Dimming Led Lighting.

[Steviecuk]

Hi. Wonder if someone can help me.

I am looking to decorate my living room and would like the following...

5x Cool white LED down lighters.
Around 10 metres of cool white LED strip/tape that is going to be built into an alcove.

Now I am planning in the long run on making an Arduino touch screen dimmer using PWM but that is a project for way down the line. For now, I plan on just wiring them all to a normal standard double dimmer wall switch.

Now I have found 'dimmable' GU10's that should work fine through the normal dimmer (I think) at 240v, but I was wondering how I can get the LED tape to dim as I know it is usually done through PWM and I don't know how I can get them to do it.

Can I have some suggestions please? Cost effective solutions that is. lol.

Thanks. Steve

 

[Steviecuk]

Sorry, further to the above, i have found some 'dimmable drivers' like this, however I don't know if this is controlled via a variable 240v current or how?

 

[telectrix]

suggest you contact LED Hut and buy everything from them as compatible. then if it don't work rite, chuck the problem back at them.

 

[Midwest]

From what you are trying to do, I would suggest contacting a reputable manufacturer or supplier. Collingwood Light are one such. Read about so many people buying cheap (and dangerous) stuff off ebay, for it not to work or fail after a short time. Sticky LED tape is fine, but invariably becomes un-sticky! Get some aluminium extrusion.

 

[amlu]

normally you will be dimming on DC side, can do with a gadget like that
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LED-Tape-...673262?hash=item2112e1426e:g:8~YAAOSwygJXgm1U

 

[Steviecuk]

From what you are trying to do, I would suggest contacting a reputable manufacturer or supplier. Collingwood Light are one such. Read about so many people buying cheap (and dangerous) stuff off ebay, for it not to work or fail after a short time. Sticky LED tape is fine, but invariably becomes un-sticky! Get some aluminium extrusion.

The stickiness of the Led tape... tell me about it. I fitted a load to an old club I used to work in only to find it all fallen down one day. I'm going to stick and then staple onto a wooden batten and place in the alcove shining out. I have heard of Collingwood before. Will give them a call Monday.

 

[Steviecuk]

normally you will be dimming on DC side, can do with a gadget like that
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LED-Tape-...673262?hash=item2112e1426e:g:8~YAAOSwygJXgm1U

Hi amlu. Thanks for your reply. I have a few of those PWM controllers hanging about and I would be able to run them like that, only thing is they look unsightly as a living room dimmer on the wall. lol.

 

[Midwest]

The stickiness of the Led tape... tell me about it. I fitted a load to an old club I used to work in only to find it all fallen down one day. I'm going to stick and then staple onto a wooden batten and place in the alcove shining out. I have heard of Collingwood before. Will give them a call Monday.

Forget the wooden batten, get some aluminium extrusion, loads companies sell it. You can get it with a diffuser as well.

 

[amlu]

if you know your way with a soldering iron then either modify the existing controller, or make your own. standard dimmer plate will accommodate bare potentiometers (connected to pwm board) . it does not need to be mains dimmer modules. stick some knobs on them will look just the same.

edit: or a cat5/data cable from the switch box running to an enclosure somewhere, bare potentiometers mounted on dimmer plate connected to a pwm board or arduino plus a power supply in that enclosure.

just keep the mains wiring away from 12v dc, may work having separate back boxes one for mains one for dc.

 

[Steviecuk]

That is my long term plan to make a touchscreen multipage Arduino controller that will sit in the dinner housing. I'm running the cat5 and DC cables when I decorate in preparation for this, but it'll take time to make and need to have control in the mean time. However I think I have the solution now my using MR16s and running everything 12v for now. (On a seperate thread)