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Thread: LED light panel

  1. #1

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    LED light panel

    So I'm sure some of you have already seen this. I thought it was pretty cool how this guy made an LED panel and he made it look simple to make. Of course, for those of us who are totally bad at manual things, this seemingly "easy" project would be quite a challenge. Have any of you made one of these? Any advice on how to proceed? Perhaps someone has an even easier way to make one of these--I'd love to hear it. Someone wants to get together and build one? I'm in the San Francisco Bay Area.

    --Mario

  2. #2

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    Re: LED light panel

    This may help a bit: http://www.litegear.com/
    We've been using this stuff for several years and it's become a staple for tv and film production.

  3. #3

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    Re: LED light panel

    Quote Originally Posted by vinny View Post
    This may help a bit: http://www.litegear.com/
    We've been using this stuff for several years and it's become a staple for tv and film production.
    Nice, but pricey. This DIY option is good because what would cost you $2000 in litegear.com you can build for about $100. True, as I said in my post, I can see myself building it up to a point but I'd be stuck after that. Anyway, thanks Vinny.
    --Mario

  4. #4

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    Re: LED light panel

    Yeah, that link was more for design ideas. Litegear isn't cheap but that's not an issue in the motion picture industry

  5. #5
    jp's Avatar
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    Re: LED light panel

    You can get LED panels advertised as grow lights, as well as LED panels meant to replace ceiling tiles shaped fluorescent light fixtures. Both would need a tripod screw added but are otherwise pretty close to ready. Color quality won't be as nice as a fancy big budget light, but for B&W film it won't matter.

  6. #6
    Jon Shiu's Avatar
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    Re: LED light panel

    A pretty cool DIY project with dimming and lightweight portable battery. I want to make one. Good winter project maybe.

    If you do make it, study up on the RC LIPO batteries because they can if damaged or over-charged/discharged burn down your house. Or perhaps just use a corded power supply at first.

    Jon
    my black and white photos of the Mendocino Coast: jonshiu.zenfolio.com

  7. #7

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    Re: LED light panel

    Quote Originally Posted by Jon Shiu View Post
    If you do make it, study up on the RC LIPO batteries because they can if damaged or over-charged/discharged burn down your house. Or perhaps just use a corded power supply at first.

    Jon
    Jon, if I did make mine, I would not use that battery. I would attach a cord to connect to an outlet. Too bad he didn't go over that step. I wouldn't know how to do it.
    --Mario

  8. #8

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    Re: LED light panel

    I would really encourage people to stop and study electronic design and fabrication theory and methods before taking off with a project like that. Also think about how and where you are using them, and the related liability that comes with them. They're not a certified and approved device, and in the event of an accident the insurance agency is very likely to look at the remains, ask the make and model, and then smile and nod while closing their cheque book and walking away from you.


    They are neat things that you can build with only a little investment, but waving away and ignoring risks involved is a good way to start fires or give someone a nasty shock.


    Also consider general quality control and reliability. Really cheap LEDs that you can get a 'great deal on' from Ebay and such can be prone to high failure rates and wide specifications. I've seen more than a few people build similar panels and end up with uneven lighting across the field, which in turn ended up with dead LED cells bringing down the entire panel. Plus some suppliers tend to be a little liberal with their data sheets and specified outputs, so read up on a given supplier before buying, and be wary of deals that look too good to be true.

    Building a very reliable, consistent, and robust product is not an easy or cheap task.

    My best advice is to slow down, and don't rush a project like this. Take the time to understand how things work and why they get designed the way they do, and don't blindly follow really simple instructions off the web.

  9. #9
    Jon Shiu's Avatar
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    Re: LED light panel

    Quote Originally Posted by macandal View Post
    Jon, if I did make mine, I would not use that battery. I would attach a cord to connect to an outlet. Too bad he didn't go over that step. I wouldn't know how to do it.
    The reason he used the yellow XT60 connector is so he could switch out the battery and switch in a laptop power supply. Instead of the XT60, you can get a socket at Radio Shack to match your laptop power supply, or just cut it and hardwire it if it's an extra power supply.

    Jon
    my black and white photos of the Mendocino Coast: jonshiu.zenfolio.com

  10. #10
    Peter De Smidt's Avatar
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    Re: LED light panel

    People make aquarium fixtures much like these all the time. Is this for color or bw?
    “You often feel tired, not because you've done too much, but because you've done too little of what sparks a light in you.”
    ― Alexander Den Heijer, Nothing You Don't Already Know

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