all day. In my hands the LED tape is an exercise of great frustration with poor results. It's really difficult to scrape off the gel cover and get to the pads without wrecking them along the way.

Ken Gracey

Is the manufacturing team using Metcal's pricey phase-change temperature control irons? I've found the temp control on these irons makes it rather hard to damage a board. Might make it easier to work with LED strips or other flex-circuits. (get to use one at work and it's :cool: )

The led strips in Erco's first link are have pads to ease cutting every 5cm (3 LEDs) too.

Lawson

erco

Got lucky and won a 5-meter RGB strip for $8.50: http://www.ebay.com/itm/110773129078

It always pays to put in some lowball bids! I suspect multiple 5-meter RGBs are going on my Christmas tree this year.

erco

Big surprise, these are even cheaper a year and a half later, even the BIN price.

5M RGB LED strip only: $7.99 free ship http://www.ebay.com/itm/5M-SMD-RGB-3528-Non-Waterproof-Flexible-LED-Light-Strip-300LED-Lamp-12V-DC-New-/161008595846?pt=US_String_Lights_Fairy_Lights&hash=item257cdc3386#ht_4836wt_844

LED strip plus controller w/remote: $9.49 free ship http://www.ebay.com/itm/5M-RGB-3528-SMD-300-LEDs-Non-Waterproof-Flexible-LED-Strip-Light-Lamp-IR-Remote-/271124578665?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3f2048c169&vxp=mtr#ht_4679wt_808

NWCCTV

A little off topic but since @ken mentioned the Elev 8 I was just wondering if there are plans in the near future to release a larger Quadcopter. I just broke down and spent 3 months worth of my Electronics budget on a Wild Thumper and other parts that I needed. My goal is to eventually add an Elev 8 or possibly a different Quadcopter to my arsenal. The plan is to maybe make a landing pad on top of the Wild Thumper. Right now the Elev 8 is more than a few months of my budget but I may just save up for it, unless there is a "bigger/better" version on the horizon.

Duane Degn

erco wrote: »

5M RGB LED strip only: $7.99 free ship

Be aware. Those are not quite the normal RGB LEDs we know and love. Those look like they are alternating red, green and blue LEDs. I don't think you can do any color mixing or other cool effects like WS2801 type stripes are capable of.

prof_braino

I got the 5m RGB strip and controller. The colors were funky at the far end, so I disconnected the ground wire from the modular connector and connected ground to the far end of the strip. The colors be came more consistent. After 6 months, a couple of the greens are either failed or intermittent. Overall they are not too bad for cheap.

Peter KG6LSE

I have also delt with the gel covers . i used a weller gun to just burn the living atoms off it and then with a small pick chop away at the goo.... then I used my hakko .

Duane Degn

prof_braino wrote: »

I got the 5m RGB strip and controller. . . Overall they are not too bad for cheap.

It looks like each color can be controlled independently. Is this correct?

I'm curious how you used the strip. I'd think the three different colors wouldn't look as nice as a single color but I suppose there are applications where they would look good (I just can't think of any).

CuriousOne

This one:

http://www.amazon.com/Flexible-Strip-LED-Ribbon-Ledwholesalers/dp/B002QQ1YOM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1373518589&sr=8-2&keywords=300+led+strip

Is similarily priced, but unlike ebay, ships from USA, not from China, and also prime elegible, so in two days you can get it. I purchased it several times, quality/light quality is great.

erco

US ship is good, but similarly priced? Pishaw. That's $13.88 for 5M of white (RGB costs more). But if you want white, how's about 10M white for $11.48.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/3528-SMD-Flexible-LED-Strip-Non-Waterproof-White-Red-Blue-Warm-300-LEDs-5M-/330883506953?var=540152801161&hash=item4d0a31a309

W9GFO

erco wrote: »

US ship is good, but similarly priced? Pishaw. That's $13.88 for 5M of white (RGB costs more). But if you want white, how's about 10M white for $11.48.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/3528-SMD-Flexible-LED-Strip-Non-Waterproof-White-Red-Blue-Warm-300-LEDs-5M-/330883506953?var=540152801161&hash=item4d0a31a309

Pffft! Those are cool-white, find that kind of deal for daylight white (5500-6000K) and it will be a good find.

erco

Your choice, warm white or cool white, blue or red: 10M=$11.48 from http://www.ebay.com/itm/3528-SMD-Flexible-LED-Strip-Non-Waterproof-White-Red-Blue-Warm-300-LEDs-5M-/330883506953?var=540152801161&hash=item4d0a31a309

Weird selection process. Click 5M to see all colors, select warm, then 10M. Can't jump to all colors from all lengths.

W9GFO

Ahh, that's better - $0.36/ft, a good deal indeed. Too bad they have 120 negative feedbacks in the last month....

Publison

It's amazing all the ads show the full reels illuminated, yet when you get the package, they say never to power up the strip without unrolling or else it will overheat.

erco

W9GFO wrote: »

Ahh, that's better - $0.36/ft, a good deal indeed. Too bad they have 120 negative feedbacks in the last month....

There's just no pleasing some people!