Singing Faces with RGB Strips

[ShaggySS]

Sadly I am planning for Halloween already. Singing Halloween Faces have been the big thing for Halloween. Simple PVC frame, chicken wire and zip tie the ropelight two it. They look awesome but with RGB being as cool as it is I was thinking that would be fun to change it up. Has anyone attempted this? Any advice?

My Initial Thoughts:
The RGB strips are very flexible in the wrong way so the lights wouldn’t exactly be facing the correct direction but they have such a wide viewing angle so it might work out. I was thinking if you had lots of time and patience you could cut them every few inches and solder in jumpers to make it more flexible. My one issue is then how do you waterproof it afterwards.

I currently have one rope light face and I was hoping to add one or hopefully two more this year but I want to do something new and different.

Am I crazy?

[jimswinder]

ShaggySS wrote:

I was thinking if you had lots of time and patience you could cut them every few inches and solder in jumpers to make it more flexible. My one issue is then how do you waterproof it afterwards.

**If you are making Pumpkin Faces for in a window, you could put them INSIDE...**

Am I crazy?

**you do this hobby, don't you?**

[Ken Benedict]

They do make side view LED strips for single colors, but not for RGB chips: http://www.aliexpress.com/fm-store/701799/209843764-306391674/335-SMD-Side-View-LED-Strip-with-90degree-Viewing-Angle-and-12V-DC-input-60leds-m.html

These will make sharp bends you are looking for.

[ShaggySS]

Ken Benedict wrote:

They do make side view LED strips for single colors, but not for RGB chips: http://www.aliexpress.com/fm-store/701799/209843764-306391674/335-SMD-Side-View-LED-Strip-with-90degree-Viewing-Angle-and-12V-DC-input-60leds-m.html

These will make sharp bends you are looking for.

That kinda killed the craziness from my second thought didn't it. I might have to pick one of those up and try it.

[JBullard]

you could also use the 5050 RGB modules instead of the strips.

[Ken Benedict]

I think John was referring to these: http://www.holidaycoro.com/product-p/56.htm

Tedious to assemble your large pumpkin face and quite expensive in the size I saw when I visited you last time.

But would certainly be impressive.

Have you looked at electroluminescent lightS? Long noodles of various colors, but about $1 per foot, if I remember right. But very flexible.

See: http://www.unixsurplus.com/products/electroluminescent?gclid=CJLFnc6_wa0CFQSFhwodoGNy-w

[ShaggySS]

Ken Benedict wrote:

I think John was referring to these: http://www.holidaycoro.com/product-p/56.htm

Tedious to assemble your large pumpkin face and quite expensive in the size I saw when I visited you last time.

But would certainly be impressive.

Have you looked at electroluminescent lightS? Long noodles of various colors, but about $1 per foot, if I remember right. But very flexible.

See: http://www.unixsurplus.com/products/electroluminescent?gclid=CJLFnc6_wa0CFQSFhwodoGNy-w

I have seen those type of lights on TV but never considered them for a face. THey are cut table to any length which caught my attention but single color. Though it could be fun and not much more than rope light. I wonder how bright it is compared to rope light. I might have to look into this further thanks Ken

To simplify this whole thing someone just needs to make RGB rope light. How tough could it be?

[CLD Kevin]

I was looking at this, but first too expensive....$12 a meter. Would cost about $300 a face and doesn't flex very good, well not what your going to need. But is super a$$ bright. Maybe too bright?

Its called Neon Flex RGB. Basically its flexible tube...like rope light...with 120 leds per meter. So it looks like neon tubing. But the tube is 1.5" thick.

http://www.aliexpress.com/fm-store/701799/209980766-299283510/LED-Neon-Flex-Light-4-wired-with-3-color-RGB-LED-Neon-Flexible-Size-13-26mm.html


Video:

[ShaggySS]

Cracker wrote:

I was looking at this, but first too expensive....$12 a meter. Would cost about $300 a face and doesn't flex very good, well not what your going to need. But is super a$$ bright. Maybe too bright?

Its called Neon Flex RGB. Basically its flexible tube...like rope light...with 120 leds per meter. So it looks like neon tubing. But the tube is 1.5" thick.

http://www.aliexpress.com/fm-store/701799/209980766-299283510/LED-Neon-Flex-Light-4-wired-with-3-color-RGB-LED-Neon-Flexible-Size-13-26mm.html

Video:

Oh yes! Thats what I am talking about. This is perfect. I guess I need to do the math on how much ropelight I used on my last face. I may be underestimating this.
I am curious how you got 1.5 inches. That seems very big.
I guess I don't understand "Size: 12*26mm" Any idea the cut length?

Ok so I did some quick math.
Roll of ropelight from action lighting is $80 and 150ft and the average person makes two faces per roll. 150ft is 46meters which would cost $540 or $270 per face.

So the per foot cost
Regular Rope Light: $0.52
LED Rope Light: $1.18
RGB Ropelight: $3.63

I may try to do one face though I am curious how that will look. One super bright one and the rest eeehh.

[DLTSLC]

Cracker wrote:

I was looking at this, but first too expensive....$12 a meter. Would cost about $300 a face and doesn't flex very good, well not what your going to need. But is super a$$ bright. Maybe too bright?

Its called Neon Flex RGB. Basically its flexible tube...like rope light...with 120 leds per meter. So it looks like neon tubing. But the tube is 1.5" thick.

http://www.aliexpress.com/fm-store/701799/209980766-299283510/LED-Neon-Flex-Light-4-wired-with-3-color-RGB-LED-Neon-Flexible-Size-13-26mm.html

I think Mr. Wu realized it was too cheap, because the link is disabled, price most likely increased. Curious why people want to use RGB for faces when they don't really change color ?

[Guest wbottomley]

DLTSLC

Curious why people want to use RGB for faces when they don't really change color ?

They want to listen to the music and sequence them until they literally turn blue in the face.

Good reason to use RGB.

[DLTSLC]

wbottomley wrote:

DLTSLC

Curious why people want to use RGB for faces when they don't really change color ?

They want to listen to the music and sequence them until they literally turn blue in the face.

Good reason to use RGB.

Lolz, Nice...Isn't clear or orange rope light much cheaper than RGB ?

[Quad]

I was thinking of using "neon flex"  to make a large face on a 10 feet square frame.  Has anyone tried this new type of LED rope light?  I was just concerned it might not bend enough for the pumpkin face teeth.  The other design concern is where the different channels overlap; it might not matter but on the overlaps, if a channel is off and overlapping it might make a gap.