Introduction: RGB Moodlight
This article describes how to make your own mains powered mood light (Also known as led washing light or rainbow light). It is a harmless device which, if used in the way it was meant, can do no harm to anyone. It can give your dark, damp, computerized room a nice glowing tint.
In action:
Step 1: The PCB and Other Parts
- A assembled PCB of the mood light, found here
- A rain pipe
- Some kind of light diffusing piece of plastic (i used a small plastic container thingy they give you when you get Chinese food (filled with sambal doh).
- A big light diffusing bowl, of other fishbowl shaped object. or omit that and just let the light shine on your wall, as a projector.
As you can see i mounted a small PCB with three RGB LEDs at a angle of 90 degrees and mounted the sambalgizmo on that. In the original schematics you wont see it this way, it does require some improvisation. and of course you need to slightly modify the schematic for you led(s). but this should be no problem for a novice geek. As you can see on the pictures, I have already soldered a switch on the pcb and clipped on the power, this was pure for testing and have to be removed later. A tip for building: Test after every step you take, or else you will get really pissed and smash that damn thing against the wall, Really.. Believe me.
Step 2: The Fishbowl
Now you can glue the bowl thing on the piece of rain pipe and let it dry for 24 hours. Meanwhile you can build the pcb, if you haven't already.
Step 3: Glueing It Together
After doing that, you can glue the pcb in the pipe using a hot glue gun. Like this:
Step 4: Rectification
Time to make a small rectifier to rectify the power coming out of your transformer (which you will build in later). I used a bridge rectifier and a capacitor to make a a nice little compact rectifier. As seen below.
Connect the rectifier to a suitable transformer and connect the output of the rectifier to the pcb.
Step 5: The Control Panel
Cut one of the two wires coming from the rectifier and insert a switch between the wires. Drill holes for the two buttons (The mode button and the power switch) and connect everything.
Step 6: Done!
And when it's ready it should look like this :
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18 Comments
12 years ago on Introduction
Looks like a PS3 move
Reply 11 years ago on Introduction
right like the controls for move
11 years ago on Introduction
why do u need the rain pipe for
15 years ago on Introduction
Well, in the second step you can find a link to a site where it is described in detail how to build the circuit that forms the heart of the whole device. I merely made an instuctable how to apply this device.
so, http://www.petesworld.demon.co.uk/homebrew/PIC/rgb/index.htm
Reply 13 years ago on Introduction
The code used in this project can now be found at http://picprojects.org.uk/projects/rgb/index.htm
14 years ago on Introduction
you guys are smart. can i hook up a rgb led in parralel with the different colors suck as: green to red , red to blue . and blue to green pls respond ty.
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
This is possible, as long as you don't overload the transistors (if used)
15 years ago on Introduction
It probably would be a good idea, if it flashes like the middle of the video shows, that anyone with epilepsy or suspects they have epilepsy, should probably avoid this. The slow fading shouldn't be a problem though.
15 years ago on Introduction
i see im not the only one who uses striped CAT5 cable for wire :P
15 years ago on Introduction
Well, Etching is not neccesairy, I didn't do it. I just soldered everything on a prototyping board (very cheap and full of holes) For the rectifier, You can just use everything, as long as the diodes support the current that will be going through them, For the capacitor, same story, take one of 1000uF to 2200uF
16 years ago
rectifier?
16 years ago on Step 1
Wickid light man! Probs could find all these components at my school and that, cool! Is there any way of making it have smooth gradients between each light rather than having to turn off then go fade back in?
Reply 16 years ago on Step 1
It does just that, as you can see in the movie. Also the original designer of the circuit board has a new version which is programmable. Thanks for the comment and show my pictures if you've built on to!
16 years ago
I just discovered this site and this Instructable as well. Thanks for posting this! I'm going to use this project to light a color organ. Here's a video of a color organ DeLorean!
Reply 16 years ago
I am not really sure how you are going to do this, but much succes and thanks alot for the comment!
16 years ago
Very nice project my friend. The colors look really clear, and spread all over. It looks professional.
16 years ago
I don't see any link!
Reply 16 years ago
My bad, fixed that. Thanks for the comment!