Group Buy: Budget CRI 95 LED Strip Lights

[Steve Das]

...Ebay has tons of cheap useful accessories.(especially the stores that ship from china, with free shipping!)

Great Post Corey...but how about posting some ebay links...for all that stuff.....thanks..

 

[Phil Holland]

Nice info there Corey. Thanks for the tips. I'm debating a curved panel versus full china ball sphere design at the moment. My personal desires are to use these first two as just little "location helpers" and likely will be P-Tap powered for the majority of my uses. Though AC is likely going to happen too. Good stuff.

 

[Corey Jacques]

Great Post Corey...but how about posting some ebay links...for all that stuff.....thanks..

First of all, just off the bat, I didn't order any bi-colour/hybrid/variable strips. Just tungstens and daylight strips. I personally would rather have solid colours(Twice the output!). Bi coloured LED is a completely different set up when it comes to accessories. Because now you have 3 wires, rather than just 2 wire. I really like the LiteGear products. I think who ever is buying in this group buy should spend a few minutes on their site. Not saying you necessarily need to buy from them. But you can get a good idea of things you may want to buy. Most of the stuff I bought was from Litegear. The downside to Litegear is the shipping to Canada. Oh and the price of the strips! So I only really order from them when I have a good list of things I want, and all the small minor stuff I'll try things out on ebay. Especially the really small items that I will probably lose after a couple shows. Also, I'm not very good at soldering. so I try my best to avoid soldering. But I did learn that my solder gun wasn't getting hot enough. And after I got a better one, it definitely helped. But still, you can easily mess up a section of the LED if you're not careful. I was going to buy some cheap RGB stuff to practice on, but this group buy stuff is almost cheap enough to act as something to practice on. But if you're like me, some of the things below may help you avoid soldering all together. Also, small electronic stores were also super helpful. 2.1MM jacks are super common, and I bought most of mine from there. I also bought things such as the AA battery packs(2$). But I'm sure you can find them on ebay.

I was going to post links, but they seem to end up being dead links after awhile.

Litegear has lots of accessories(shipping is a little too expensive to Canada, usually 90$ minimum but super cheap in the US)
http://store.litegear.com/category_s/1829.htm


2.1MM Connectors:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/10pcs-Adapt...arts_and_Accessories&var=&hash=item1c4403f1e1


10MM LED to LED 2 pin Connector(Haven't tried them yet, probably be in within a week or so)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/181105779265?_trksid=p2059210.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

10MM LED to LED 2 Pin Connector, Similar, but useful for those who want to make fixtures/panels (Haven't tried them yet, probably be in soon)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/151419651216?_trksid=p2059210.m2749.l2648&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

10MM LED to 2.1MM Barrel. Good for those people planning on chopping it up like an expendable. (Haven't tried them yet)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/22130268384...48&var=520184686177&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

10MM Hybrid to Hybrid connector. I didn't order Hybrid LEDs, but this may or may not be compatible:
http://store.litegear.com/product_p/con-quik-10mm-x1-hy.htm

I spoke with Brandon and these strips we are getting at 10MM(same as Litegear). Doesn't really mean the connection points are the same as litegear, or same as the connections above. The stuff above is what I ordered, and as noted, there's some items I haven't received yet. I'll let you guys know how those 2 pin connectors work with the Litegear stuff when I get them, and when I get the Brandon LEDS. And as said at the start, the Litegear site has all sorts of good little accessories that you can buy, or look elsewhere to buy.

Also, I really recommend camera tests(or atleast keep an eye out) when you try different power supplies. I haven't used a cigarette lighter socket to 2.1MM adapter yet, and they may work fine, but just in my mind I feel like you may get some weird problems(Alternator/battery changing voltage) I personally use a small inverter when used in car. LEDs are very unstable(Similar to HMI) and what ever happens to the voltage going it, can directly effects the light's output. So if it's not clean power I feel like you could get problems. I'm still not 100% comfortable with LEDs, especially new products. So I'll usually keep an eye on the monitors.

 

[Patrick Tresch]

Thanks Corey for your 4th post and valuable contribution to this forum!

Pat

 

[Brandon J.F.]

Corey and I had been exchanging a lot of PMs where he was sharing all this info. He's part of our Group Buy. I asked him if he or I could post some of what he wrote me privately in this thread since it would be so helpful to everyone. He has a lot of experience with these lights.

Thanks again for sharing all this, Corey.

Don't buy in to buying those cheap 2$ dimmers. They flicker.(I tried a handful of different kinds)

Yeah, I've tested several of these myself and they are useless. Save your money.

I just bought some 2 pin solderless connectors.(Haven't tried them yet) So you can basically cut up the strips and if needed re-connect them. I also bought some 2Pin to 2.1mm connectors. So once again, after you cut your strip you can quickly wire it up without soldering. (I think they were also offered in the group buy)

Yeah, we have 2 pin and 3 pin (custom made) solderless connectors in the Connector Kit packs. These are a hugely helpful. You don't want to be stuck having to solder on leads on set.

I recommend buying a handful of 2.1mm connectors for those who ordered single colour LEDs. I recommend getting the ones that you don't need to solder.(The black and green style connectors)...

Those are in the power kits. They are great.

Buy a spool of 18/2 wire and some wire strippers and you can make all sort of extension cords. I made a kit, so I have 2', 4',6',10',15'. I would recommend soldering the stripped tips of your wire if you plan to make your extension cords more permanent. Over time the wire gets flexible and will slip out of the connectors.

Great advice. I'll definitely be doing this.

If you end up cutting them up, and you need power supplies, make sure you use the proper power supply. I have some smaller power supplies(2 amps) and some larger ones(10Amps). Some large ones have fans. It's about 0.5 Amps per foot.

The power supplies in our group buy are 10 and 12 amps. I can see where having some smaller one would definitely be useful.

If you buy splitters, I recommend spending a few extra dollars rather than getting the cheapest kind. They short out once in awhile and cause the lights to turn off and on. (Can cause problems when used in a car and it hits a bump)

I've never used these. I know LG has 2x, 4x, and 8x splitters. What do you typically use?

LED Aluminum profiles are really cool. I bought pre-made ones from Litegear. but they are super easy to make. Very nice quality of light. Great to replace those micro flo/mino flo kinos! Even 15" Kinos.

The picture you shared with me privately showing your set of these lights that you built out got me digging. I will have some Group Buy options for this stuff soon. Samples are en route. Do you mind if I post the picture?

Lots of power options. You can get 8AA battery holder with a 2.1MM connector. You can buy rechargeable 12V battery. P-Tap to 2.1MM jack(small HD ones were slightly too lose in my mind). Cigarette lighter to 2.1MM. AC/DC Adapters. A A23 battery and holder for those extra compact lights(Great something being handheld, such as a glowing prop!) I built my own battery in a small pelican, with 4 Pin, 2.1MM jack, and cigarette lighter socket. So I can run my 1'X1' Panel off of it(4Pin) and my LED strips, and if needed a small inverter. I also bought a cheap V-Mount and Anton Bauer plate with 2 bare wires and put a connector on it, incase the camera dept's batteries don't have P-Tap.

Great advice. A P-tap to 2.1mm cable, and the cigarette lighter to 2.1mm will be in the Power Kit.

The possibilities with this stuff is pretty limitless.

No doubt.

In my LED strip kit, I bought a DMX 4 Ch dimmer(Litegear), and a pocket sized DMX controller(Baxter) and currently waiting for a wireless DMX transceiver to come in. And now I can control all the lighting of an interior of a car without having to reach over actors/actresses to reach the ballasts of kino. Or I don't have to hide a DC supply, 4 ballasts, and 10' of head cable slack under seats. Depending on how reliable the transceiver is, you could possibly do interactive lighting while in the follow vehicle.

Yeah, once you use these strip lights for lighting a car, you never want to use anything else.

Another super useful application that I used these strips in, is when you have a practical that doesn't turn on. Or if you want control over it for dimming. I've quickly stuck them into those garden solar LED lanterns. They're great in elevators(especially when they have to move up floors, just tape the battery to the ceiling!) I can also see these being handy to glow a curtain when you can't get a light outside the window when you are 20 floors up.

Great advice!

Here's one thing Corey shared privately with me the other day:

Another thing I would recommend people who buy the variable colour ones is to do a similar thing. Buy 18/3 Wire and some hybrid connectors. (Not sure what kind of connectors your hybrid LED strips come in. but those connectors are very useful. Easy to use and make. I leave a spool of wire in my kit and some cable and depending what is needed I can cut to length and wire it up literally within a minute.


Male:
http://store.litegear.com/product_p/con-ph3-m.htm
Female:
http://store.litegear.com/product_p/con-ph3-f.htm

After your suggestion I contacted the manufacturer about these connectors. They will now be included in the variable connector kit at no additional charge (1 x male, 1 x female). Thanks for the tip, Corey! I really appreciate all the feedback you've given.

 

[Bob Gundu]

Awesome stuff!

 

[Jamon Lewis]

Awesome stuff!

Really Brandon & Corey, the information, the time you guys are spending & sharing is really awesome.

 

[Jordan Raabe]

This is all great info. Thanks for sharing! Once everyone receives their kits and we figure out how we set everything up, could there be an opportunity to order more cables/connectors etc in a later batch?

 

[Brandon J.F.]

Once everyone receives their kits and we figure out how we set everything up, could there be an opportunity to order more cables/connectors etc in a later batch?

Absolutely.

 

[Corey Jacques]

As for the splitters, I usually bought doubles and quads. Didn't bother with the 8 splitters. I would think it would get too messy. In my kit I have over a dozen "Stix" Which is basically the LEDs in an aluminum profile. If you are like me and didn't order a ton of dimmers(I don't have any yet, but ordered one from the group buy to try out). All of my strips usually ran off of one power source and then split off. Rather than split all at the power source, if you have a few double splitters, you just split where it seems necessary. I think they are cheap enough to have a handful in your kit.

I should also note, 2.1MM jacks are also used in CCTV(Or security systems) so they often use splitters and all this stuff to power the cameras. So if you're in a pinch, and need something there's an option as well.

As for the aluminum profiles, I bought most of my lights premade from Litegear(LiteStix). I did buy a couple aluminium profiles from them separately so I can make custom ones if needed. They also have some one their site that's more of a "spot" look that's not frosted. It's kind of cool, not sure what a good application is yet. but I would recommend sticking with 1 company and sticking with 1 style. Especially if they offer different covers(Frosted, clear, spot, etc) because the ones I bought separately on the Litegear site, I can swap the covers from one another. Not a big deal, but it might come in handy? I think the aluminum profile things are great. all you do is rip a piece of 2" Paper tape(I use Suretape) and roll it onto it's self and stick it to the light and that will stick to anything. I don't really use the double sided tape, other than when I want to make something more permanent.

And Brandon, if I mentioned something to you that I didn't post, feel free to share. My kit is on the truck at the moment, but I'll try to remember take some close ups of certain things.

 

[HD Hildebrand]

LED Aluminum profiles are really cool. I bought pre-made ones from Litegear. but they are super easy to make. Very nice quality of light. Great to replace those micro flo/mino flo kinos! Even 15" Kinos.

Hi Corey,

Great stuff. Have you sourced and led aluminium extrusions/profiles in Canada?

 

[Corey Jacques]

I'm sure there's places. I think there's a place locally here in Vancouver. but if you search up "Aluminum LED" you'll find all sorts. Shipping to and in Canada is overpriced and the more stuff I can buy locally the better. There's a place here that has accessories for cheap LED strips I'm sure they would work fine. But as of right now, I haven't bought any from Canada all of mine came from LiteGear. I bought all mine from litegear thinking the aluminium profiles I bought separately would be the same as the Litestix they sell. So if I decided to interchange the lenses then it would all work. but they were not the same. Some of the covers clip on the outside, and some slide in.

 

[HD Hildebrand]

Which profile(s) from LiteGear have you found to be the most versatile, low profile, light weight and easy to place for a variety of shooting situations?

 

[Brandon J.F.]

In my kit I have over a dozen "Stix".

Which lengths do you use most often?

Here is a photo Corey sent me privately the other day showing part of his collection of LED light strip "stix":

And Brandon, if I mentioned something to you that I didn't post, feel free to share. My kit is on the truck at the moment, but I'll try to remember take some close ups of certain things.

Thanks!

 

[Corey Jacques]

I bought this(Frosted):
http://store.litegear.com/product_p/ls-halfround-x1-1m.htm

And this(Spot):
http://store.litegear.com/product_p/ls-narrowspot-x1-1m.htm

These two match. As you can see, these slide in on the aluminum profile. These ones are made in 3 sections, the cover, the middle(Where you should use double sided tape) and then the bottom. The LiteStix don't have the bottom section, but i'm assuming its so you can mount these to a set without seeing any screws. I bought half circle ones because it would act more like a kino tube.(They're very skinny) But I mean, there's options. It's all up to the user. There's also end caps for them. I think they come with a set, but you can also order more. for 99cents. But I'm sure all stores have end caps.

There's some that have a heatsink type of bottom, which I would personally avoid. Just because I feel like the way I tape them up it would have a lot less surface area to tape and wouldn't stick as well. I try to make it look a clean as possible, even if they are not going to be seen on camera.(I try not to see the tape)

I think Litegear was more of a set wiring thing to start off. so they have all sorts of options to be incorporated into set pieces. I'm sure the art department would build their sets and order the aluminum profiles and then the set wiremen would come in and line up their LEDs in the fixture depending on what colour they wanted to use. hens why they have triangle shaped ones(For corners)

 

[Corey Jacques]

Which lengths do you use most often?

Here is a photo Corey sent me privately the other day showing part of his collection of LED light strip "stix":

I forgot about this one. I also have some strips and some other minor stuff that's not in there. Depends on what's needed. Car stuff I usually use small 6"-12" stixs. I do plan on making some more smaller fixtures. I'll end up making some double wide Daylight sticks. Because just to have a fighting chance against the sun. (Luckly Vancouver is very cloudy this time of the year) so these sticks do a great job when it's cloudy. Night interior of cars these sticks are amazing. I end up "Bubbling" up diffusion, even sometimes doubling up the layers, cause I don't have enough dimmers yet. They are definitely good for this type of job. I also have some 2' strips that you can tape to the ceiling and zigzag it to give some fill/shine to the car. the 2' stix are a little too long for car stuff and I planned on using them more for hallways and such where you just want some directional fill and you just tuck it to the edge of the frame. when you cant rig a light, or dont have time to rig.I had these stix taped all along a hallway at one point. (This is where I see those 16' strips com in handy.

 

[Adam Beck]

Corey,

Do you loose a lot of light with the Lite Gear fixtures? I wonder what the output is in fc at 3 feet.

Adam

 

[Corey Jacques]

Corey,

Do you loose a lot of light with the Lite Gear fixtures? I wonder what the output is in fc at 3 feet.

Adam

Litegear doesn't just sell the Stix, they sell strips(similar to the ones we bought) in various sizes. I first bought stix because I hated taping up kino car kits in cars. When I first got the stix we did a test and a 6" Stix at 2' at 800ASA was a 4 stop. You can also peel off the cover off of the stix if you wanted more light. To me that defeats the purpose of using stix. Stix and strips I would say are for different jobs. a stix is if you want more something as if you were going to tape up a single kino tube. I didn't do a test to see what the output of a 6" stix without the diffusion though. I probably should have. The strips are very bright. pretty hard to look at directly. I wouldn't really like having it hit an actress/actor directly. the shadows are weird as well when they are bare LEDs.

 

[Brandon J.F.]

Several people in the group buy wrote me today asking if they can add to their order. Yes, if you do it now. Tomorrow this batch is in stone (late tonight actually).

If you missed out on this batch and want in on a possible second batch PM me your email and I'll add you to the list.

 

[Michael Ou]

Several people in the group buy wrote me today asking if they can add to their order. Yes, if you do it now. Tomorrow this batch is in stone (late tonight actually).

If you missed out on this batch and want in on a possible second batch PM me your email and I'll add you to the list.

Hi Brandon!

Thanks again for all your work behind this awesome group sale! Is it too late to add 3 more tungsten, 2 daylight, and 3 more dimmers (fixed strip) to my order? My email is fzrnut@aol.com. No worries if I'm too late

Thanks!
Michael