LED Lunacy

I’ve got a confession to make.  I’m clueless when it comes to basic electrical circuitry.  In fact, pretty much all of the concepts of electricity other than don’t stick your fingers in the outlets seem to be over my head (ok, well, don’t stick your fingers in the outlets while your standing in water, yeah, I got that one too).  So when it came to buying the components to make my own Homemade LED Spotlights my inexperience with a few basic LED concepts was a definite confidence killer.  The worst part is that up until this point every written tutorial I’ve seen on this has been a complete snoozer.   Thankfully, CreepyCreations have posted a really simple to follow tutorial that outlines all of the essentials you’ll need to purchase the correct resistors to power your LED’s without fear of them blowing up on you.  The tutorial is really well made and it’s really simple to follow....

Making LED Spotlights Oct08

Making LED Spotlights...

I love mini LED spotlights, and they truly don’t cost that much to buy, but if you’re anything like me (is uber-frugal better than saying cheap?), it’s hard to justify paying for something that’s pretty simple to make. There are tons of tutorials online to guide you through the process of making your own LED spotlights, but none of the tutorials I’ve read have so clearly articulated the process as the video tutorial posted below.  And with that being said, it should come as no surprise that it was created by Allen Hopps of Stiltbeast Studios.  ...

Homemade LED spotlights May13

Homemade LED spotlights...

LED lights are like potato chips, you can never have enough of them.  So why would you ever want to buy LED spotlights if you could make them yourself?  Not only that, but I’d be willing to wager that you’re not going to find LED spotlights as slick as the ones Jason over at the Haunt The Yard blog makes.  You’ll need a little bit of talent to get these made, but not a ton, and think of how good your haunt will look at night when every tombstone in your graveyard is lit up with it’s own LED spot.     Items needed to create this include: 1/2 inch PVC 45 degree 3/4 to 1/2 inch reducers 1/2 inch PVC caps 470 ohm 1/2 watt resistors LEDs light bulbs 18 gauge wire   He’s even included a link to an LED calculator in case you’re planning on deviating from his...

Darklight Precision DMX Apr22

Darklight Precision DMX...

Darklight manufactures the world’s smallest LED spotlights.  At least that’s what their website says, and while I’ve never measured to verify this claim, they do offer a wide assortment of micro LED spotlights and floodlights that are very tiny.  The Precision DMX, on the other hand, I have no doubt is the smallest LED DMX controllable fixture, because I’ve never seen anything quite like it before.  This tiny little unit packs quite a punch offering RGB color changing and color mixing as well as flicker, strobe, blink, and fade-in/fade-out.  It’s important to note that you will need a Darkbox Programmer to configure the Precision DMX’s address from the default of 1, or to store settings for standalone use.  Simply put, with the Darkbox you can set the output settings, they’re stored in the Precision DMX’s EEPROM, and then you can unplug the Darkbox and the Precision DMX can simply be powered on and will output the stored settings.  The recommended power supply for the Precision DMX is the PowerPak 5000, which is a 12 volt/5 amp power supply that can handle up to 16 Precision DMX fixtures at full power.  Both the Darkbox Programmer and the PowerPak 5000 are sold separately....

Mini LED Spotlights Apr15

Mini LED Spotlights

The most important part of any Halloween display (and quite frequently the most often overlooked) is the proper lighting of it.    If you’re looking for just the right way to highlight your prop or display you’re going to want to give MiniSpotlight.com a look.  Their Mini Barrel LED Spotlights give just the right amount of light without being a distraction.  They measure in at just about two inches and contain a 5mm ultra bright LED.  They come with 5′ of 24 gauge wire with bare wire leads (power blocks and power supplies are sold separately).  They come in a variety of colors including Red, Green, Yellow, Blue, Aqua, Warm White, Cool White, Natural White, Deep Red, Orange, and of course, Ultra Violet.  They are priced at $12.50 each, but if you purchase 10 or more they drop to $12.00 and if your order totals 25 or more they are further discounted to $11.50 each....