Sure! So, I'm currently overwhelmed with RGB LED strip wheels as it is right now, so they're from everywhere.

But, I've started to rely on 2 companies. One is Alitove, they have an Amazon store and an eBay store. Their a division of some large Chinese company, but all they do is make and sell LEDs - in all the usual formats. I've noticed that their strips seem to match the closest, no matter when you buy them - for me its a good sign. And their colors are really rich, especially their WS281x lights, just wish someone made a Z-Wave controller for the WS281x.

The other one is a SUPERNIGHT on Amazon. Don't know much about them, they appear to be a self-branded version of someones strips. Really good color reproduction. Though they are the ones that accidentally made me aware that you can buy an RGB light strip that is individual red, blue and green LEDs instead of the multichip 5050 packages we're used to lol.

As for power supplies, definitely recommend these guys - from 60 watt/5A, all the way up to 120 watt/12.5 amp.

So far, I've got a 60watt/5amp that's been running continuously for over a year at close to its max, with some bright cool white LEDs (Kitchen lighting), I've also got one of the 120w/12A supplies that's been running 24/7 for about 6 months now outside, running some WS2811 light strips. They are hard potted and stay really cool - I've had so many power supplies die trying to run a 10 meter length of white LEDs for any significant length of time.

In fact, I trust them enough that I'd almost mount them inside the wall next to the box, but I don't know if I could do it and still sleep at night.

So what I've been doing is using 4-gang old-work fiberglass boxes - 2 hour fire rated, they're pricey but you can but 2-3 or more 60watt supplies in a single one. I really wish they made these single-gang boxes with a 'pocket' in a larger size.

Honestly, it's overkill for sure - especially compared with what most elecchickens install things like this, from what I've seen. But I'd rather spend an extra $20 now rather than a fire later. Plus, if we ever sell out house, I don't have things like that hidden from people.

Interesting, I've never seen one like that.

Try contacting the folks at candlepowerinc.com. I've dealt with them for some obscure old automotive bulbs and they've been very helpful. The website is shit, but they're a few towns over from me and have a legit huge warehouse full of bulbs. I think it's mostly incandescent, not much in the way of LED or fluorescent stuff, but I'd bet that, if they can't get this for you, they know who can.

Fair warning, the guy I dealt with was the crotchety old-timer type. The super-knowledgable curmudgeon sort, but after talking for a few minutes he warmed up. Guy was a walking encyclopedia of bulbs. You'll probably want to have measured the bulb and have it in hand when you call.

To my eye, it looks the same size as a regular fluorescent bulb. Your best bet might be to replace the whole fixture with one that will fit current fluorescent tubes. That'd be easy to find, just ugly, the sort of white plastic fixture you could find at Home Depot or something. If you're more committed to keeping the existing look you could see about replacing just the sockets. This will require some wiring work, and some general playing around to figure out what works. This would be the route I'd go, if it were me, but I always advise people to stay away from wiring if they're not comfortable working on it. If you do go this route, newer style sockets are cheap, you'll just need to figure out what kind you need (these are sometimes referred to as "tombstones" because of their shape). You'll also probably want to replace the ballast.

EDIT: I just started a new sub, r/LampRestoration, which I'd been meaning to do for a while. I'd love if you could crosspost this over there, and post an update when you make a decision about how to proceed, if you're up for that. It'd be the first post in the sub. :) (I will add some content/pics of my own projects there soon too of course!)

1. Some musics This would be excellent accompaniment when studying spells.
   
   
2. chimneys. This would be good because if your fireplace is connected to the floo network, you want to keep things in good working order with a proper chimney.
   
   
3. Silly musics! Sometimes when you've been studying Defense Against the Dark Arts for nine hours straight, you need some silliness in your life.
   
   
4. Firefly comics!.. Eventually I'll have downtime from school. Comics help me relax :D
   
   
5. A bra because Well, this is just a necessary everyday item for a woman like me who has huge...tracts of land.
   
   Bonus points : mmmmm snacks. I need this for school so I can have some snacks! Potato chips + studying = great success!
   
   Mischief Managed!

I hadn't frankly read up on them all too much until just now. I should really do more research :). The brand I bought has a comparison chart telling me you're right. Our lights are sufficient. If I get the chance I'll probably buy some that are a bit brighter but as it stands I really like the way they look and they're quite functional.

After I looked into the purported output though, I'm still a bit confused. One thing I've found is that lumen output isn't a truly quantifiable number. Yes, it's scientific but there are various other factors when it comes to led strips. The ones I bought are listed at 164L/Ft. At 36 leds/ft that breaks down to ~4.5Lm/Led. I couldn't find an output on the ones you linked, but these are rated at 15Lm/Led. My strip also has 600 leds per 5 meter strip while the brighter ones have half as many at 300. All in all, I have a feeling the second link will be brighter than the ones I bought, but on paper it says the opposite. These look pretty bright as well but again, are only advertised at 25LM/Led. Worst case scenario you buy two or three rolls at $10 a pop and just give them a go.

I don't think I linked this before, but if you want to use a standard switch and dimmer (as opposed to a wall wart) these are pretty slick. Just make sure to match the current requirements to however many feet of light you have.

These feel sort of low-budget, but are very flexible in terms of application. Installation is part of the fun here. Start with a Hitlights 300 RGB - $30 (this recently dropped in price from $40) or a 150 kit Get as many of these are you think he'll want, depending on the space available. A 16-foot run of 300 will light up a small room. The 150s are more for accent lighting.

For each additional run, he'll want an amplifier if he needs them all controlled by one controller. You also need a power adapter for each amplifier, but this is included in each of the $25-30 kits. You can cut and splice them, but it's much easier and neater if you have the pre-made connectors - short strip-to-strip short strip-to-terminator or long terminator-to-terminator. I did my first round of installations without the connectors and it was pretty messy, so I strongly recommend getting them to ease things along.

Last, does he listen to pounding electronic music? If yes, a music controller.

This will probably work for you:

http://www.rfcontrolsystem.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=470&products_id=579

In the manual it doesn't fully tell you where to put the power leads. Hook it up like in the youtube video linked by the other guy. If the directions are backwards, reverse the motor. Red is + and black is -.

You will need a 12 V DC power supply. Often called wall warts or wall plugs. You can get one on Amazon, Fry's, Best Buy, etc. Here's the first one I found, I have no idea about whether it's a good brand or good price or anything. Read the reviews. It's a 2 Amp which exceeds the minimum I calculated earlier, but you could go for a 3 amp as well:

http://www.amazon.com/BINZET-Adapter-Regulated-Supply-Copper/dp/B00PJZQDDO/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1457316150&sr=1-1&keywords=12+V+wall+plug


You will need the little plug that take DC power as input and outputs a red and black wire. Here's an example:

http://www.amazon.com/5-5mm-2-1mm-Female-Connector-Camera/dp/B005CMP434/ref=cm_cr_dp_asin_lnk

You will also need wire to go from the plug to the board, and since there are multiple points on the board to connect to +12V and 0V, you will need jumper wires to spread to multiple terminals like she does in the video. So you need something like this.

Finally to cut and strip the insulation from the wires you will need something like this.

So this is my, in progress, setup. Please ignore the mess as I've been changing things around, adding stuff etc. And yes the TV power cord will eventually be hidden 😉

My goal is to RGBW the back of the desk. I at least wanna do the whole straight desk and possibly the curved part too(opinions?). That's simple enough and I have the LED strip to do that. My question comes in for the monitor and TV. I'm not sure of the best way to get RGBW strips behind both of those without running separate power supplies etc. I don't want to do this so they all operate off the same remote.

I have this being shipped to me and I was just gonna run the cable through the wall to each screen, then attach additional LED strip to it:

http://s.aliexpress.com/qyIfeiUN

1, I'm not sure how to attach it. Do I solder the extension onto each end? And #2, should I buy some sort of connector that's easier? That's where I'm getting confused. Because I see things like these and they seem so much easier:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013JRRPCG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_98iSybFKW6B25
Or
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B019MTK554/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_P9iSyb3JRFMJK

Thanks!!

Thank you! That's incredibly helpful. I am building this from scratch and ordering parts as needed. For power then, would I be okay pairing this:

https://www.amazon.com/LEDwholesalers-Power-Adapter-Output-3261-24V/dp/B00E36W0LY/ref=sr_1_32?ie=UTF8&qid=1475153860&sr=8-32&keywords=24v+power+supply

with this:

http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/CUI-Inc/PJ-202B/?qs=WyjlAZoYn50IHvPllDpQyw%3D%3D&gclid=CjwKEAjw97K_BRCwmNTK26iM-hMSJABrkNtb51Ll00FG37_QN4v3fhcR9uGDfqlBZcDeRaxRP5khqBoCSKfw_wcB

I picked a 6A power supply because I assume I need to account for the operating current as well - which is rated at 700mA. I am not confident on this point, however.

Edit: I guess I only need a 1A power supply for the Buckpuck. Some basics are still eluding me.

Are other LED drivers/MOSFET preferable to the Buckpuck, or better documented? Googling MOSFET certainly makes it seem very well documented, so I might give that a go, even though I already purchased a buckpuck. The cost of this setup pales in comparison to typical experiments conducted in the lab, so I have a bit of room for trial and error.

Woah awesome! I'd throw some diffusers on the LEDs though, you can buy channel like this with diffuser strips in it so you don't see each individual light. Really great look by the way. Who did the design?

Looks amazing, did you by chance use these for installation?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MAWHKP4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_J.nDybN9MZKE5

My under cabinets aren't flat and I have a corner I would like to have the Hue strips follow. Since the hue strips will only bend one way did you have that challenge and how did you solve it. Thanks!

So something like this could be installed?

http://www.amazon.com/LET-60-Class-Electronic-Transformer-Lightech/dp/B002RSOULS/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

It has a temperature regulator, so that should help mitigate any risks of overheating. Do I need to worry about the amps?

The lamps came in plain boxes from a Habitat for Humanity restore, kind of like a thrift store for housing supply items. I really like the look, but it's definitely possible that they were originally designed for motorized residences, rather than normal housing.

And you've saved me again, as I'm pretty sure I would have been really confused looking for the bulbs for this at Home Depot. I can head to Crappy Tire instead, and I'm sure I can find them there.

Yeah, they super cheaped out with little exterior spot lights. There should be metal junction boxes in the wall behind those lamp holders. If that's the case (and it really should be, or they did a real hack job) you can replace those spotlights with more attractive lights, or at least ones with shades.

Here's a random ceiling light from Ikea. If you look at the installation instructions, it shows you how it's wired, and how it has a plate to attach to the wall box with screws. Then the body of the lamp mounts to that plate. Pendant lights (the kind that hang from a cord) will have a similar plate that screws to the box, and the lamp hangs from that.

Edit: if you don't want to fuss with that, you could probably put regular light bulbs in there and use a lamp harp that clips to the bulb which lets you attach a regular shade.

Good luck!

In my example, I believe I would need 3 FLS-PP IP Zigbee ballasts ($55ea), 1-2 RGBW LED strips ($17ea), 3 power adaptors ($17ea), a splitter (~$15ea), and 4 ethernet cable adaptors (~$20 total). Grand total ~$268 on the conservative end + tax.

Or I could buy 3 Hue lightstrips ($90ea), splitter (~$15ea), and 4 ethernet cable adaptors (~$20 total). Grand total ~$305 + tax.

I could save ~$40 or bite the bullet and know that my current ecosystem will work seamlessly with the Hue lightstrips. Either way its not cheap but there are trade offs to going the DIY route.

Please disprove my estimates/theory, I would happily pay less for a setup with equal functionality :)

P.S. I'll add links to the items listed above but I'm on the train commuting in and the wifi sucks :/

well, you could just "eyeball it".. i mean find some glass that looks nice, and is the same diameter (to fit in those 3 clips)

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similar to this from amazon

Hampton Bay Hugger 52 in. Brushed Nickel Ceiling Fan Replacement Frosted Glass Part

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this one ?

Bowl Mushroom White Glass Shade - 9-7/8-Inch Fitter Opening.

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here you go !! They have a blue version and a yellow version. Good luck!

Depending on your head size, you can choose from the following:

Acrylic Globe 12 inch

Acrylic Globe 16 inch

Acrylic Globe 18 inch

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Some people keep mentioning Vape, but it would only provide a temporary screen until the smoke dissipates, unless you were to keep it on the entire time. Even at 0% nicotine, you can really hinder your breathing having it on for the whole time. The Youtube video (someone already linked) looks like he used a thin veil of badding to the inside. Doing this will allow you to see a little and you could pull a little away to expose the acrylic to give you some better viewing out of the dome.

I used these, just last night. Worked great. I recommend these to mount them. http://i.imgur.com/3v4IoBA.jpg

Just run extension cords behind the wall or within the cabinets. That way stove heat won't be a problem. If you want to save money just buy bulk wire. But if you connect more than 16ft of lights in a single circuit, then you needed an amplifier which needs to be plugged into an extra power supply otherwise the lights near the ends of the circuit will be dimmer and also off color. Color correctness comes from adequate power.

You need an LED "driver" like this to get you to 12 volts DC for the LEDs. Then you can use a 12 VDC dimmer like this.

I am in the process of installing the LED strips and controllers below. Tested end to end setup last night and they work as expected. RGB+WW. No surprises. Also included the matching channels with diffusers.

Hope this helps!

LEDENET RGBWW LED Strip 4 Colors... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VIKAWWC?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

Wireless electronic ballast... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NMSQ4QQ?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

LED Aluminum Channel Wide 10-Pack... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FDV1RH9?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

A more professional and elegant way would be to use aluminum channels designed to house, mount, and diffuse LED strip lights.

We happen to be one of the few brands offering these aluminum channel systems, including one model designed specifically for Philips Hue Lightstrips (Gen 2).

1. I'm not sure of the brand, just a reel I bought off of amazon and cut to length. They are decent enough. I didn't feel like spending $100 on LED strips. I should point out that the controller that comes with these RGB strips is not the best. But I didn't need a controller, just the RGB strips. Link
   
   
2. In some places I'm using 3M adhesive, and other areas that are more prone to stress and tension I used these little clips.
   
   
3. I drilled, very carfully, about 85% of the way through the front panel maybe even 90%. Then I used what is called a bottom tap, the make the treads.
   
   
4. All screws used on this case are 6-32 (except the mobo standoffs). This is the same screw that Phanteks uses on the case itself. Makes it super easy for assembly not having to guess which screw goes where. Pro tip.
   
   
5. The RGB controller I'm using is from a German company, and there for does not adhere to the same output standards. So I had to map the outputs and cross the wire colors so that the controller would output the proper color to its corresponding channel. That way I wouldn't have to do any guess work when I would make a splice or extension in the RGB run. Fun stuff let me tell you. This took me way to long to get right because one of the ouputs on the RGB controller wasn't outputting the same RGB config as the other 3. After I figured that out it was a breeze lol.

A cheap version of these LEDs
They come in a variety of shapes and material and blinking vs non-blinking...

Source: I bought a similar pack for a party.

12 in. Clear Acrylic Globe - with... https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00435HHC2?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Hue strips are wider than 12mm, you need 15mm channel like this

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FDV1RH9/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Sure. You will need to purchase a power supply (this one is 12 volt) to drive this controller. So figure out if your strips are either 12 or 24 volt. If they happen to be 24 volt, this controller has a built in power supply for 24 volt LED strips only. Both can be added to the Philips Hue Bridge.

As for connections, I used these for RGB strips and these for power connections.

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I got this power supply. The 60 Watt UL-Listed one.
Does the UL-Listed mean that it's fine? It's branded as HitLights.

So I put in this ballast and have left the light switch on for a day now. However, there is no electricity coming through; the light doesn't light up and my multimeter doesn't show any voltage coming through. The lightbulb is good, I took it from another lamp.

Is this normal? Or, what else should I check?

It's an LED light you put inside a balloon.

You can do the whole kitchen using one Hue base/power source (you need at least one $90 base in order to control the lights). I used these Litesessory extensions+splitters:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M7XDZ5V/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N3NTCYU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

If you need to cut a strip, use these split end connectors as well:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07NDHP582/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/Balloon-Standby-Lantern-Decoration-Halloween/dp/B0751CHFNN

I haven't tried but it seems you'd be able to use this:
Splitter for Philips Hue LightStrip Plus (2 Pack, White) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N3NTCYU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_YVPPAbB25SJW0