Only LED Nightclub, Help!

FAQs and Howtos for electrical, lighting, Audio and other electronic projects or tweaks for your MX5.

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LeslieAxley
Hey. They are NOT Training wheels.
Hey.  They are NOT Training wheels.
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Only LED Nightclub, Help!

Post by LeslieAxley » Fri Sep 07, 2012 6:14 pm

I would say "bar" but didn't want to confuse anyone.

I am building 3 bars in Antigua Guatemala, went down there to study Spanish and decided to stay for a while. I would like to use exclusively LED lighting if possible - I'm currently using cheap colored Christmas lights but can't wait to convert them to LEDs. Most lighting is indirect (lighting ceiling from the beams) or lighting the wall behind a column etc.

To drive the LEDs I was planning on using old PC computer transformers that put out 12volts (among other voltages) and anywhere between 25-50 amps. I've been doing some reading in the forums and understand that there can be problems ... I read stuff about over driving, the need for current limiting, rectifiers?, the need for a load on a transformer to prevent voltage spikes that can ruin your LEDs - someone mentioned putting a diode across to prevent this? (don't understand) ..

I was really planning to just wire similar lights (same color and electrical characteristics) in parallel using a resistor on each, and to wire these different parallel groups of lights in series - making sure they had equivalent loads so the current doesn't take the "easy way out," leaving the harder to drive leds unlit.

I was going to use a pot somewhere to offer at least some minimal dimming capabilities.

For the LEDs, I wasn't going to buy the latest greatest most expensive lights, but instead, buy some bright 6000-10000 mcd LEDs off of ebay for about $.10 each. That reminds me, any good thread on understanding mcd and lumens?

I also see RGB lights for less that $1.00 each, would be pretty cool to be able to mix the light myself using analog pots, don't know if that's worth getting into ...

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Angreal
I have stars, you haven't. Deal with it
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Post by Angreal » Fri Sep 07, 2012 6:28 pm

I feel like we're being spammed... just a tad

sprsta
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Post by sprsta » Fri Sep 07, 2012 7:03 pm

mods?

SLYDIT
Keep calm, Forum Moderator here.
Keep calm, Forum Moderator here.
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Post by SLYDIT » Fri Sep 07, 2012 7:25 pm

they havent advertised anything....yet.

maybe Dr Ropata can bring some back for us...

i'll monitor how this goes.
RED '90 TURBO.
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na6*dori
Need, more, 5-ing, time....
Need, more, 5-ing, time....
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Post by na6*dori » Fri Sep 07, 2012 9:40 pm

the best ones are in the bottom of wells, and weetbix packets
In which i trust, a cable ties a must

Angreal
I have stars, you haven't. Deal with it
I have stars, you haven't.  Deal with it
Posts: 1621
Joined: Tue Feb 03, 2009 10:13 pm
Location: At the pub

Post by Angreal » Fri Sep 07, 2012 11:29 pm

Can't think of how to link this topic to mx5s other than I have some trademe led strips I plan to use for interior footwell lighting and glovebox.

na6*dori
Need, more, 5-ing, time....
Need, more, 5-ing, time....
Posts: 115
Joined: Wed Jul 25, 2012 8:01 pm
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Post by na6*dori » Sat Sep 08, 2012 12:53 am

thinking thats why... nightclub and mx5 are pretty easy to mistake
In which i trust, a cable ties a must

13r
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Post by 13r » Sat Sep 08, 2012 8:12 am

come on mods, even if it's not spam, it's posted in the wrong section...

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