Fire up your phone and enjoy your lights WLED running in a desktop web browserĭownload and install the WLED app for your phone and you should be able to control your lights after some configuration (don’t forget to input the exact number of LEDs you have and play with your LED preferences). A set of jumper wires is needed to quickly connect up your NodeMCU to your power supply. I also used these T-connectors for connecting additional power while reducing the amount of soldering needed. I avoided a lot of soldering by using these specially made connectors that fit my LED strips perfectly. I used some LED wire to connect them all together back to the controller. I used basic red/black wire for dropping power on each strip’s end. My first purchase was a 60 amp power supply with a giant fan but it sounded like a hair dryer when you plugged it in and I’d only suggest using those for outdoor applications. I bought this 30 amp model that is fanless and runs cool. My strips all together total 400 LEDs so I needed a pretty big power supply. I went with 5V LED strips for all the reasons stated above (lower power needs, cheaper strips), but make sure you use 5V everything, including your power supply, your NodeMCU, and all your wired connections. You’ll also have to pay attention to the voltage in your system. The above video also goes into the math around how to select a power supply for your LEDs. If you buy the things you need, just follow Dr Zz’s guide closely to get them all working (it’s how I did mine). All of it is covered in this step-by-step video to building your first light strip. Download WLED software and flash it to your NodeMCU, then configure it onto your WiFi network. The great part is they’re only about three or four bucks each and I bought this set of three at Amazon just in case I fried one along the way. Your lights will be controlled by a tiny computer chip with a WiFi adapter in it and the one you want is a NodeMCU ESP8266. I also finished off my mounting by putting this corner guard in front of the lights to both hide the aluminum strip and further diffuse the light on the upper three shelves. You screw them into something, stick your LED strips inside, then snap on the outside light diffuser for a more permanent installation. Light strips come with a simple adhesive sticky backing to mount under things, but I went a little extra and bought some aluminum channel designed for LEDs that also comes with a diffuser panel that helps spread out the light. They’re all over eBay, Amazon, and Aliexpress (which is the cheapest but can take the longest to arrive). Typically you’d pay about $10 for a 6 foot (2m) string and 16 foot (5m) strings are about $20. I bought mine with no waterproofing (since they’re used indoors) and I got them in 30 pixels/meter density to keep my power needs low. This video is a fantastic overview of all the options when it comes to LED strips, but the long-story-short is WS2812B is the standard designation for a simple, individually addressable string of LED lights. Since I had six shelves, I didn’t want to have to manage six plugs, so what I’m describing here is going the full-on DIY route, cutting your LED strips up, using a solder gun, and creating the exact lights you need for your space. For 90% of most people’s needs, that’s the best and easiest way to go. Personally, I’ve purchased a few Govee light strips like this long one and they work great for simple applications like on a shelf, or around a door jam, or up on a crown molding. What you see in my final product in the photo above cost about $100 total for 45 feet (15m) of light, including a hard-wired controller, all the wiring, and the power supply.īIG NOTE UP FRONT: You can buy great pre-built, consumer grade LED light strips that come with a remote control, can be controlled by your phone, and are relatively cheap. Modern technology has incorporated them into almost everything and that’s driven the price for light strips ridiculously low. They’re incredibly bright while also using low power. My new home office has a bunch of built-in floating shelves and I thought it’d be a perfect place to install LED strips. If you’ve watched YouTube or Twitch streamers, you might have noticed they have interesting backgrounds behind them, often with colored LED lighting on shelves or in corners. With the basics out of the way, I next wanted to work on my office’s background by installing LED light strips below each my office’s bookshelves. I started using a DSLR as my webcam along with a ring light and dimmable room lights. Lately I’ve been trying to step up how my home office looks, especially with regards to its video conferencing capabilities. I work remotely and have for many years, but let’s be honest: it’s the case for a lot of people now.
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