They need to start making these things with timers so if you forget to turn them off you don’t waste the batteries. Even rechargeable batteries can only be recharged so many times.
You haven’t tried the product yet, what is the point of this? My apologies for being critical on your website, but I’m growing more weary of all of the product selling.
Has BB always been like this, and I wasnt aware?
What gets me is that all these LED light things run on AAA batteries. I don’t dispute that AAA’s are great at their intended purpose, but who typically keeps a slew of AAA batteries around? Most people have a drawer full of AA batteries. Can’t these devices be made just as cheaply but use AA batteries and last maybe 15-20% longer on a set of AAs?
If they can run on NiMH rechargeable batteries, the AAs typically have 3-4 times as much capacity as the AAA (2000-2400 mAh vs. 650, and that’s up from a few years ago.) Not sure if the ratios are the same for alkaline, but they’re probably similar.
Also, is there any big advantage of these lights over the $3-4 round ones, besides having a touch-switch instead of push-on?
I have mine set up so that if there is a power failure a strip lights up to guide me to the refrigerator.
I have gone through a bunch of these, and have found the adhesive to not last too long, rendering the light less useful until you do something about what holds it on.
$9? No dollar stores in your world?
Guy at work has this long strip of LEDs all around his cube. Said he got them on Amazon. Has a remote with all the colors of the rainbow. I was going to get one and figure out how to put it my china cabinet to light up my boba fett collection.
These might be simpler, though probably around the same price for 3.
Looks like a five meter adhesive strip of LED lights can be had for slightly less than this. Granted, you’d additionally have to get a separate controller/transformer or battery pack that might cost as much as this, but still…
For $7, you can get a battery powered LED light with motion sensor. This is what I have in my closets. They turn on when you open the doors and close after a minute or two.
Cost of 5 meter strip + PSU + switch is around $12-$30, pending on brightness, PSU, etc,.
Since this is Boing Boing, buy the 5 meter strip, cut, solder switch, battery pack, glue onto area you want and call it a night for $20.
i have the first above , the latter 2 are on my wish list and next month’s budget ~ banggood is a consolidator , and the standard shipping , a VERY slow blimp , is exceedingly slow ; but they have been very verry good to me and my budget !! your mileage may and will vary , offer void in texas as usual , etc
They do indeed sell such things. I have one, but I’d not recommend that particular one. It’s as dim as every battery powered LED light I’ve bought.
Well, I for one am glad that Boing Boing has started hawking cheap, everyday things that anyone who wanted one would have just looked one up on Amazon, that haven’t actually been tried by the reviewer, and that (once upon a time) this blog might actually have advocated making.
Think of all the other things that could be sold on here!
Pack of four light bulbs. Most people on Amazon gave these four stars
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000BPILBY/boingboing
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000BPILBY/boingboing
36 count forks. All four people gave these five stars – they must be great!
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0024NXW6U/boingboing
I wouldn’t wonder if in couple years we get here a “Maker Mayhem” entry with homemade lights and how dangerous they can be, the fire and electrocution risk…
Foam-core double-sided adhesive tape. Does pretty good job.
You can also use rechargeables; the 18650 Li-ion cells salvaged from dead laptop batteries (often only one pair of cells died and the two others are still A-OK) can do good job. Can be recharged with those computer-controlled chargers favored by aircraft modellers. Typically they want a battery protection circuit (these cells are “naked”), but you can buy them for less than $1, or you can scavenge dead cellphone batteries from the nearest recycle box and harvest the protection modules from them.
If the Li-ion battery voltage is enough for the LEDs, it will work. If not, a step-up converter may be needed.
Use a microcontroller for advanced behavior. Use a CMOS 555 circuit timer for simpler circuit. (Though an ATtiny microcontroller would make an even simpler circuit as the timers would be in software, and you wouldn’t need the passives around the 555, and could perhaps even run the step-up converter with a PWM output pin.)
[quote=“Peaked, post:15, topic:53496, full:true”]
They do indeed sell such things. I have one, but I’d not recommend that particular one. It’s as dim as every battery powered LED light I’ve bought.
[/quote]I have bright ones that have a wireless remote control and come in a pack of four lights that you can strategically position for better lighting, but it didn’t come very cheap… and doesn’t come with a timer, nor a little light on the remote control to let you know when the lights are on or not.
The way these things are designed, I’d almost think the battery industry sells these things by proxy or something to sell more batteries.
I’m thinking of wiring a solar panel to it somehow since the closet is near a window. I’ll have it charge during the day and hopefully stop with the battery replacement nonsense. Or, (less convenient) I’m going to look into something that recharges AA and AAA batteries from a solar panel. I’ll just keep two sets of batteries to allow time for one set to always keep charged.
[quote=“shaddack, post:17, topic:53496”]
Use a microcontroller for advanced behavior. Use a CMOS 555 circuit timer for simpler circuit. (Though an ATtiny microcontroller would make an even simpler circuit as the timers would be in software, and you wouldn’t need the passives around the 555, and could perhaps even run the step-up converter with a PWM output pin.)
[/quote]I don’t think any of that would fit into the chassis of the remote, but thanks for the advice.
I think that is the stuff this guy at work has. How can I take the strip and cut it and connect it so I just have a strip running the top of 3 shelves, and then I could have non lite wires running down the side and plug it in.
Just google/ebay/amazon rgb led strips. And for those that don’t want to solder for various reasons, search led light strip clips. There are various types. Make sure you understand what you want and the limitations of what these strips are capable of. ie. length, lifespan, brightness, etc,.
And finally for those non technical types, be extra cautious on power supply/power adaptor/plug/outlet/etc,. The cheap parts that are being sold on places like ebay, which are basically unregulated marketplace, allows them to cut factors on safety regulations. The likely of a fire hazard won’t be the light strips, but the power supply unit.
