Remedial LED Help Needed

[Steve Clarkson]

I would like to build 4 different light bars (6", 12", 18" and 24") in various colors to light up some clear acrylic signs. A simple project......I thought!

I went to SuperBrightLED's website and the choices are daunting.

Can someone simply tell me what 3 or 4 components I need to buy (using their product serial numbers) in order to build each of these four light bars.....I'm sure I can figure out how to connect them.

I don't want to know anything about resistors, ohms, voltage, forward diodes, etc. but rather just "For a 6" light bar just buy the rigid light bar #XX348, power cord c21, and power supply v12".

Obviously, I would like to buy the least expensive options but for those of you that have made your own before, I will rely on your recommendations.

Thanks!

[AL Ursich]

Search eBay for REEL LED as in a Film Reel.

I have clear, red, green and blue in a Reel. It is thin and you can cut it every 3 LED's on the line and solder a 12 volt wall wort transformer to it. Or get fancy and add a jack, plug and switch.

I have the solid color but they have Red Blue Green and a controller that will change the colors.

I paid about $70.00 last year for each reel. I saw they are down to about $40.00 now.

Someone on another post just drills a hole on each side of the wooden base from back toward the front.

The Acrylic has 2 holes holding it above the LED's and a pin or screw in inserted holding the Acrylic.

Dan Hintz will chime in shortly and offer help..... He like I are into LED's...

AL

[Dan Hintz]

Considering the cost of pre-made LED strings these days, I can't hope to compete price-wise, even if I do offer more functionality. This is the reason I have shut down my LED lighting business... no profit and too many headaches. If I didn't have a large stock of stuff on hand, I'd purchase the pre-made strips myself at this point.

[AL Ursich]

Ooooooo... Didn't remember until now about your business...

Like me I bought a case of everything in Unisub stuff that I really thought was going to work for my business.... Prying little old Granny's Pocket Book open to buy a cute picture of the Grand Kids on Unisub XXXX... Only to have 80% of that inventory still in my Storeroom... Just last week I gave away 3 plaques, 3 Clock, 6 Coffee Cups and 3 Mouse Pads to a former Co worker looking for something to send over to the Sand Box with the Kids Pictures on it.... Inlaws, Outlaws, and Iraq..... He was happy... I wrote it off as Samples... 80% of my business was Sublimation last year but not that stuff..... So I learned too.....

I have 4 Cases of Solar LED Christmas Lights speaking of LED's.... Bough them direct from Hong Kong to use in making Solar Name Signs... Or Address Signs..... That was 2007 too.... With only 2 AA batteries the lights did not last the night in the winter.... Found putting 2 D batteries and I was good to go.... But Again.... No Money and No Market....

My new thinking on the LED's is to cut off all but a few and use this thick fiber optic cable strands to poke out the holes in the letters and bundle the Fibers in the back and butt some LED's up to them... Less LED's longer AA Battery Life....

That would be a Good Thread.... Marketing and Project Ideas that Flopped.... Or Toooooook OFFFFFFFF

AL

[Larry Bratton]

Steve:
Perhaps this site might be of assistance https://www.decorandafter.com/store/categories.php?cat=46 . I thought the prices looked pretty good on these premade bases.

[Mike Null]

Super Bright is based here and located very near the JDS warehouse. I started to pay them a visit the other day and noticed their sign. "No customers allowed in this building" They are apparently an internet only outfit.

[Steve Clarkson]

Mike.......they don't like to talk to you on the phone either.......

Larry......I had forgotten about that site.......their prices do look good, I just wonder how well the bases work. The other problem with those bases, is that they only seem to take 1/4" thick acrylic. I would like to have bases that take not only 1/4" but 1/8" and 1/2". I sold a big piece of 1/2" a few weeks ago, and have about 10 sq ft left over......I was hoping to use it to make a few small signs.

I picked up a small battery operated LED task light from Lowes the other day for $12......it has 4 very bright LED's spaced 2" apart (Sylvania "Light Flute") and looks like a long cigar. I was thinking that I could cut a few pieces of acrylic and glue them up in the shape of a long box (10"x1"x1") and just drop the light in. I haven't tried it yet, but I doubt it will look good......I'm assuming that the LED's will be so bright that you will see the "cone of light" coming up from the base.

I also received a sample LED strip from SloanLED and it works perfectly........it is a 12" long strip with 18 LEDs......the strip has adhesive on the back and it came with a power supply that simply plugs into the strip......the LED's are strong enough to light up an entire room......during the day! It's is EXACTLY what I was looking for.....except that the wholesale price from the sign supplier is like $30 for the strip and $50 for the power supply................

My quest continues............

[Vaughan Raymond]

I'v bought several of the Decor and after bases and they are great.