Re: LED lighting

["Andy Laurence" <andy@xxxxxxx>]

--- In ukha_d@xxxxxxx, "Dave McLaughlin" <dave@v...> wrote:
> I was intrigued by Andy's LED lighting in the kitchen I have
thought about
> doing something similar since SWMBO has been asking about putting
strip
> lights (yuck) back in again since we had the kitchen partly
refitted. LED
> lighting sounds like a better idea.

Definitely!  My mum has just had a new kichen with strip lights under
the cupboards, and she's so jealous of my lighting!

> My idea is to build a small microcontroller interface to vary the
brightness
> of the LED's via PWM control. The keys for the controller would be
based on
> the Qprox touch sensors such that the controls could be hidden
behind a
> panel or wall plate etc. Maybe even possible to have it inserted as
part of
> the actual work surface? Multiple outputs would be provided to
control
> different light bars at different brightness levels and to
distribute the
> power more for the switching device in question.

That sounds very cool!  These switches hide behind panels?!  I'd be
worried about grubby finger marks where the switch is hidden.  I for
one notice the grubby finger marks where people fumble in the dark
around certain switches in my house.

> I have started to build a controller board for this which will test
the
> brightness control via PWM. Adding the key control is easy and
would be done
> later. The idea right now is to build a prototype light bar and
controller
> and test it out. My idea for the light bar was a strip of hard wood
with a
> slot along the top for the wiring and the LED's fitted into drilled
holes
> along the length. Just an idea, as this would save me having to
drill into
> the existing cabinets.

That's a great idea, you just need to think about what it looks like
on the bottom.  One thing I wasn't 100% happy about with my install
was the angle of the lights.  They light up the rear half of the work
surface extremely well, but the front half is less well lit.  Angling
the lights towards the front of the work surface would be useful.
This could easily be done using your method by simply planing the
wood at an angle.  It was a little tricky with the cabinets!

> Anyone else think this is a good idea and maybe have some thought
into it?

Sounds like a great idea.  One thing to think about is how you get
the wires from the power source to the wood holding the lights.  I
ran power from the socket above the cabinets through one of the
cabinets to the LEDs below.

> The idea is to make it low cost as possible and I may even offer it
as a
> suitable project for sale if it works out well. The proof of the
pudding is
> making it SWMBO friendly and give a good light over the work
surface that
> she finds acceptable.

I'd be inclined to find more powerful LEDs if I were to do it again.
I used 8cd units, but I'd rather have used the 20cd units I've found
at http://www.ervan-int.com/cgi-bin/products.pl?
category=ledlamps_lamps to the point that I'm considering replacing
them, and will definitely use the more powerful ones for the next
project.  Question is, will that be the loft, garden, shed, or inside
the cupboards?  I've thought about doing the same to light the inside
of the cupboards.  Might look quite good.

Cheers,
Andy
--
http://ha.andylaurence.co.uk
http://projects.andylaurence.co.uk