LED lightbar with changeable colors for holidays

[hrtbreaker]

I'd like to find an LED lightbar to mount to the outside of my home.

The idea is to have a thin mounted, weatherproof lightbar which has changeable LED lights.

It would be especially nice to have a programmer to control the lights and effects.

Would I would do it have different color lights for different holidays - red, white and blue for the 4th of July; orange for Halloween; red and green for Christmast, etc.

It would be a tasteful unobtrusive permanent year-around exterior light display...rather than leaving gawdy holiday lights hanging from the gutters year-around.

Does anyone make anything like this?

Thanks!

 

[LowBat]

:welcome:

You might want to search eBay for LED lightbars. There are some cheapo versions that might be what you're looking for.

 

[StarHalo]

You might take a look at Ikea's "Dioder" LED strips, they're indoor-only so you'd have to work out some weatherproofing, but they're remarkably bright and the single unit (on the multi-color model, there's also a white-only model) covers a range of colors. I'd be a little worried about the cost, as these are $50 a piece, with each unit covering 36".

 

[The_LED_Museum]

I just purchased one of these (a "Dioder" unit) - for CPF sakes of course.
Is this it?

 

[StarHalo]

Those are the Dioder pucks, not the strips. I'm referring to these: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50119407

 

[The_LED_Museum]

Those are the Dioder pucks, not the strips. I'm referring to these: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50119407

{spoken like Bart Simpson} HELL DAMN FART!!! CRAP BOOBS CRAP!!!
I no longer have the $$$ to purchase the other DIODER unit. :shakehead
The "puck style" product I purchased was evaluated a short time ago today; the link to it on my website is right here if anybody is interested (the evaluation will be going "hot" early tomorrow morning).

 

[StarHalo]

Great review - I remember when I first saw how remarkably vibrant the multi-color units were at Ikea, and I thought "I'd love to see a spectrum chart on one of those..", nicely done. BTW, you can use 3M Command Hooks to stealthily hang those from your apartment wall, none will be the wiser.

 

[The_LED_Museum]

I've already affixed them to the back of my LCD computer monitor (using the double-sided tape that was furnished with the lights) facing the wall; I would not like the lights themselves to be visible - as they would be if I hung them on a wall...regardless of *WHICH* wall.
So I have found an application for them for which I am quite satisfied. :twothumbs

 

[Ken_McE]

http://www.bblites.com/

 

[greenguy]

What you're asking for sounds simple - but isn't. Depending on your install - if you want the best of the best go with Color Kinetics.
http://www.colorkinetics.com/ls/rgb/

Here's their "cheap" xmas lights:
http://www.colorkinetics.com/ls/rgb/flex/

You would actually need an authorized installer to install it - but if you're good with wiring etc. could do it yourself.

They also have different programming options that increase in price:
1. Set programing - 5 or 6 preprogrammed presets
2. Custom - you have software on your computer that lets you create custom programs than download it into their box.

Color Kinetics is what they use in Las Vegas Cirque Du Soleil shows, Santa Monica Ferris Wheel, Wynn in Vegas (the color changing pool).

I would research the pricing on Ebay - buying brand new is WAY expensive.

 

[EricB]

I'm still busy looking for RGB string lights, and despite the promise of commercially oriented strings this year, it doesn;t look good so far.

Third party seller Wiedamark did have the I Color Flex on clearance for $189 a few weeks ago, but it quickly went back up to regular price!
I can't find them on EBay, or Amazon. One of those places did have the newer "SLX" version, but I don't like that one, because it uses separate LED's for red, green and blue (SRGB).
Wiedamark also offers Neo-Neon's Video String Light for $399. http://www.wiedamark.com/ledvideostringlight.aspx http://led.neo-neon.com/soft/111.htm
Neo-Neon itself also has a nice RGB rope light: LED Vision Flex http://led.neo-neon.com/soft/110.htm

Color Kinetics is now apart of Philips, and I had hoped they would offer a consumer version of the I Color Flex (which is really a sign pixel unit and not really a Christmas string), but nothing like that has surfaced. We'll have to see when the Philips stuff hits stores, but you would probably be seeing it on the site by now.
Colorstream had promised a distributor (Foreverbright; I had been told), but nothing has ever surfaced of that.

Triklits remains dead in the water, and now the site tells you it is gone. They say they may start selling again. I had searched around for more information awhile back, and found the report about a part that overheated and posed a fire hazard. They got into a dispute with the manufacturer of that part or something, and never resolved it, and I think were looking for someone else. You would think it wouldn't be this hard if that is all it's about. It's been two years already. Shame, because with 24 lights at $100, with many different patterns to choose from, it was the best deal out there.

Ledeffects is now "LightingScience", and the Dotz have all been renamed. The original Dingdotz is now X8 Dotz, and the newer CoolDotz is now X16 Dotz. They are all the same price, with a "demo Kit" of ten lights and random preprogrammed chip at about $100, and the full string of 50 lights about five times that much.

Then, there was also Cosmo Lighting, so I hope they have improved the colors for this year.

Sure hope some other options come out soon.