LED Strip Layout Lighting

[z4driver]

Hi all, can anyone recommend some good led tape lighting here in the UK? I building a shelf style layout approximately 18" wide. I'm going to mount the strip behind a pelmet which is approximately 15" above the layout and 3" in front of it. Thinking od using 4000k white. Cheers Lee.

Edited August 6, 2021 by z4driver

[Il Grifone]

I bought mine in Poundland (usual disclaimer). It said £1 on the shelf (or so it appeared), but IIRC they were £2. They come with a USB plug, but this can be cut off and the strips run from a 5 volt supply (or in series with a suitable resistor from a higher voltage).

[corneliuslundie]

You should choose the colour temperature to match that under which you do your modelling, or the colours will change. 4000 K is fairly "cool" (it works backwards, 2700 K which is the colour temperature of incandescent lighting, is "warmer"). And because most LED lighting does not have a continuous spectrum like the sun or incandescent lamps, there may be odd shifts in colour even if the colour temperature is the same. Daylight, of course, is also quite cool.

I suggest that you experiment before spending too much - though £2 does not sound like a high risk investment.

Jonathan

[SamThomas]

My suggestions as someone who spent many years installing & maintaining lighting in the retail fashion sector where colours are very important.

As already mentioned "white" or 4000k is relatively cool.

 

Three options ;

1) Experiment a little to find the colour you are happy with.

2) Install 2 x strips - 1 x "cool" & the other "warm" & switch them separatly or even better dim them - this will give you some options.

3) Install a RGB strip that has a decent controller/dimmer - this way, you can create any lighting you want such as dawn, bright sunlight, overcast, sunset or moonlight.

[Alister_G]

I spent quite some time working out the best colour temperature for both viewing and photography on my Ladmanlow layout.

 

I originally bought some "Daylight" 5600K but they appeared very blue when taking photographs:

 

 

Then I bought some Warm White 2700K, but they were too muddy and warm:

 

 

So then I went with Cool White 4000K and they were just right... Goldilocks was well peased...

 

 

I feel that these give the best, most "natural" colours for both viewing and photography.

 

In exhibition mode, I have two strips of LEDs, the first, about 5 inches in front of the front of the layout, is fixed to shine horizontally across the layout, the second is mounted in the middle to shine at a slight diagonal backwards:

 

 

This gives the best lighting for objects on the layout. Wherever possible you want to avoid direct downwards lighting, as it casts shadows under the rolling stock which are not natural.

 

This shot is taken using the layout lighting only:

 

 

I bought a 5 metre reel of the 12V Cool White from Ebay, and it cost me about £8 if I remember, complete with mains adapter. I then cut the strips to the size I wanted, and glued them to some aluminium angle to act as a reflector and heatsink, which was screwed to wooden battens.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Al.

 

Edited August 6, 2021 by Alister_G
worms and spillong

[z4driver]

Thanks all for the suggestions and help. Lee