Led diy? at DVinfo.net

Steven Digges · December 6th, 2016, 03:45 PM

I was just on the Lowel site and saw this ridiculous fancy LED flashlight that sells for $700.00 at B&H.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/searc...op+Nav-Search=

It occurred to me that not so many years ago a lot of guys were building DIY light kits with Home Depot work lights. Now that LEDs are becoming common in all kinds of fixtures does anyone have DIY ideas for them yet?

I have three Lowel kits, I still use them and I have no plans to upgrade soon. They worked well a long time ago and they still do. But if there is LED panels out there without the high cost of photo labels I might consider a couple of uses for them? I am not going to pay $700.00 for a fancy flashlight.....

Kind Regards,

Steve

Oren Arieli · December 6th, 2016, 07:14 PM

While this particular example might be consider overpriced by some (myself included), the units you get at Home Depot are generally unsuitable to color photography and video because of their low CRI. The companies who go to the trouble and expense of producing a high quality, high CRI light have higher production costs, and probably more rejects than a company making worklights and flashlights. If you get lucky with a work light, then you dodged a bullet. Otherwise, you're probably throwing money down the drain.

Steven Digges · December 6th, 2016, 09:21 PM

Your probably right. The old Home Depot kits some guys built had powerful tungsten lamps so it was not an issue. The search I did before my post found the cheap LEDs to be around 4000K and i"m sure a low CRI.

I'm not much of a DIY guy anyway. All of my gear is the good stuff but I thought I would ask. I have so much invested in all of my Lowel kits converting to an all LED kit is not a high priority. It is a if it works don't fix it thing.

Thanks,

Steve

PS I'm still not going to buy a $700.00 flashlight. Thats what made me wonder if someone had the cheap answer out there;-)

Warren Kawamoto · December 8th, 2016, 10:56 PM

I am building this one right now. It rolls up and it's flexible!

I also built his previous light panels, they worked as advertised. The project above is just as bright, but uses half the amount of power as this older one.

Donald McPherson · December 9th, 2016, 12:30 AM

I tried to build this one too. When finished looked OK. But now looks trash. Some of the edges of LED strips have come undone and now looks crap. Still works but looks crap. I think the next one (as I bought extra) I will use a thin piece of plywood.

Chris Harding · December 9th, 2016, 07:26 PM

I have made quite a few LED lights but I have always used discrete components! OK, admittedly you do need to have some basic soldering skills but the rest is pretty easy and you can make whatever size you want. An old camcorder battery charger makes an ideal "battery holder too" Just strip out the charging components and you can have a de-mountable battery!

You do need to find a site that will allow you to layout your required number of LED's and it will also calculate the resistors required for them to work correctly and whether you need to connect them is series or parallel or both to make battery drain optimal

You can buy bags of LED's in either 3mm or 5mm very cheap on eBay too.

Arthur Gannis · December 9th, 2016, 09:19 PM

I've been making my own led video lights for some time and have made custom units for many videographers up in Canada. Led component costs can be expensive and the failure rate is high especially in the prototype stage. Learning by mistakes and eventually getting it right. Led technology is getting better in efficiency and power output or lumens per watt specs. I can not sell or promote my lights here but I can give you a short list of my preferred parts sourcing. Ledsupply, Cutter electronics ( Australia ), Taskled drivers, Allelectronics surplus, and most important wealth of led info: Candle Power Forums. All these sources are top notch in service and parts quality. My choice of leds are Cree XHP50 , optics from Carlco and H6CC drivers from Taskled. Good luck in your builds.

Kathy Smith · January 6th, 2017, 05:04 AM

Has anyone used a battery pack for their DIY lights?

Arthur Gannis · January 6th, 2017, 07:38 PM

Battery pack of choice depends on how long you wish to power tem up for. On long run duration a li-ion type pack like Anton Bauer 14.4 volt Dionic ENG types work extremely well but are pricey and require dedicated chargers. The Sony NPF-970 L series at 7.2 Volts are industry standard for compactness but one must be sure that the leds can run at those voltages. Battery Space has a huge selection of batteries with or without chargers. I buy from them and have a huge selection of quality products. Li-ion work best but also the NIMH types are good too. You need to know your operating voltage, very important or poof and smoke.

Arthur Gannis · January 6th, 2017, 08:29 PM

A few battery plate options that I used before to power the lights. These are the battery adapters for the Sony L series. Also shown is a small sample of custom lights I made in the past.

Kathy Smith · January 7th, 2017, 04:54 AM

Thank you Arthur. Any idea which might work well with these lights

Thanks

Arthur Gannis · January 7th, 2017, 10:13 AM

well, it all depends on how you will use the lights. If you have a wall AC source like 110 VAC then a Meanwell LED power brick is fine ( this is ONLY if the led strips DO NOT have a led driver built into them) like here: http://ca.mouser.com/new/meanwell/me...powersupplies/ , but if you need to power them by battery then there are many options like the battery size which in turn also depends on how long you need them powered up for. You need to know first if the led strips you are using have their own LED drivers built on the strip to provide proper voltage to the LEDs. If not then you must look at the spec sheets and obtain voltage/current info on them in order to choose a proper powering option. Not easy and if chosen wrong the potential to burn out some less is great. If the led strips have their own led drivers built on them, then the spec sheet will also say what power input source ( usually 8 to 18 Volts DC) is required. Polarity of the wiring is crucial as if connected wrong they either do not work at all or the led drivers built in the strips may fry, depending on the design of the drivers if they have a reverse polarity protection or not. Leds or led strips are very finicky on their feed voltage source. Too little input voltage and they won't work at all. Too much and possibly poof. A battery powered light has many advantages over a wall socket wired one. You can have both options as well because the leds always need DC (Direct Current) Voltage to operate. A wall AC to DC adapter make it a wall powered unit and once the adapter is off then it is replaced with a battery. DC voltage and polarity is what is paramount. In the video above, the LED driver is EXTERNAL of the strips and also contains the dimming function control. If you are using those exact strips then yes, you will need an external driver. Some strip led types have tha driver built in along the strips but the dimming function is lost. Check and re-check wiring before turning on the unit. Have you considered the time/cost/effort and the possibility of mistake ?

Kathy Smith · January 7th, 2017, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arthur Gannis

well, it all depends on how you will use the lights. If you have a wall AC source like 110 VAC then a Meanwell LED power brick is fine ( this is ONLY if the led strips DO NOT have a led driver built into them) like here: http://ca.mouser.com/new/meanwell/me...powersupplies/ , but if you need to power them by battery then there are many options like the battery size which in turn also depends on how long you need them powered up for. You need to know first if the led strips you are using have their own LED drivers built on the strip to provide proper voltage to the LEDs. If not then you must look at the spec sheets and obtain voltage/current info on them in order to choose a proper powering option. Not easy and if chosen wrong the potential to burn out some less is great. If the led strips have their own led drivers built on them, then the spec sheet will also say what power input source ( usually 8 to 18 Volts DC) is required. Polarity of the wiring is crucial as if connected wrong they either do not work at all or the led drivers built in the strips may fry, depending on the design of the drivers if they have a reverse polarity protection or not. Leds or led strips are very finicky on their feed voltage source. Too little input voltage and they won't work at all. Too much and possibly poof. A battery powered light has many advantages over a wall socket wired one. You can have both options as well because the leds always need DC (Direct Current) Voltage to operate. A wall AC to DC adapter make it a wall powered unit and once the adapter is off then it is replaced with a battery. DC voltage and polarity is what is paramount. Check and re-check wiring before turning on the unit.
The spec sheet will guide you.

Thank you!

Donald McPherson · January 7th, 2017, 11:22 AM

Kathy might be a bit big but I have mine connected to a 12v battery. Similar to this.

Lucas 12V 7AH AGM/GEL Rechargeable Battery FLYMO CT250X STRIMMER BATTERY | eBay

Kathy Smith · January 7th, 2017, 12:07 PM

Thanks Donald. Yeah these are a bit big. I'm wondering if this would work:

Battery Back Pack Plate Adapter For Sony V-shoe V-Mount V-Lock Battery External@ | eBay

together with this

Battery Back Pack Plate Adapter For Sony V-shoe V-Mount V-Lock Battery External@ | eBay

of course I still need batteries.

December 6th, 2016, 03:45 PM	#1
Steven Digges Trustee Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 1,828	Led diy? I was just on the Lowel site and saw this ridiculous fancy LED flashlight that sells for $700.00 at B&H. https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/searc...op+Nav-Search= It occurred to me that not so many years ago a lot of guys were building DIY light kits with Home Depot work lights. Now that LEDs are becoming common in all kinds of fixtures does anyone have DIY ideas for them yet? I have three Lowel kits, I still use them and I have no plans to upgrade soon. They worked well a long time ago and they still do. But if there is LED panels out there without the high cost of photo labels I might consider a couple of uses for them? I am not going to pay $700.00 for a fancy flashlight..... Kind Regards, Steve __________________ www.CorporateShow.com Been at this so long I'm rounding my years of experience down...not up! Last edited by Steven Digges; December 7th, 2016 at 06:46 AM.

December 6th, 2016, 07:14 PM	#2
Oren Arieli Major Player Join Date: May 2007 Location: San Jose, California Posts: 919	Re: Led diy? While this particular example might be consider overpriced by some (myself included), the units you get at Home Depot are generally unsuitable to color photography and video because of their low CRI. The companies who go to the trouble and expense of producing a high quality, high CRI light have higher production costs, and probably more rejects than a company making worklights and flashlights. If you get lucky with a work light, then you dodged a bullet. Otherwise, you're probably throwing money down the drain.

December 6th, 2016, 09:21 PM	#3
Steven Digges Trustee Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 1,828	Re: LED DIY? Your probably right. The old Home Depot kits some guys built had powerful tungsten lamps so it was not an issue. The search I did before my post found the cheap LEDs to be around 4000K and i"m sure a low CRI. I'm not much of a DIY guy anyway. All of my gear is the good stuff but I thought I would ask. I have so much invested in all of my Lowel kits converting to an all LED kit is not a high priority. It is a if it works don't fix it thing. Thanks, Steve PS I'm still not going to buy a $700.00 flashlight. Thats what made me wonder if someone had the cheap answer out there;-) __________________ www.CorporateShow.com Been at this so long I'm rounding my years of experience down...not up! Last edited by Steven Digges; December 7th, 2016 at 06:44 AM.

December 8th, 2016, 10:56 PM	#4
Warren Kawamoto Trustee Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Honolulu, HI Posts: 1,435	Re: Led diy? I am building this one right now. It rolls up and it's flexible! How to Make Flexible LED Panels (DIY Flex Lights!) - YouTube I also built his previous light panels, they worked as advertised. The project above is just as bright, but uses half the amount of power as this older one. How to make a super bright LED light panel (for video work etc) - YouTube

December 9th, 2016, 12:30 AM	#5
Donald McPherson Major Player Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Aberdeen Scotland Posts: 815	Re: Led diy? I tried to build this one too. When finished looked OK. But now looks trash. Some of the edges of LED strips have come undone and now looks crap. Still works but looks crap. I think the next one (as I bought extra) I will use a thin piece of plywood.

December 9th, 2016, 07:26 PM	#6
Chris Harding Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 8,441	Re: Led diy? I have made quite a few LED lights but I have always used discrete components! OK, admittedly you do need to have some basic soldering skills but the rest is pretty easy and you can make whatever size you want. An old camcorder battery charger makes an ideal "battery holder too" Just strip out the charging components and you can have a de-mountable battery! You do need to find a site that will allow you to layout your required number of LED's and it will also calculate the resistors required for them to work correctly and whether you need to connect them is series or parallel or both to make battery drain optimal You can buy bags of LED's in either 3mm or 5mm very cheap on eBay too. Attached Thumbnails

December 9th, 2016, 09:19 PM	#7
Arthur Gannis Major Player Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: New Jersey USA Posts: 504	Re: Led diy? I've been making my own led video lights for some time and have made custom units for many videographers up in Canada. Led component costs can be expensive and the failure rate is high especially in the prototype stage. Learning by mistakes and eventually getting it right. Led technology is getting better in efficiency and power output or lumens per watt specs. I can not sell or promote my lights here but I can give you a short list of my preferred parts sourcing. Ledsupply, Cutter electronics ( Australia ), Taskled drivers, Allelectronics surplus, and most important wealth of led info: Candle Power Forums. All these sources are top notch in service and parts quality. My choice of leds are Cree XHP50 , optics from Carlco and H6CC drivers from Taskled. Good luck in your builds.

January 6th, 2017, 05:04 AM	#8
Kathy Smith Major Player Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: NY, NY USA Posts: 519	Re: Led diy? Has anyone used a battery pack for their DIY lights?

January 6th, 2017, 07:38 PM	#9
Arthur Gannis Major Player Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: New Jersey USA Posts: 504	Re: Led diy? Battery pack of choice depends on how long you wish to power tem up for. On long run duration a li-ion type pack like Anton Bauer 14.4 volt Dionic ENG types work extremely well but are pricey and require dedicated chargers. The Sony NPF-970 L series at 7.2 Volts are industry standard for compactness but one must be sure that the leds can run at those voltages. Battery Space has a huge selection of batteries with or without chargers. I buy from them and have a huge selection of quality products. Li-ion work best but also the NIMH types are good too. You need to know your operating voltage, very important or poof and smoke.

January 6th, 2017, 08:29 PM	#10
Arthur Gannis Major Player Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: New Jersey USA Posts: 504	Re: Led diy? A few battery plate options that I used before to power the lights. These are the battery adapters for the Sony L series. Also shown is a small sample of custom lights I made in the past. Attached Thumbnails Attached Images

January 7th, 2017, 04:54 AM	#11
Kathy Smith Major Player Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: NY, NY USA Posts: 519	Re: Led diy? Thank you Arthur. Any idea which might work well with these lights How to Make Flexible LED Panels (DIY Flex Lights!) - YouTube Thanks

January 7th, 2017, 10:13 AM	#12
Arthur Gannis Major Player Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: New Jersey USA Posts: 504	Re: Led diy? well, it all depends on how you will use the lights. If you have a wall AC source like 110 VAC then a Meanwell LED power brick is fine ( this is ONLY if the led strips DO NOT have a led driver built into them) like here: http://ca.mouser.com/new/meanwell/me...powersupplies/ , but if you need to power them by battery then there are many options like the battery size which in turn also depends on how long you need them powered up for. You need to know first if the led strips you are using have their own LED drivers built on the strip to provide proper voltage to the LEDs. If not then you must look at the spec sheets and obtain voltage/current info on them in order to choose a proper powering option. Not easy and if chosen wrong the potential to burn out some less is great. If the led strips have their own led drivers built on them, then the spec sheet will also say what power input source ( usually 8 to 18 Volts DC) is required. Polarity of the wiring is crucial as if connected wrong they either do not work at all or the led drivers built in the strips may fry, depending on the design of the drivers if they have a reverse polarity protection or not. Leds or led strips are very finicky on their feed voltage source. Too little input voltage and they won't work at all. Too much and possibly poof. A battery powered light has many advantages over a wall socket wired one. You can have both options as well because the leds always need DC (Direct Current) Voltage to operate. A wall AC to DC adapter make it a wall powered unit and once the adapter is off then it is replaced with a battery. DC voltage and polarity is what is paramount. In the video above, the LED driver is EXTERNAL of the strips and also contains the dimming function control. If you are using those exact strips then yes, you will need an external driver. Some strip led types have tha driver built in along the strips but the dimming function is lost. Check and re-check wiring before turning on the unit. Have you considered the time/cost/effort and the possibility of mistake ?

January 7th, 2017, 11:22 AM	#14
Donald McPherson Major Player Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Aberdeen Scotland Posts: 815	Re: Led diy? Kathy might be a bit big but I have mine connected to a 12v battery. Similar to this. Lucas 12V 7AH AGM/GEL Rechargeable Battery FLYMO CT250X STRIMMER BATTERY \| eBay

January 7th, 2017, 12:07 PM	#15
Kathy Smith Major Player Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: NY, NY USA Posts: 519	Re: Led diy? Thanks Donald. Yeah these are a bit big. I'm wondering if this would work: Battery Back Pack Plate Adapter For Sony V-shoe V-Mount V-Lock Battery External@ \| eBay together with this Battery Back Pack Plate Adapter For Sony V-shoe V-Mount V-Lock Battery External@ \| eBay of course I still need batteries.