My Columns with LED lighting

[christo]

I should probably make a poll for this one....

As a former Electrical Engineer, I tend to over do in the wiring and goodies department.

Instead of a single little light bulb on each column, my plans grew in cost and complexity and I added glass blocks to each of the columns.

Here is a quick and dirty (well not very dirty) video of how these columns might look with LED lighting - I made the color transistions very fast to keep the length of the video short. It can go painfully slow - so slow that you really don't notice the transisitions - and you can pause it on any color you like (and my wife hates this next bit...) and it has a remote control!!!



What do you think? Too much? Too little? Needs a disco ball?

Christo

[Knackers]

Re: My Columns with LED lighting

LOVE it................. I am puting led lights into my timber decking around the perimeter.

I wish I had read this post b4 I corefilled my blocks
as you said................you cant have too much conduit

[Frances]

Re: My Columns with LED lighting

That is so cool! And with a remote as well? Wow!!
I really do think you need to add the disco ball somewhere.

...and here's me wondering how I should best add one little outside light in front of my oven, so I don't have to hold a torch between my teeth on these cold Winter nights.

[egalecki]

Re: My Columns with LED lighting

Hey, I'm looking into a hardhat with a lamp on the front.

I think the led lights are cool, Christo. I think a disco ball would be overkill, though. Do all the lights turn the same colors at the same time? Or are they synched to different colors?

[Breven]

Re: My Columns with LED lighting

WOW....what a cool idea. I thought it would be impressive enough just to have a wood fired oven in your backyard- you've just kicked it up a notch! Can't wait to see how you incorporate those glass blocks into the columns. Very cool.

[christo]

Re: My Columns with LED lighting

Thanks for the kind responses - The disco ball is still in the running!!!!

The LED is a 5 meter strip of RGB leds - you can cut them in to shorter lengths.

I have a single controller and wire under the patio that goes to each column.
So all columns will be the same color at the same time.

I even wired up under my oven so I can light the wood storage area as well...

I'll have a pic with the glass block soon. I've got to get some mortar under the column to hold the patio bricks in place under the columns before I put the glass block in permanently (semi permanently)

Christo

[sarah h]

Re: My Columns with LED lighting

Funny, my husband was just telling me earlier that he had seen light made of glass block, with strings of Christmas lights stuffed inside - we were going to try making some.

I would imagine they are similar to your idea, but yours are much more impressive with changing colours ... and a remote!

Sarah

[christo]

Re: My Columns with LED lighting

My sister made a bunch of those for christmas a few years ago. They are quite pretty.

Drilling the hole big enough to slide lites in the block was the tough part for her. She puts a bow around them and we put ours out every year!

[jeff]

Re: My Columns with LED lighting

Strewth Christo!
Fairy Lights??
I'd get strung, horned 'n guttered, if me mates found out.

Love 'em mate, but on a less esoteric note, I'm seeking an led camping light with a broad spread to supplement our present led semi-spot. Mast-head units seem the best on offer here in Oz.
Any suggestions for a light source? I can house the little honey, eh.
Ta mate.
Luddite Jeff.

[christo]

Re: My Columns with LED lighting

I am a bit of an LED nut... When I was in China there is a huge - really huge - electronics area - like 3 city blocks of multi-story buildings devoted to what looks like a city produce market for electronic components.

I found some 1 W and 5 W superbright LEDs that I am making into a camping light!!! I'm a bit afraid of the 5W - it is just too bright! - 3 of the 1W LED's are working nicely in place of the bulb in my old 6V lantern. I'll try to make it look pretty and take some pics and post them in Chit Chat.

Christo

[boofalu]

Re: My Columns with LED lighting

That look great christo. It's amazing how far led lights have come in only a few years. Will add a nice feature to the oven area. I thought the driver had to be matched to the power of the leds that were attatched? Or is the driver just to put out a regulated 12dc supply?
thanks

[christo]

Re: My Columns with LED lighting

The controller puts out PWM'd 12V and there are current limiting resistors in the flexible LED circuit board to keep from blowing up the LEDS.

Christo

[Archena]

Re: My Columns with LED lighting

Totally cool!

You don't need a disco ball, but you'll definitely need a white and black polyester suit.

My aunt and uncle make those glass blocks with the Christmas lights inside. My uncle says it takes a drill press going in just the right speed to do it well. Too fast, and they break; too slow and they heat up too much.

So what are you gonna do for the overheads, Christo? You can't have all that going on on the columns and not have anything to match it going on overhead. Chinese lanterns are too tame and disco balls are too cheesy - and I don't mean the kind of cheese you put on the pizza!

Seriously though, that looks really good. I'm totally jealous!

[christo]

Re: My Columns with LED lighting

Well - if you promise not to tell my wife...

I'm going to carefully cover the big tall elm tree that covers the left side of the patio in white light strings - so at night my wife can have the fairy lights she talks about when she says whats missing....

That combined with the uplighting and down lighting from the other trees should cast a favorable glow on the entire patio.

Christo

[Archena]

Re: My Columns with LED lighting

Sounds awesome - can't wait for the pics when you finish.