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Here is a simple way to make a "led candles moodlight".
You'll have a slow color changing candles group to enlight your living room during Christmas holidays.
You'll have a slow color changing candles group to enlight your living room during Christmas holidays.
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Signing UpStep 1Parts and materials
You need these parts and materials:
- slow flash color leds (browse ebay with these keywords), I used 3 of 5mm type
- moderately large votive candles, 3 as above, 6cm or higher and 6cm in diameter
- a base platter (wood, ceramic, metal ... I used a square piece of plywood, just too small, damn ... a plain porcelain dish would works great)
- a wall wart power supply (I used a 12V/100mA one, but every type from 5V upto 15V works)
- a female connector that match the power supply output connector (barrel, jack etc)
- a 5V/1A regulator IC(classic 7805 or so)
- a 100uF/16V electrolytic capacitor
- some insulated copper wires (short pieces from net cables work well)
- electrical tape or heat shrinking tube (2-3 mm type)
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Since their wax was terribly wrong for this pourpose (smell very bad), I abandoned them, but they are very good to diffuse LED's light.
I think plastic cases would not so good for this pourpose, since color changing or RGB LEDs project their different color rays in various directions with color spots on the final surface (see also my other intructable http://www.instructables.com/id/CCCP_Christmas_Color_Change_Ping_pong_lights/ on how to diffuse LEDs light inside ping pong balls avoiding light spots)
Also a 5V one can be suitable (look for those USB out power supplies/chargers) and you can save the regulator IC an capacitor (be sure about 5V output, you can add one or more 1N4001, 1A diode, to reduce by 0.7V for each).
I din't enclose those parts as you can see in instructable, since they was hidden by the candles when I putted the whole thing on a shelf.
A small case would work nice for female connector, IC and capacitor, pay attention about heat dissipation by IC and its metal tag is connected to the negative. Look at my other instructable http://www.instructables.com/id/CCCP_Christmas_Color_Change_Ping_pong_lights/ where I used a small plastic egg to this pourpose.
With a 5V power supply you can get rid of it.
As I said also in comments of my other instructable http://www.instructables.com/id/CCCP_Christmas_Color_Change_Ping_pong_lights/
it's a good idea using the now common and cheap USB out power supplies/chargers and throw away regulators (LM317/7805) that waste power.
Pay attention they can supply 600 mA at least (1000mA recommended), or reduce LEDs quantity.
Also 5V is quite too much for some LEDs (they die or became erratic after some hours), so add a 1N4001 (1A diode) in series to reduce voltage.
The first I had found are know as "fast flash color" and the changing speed are very fast with some on-off behaviour too.
The ones I used here are called "slow flash" and you can see their behaviour in the instructable video or also in my other http://www.instructables.com/id/CCCP_Christmas_Color_Change_Ping_pong_lights/
Maybe however some "old" RGB auto-changing LEDs sports only 3 color, even if I didn't see them.
I think it is better ask before buy.
Source 5V --> capacitor -- red ---- green --- blue
| led led led
| | | |
the source is a continous voltage...
http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid=m38.l1313&_nkw=color+change+slow+leds&_sacat=See-All-Categories
They have the usual 2 leads (anode & cathode, say + & -) and change their colors in slow fashion AUTOMATICALLY.
Of course you can use regular leds, but in such case the color is steady static and you have to limit the current with appropriate resistor.