# Plug and Play LED Spot Lighting



## Nepboard (Sep 21, 2009)

I posted a short version of this in the props section a few weeks back. I have had some requests for a more detailed tut so here it is. As I stated in the prior post I wanted an easy way to illuminate my graveyard tombstones and other props. Be cost effective and simple enough that anyone can do it. Please keep in mind that all of the USB hubs and connectors I paid nothing for. These were being recycled out at work and IT was glad to see them used instead of going into a junk bin. I do hit the Goodwill’s, Salvation Store, and so on and regularly find these items for sale cheap. You may also put out some feelers through friends that work at larger organizations. There is plenty of this stuff being junked every day. 

The following items are needed:
1)	½” PVC end caps
2)	¾ “ to ½” PVC curbside 45 degree elbows
3)	½” PVC pipe (make sure to test fit the ½” into the fitting)
4)	LED lights of your choosing. The lights I used I got through Electronic Goldmine, 10mm brilliant blue. I also bought a few 10mm Red LED’s at Radio Shack.
5)	100 ohm resistors (I got them at Radio Shack
6)	USB hubs (generally each port on the hub supplies 100ma of power. The LED’s used require 20ma. As you can see there is plenty of power.)
7)	USB male connectors (I cut mine off from old mice and keyboards at around 6”)
8)	Flat black paint
9)	Some Velcro 
10)	Soldering gun and solder (I used a cheap 4 dollar soldering iron)
11)	Black electrical tape
12)	22 or 24 gauge wire ( I went to an electrical store and bought 1000’ of 22/2 for 35 bucks. Didn’t really need a 1000’ but it was super cheap and I figured I would use it up eventually. I did end up using about 400’ after I was done. I would have perferred black but thats all they had at that price)
13)	An old working computer power supply
14)	Hot glue gun

I will have the computer power supply and USB hubs mounted and organized in a weather proof box made to look like a stone. This will be placed in the center of my graveyard scene. That way with it being in the center and if I make each light with 40’ of lead wire, that would give 80’ of coverage. Obviously you can make the light any length you want to fit your needs. It goes without saying that all connection were soldered and taped. I would have preferred to use shrink tubing at the connection sites but I had difficulty finding shrink tubing for 22 gauge wire. Anyway, the electrical tape will work fine.

First of all I soldered a 100 ohm resistor to each light. The specific LED’s I used had one lead shorter than to other. I soldered to the shorter one. This way it kept the polarity constant. I then drilled two holes in the ½’ pvc end caps for the wires to pass through and hot glued the light into the cap.

View attachment 9754


Here are the spot lights painted.

View attachment 9755


I then drilled a hole in the side of the PVC pipe about 3” from the tapered bottom and fed the wire up through and soldered the wire to the bulb.

View attachment 9756


On the USB power side below is a schematic as to how things go. Your USB end will have four wires. You will use the red and black wires. You can cut off the green and white (data).

View attachment 9757


I used the 5 volt leads off the computer power supply. This provides plenty of power. I plan on running 6-4 port hubs for a total of 24 lights. Here is a pic with a few lights plugged in.

View attachment 9758


Well thats about it. I added a velcro strap so things would stay and store neatly. I am sure that there is more that other folks can add to this. Hopefully it will give you some ideas on lighting your haunt.


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## Arronaf (Sep 9, 2008)

Thanks for sharing! I think I might be going scrounging at work.


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## Terra (Sep 23, 2007)

Oh yeah, bookmarked!


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## Fatman (Sep 9, 2008)

What wattage were the resistors?


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## Nepboard (Sep 21, 2009)

100 ohm, 1/4 watt


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## partsman (Oct 18, 2007)

I just realized that my ATX power supply conversion would go perfectly with this, as you can set up any voltage combo that you want with it including the +5 volts. I like it, I think I'll be making a set


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## MikeBru (Jul 30, 2009)

I really like these, and am starting to gather the parts together. But, I can't find the 1/2 to 3/4 inch 45 degree elbows. Any suggestions?


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## Nepboard (Sep 21, 2009)

They are called "curb side fiittings". Make sure you test fit the 1/2" end into the pvc pipe. All is not the same!


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## MikeBru (Jul 30, 2009)

Thanks Nepboard, I'll have to give that a try.


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## MikeBru (Jul 30, 2009)

Today I finally found the really small pvc pipe, the stuff is about the size of my small finger. But, I spoke to an employee at Lowe's, he has been there ten years and has never seen a 45 degree 1/2 to 3/4 pvc piece called a curbside connector. I believe him but I'll have to keep looking.


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## savagehaunter (Aug 22, 2009)

looks great.


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## Nepboard (Sep 21, 2009)

Mike,
I am a liar. They are called "street side" not "curb side". I bought all of my stuff at Lowes. I can make a run over to Lowes and get the part number for you if you don't have any luck. You want-1/2" to 3/4" 45 degree street side fitting.


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## Nepboard (Sep 21, 2009)

I found an extra one I had. Lowes P/N 52707.


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## MikeBru (Jul 30, 2009)

Sniff, sniff... hey Nepboard, I think your pants are on fire.

Thanks for the part number, I appreciate that!


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## Nepboard (Sep 21, 2009)

I didn't want a bro to be without his lights!


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## MikeBru (Jul 30, 2009)

Right on, my 10mm LEDs came in the mail today!


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## Hallowennie315 (Oct 9, 2008)

This is such a great idea and i'm so gonna use it! I just have two quick questions. Does it matter which part of the LED (+ or -) is connected to the red/black wire? And also, do you have to plug this in to a computer supply or can you just use a wall "charger" type device. Such as one you would use for your iPod or even phone. Thanks, and GREAT idea!


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## MikeBru (Jul 30, 2009)

LEDs are polar, they do care how they are wired. They have a positive and a negative side. The long leg is the positive, it would be wired to the red side. You can use a wall wart, but make sure the output is DC. You will also need a resistor, I think there is a LED/resistor calculator on this thread. That is pretty much all that you need. Happy Haunting!


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## Nepboard (Sep 21, 2009)

The resistor is soldered to the negative lead. As Mike says above the longer lead on the LED is the positive one. I used a computer power supply because I was able to get a bunch for nothing from computers that were going to be recycled.


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## piraticalstyle (Sep 1, 2009)

These look great! Any pics of how the lights look illuminating something in the dark? I've been thinking about LED lights for my graveyard, but I haven't used them before. They seem like they would have a perfect stark quality.


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## MikeBru (Jul 30, 2009)

Piraticalstyle- Give me some time, I'll post some pics of them illuminating my patio or something. The set I started building were based on too high a voltage, and would get really hot. I am awaiting fresh parts, and once I have them I will complete my spots and post them up.

Nepboard- how long of a wire do you figure you can run on a USB cable to power the LEDs? 100 feet? Is the wire in a USB cable about the same as phone cord?


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## Nepboard (Sep 21, 2009)

I will try to get some shots this weekend. I did give them a test run after I made them and they were perfect (for my tastes)I will say that the 10mm throws a nice illluminating light.


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## Nepboard (Sep 21, 2009)

The wire is 22/2. The longest run I did was about 45 feet on four of the 20 lights I made. The shortest was about 10 feet. I am making the power supply/usb hubs look like a rock that I will place in the center of my cemetery. Therefore the 45 foot runs will give me 90 feet of coverage from center. (45 feet each way)


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## MikeBru (Jul 30, 2009)

Nepboard, I was thinking of using cat5e cable. I would have to solder the sockets and figure out which wire to make the pos and neg. I would have to cut the plug off the other end and solder that to the LED/resistor etc. I'm pretty sure I could figure all of that out. I would also have to figure out a way to mount the sockets into a box of some sort. But before I undertake buying and building, do you think cat5e could handle LED spots at 75 feet? Or do you think there would be a power loss dimming the LEDs? It sure would be shweet to just plug the spots in.


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## Hallowennie315 (Oct 9, 2008)

MikeBru, I'm sure you could probably just use a phone line cord. They're probably less expensive and from what I understand, they just have less wires in the middle. I always wanted to experiment with phone cord lines!


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## MikeBru (Jul 30, 2009)

Yeah, I was thinking of phone cord wire. But, I have a source for some really cheap cat5e, I can't seem to find phone cord that long here, and the only phone cord I do find is white or bone in color. Truth is, I already have lamp cord, and will probably end up going with that even though it won't terminate in a handy plug. But I do still want to know if a long run of cat5e or phone cord would light a LED without degradation at 75-100'. I suspect it would, just looking for some confirmation.


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## Hallowennie315 (Oct 9, 2008)

I love this! I just tried it with some of the LED spotlights I made last year and it works perfectly! Also, I tried using a LED tealight and it also works! All I did was take out the battery compartment and connect the wires from the usb to the wires going to the little chip in the led (from the battery compartment) There are so many more possibilities now! Thanks again!


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## Hoodoo_Hermit (Nov 4, 2009)

Those look great. I wish I had the technical knowledge to pull that off but I love seeing the results posted


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## Nepboard (Sep 21, 2009)

MikeBru,
I was going to use cat5 cable at first because of its availability and price. But after talking with our IT geeks here at work the recommendation was to use stranded 22-24 gauge wire instead. Per the guys stranded wire will have less degradation than a single solid wire. Plus, when I started looking at the jacks, the tool to put the wire in the jacks, and the receptacles it got pretty pricey (for what I wanted, CHEAP). It turned out the be the same with phone wire and jacks. Remember that I did get the hubs and usb connectors for nothing and the wire was 35 bucks for 1000 feet. Go to a local electrical supply store and see what they have for 22/2 wire. The roll I bought had 2 inches of dust on it, not much demand for it. Another thing about stranded wire vs solid is that it is real pliable and rolls up/stores nicely. I am sure that any way that you choose will work fine. Working with 100-200 milliamps it doesn’t take much.


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## Nepboard (Sep 21, 2009)

Halloweenie315 I am glad it worked for you!!


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## MikeBru (Jul 30, 2009)

Hi Nepboard,
doesn't cat5e cable use 22/2?


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## Nepboard (Sep 21, 2009)

When I refer to 22/2 that means 22 gauge wire with 2 strands, cat5e means that there are 5 solid copper strands of wire. In today’s house you will see cat7e (seven strands of solid copper wire) because of the demand (capacity) for internet phone, regular internet, wifi hot spots, etc. I would have preferred to use stranded 24 gauge (24/2) because I felt 22 gauge was a little overkill but 22 gauge is what I got the deal on. When I bought the 1000 ft roll for 35 bucks it gave me a bunch for future projects. It’s perfect for any LED project. It’s amazing how much wire you will use to make 20 lights. I think I ended up using about 500 ft.


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## MikeBru (Jul 30, 2009)

I agree with you completely. I am looking to use stranded wire. Not only because it is much more flexible, but also it is less like to fail from being bent one time too many and it is better at carrying power versus signal. You cleared one thing up for me, I had always thought cat5e and cat7e WERE stranded, I didn't know they were solid core. Thanks again.


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## Nepboard (Sep 21, 2009)

Great point about it breaking over time! What color LED's did you buy?? I made 15 blue and 5 red (all 10mm). My hope is the red will give it a little color. They both have a great low glow to them. Perfect for the graveyard gig. I am then going to "wash" the graveyard from the sides with colored floods. From other pics here I think I am going to use yellow, red and blue.


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## MikeBru (Jul 30, 2009)

I bought ten LEDs. Five of them are blue. The other five are amber/yellow. I have seen one blue one lit when I had the too hot (12v) set up. It was very bright. I tried something new by going for a 1watt, 40 degree, 280,000 mcd, 10mm LED. I got them here: http://stores.ebay.com/HKJE-Led-Lam...43QQ_sidZ197621527QQ_trksidZp4634Q2ec0Q2em322

I haven't seen the yellow yet, but I thought it might impart a sense of age or decreptidness to the scene. The blue should feel cold, lost, open and lonely... spooky.

In the past I was using blue floods to light the yard itself. The one time I had the bule LED running I was shocked. I think I can light the whole yard using just two of the 1 watt blue LEDs. I can put them up high on a pole and the point source of light should be really tiny versus the amount of light compared the the flood lights. Also, cheaper to run.

I'm really excited to assemble them, I am just waiting for the new resistors to arrive in the mail. The previous order I placed I chose the wrong resistors, delaying me by close to 2 weeks. I may acutally be projectless until the resistors arrive.


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## Nepboard (Sep 21, 2009)

I got mine at radio shack.


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## thisain'tmayberry (Jan 25, 2010)

I've had some issues with brightness. It seems the red LED's are brighter than the blues. Have either of you messed with different sized resistors to "balance" out the light intensity? If so, what did you use? BTW, I love the connectivity idea of the USB's. So simple...


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## Nepboard (Sep 21, 2009)

If I remember correctly the 100 ohm, 1/4 watt resistor put the LED at the upper side of its limits. This is my first go-around with it so I am sure there will be modifications.


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## MikeBru (Jul 30, 2009)

I think the real problem isn't that one LED is more intense than another. I do agree, the red sure looks brighter. I think what is probably going on is the trick of the human eye. Red happens to be one of the easiest colors for us to see. Bue, one of the most difficult. Have you tried using two or three blue LEDs or a stronger blue LED for every one red LED? That might help you.


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## thisain'tmayberry (Jan 25, 2010)

Well, my initial thought was to up the resistor on the red LED. I have not experimented yet. Just looking to see if someone had already invented the wheel .


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## Hallowennie315 (Oct 9, 2008)

MikeBru said:


> I bought ten LEDs. Five of them are blue. The other five are amber/yellow. I have seen one blue one lit when I had the too hot (12v) set up. It was very bright. I tried something new by going for a 1watt, 40 degree, 280,000 mcd, 10mm LED. I got them here: http://stores.ebay.com/HKJE-Led-Lam...43QQ_sidZ197621527QQ_trksidZp4634Q2ec0Q2em322
> 
> I haven't seen the yellow yet, but I thought it might impart a sense of age or decreptidness to the scene. The blue should feel cold, lost, open and lonely... spooky.
> 
> ...


Hi Mike Bru, thanks for sharing the link to the 1 watt LED's. I was looking for those! I wanted to know what resistors you will be using.


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## MikeBru (Jul 30, 2009)

I think it is a 5.6 ohm resistor, with a 5volt DC power supply. I used this site to calculate the resistor. http://led.linear1.org/1led.wiz


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## fritz42_male (Apr 30, 2009)

Just FYI I've got a blinking eyes setup that uses pairs of LEDs on the end of cat 5E single strand cable linked to a Picaxe controller. I've gone 100ft with no trouble and no noticeable dip in the light output.

So as to keep cost down I used 'chocolate blocks' (screw terminal connectors) on the LED side but to make life simple I used colour coded speaker terminals on the Picaxe box.

Jaycar have the speaker terminals for under $1

http://www.jaycar.us/productView.asp?ID=PT3000&keywords=speaker+terminals&form=KEYWORD


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## MikeBru (Jul 30, 2009)

Fritz, your info about the 100' was one of those missing puzzle pieces for me. Thank you very much for posting that info. I am also using the screw terminals, but that is a good idea with the speaker connectors. I'll need to keep that one in mind for future projects.


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## Nepboard (Sep 21, 2009)

*update*

I finally got time to work on this project. Here are a few pics of the progress. A little carving and some drylock and we are ready for the big day, ! mean night!
View attachment 11902

View attachment 11903

View attachment 11904


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## MET42 (Nov 9, 2008)

Where does one get the USB hubs (generally each port on the hub supplies 100ma of power. The LED’s used require 20ma and the USB male connectors?


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## Nepboard (Sep 21, 2009)

I reference all of that at the beginning of the post. I basically scored it all at work from stuff being thrown out.


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## MET42 (Nov 9, 2008)

I understand where you got your USB hubs and USB male connectors but do you know where I can get them?


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## jayb (Aug 18, 2009)

This opens a lot of doors for me, thanks.


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## MikeBru (Jul 30, 2009)

MET42, you could try All Electronics.


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## zleviticus (Sep 11, 2009)

You know instead of going the hub route i have a lot of old linksys power injectors. Hmmmm those would do nicely. Will ahve to see what voltage they are pushing out.


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## Nepboard (Sep 21, 2009)

I am with Mike. Any electronic store would have the stuff but buying new may get a little pricey. I have scored USB ends off stuff at GoodWill and Salvation Armys.


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## LT Scare (May 21, 2008)

Anyone who wants to save a little time might want to log onto ebay and search "wired LED 12V" and look around for the colors and quantities you need.

About two or three years ago I started converting as much of our home haunt to LED as possible. Last year the prices dropped and it looks like they are even lower this year. The best thing about the 12V is that you can run dozens of them off of one Malibu light transformer. I use inexpensive speaker wire to connect / chain the lights and hook up to a transformer. 

The single biggest change in 09 was the addition of three different sized red LED to the columns of skulls on each side and at the top of our entrance - plus yellow eyes for the gargoyles atop the skulls.

Daytime:









Black light plus LED eyes only:









Black light, LED eyes, plus LED spots at bottom pointing up. UV LED spots are used on the ghost coming out of the window (top right) and the Roof Spider (not seen well at this angle). However, black light tubes are still the best for lighting a large area like the cemetary at the left, IMO. All of the LEDs you see in this pic are powered by one Malibu transformer.


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## MET42 (Nov 9, 2008)

Thanks Mike, I will


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## SavageEye (Aug 30, 2010)

Nepboard, great post.  I am having trouble visualizing how the usb ports are connected / wired to the power supply. Can you please provide more detail? Thanks.


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## Nepboard (Sep 21, 2009)

On my power supply ( i think all, but research the one you have) the red wires are the 5V+ and the black are grounds -. The power supply I used had 5-5V (red) leads. Simply cut the USB hub power supply cable (USB cable) in half or what ever lenght you need. The male ends you cut off you can use for your lights. There will be a red black wire, solder those to the red and black from the power supply. The other two wires are data and not needed. Let me know if you need more.


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## SavageEye (Aug 30, 2010)

Thanks, I'll keep you updated...


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## 4ToUov (Jul 20, 2010)

Thanxx for the tip LT Scare,just bought 20 pre wired leds for $2.69 incl. S&H to The Netherlands


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## SavageEye (Aug 30, 2010)

Nepboard, finally found a friend who was getting rid of his computer. Score! My power supply, has 6 red and 12 black (and a rainbow of other colors). Does this mean that I can set up 6 USB hubs? Do you just cut and cap off all of the other colors?


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## Nepboard (Sep 21, 2009)

I would confirm that the reds are 5V through the vendor of the power supply but yes, you can use one for each supply and black is ground. I zip tyed the other leads out of the way. I did not cut them off in csse I wanted to use the supply for other applications (12v).


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## Nepboard (Sep 21, 2009)

The power center is done. 

View attachment 12275


View attachment 12276


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## Nepboard (Sep 21, 2009)

Pretty bad when you have to look up your own post to remember how you did something.


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## Sleepersatty99 (Aug 16, 2010)

OK so you said to solder the resistor to longer side (negative) of the LED, There is another thread here that said to solder it to the shorter side(positive) . Does it matter where its solder?


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## darkmaster (Apr 29, 2009)

I like the idea of the LED spots. I made mine with 1/2" PVC and used a 1/2" CPVC cap with holes drilled for the LED wires. This cap will slip into the 1/2" PVC elbow with a little trimming down on a grinder. Works great for lighting effects. I changed all the lighting in the haunt over to LED spots.


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## SavageEye (Aug 30, 2010)

Sleepersatty99 said:


> OK so you said to solder the resistor to longer side (negative) of the LED, There is another thread here that said to solder it to the shorter side(positive) . Does it matter where its solder?


Sleepersatty99, go to this website and it will give you a better understanding of how to wire the LED with a resistor (when you run the calculator, check mark "wire diagram"). 

http://led.linear1.org/led.wiz

It should always go to the negative side... In most (I believe all) LED's, the shorter side is going to be the negative side.

View attachment 12646


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## Nepboard (Sep 21, 2009)

Thanks Savage eye.


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## Malcore (Aug 29, 2009)

I wonder if theres a way to control these things because there already going through USB


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## Nepboard (Sep 21, 2009)

What do mean by control?


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## ScareWorks (Sep 6, 2010)

I think this is a great method because of the low amps involved. Thanks!


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## Nepboard (Sep 21, 2009)

I think I am going to try the sand paper method on a few bulbs to reduce the "spot light" with the bulb. Our first haunt is this weekend so we'll see.


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## forgedblades (Sep 20, 2010)

Just a "general Question on this.. do you have to go with the 10MM size LED's or can you go smaller, say 5MM and still have an effective light for what you/we are trying to do?

For those looking for USB parts, if you shop an online computer store for cheap USB cables, you cna generally find them for around $1 ea, which while not free/recylced ( which is still ideal), it still isn't going to break the bank. Heck the actual physical connectors ( male type A for example are usually around$.65 a piece unless bought in large lot sizes so that isn't much of a mark up to getting one wired. 

I really like the idea, and may yet try to do something for my display this year.


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## Nepboard (Sep 21, 2009)

You can use any size you like. I used the 10mm super brights for no other reason for the brightness. Just make sure to match your voltage/resistor to the supply.


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## rebelxwing (Oct 7, 2008)

These look great! I have just finished building 2 strands of LED spotlights (1 strand of green and yellow spots and 1 strand of red spots), but I chose to use simple 24 gauge speaker wire and make direct solder connections (followed up with black electrical tape of course). 
I like the 'plug and play' simplicity of USB connectors, that was quite a nice touch. Wish I had thought of it before I started building mine! I am about to make some 10mm blue and white spotlights and have high hopes for them.


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## Nepboard (Sep 21, 2009)

Our first Haunt was last weekend and the first for the lights. I couldn't be happier with the lights and how the connections worked. I utilized about 14 of them throughout the graveyard scene. I did scuff a few of them with 400 grit sand paper to reduce the "circle" effect. I then washed, from the sides with red, yellow, and blue 75 watt floods. Of course (stupid/beer) I personally didn't take any pics of it but I am certain that other folks with us did. I will post when I hunt them down.


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## matthewthemanparker (Sep 8, 2007)

Thanks Nepboard for the idea. I had the battery operated LEDs last year and they lost effectiveness not long into the night. I'm glad I saved them though. I was able to make one of the spotlights today out of supplies I already had but will have to wait until an order of usb cables come in to make more. I ordered 500' of wire and a few male to male usb cables. That way I can make two spotlights out of each cable.


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## bkr1969 (Nov 29, 2009)

I think I found an online source for the elbows (Lowe's doesn't seem to carry them anymore). Nepboard, can you check this to see if it matches? It doesn't swithch from 1/2 to 3/4, but I couldn't find any that did.

http://www.indelco.com/pc-3418-673-sp40.aspx


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## Nepboard (Sep 21, 2009)

Yep. The best I can tell that's it.


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## matthewthemanparker (Sep 8, 2007)

I was able to get mine at our local Lowe's. It wasn't with the regular pvc though. The section of pvc I found it in was more of an off white color. It was separated from the other pvc by the copper pipe section. They may only carry it in certain regions.


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## Nepboard (Sep 21, 2009)

RebelXwing,
How did your lights turn out?


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## Richman2000 (Oct 4, 2010)

I really like the idea with the LED's and PVC pipe. To make your own power connectors, check out cyberguys.com. the have bunches of cables and connectors CHEAP. I've used them for years when I've needed parts and gadgets.


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## bs2000 (Nov 13, 2010)

I was wondering why you went a usb route when you could have got end connecters that would plug in the back of the power supply cables.


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## Hauntcast (Oct 3, 2007)

I made these with wall warts. I like your approach better.


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## Nepboard (Sep 21, 2009)

bs2000,
Well, I never considered it. Main reason why I did it like I did is that it works great and it cost me nothing other than the lights themselves.


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## SavageEye (Aug 30, 2010)

*Different Take...*

I love this thread and have read a lot about people not being able to get certain PVC parts as well as USB hubs (both of which I struggled with as well ). Here is what I came up with…

PVC LED Spot with Swivel head (still need to spray black):

View attachment 16069


View attachment 16068



And here is my power supply:
View attachment 16072


View attachment 16073


View attachment 16071


The connectors came from All Electronics and are weatherproof:
(http://www.allelectronics.com/make-a-store/item/CON-320/2-CONDUCTOR-WATERPROOF-CONNECTORS-18-AWG//1.html

Thanks Nepboard!


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## SavageEye (Aug 30, 2010)

FYI, I will have to go back to Home Depot to get you a parts list on the lights...


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## Nepboard (Sep 21, 2009)

Very Nice. I like the swivel option!


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## ScreamFX (Apr 7, 2011)

Here are some 5mm diffused LEDs that have a built in resistor for 12V.

http://www.allelectronics.com/make-a-store/item/LED-12B/12V-BLUE-DIFFUSED-LED-5MM-T1-3/4/1.html


```
http://www.allelectronics.com/make-a-store/item/LED-12B/12V-BLUE-DIFFUSED-LED-5MM-T1-3/4/1.html
```


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## darkmaster (Apr 29, 2009)

Just my insight on this, I don't see a point in weather proof connectors when they're that close to the supply. These would work if the lights were on longer cords. Maybe you are using longer cords, but they're just not in the photo.

This is a good idea so there's no question of polarity in the wires. Makes for an easy setup.

I use color coded wires for mine, ie: red and black colors.

Nice work.


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## SavageEye (Aug 30, 2010)

darkmaster said:


> Just my insight on this, I don't see a point in weather proof connectors when they're that close to the supply. These would work if the lights were on longer cords. Maybe you are using longer cords, but they're just not in the photo.
> 
> This is a good idea so there's no question of polarity in the wires. Makes for an easy setup.
> 
> ...


DarkMaster, you are correct, there are connector wires that I made (not pictured) that run between the power supply and the lights themselves. I believe the longest run I had was 25'. I used black lamp cord, purchased at Home Depot and spliced in one of these connectors on each end. I also (you can't tell by the picture) put two connectors at the back end of each light so that I can "daisy-chain" them. Unfortunately (and I am not sure why) I was not able to get more than two lights per run. Thanks for the comments.


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## darkmaster (Apr 29, 2009)

*led ligbts*

Do you mean that you lost power daisy chaining lights??


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## SavageEye (Aug 30, 2010)

When I would go to connect the third in line (power source --> Light 1 --> Light 2 --> Light 3, etc), power would not make it to the third light. The first two would stay lit, however the third one would have no power. Any thoughts?


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## Nepboard (Sep 21, 2009)

You got me. I ran 22 of them through the hubs last year without any problems. Wish I could help.


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## ScreamFX (Apr 7, 2011)

SavageEye said:


> When I would go to connect the third in line (power source --> Light 1 --> Light 2 --> Light 3, etc), power would not make it to the third light. The first two would stay lit, however the third one would have no power. Any thoughts?


You may want to try setting it up as a parallel circuit instead of a series circuit. That way, it's not necessarily sharing the voltage. However, the way you have it running in series (from what it sounds like), your total LED voltage for the series should not exceed 80% of the supplied voltage.


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## SavageEye (Aug 30, 2010)

ScreamFX said:


> You may want to try setting it up as a parallel circuit instead of a series circuit. That way, it's not necessarily sharing the voltage. However, the way you have it running in series (from what it sounds like), your total LED voltage for the series should not exceed 80% of the supplied voltage.


ScreamFX thanks for the help and welcome to the Forum! In layman terms how do you set up a parallel circuit?


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## ScreamFX (Apr 7, 2011)

SavageEye, thanks for the warm welcome. 

A picture is worth a thousand words. Here is a great (and short) tutorial on setting it up in parallel and also some other great LED info.



> http://www.allelectronics.com/mas_assets/spec/LED_Hook_Up_Guide.pdf


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## SavageEye (Aug 30, 2010)

ScreamFX said:


> SavageEye, thanks for the warm welcome.
> 
> A picture is worth a thousand words. Here is a great (and short) tutorial on setting it up in parallel and also some other great LED info.


That pretty much simplifies it… I definitely did it in a series. I am going to make a new batch this year and I will do it parallel.


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## killa283 (May 11, 2011)

Great information let me know if you ever think about selling kits?


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## Nepboard (Sep 21, 2009)

Killa,
This is super simple stuff. Trust me, I know you can make them! I will help in anyway I can. Just ask!


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## Nepboard (Sep 21, 2009)

Killa,
Did you ever make any lights?


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## Macchus (Apr 16, 2011)

Hey Nepboard, 

I've been keeping an eye on this thread for a while. Great stuff! Thanks for the great tutorial.

I am very interested in building a set of LEDs like yours. I was looking for some low-key spots for props, and this seems like the perfect solution. I've struggled with lighting previously... even the lowest wattage floodlights are way too bright for my small haunt space (front porch, small yard), plus I really like more subtle low-key lighting anyway. I had toyed with the idea of buying some of those low voltage landscape lights and taping some gels over them for color, but I had a hard time justifying that kind of money. Your solution, on the other hand, seems versatile, effective, and cheap! Winner!

I have a few questions. I'm sure I could learn this through trial and error, but some guidance would be very helpful:

-- Your tombstone cover for the power supply looks really cool, but were you at all concerned about heat build up? I know there's a fan in the power supply, but if you build a weatherproof housing, wouldn't it be almost airtight too? Any concerns about overheating and causing a fire?

-- If I've read and understood the previous posts correctly, you can run a single four USB hub from one 5v connector from the power supply. From there, you run four LEDs. Would it be bad to run less than that, though? In other words, would you shorten the life of your LEDs if you ran less than four per USB hub? (I'm thinking of Xmas lights where the instructions tell you to replace the burned out bulbs immediately. If you don't, the remaining bulbs will burn out quicker.) This question might seem a bit unnecessary, as new LED lights are easily constructed and cheap. But, then again, why not make them last as long as possible?

-- Any thoughts on what you could use the other power supply connections for? Could you run an FCG or other props from one of the 12v ones?

Again, great stuff, fantastic tutorial. I've been on these boards for only a few months, and I'm still thrilled with how friendly and helpful everyone is here!

Macchus


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## Cray Augsburg (May 8, 2010)

Macchus said:


> -- If I've read and understood the previous posts correctly, you can run a single four USB hub from one 5v connector from the power supply. From there, you run four LEDs. Would it be bad to run less than that, though? In other words, would you shorten the life of your LEDs if you ran less than four per USB hub? (I'm thinking of Xmas lights where the instructions tell you to replace the burned out bulbs immediately. If you don't, the remaining bulbs will burn out quicker.) This question might seem a bit unnecessary, as new LED lights are easily constructed and cheap. But, then again, why not make them last as long as possible?
> 
> As NEPBOARD originally hooked this up, the LEDs from each port are in parallel with each other. Soooo, the voltage stays the same across the LEDs, and they draw only the current they need. If one goes out, the voltage across the others stays the same - the power supply simply has to provide less current.
> 
> ...


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## Nepboard (Sep 21, 2009)

Thanks for the props Macchus! (props, get it? ok not that funny). Cray took the words right out of my mouth, lights are independent of each other. Thanks Cray! As for you other questions, heat is non-issue. I do have a couple large slots in the bottom of the tombstone for the wires to pass through to the hubs, there is plenty of air movement. The nice thing about a computer power supply (as you point out) are the different voltages. You are correct Macchus in the fact that you could run multiple voltage needs (12v, 5v, etc). Everyone is always here to help!


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## matthewthemanparker (Sep 8, 2007)

Here's a few pics of the ones I made. I made the shaft fairly short as you can see by comparison to the size of my hand. I got a powered 7 port USB hub for power supply. I will probably end up getting at least one more to run 14 spots.


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## Nepboard (Sep 21, 2009)

PERFECT! I am glad you could use the info.


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## Nepboard (Sep 21, 2009)

I recently purchased a few LEDs from Darklight Precision Lighting. You can find the review here.


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## Nepboard (Sep 21, 2009)

Matthew,
What size LED's did you use?


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## matthewthemanparker (Sep 8, 2007)

I'm not exactly sure. They are the ones that everybody bought from "Jack's Tool Shed" last year. After most all of the batteries died on Halloween night I almost threw them away thinking it would be more of hassle replacing batteries than buying new ones. Glad I saw this thread though. No more batteries to worry about.


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## Xane (Oct 13, 2010)

If you're going to wire them into an AC adapter you should probably just buy bare LED bulbs, so you have the voltage and amperage required to know exactly which resistors you will need for your project. Niktronix was the best price for a commercial supplier at .18 per 5mm super bright bulb. I also did a semi-group-buy here where they came out to $0.10 apiece.

http://www.halloweenforum.com/hallo...ing-buying-led-bulbs-make-spotlights-out.html (initial post)

http://www.halloweenforum.com/hallo...ed-bulbs-make-spotlights-out.html#post1161781 (ready to ship).

I still have multipacks left. The only thing is the blues may not be bright enough, but even if you use 3 bulbs in one spotlight it's still cheaper than the clip-ons. I may still order from Niktronix for warm white LEDs (the one in the multipacks are cold white) But if you have your heart set on buying the clip-on ones, Nifty Mart had a better ($0.75) deal than the $3 Jack's is charging this year:

http://niftymart.com/clip-on_12pack.aspx


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## ryanlamprecht (Oct 8, 2009)

This is brilliant! I've been trying to figure out how I'm going to utilize all the prewired LEDs I just purchased to light my yard.


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## Dminor (Jul 21, 2006)

Thanks for this tutorial. I've made a ton of these over the last week. Super excited to bring a whole new level of atmosphere to my haunt.

On a side note, really my only complaint is that dirt/grass/etc. gets clogged up in the tube. I'm thinking maybe a spike of some sort needs to be inserted to prevent the clogging and to protect the leads from the LEDs.

Anyone have any thoughts about that?


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## Dminor (Jul 21, 2006)

Nepboard, any thoughts on making larger versions for pseudo LED floodlights? I haven't seen any parts at the depot that are quite as suited for this as the smaller pipes that you used for the individual LED spots.


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## Nepboard (Sep 21, 2009)

Dminor,
I haven't had the dirt/grass issue but I guess its because I don't really push them into the ground very far being that they are so light. You easily can push a heavy piece of wire into the ground or a stake as you suggest. I drilled a whole about 3-4 inches up from the bottom of the tube for the wire to come out so the leads do not get kinked/etc from being pushed into the ground.


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## Nepboard (Sep 21, 2009)

Its funny you mention larger versions. I was thinking about that two weekends ago when we did our first haunt at the state campground. I do not like standard 50-100 watt floods when you have to move around your haunt a few times. I am very careful with storage and handling and I still have to replace a few every year. I also hate dealing with tripped breakers when you are trying to run a dozen or so. I think it would be pretty easy to buy 2" or above LEDs and mount several lights into a single fitting and use the usb hub for power. I was thinking of the following solutions:

1) Build 5 or 6 custom tombstones and put (incorporate) LED lighting into the backs of them. They could be strategically place in the graveyard for the ambient lighting needed.
2) Seeing some of the TUTs on here about building trees, I wonder if you couldn't build a tree out of PVC (collapsible, decorate it up so it looks like a tree) and have LED lights at the end of the limbs. You could position the lights as needed. 

All I know is that I want as much of my lighting as possible to be LEDs and turn key as possible.


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## Titus (Nov 1, 2010)

I am currently gather the parts for these and going over the design. Being that an ATX power supply also has 3.3v outputs, is there any reason why you wouldn't want to use this and skip the resistors?


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## Nepboard (Sep 21, 2009)

Titus,
You sure can. The LEDs that I used were 3.4 to 3.9 volts if I remember right. I just wanted them at the upper range.


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## Old Man Bakke (Oct 18, 2011)

Can I see them in action....


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## matthewthemanparker (Sep 8, 2007)

I could never get a good shot of mine. But here's the best one.


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## Nepboard (Sep 21, 2009)

Matt's pics show the lights well. The closer you get the more circular the light is like the blue one. I took some sand paper to a few bulbs that helped with the effect.


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## Dminor (Jul 21, 2006)

Yeah, I did the same. Had to sand them all...all 50 of them. LOL

Has anyone noticed that some colors are brighter than others? Blues and greens, more so with green, are brighter than amber/orange. I was hoping that I could use 10 or so to create a blue flood, but found that it didn't put off as much light as I had expected. I ended up having to go with some par 38 LED cans in place of them.


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## VirusHaunt (Oct 9, 2011)

MikeBru said:


> Today I finally found the really small pvc pipe, the stuff is about the size of my small finger. But, I spoke to an employee at Lowe's, he has been there ten years and has never seen a 45 degree 1/2 to 3/4 pvc piece called a curbside connector. I believe him but I'll have to keep looking.



stay away from the employees if it isnt on the shelf it wont be... prob not code in your area best bet look for plumber and ask most of the time they give away if its the owner walk away. or most home centers offer store to store free shipping go online


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## Dminor (Jul 21, 2006)

I found them at my lowes in the isle next to the standard PVC pipes. They were designated as "hot water" pipe fittings, but they did carry them. 

Hope that helps!


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## Titus (Nov 1, 2010)

A note to the masses... Don't order LEDs from China if you need them quickly. My pipes are cut and painted. 500' of 22/2 brown wire is cut and ran through the pipes. $3 Ebay 7-port powered USB hubs from New Jersey arrived in no time at all. I have a pile of USB male connectors sitting at the ready. The LEDs were ordered 2 weeks ago from China. I paid an extra $5 for express shipping with an estimated delivery time to US of 5-9 days. They have not arrived. GRRRRR


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## Nepboard (Sep 21, 2009)

Titus, did you ever get your lights??


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## LT Scare (May 21, 2008)

> A note to the masses... Don't order LEDs from China if you need them quickly. My pipes are cut and painted. 500' of 22/2 brown wire is cut and ran through the pipes. $3 Ebay 7-port powered USB hubs from New Jersey arrived in no time at all. I have a pile of USB male connectors sitting at the ready. The LEDs were ordered 2 weeks ago from China. I paid an extra $5 for express shipping with an estimated delivery time to US of 5-9 days. They have not arrived. GRRRRR !


Yes, ALWAYS look at the shipping information on the ebay ad page to see when you can expect delivery. These are very low margin items and ship slow, so *PLAN AHEAD! * When they are as low as $.16 each, it is wise IMO, to order more than you need to assure you have some around when you get a flash of an idea for a project. I keep my extras in a ziplock baggie with quantity and color marked on the bag with a Sharpie, then all bags in a large plastic jar at the end of my workbench.
I've never had an order lost, but they do take a couple of weeks to arrive most of the time. I've ordered several hundred of these in various colors over the years.


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## Old Man Bakke (Oct 18, 2011)

Nepboard said:


> Titus, did you ever get your lights??


NO I didn't ....any suggestions?


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## LT Scare (May 21, 2008)

Customs is always a crap shoot. Inspection can definitely delay a China shipment for a couple of days. I've probably ordered 20-30 ebay items from China. One arrived as a torn, empty envelope. After emailing a pic of the envelope, the seller sent me a new item that arrived with no problems. Most arrive in 12-14 days, a few have taken 20 days, but the seller stated that would be the case in the ebay ad. I've never ordered expedited shipping. I doubt there really is such a thing- just extra $$ for the seller. JMHO


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## kfinley (Aug 6, 2012)

Can you just come to my house and do this? Lol. I am SO not technically capable.


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## Nepboard (Sep 21, 2009)

Yes you can. I will help in any way.


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## Blarghity (Sep 2, 2012)

In another thread about some mass manufactured LED lighting, I saw something that irked me.

"Our company specializes in professional lighting and thus with the price you pay, you get a professional product and service. Our most popular products are often the higher output spotlights where a haunter simply CANNOT make a low budget equivalent because there's a lot more complexity that goes into high output spotlights. Sure, there are plenty of tutorials that teach you to make mini-pinspots for just a few dollars, but they just don't compare in the brightness, durability, compactness, safety, and quality of our products."

That was posted by a manufacturer representative and it is a flat out lie. It annoyed me to the point that after years of lurking, I finally registered just to make this post.

The problem with low budget, DIY LED spots is not that it is impossible to make comparable lighting on a budget, but rather that most DIY'ers skip two very important features. I'm going to tell you how to add those features. I guarantee you that there is no more complexity to those professional lights than there is to the DIY design in this thread. 

The two important features skipped are reflectivity and diffusion.

The first step skipped is reflectivity. Lighting is boosted by reflecting it for projection, and the white interior of the pipe doesn't do the trick. There are two things to be done for this. First paint the interior of the pipe with chrome or other reflective paint. Alternatively, use aluminum foil tape as a liner. The second thing is to create a parabolic reflector to mount the LED in. This is simply a cone of cardstock, covered with aluminum foil tape and and the tip of the cone removed to provide a mounting point for your LED. Just hotglue the cone into place at the back of the LED.

Second is a diffuser lens. This would be mounted at the open end of the pipe where the light emits. Unfortunately, this is a sort of DIY item, as nobody makes cheap, circular diffusion lenses. Instead, buy a cheap flash diffuser which has a large, flexible, rectangular lens and just cut it up to make your own circular lenses. Hot glue it to the open end of the pipe and you get the bonus of some extra waterproofing. An example of this type of flash diffuser is at http://www.suntekstore.com/goods.php?id=10011222&utm_source=gbus

Or do what I do - drill a nice large circular hole in a pipe cap and glue it to the inside of the cap. This one change let me switch to using superbright white LEDs and I simply glue a bit of color gel to the back of the diffuser lens, which gives me dozens of color options that I can change by simply making extra caps with the desired color gel affixed. This makes them usable year round. Also, having the diffuser lense mounted internally helps to eliminate that bright "horizon" at the mouth of the light that tends to make them stand out rather garishly and forces most haunters to hide them behind rocks, tombstones, cemetery fence posts and other props. Just remember to paint the caps black after drilling the hole and before gluing bits in place.

Anyway, by adding reflectivity to your lights, they will look substantially brighter and the diffuser lens will soften the edge to reduce that harsh spotlight-like effect, giving you lighting that is much more comparable to the results of mass produced lighting.


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## Nepboard (Sep 21, 2009)

Wow, great post!. I think I can speak for most of the people on this forum is that fact that just making something for pennies is half the fun. I did get some "factory" led's that I reviewed earlier in this thread. Yep, they are really, really brite. They are also really, really expensive. If I was a pro haunter I would probably have to go that route but I am not. I am going to try the diffuser advice on a few. Thanks agian for the great info.


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## cemeb4dk (Aug 27, 2012)

I have started to build some of these for this years display. Great idea and awesome tutorial. I am having trouble finding green LED's that are bright enough to be spot lights, my local Radio shack and such only have low intensity ones. Any suggestions, I looked on Ebay and found some but I dont want to buy 50-100 bulbs. 3 or 4 would work for me.

Thanks in advance


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## Nepboard (Sep 21, 2009)

Did you try electronic goldmine?


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## Blarghity (Sep 2, 2012)

Another thought for folks. While your harvesting USB cables from various devices, look at what else you might be able to harvest. I've got a stack of dead USB optical mice and while lopping the cables off them, it occurred to me I should be opening them up and harvesting the red LEDs from them, along with the various resistors and capacitors. Maybe even the microswitches.


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## Bryan316 (Oct 18, 2009)

Nepboard said:


> If I remember correctly the 100 ohm, 1/4 watt resistor put the LED at the upper side of its limits. This is my first go-around with it so I am sure there will be modifications.



Dunno if this has been mentioned yet seeing as I'm still on page FOUR out of however many THOUSANDS this thread has... heh heh heh...

For testing purposes, you can go get a trimpot and dial it in to dim each LED:










These are all over the net and Radio Shack has them.


Okay, back to reading!!!


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## Bryan316 (Oct 18, 2009)

Nepboard said:


> Thanks for the props Macchus! (props, get it? ok not that funny). Cray took the words right out of my mouth, lights are independent of each other. Thanks Cray! As for you other questions, heat is non-issue. I do have a couple large slots in the bottom of the tombstone for the wires to pass through to the hubs, there is plenty of air movement. The nice thing about a computer power supply (as you point out) are the different voltages. You are correct Macchus in the fact that you could run multiple voltage needs (12v, 5v, etc). Everyone is always here to help!




Okay, a few pages deeper now. HAH! The benefit of having 12VDC along with your 5VDC is for computer chassis fans to build your own flame cauldrons. You can put 12VDC amber or red LED's on the sides of the fan body, attach a metal or plastic grill with the fabric/plastic flames glued in, and you can just add them along like your 5VDC lights.

Back to Page 11 to keep catching up....


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## Bryan316 (Oct 18, 2009)

Dminor said:


> Thanks for this tutorial. I've made a ton of these over the last week. Super excited to bring a whole new level of atmosphere to my haunt.
> 
> On a side note, really my only complaint is that dirt/grass/etc. gets clogged up in the tube. I'm thinking maybe a spike of some sort needs to be inserted to prevent the clogging and to protect the leads from the LEDs.
> 
> Anyone have any thoughts about that?



Remember someone made a rotational light head? Use that method for the bulb assembly, use a simple conduit clip or rubber-insulated cable tie, and hammer some Rebar into the ground. Cut the rebar 12" long, bend the end over about 2" worth for a L shape to step down on or pull out, then attach the bulb assembly 1" below the bend.

Use these guys as your anchor point on the Rebar, and a simple:


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## Blarghity (Sep 2, 2012)

As far as part numbers go, 52707 is the manufacturer's number, not Lowes' internal SKU. 52707 is used internally at Lowes for some sort of chrome plated "master hanger."

Seeing as I picked up some components today, I thought I'd provide the current Lowes SKUs. Part numbers and local pricing according to my receipt:
23761	1/2" coupling CPVC $0.27 
23810	1/2" x 10' CPVC pipe hot	$3.53
155544	1/2" cap - bag of 10 $2.79
161528	3/4" 45 street elbow $0.68

I'll also take a moment to point out that all these components are hot water CPVC. For the most part, they are incompatible with the white plumbing PVC and gray electrical conduit PVC (white and gray are compatible with each other). so don't go buying white pipe expecting to save money, as you'll waste more than you save on all the interface couplings you'll have to buy. However CPVC has some advantages of its own, like the fact 1/2 inch pipe fits inside 3/4 inch pipe without an adapter and the piping is substantially more flexible.

On a side note, also at Lowes at the registers they have a 1.0 amp 5 volt DC converter at the register for about $7. The size of an ice cube, it is designed for recharging electronic devices via USB. Following the 80% restriction to 800mA, the thing will power 40 20mA LEDs, or in my case, 27 30mA LEDs. I picked up one of these over the xmas season and it powered my lighting just fine for the season.


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## DEADBYDAWN (Oct 3, 2009)

matthewthemanparker said:


> Here's a few pics of the ones I made. I made the shaft fairly short as you can see by comparison to the size of my hand. I got a powered 7 port USB hub for power supply. I will probably end up getting at least one more to run 14 spots.


I'm a little confused here. Is the use of a computers power supply, which was originally suggested by Nepboard a necessity for this project? Because looking at Matthewthemanparkers setup, it seems like he is just using a powered USB hub and no computer power supply. Can I just use a powered USB hub?


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## matthewthemanparker (Sep 8, 2007)

Yes, a powered usb hub works just fine.


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## Nepboard (Sep 21, 2009)

Yes, that type will work also (plugs into the wall). My USB hubs were powered by a usb cable to the computer (9V lead off power supply if I remember correctly)


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## DEADBYDAWN (Oct 3, 2009)

Hey everyone. So, I've been struggling with the LED build. Like a previous poster on this thread, when I started to plug more than 3 bulbs into the USB hub they became very dim, more than 3 they went dark. I have also tried various wall warts and regulated power supplies and the same thing happens. It also seems than anytime I've tried a 12V power supply it burns the bulbs out. I'm beginning to think it has to do with the power rating of the bulbs I purchased. Clearly my knowledge on all things electrical is limited. Ha!  I bought the bulbs from monster guts. Here's the link...

http://monsterguts.com/index.php?act=viewCat&catId=36

Also here's the spec on the bulbs. Any suggestions?

Green

Forward Voltage 3.2
Forward Current IF 30
Power Dissipation 90
Pulse Current 100
Operating Temp 85c

Yellow

Forward Voltage 2.4
Forward Current IF 30
Power Dissipation 75
Pulse Current 100
Operating Temp 85c

Deep Red

Forward Voltage 2.5
Forward Current IF 30
Power Dissipation 75
Pulse Current 100
Operating Temp 85c

specs for Blue...

Reverse Voltage VR IR = 30μA 5 -- V
Forward Current IF ---- ---- 30 mA
Power Dissipation Pd ---- ---- 105 mW
Pulse Current Ipeak Duty=0.1mS，1kHz ---- 100 mA
Operating Temperature Topr ---- -20 +85 ℃
Storage Temperature Tstr ---- -25 +100 ℃


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## Dminor (Jul 21, 2006)

That's why I went with the mono RCA connections and a 9v 5a power supply. LOL

EDIT: I'm actually using a 12v 2amp power supply. Had to double check!


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## DEADBYDAWN (Oct 3, 2009)

Dminor said:


> That's why I went with the mono RCA connections and a 9v 5a power supply. LOL


Forgive me, when you say "9v 5a" is that the same as 500mA? I'm having a hard time locating the right wall wart online that matches the specs you are recommending and I am determined to make this work! I've tried so hard build my own I refuse to buy overpriced pre-made LED spots! Argh!


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## Chewbacca (Oct 12, 2010)

DEADBYDAWN said:


> Forgive me, when you say "9v 5a" is that the same as 500mA? I'm having a hard time locating the right wall wart online that matches the specs you are recommending and I am determined to make this work! I've tried so hard build my own I refuse to buy overpriced pre-made LED spots! Argh!


5 amps is 5000mA. I've been using the pre-wired LEDs from http://lighthouseleds.com/pre-wired-leds-1.html.


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## Blarghity (Sep 2, 2012)

A 5 volt USB line only out of a hub carries a maximum of 500ma.

I'm guessing you are wiring the three in series rather than in parallel. With series wiring, the voltage adds up, while with parallel wiring, the current (mA) adds up. Many LEDs will light up dimly on lower current, so I've seen instances where 4 or 5 supposedly 3.2 volt LEDs have illuminated with technically two of them should have been too much for a 5 volt circuit.


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## DEADBYDAWN (Oct 3, 2009)

I guess the whole parallel vs series thing confuses me since others on this thread made the USB setup work. I guess it depends on the LEDs you're using?

Chewy, those pre-wired LEDs are looking good. I have a regulated 12v 5a power supply I could use and that should work right since they are 12v LEDs, right?

I really appreciate everyone's help on this and I know some things on this thread are being repeated here but having you guys answer my questions is very helpful. I'm so ready to put this project behind me and finish my garage maze!


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## EviLEye (Oct 21, 2012)

Deadbydawn,

Check the following link for a quick overview of series vs. parallel wiring. 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks3/science/energy_electricity_forces/electric_current_voltage/revision/4/

And yes, the 12v power supply you have will work with the pre-wired LEDs referenced in the other link. What's nice about the pre-wired ones is they've already got the inline resistor and have heat shrink on them to protect the contacts. It's sometimes a pain to sit there and solder the resistor and install the heat shrink when doing a bunch of lights so the premium is usually worth it IMO.


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## LT Scare (May 21, 2008)

I've been buying the "wired 12V LEDs" from China on ebay for several years now. I use the cheapest, thinnest speaker wire I can find, wired to a Malibu Light transformer. Check out garage sales or go to ebay and find an old Malibu yard light transformer. I have MANY hundreds (1000+ now) in props that are all powered by one Malibu transformer.


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## Chewbacca (Oct 12, 2010)

DEADBYDAWN said:


> I guess the whole parallel vs series thing confuses me since others on this thread made the USB setup work. I guess it depends on the LEDs you're using?
> 
> Chewy, those pre-wired LEDs are looking good. I have a regulated 12v 5a power supply I could use and that should work right since they are 12v LEDs, right?
> 
> I really appreciate everyone's help on this and I know some things on this thread are being repeated here but having you guys answer my questions is very helpful. I'm so ready to put this project behind me and finish my garage maze!


You can get them in a couple of different voltage setups. Like others have said, how they are wired makes a huge difference. These things should be wired in parallel, all the positive together and negative together. That way you can connect as many as you like up to the amp limit for your power supply.


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## SavageEye (Aug 30, 2010)

EviLEye said:


> Deadbydawn,
> 
> Check the following link for a quick overview of series vs. parallel wiring.
> 
> ...


Bingo!!! Now I get it!!!


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## DEADBYDAWN (Oct 3, 2009)

Series vs parallel wiring makes total sense to me now. I've ordered a couple extra power supplies and some pre-wired LEDs. I will wire them in parallel and keep you guys posted. Just curious, would the wiring in this fright props video be concsidered series or parallel? I mean, they are just twisting everything together!


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## Chewbacca (Oct 12, 2010)

They are tying all the gold (positive) together and all the silver(negative) together. This is parallel wiring.


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## SavageEye (Aug 30, 2010)

How do you know if a power supply is "regulated"?


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## Mkozik1 (Mar 2, 2013)

The words "regulated" will be printed on the power supply. Not to be a smart a$$ !!


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## Defenestrator (Jul 27, 2009)

SavageEye said:


> How do you know if a power supply is "regulated"?


Essentially, I've always taken the position that if it doesn't specifically indicate it on the power supply, consider it unregulated. The vast majority of everyday wall warts that I've got hanging around are not regulated, nor are the PC packs.

You could test the unloaded voltage with a meter and compare it to what the stated rating, but I'm not sure I'd even consider that wholly reliable. 

I think printed/stated is really the most reliable way to go if you want to be certain.


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## mc20piece (Aug 17, 2013)

Nepboard said:


> When I refer to 22/2 that means 22 gauge wire with 2 strands, cat5e means that there are 5 solid copper strands of wire. In today’s house you will see cat7e (seven strands of solid copper wire) because of the demand (capacity) for internet phone, regular internet, wifi hot spots, etc. I would have preferred to use stranded 24 gauge (24/2) because I felt 22 gauge was a little overkill but 22 gauge is what I got the deal on. When I bought the 1000 ft roll for 35 bucks it gave me a bunch for future projects. It’s perfect for any LED project. It’s amazing how much wire you will use to make 20 lights. I think I ended up using about 500 ft.



This is inaccurate. CAT5, CAT5e, CAT6, CAT6a, CAT7 all have 4 pairs (8 wires) and are available in both solid and stranded. CAT 7 also has nothing to do with the fact that we have phone, internet, or wifi hotspots it is just the new spec to run 10Gb over copper. CAT5e, and CAT6, are still the most common today. Most people do not have 10Gb connectivity on their home routers/switches. A 1Gb connection using CAT5e or CAT6 can handle everything in your example. If you were to build a new home CAT6a or CAT7 would probably be the way to go as they are backwards compatible.


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## EviLEye (Oct 21, 2012)

Agree with mc20piece in that the term is referencing the 'category' of the cable, meaning within the cable there are a certain number of twists per foot so as to cancel cross talk. When I first started installing networks in the 90's, as the throughput got better (100Mbs for instance) the limitation was the cabling because many people had cat3 and it had too much cross talk. And as a result you'd see cyclic redundancy errors (CRCs). So people started pulling cat5 to replace the old cat3. cat7 came along and I think the industry thought everyone would start pulling out the cat5 but most everyone has been getting by just fine with their existing installations and doing upgrades where needed or for sure putting in the newer cable versions for new installations.


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## DEADBYDAWN (Oct 3, 2009)

Just want to update everyone, I ordered a bunch of LEDs and a few power supplies from Lighthouse LEDs and they are great! Thanks for the link Chewy! I have 5 setup in my garage maze currently and they look great. I'm able to light up my props while keeping everything else dark, as it should be. I really appreciate everyone's help!


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## Nepboard (Sep 21, 2009)

I thought I would post an update. This will be year 5 on this setup without one failure of anything. It has been rain and wind for the 3 years (god bless Michigan in the fall) and not one issue. Granted, not as bright as commercial products but minimal cost and rewarding to build. Lots of variations in this TUT by some very smart haunters!


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## SavageEye (Aug 30, 2010)

Looks like Darklight no longer sells direct and it appears that the distributors that do stock their products are high on something. I don't remember their pricing this high: 

http://www.techni-lux.com/default.aspx?tabid=12&searchtype=0&search=darklight&cat=All+Products

What are people buying (if they're not making their own)?


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## MikeBru (Jul 30, 2009)

I recall looking into getting a start up set a year or two ago, $1,000. Individual lights I was interested in were between $50-$80, if I recall. Seeing lights for $260 does kinda melt my mellon. I've never found a cheaper price, anywhere, not even in person at a show. I find their product gorgeous, and I'd love to play around with it, and it is just so expensive to just start experimenting with we can't do it. I have a need to light an entire haunt and that would just kill our entire budget for the season, just on lighting. When I do get around to using these they better be everything they are purported to be! Who knows, competition must be coming up in the rearview mirror soon.....


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## Old Man Bakke (Oct 18, 2011)

Blarghity said:


> As far as part numbers go, 52707 is the manufacturer's number, not Lowes' internal SKU. 52707 is used internally at Lowes for some sort of chrome plated "master hanger."
> 
> Seeing as I picked up some components today, I thought I'd provide the current Lowes SKUs. Part numbers and local pricing according to my receipt:
> 23761	1/2" coupling CPVC $0.27
> ...



what were the couplings and caps used for?? BTW those SKU's are good!! Found all that stuff at Lowes today!!


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## Nepboard (Sep 21, 2009)

I encourage everyone to subscribe to Electronic Glodmine's e-mail blast. They are a electronic surplus purchaser who buys some pretty random stuff including LED's and power supplies. I have bought a bunch of stuff from them over the years and have never been disappointed.


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## Bryan316 (Oct 18, 2009)

Ooooooooh myyyyyyyyy.... Electronic Goldmine looks GORGEOUS! It's like Parts Express for home audio, but for everything else!

BOOKMARKED

I'll peruse thoroughly.... and get their emails!

Glad to see this thread alive and kicking, we keep improving this concept and finding better sources for our parts. Quite a payoff.


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## giantstogie (Oct 26, 2016)

will this wire work.


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## HallowFear (Aug 2, 2012)

What do you guys think of using phone chargers for power?? Instead of a computer power supply


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## David_AVD (Jul 27, 2011)

As long as the voltage is correct and the current rating is more than your lights are are drawing that's fine.


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## Nepboard (Sep 21, 2009)

Phone chargers are fine but have their limitations.


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