LEDs question (for a LOT of them)

[machineman9]

I'm not sure if this is the best place to ask, but I felt it is closest to the subject matter... Ermmm... Sort of.

For those who don't know, I am doing Product Design Technology. I was going to go down the line of producing a product for photographers, but the feasability was an issue so I am making a new style mirror/mood lighting sort of thing (yeah, what did I say about this best fitting this forum? lol)


Anyway, I'd just like some advice on the best way of powering the mood lighting bit of the product.

The mirror is estimated to be 1434mm in perimeter. I'd like to have LEDs (or is there a better lighting source?) surrounding the entire frame. But to make it even worse, I'd like there to be several colours of LED. Say, blue, white and red? The superbright kind which will actually light stuff up!

Now I've done some calculations and it would seem those LEDs would cost

[Ghostrider114]

that seems really expensive, how many LEDs are on a strip?  you should be able to find individual LEDs at just about any electronic supply store for a couple USD a piece.

[machineman9]

Some products seem to give you 36 LEDs per 400mm or about that.

Prices would be GBP, but yeah I expected them to be in the pennies, not in the pounds, for LEDs of the type I require.


What other lighting alternative is there? Besides from LEDs entirely. A wild guess but might something such as fluorescent tubes provide the answer? I'm no expert whatsoever, but are there similar lighting methods where a certain voltage will produce a certain colour? With fluorescents it is down to the gas isn't it? But something similar in tubes at the length I require. Does anything like that exist?

[EVVFCX]

Hi,

maybe try a christmas set of lights if you can find an led version that you can stop the changing colours or select the colours you want.

Doubt it would cost you

[machineman9]

That's actually a pretty good idea actually. If I could find the right colour style ones, then that would work really well. Usually Christmas tree lights are bright enough and should give a large enough radius of light on the wall behind it.


Thanks for that