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disco lighting

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bik3rnut View Drop Down
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Joined: 17 April 2014
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    Posted: 17 April 2014 at 8:13pm
good evening all, I have a project in mind... I cannot get my disco lights from my old area as I have moved, I would like to rather build my own ones from materials at home.

(the tall wooden box stand with 6 lights in.)

I want to make with 4 globes only.

my questions are the following:

which is better: led or normal globe?

and how do I wire them so they can either flash to the music or just go a random pattern?

I'm a total newbie to this, but I really wanna do this project!
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bitSmasher View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote bitSmasher Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 April 2014 at 3:17am
Cheap way would be RGB LED strip with a music - responsive controller
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DanielIt View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote DanielIt Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 April 2014 at 6:15am
As i played a lot with leds and music i can only suggest oyu to go take a look at wew.arduino.cc. It is a small yet very powerfull microcontroler platform that can do almost everything if you are good with programming.It is very popular,has a very big community of people,a forum full of already made projects(from witch yours is one of the most covered) and you can buy it very cheap.A lot of published books on the net and New starter Kits you can find almost everywhere.
Have fun!
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Earplug View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Earplug Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 April 2014 at 9:10am
" led or normal globe?"

Just steal a "robot"!  Smile

Remember that dimming led bulbs is a bit more complicated/expensive.
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imageoven View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote imageoven Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 April 2014 at 12:21pm
http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/njd-mc4e-4-channel-lighting-controller-r61ec

Something like this will do the control for you.

wire your 4 lamps on four different circuits back to a socket to suit the controller (check controller for how the output is wired,  they are not necessarily to any convention)

If you are not doing dimming (not usual on the kind of set up I think you are wanting) LED versions of standard 'pygmy' lamps will cost more to buy in the first place but should last much longer
Keep pushing on, things are gonna get better.
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shagnasty View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote shagnasty Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 April 2014 at 4:35pm
Hi
 
First guys, he is in SA, great as maplin are a ticket from there to go to Maplin may be a bit much!
 
The kind of "disco lights" we are talking about are switched (hopefully on  a zero-X circuit) not dimmed..
 
Personally I would use LED over tungsten as you you will buy once and use not buy a new lamp (globe) everytime you use the system, LED makes virtually no heat so you can make your boxes smaller/neater...
 
LED also does colour better, a green LED makes green light, a green tungsten lamp makes white light and throws away red and blue with a crude filter to make green, etc...
 
Whilst you could use normal, domestic LED "globes" using something like this :-
 
 
would be a lot cooler, but I am not sure how easy it is to get Chinese stuff delivered to you (I know your import duties on products with low domestic content are massive!!)
 
PS
 
I know this is only your first post but we do have a Lampy section on here for those who swing that way!
 
 


Edited by shagnasty - 18 April 2014 at 4:36pm
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imageoven View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote imageoven Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 April 2014 at 10:33am
I'm not sure how he's going to make that do sound to light though?

And I certainly didn't mean to imply any one should go to maplins
Keep pushing on, things are gonna get better.
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bik3rnut View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote bik3rnut Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 April 2014 at 7:51pm
Good evening all!

Wow! I'm really surprised by all the replies, I must say I'm really happy and I appreciate all the input

I myself, personally would prefer to use led rather than the tungsten globe, like the idea of smaller/neater.

if I had the money to go to maplin, let alone the UK, I would have done so long ago already!!

I'm good with soldering components to pc board, was thinking of using a mini speaker to make a mike for the lights to respond to music, as well as have a small number of its own styles the way the lights flash.



the whole dimming thing with the led sounds rather expensive and much more advanced.

there are "China Town" malls here around in my area which I can go to, they sell plenty different type of lights, and weird funny electronics. they don't have any disco things, but rope lights and so forth, I was even thinking at a stage to buy some rope lights, and design a disco chasing box light from that, and make spirals within, just to be a little different.

there is a Maplin Electronics in South Africa, but too far for me, they situated in Walkerville, Johannesburg.

I know there is a bulk/wholesale China mall around here somewhere, also a tad bit expensive, but otherwise, I'm sure if I could keep researching, I could maybe find something.

Any ideas what will look better for a box? "cardboard" metal, fibreglass, Perspex(very expensive) , or a plastic container? or should I just rather build my own wooden box?
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Earplug View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Earplug Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 April 2014 at 11:43am
Over the years, I´ve knocked up a few lighting thingies with these kits:

http://www.electan.com/kits-electronicos-cebek-iluminacion-c-273_285.html

If you can, definitely go for LEDs.
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bik3rnut View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote bik3rnut Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 April 2014 at 8:07pm
actually looks like a good idea, was thinking, I have a bright led type torch, really bright when battery is charged, just need to find out what type of light it is. it appears to be a tiny pc light, square white globe flat on pc board, if I could perhaps wire up 8 or so more of those with a reflector type thing like a torch but more wide-scoped to cover a larger area like a dancefloor, maybe I could build up a smallish box and fit those on to run for music. and other flash sequences.

globe type: XR-E

page: http://www.cree.com/LED-Components-and-Modules/Applications/Color/Entertainment

http://www.cree.com/LED-Components-and-Modules/Products/XLamp/Discrete-Directional/XLamp-XRE
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