I'm planning to put some led strips on the outside of my house. Has anyone used any of these led strip diffusersor something similar? What's your opinion, especially of the wide angle ones?
Perhaps I'm misreading, but the link to the item you provided seems to be only the outer weather-proof tubing not the actual LED strip as it provides no information about the LED light source. I'm confused about the nature of your question.Are asking about the covering or the LED strip which seems to be NOT included (at least according tothe way I read the page)
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The point is that these difusers are used to make LED strips that have individual pixels (points of light) look more like a solid light bar. These 4 pics have different difussers over them.
All these pics are the same LED strip. The first pic (top left) is with no difuser at all. You can see how the diffuser makes the individual pixels look less and less like individual pixels and more like a solid bar of light. I assume the OP is wondering how well any of the ones listed actually work. I've use a lot of different types but never any of the ones linked to in that listing.
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This absolutely. Guess I'm wanting to know what to avoid and what go for. I've put Led strips on the outside of a previous house but they are too intense without diffusion. Something like the fourth picture or even something that spreads even more is what i'm looking for.
Yeah, I would think that any of the ones that work indirectly would be best, like the ones that have the strip in vertically. The other ones I've heard good thinks about are the really tall ones. Like this:
But I didn't know if you were going for something flexible or rigid.
I'm think rigid as I'm planning permanent install but honestly I don't really know yet.
Also have to take into account whether you'll use IP67 strips or you'll seal the diffuser....67 LEDs will take up a lot more space than 65 since they're inside a plastic tube.
It's funny you should post this today, i spent about 4 hours looking at diffusers yesterday. After talking about Phillips hue products with a friend I got a project idea. I think I'm going to try and do a copy of the Phillips Hue Signe Floor Lamp.
I'm going to use a V-shaped diffuser, a 60 led/m strip and a block of landscape timber for the base. Figure the whole thing will cost me around $20-30. A far cry cheaper than $250! lol So, I was looking at diffusers all day trying to figure out if one would be rigid enough or if I'd have to use some type of Aluminum bar. I dunno if I'll end up doing it or not but it took up a good chunk of the day at least. LOL
So, I feel ya. Buying just one piece is SOOO expensive you don't really want to have to do that. But you also don't want to get a pack of 10 or 20 and have them totally suck.
For your project I saw a video on youtube of someone making one, they poured concrete for theirs.
I used IP67 last time and they suck. Easy to tear and hard to seal. This time I think IP65 and a tube of silicon will be fine.
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I was thinking the same. Also, if you want to seal anything and don't want to have the size of silicone, look for a "conformal coating". I purchased this one from Amazon. This is what the folks at Adafruit suggested to seal up some LEDs that weren't weatherproof when I needed to protect them from splashing only. Stuff works like a dream.
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I will have to check that out!!! Thanks.
Update...OH MY....this project has definitely taken on a much better approach!!! Although, I'll have to wait until after Corona Quarantine ends to get the parts 3-d printed. Thank you!!
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That is awesome and might actually increase my WAF to some of the LED strip "status" lights I want to put up. I had been looking at diffusers a bit for outside but never look at the Hue stuff (always scared of the prices) so never even thought about making a free-standing light like that.
@crispycarlin, thanks for kicking this off with a simple question.
@Ryan780, thanks for that link... might have to get my 3D printer running right away.
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I've used them. If the strip is going to be left on for while, I would recommend only using diffusers with metal base plates. When enclosed, the strips generated enough heat that the plastic base plates expanded and some of the horizontally-mounted, face-down lens would sag and start to fall out.
I recently made something similar to those philips lights using scrap wood and a sengled led strip I had laying around....
Mood lighting in the bedroom
...Iām not totally done w it as I plan to paint it and try to make it so the button can be used
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Ordered some parts... I am figuring on having 4 V channels at 6ft each (it should look semi-circular since they are all rounded diffusers). My plan is to use 2 strips. RGB+CW and one RGB+WW, each with a seperate controller. We can having the ones facing us be dimmer so they are not blinding, and my wife can choose which white looks better for the purpose. Of course... now I just need to wait for the parts.
Completed my version of it. I was making mine to be a full circle but unfortunately I did not realize that there were soldered connections (for BOTH strips of course) right at the top bend... Even while I was constructed it there was enough movement it sheared both off. So instead I ended up with a 2 sections. Either way my family likes it but haven't figured out the exact place for it (although now my wife wants me to construct some other similar ones).
Anyways, actual construction:
2 LED strips: 1 strip that is RGBW and 1 strip that is RGBWW.
Controllers: Each is controlled separately by a Zooz ZEN31. They have been working great for this but I really wish they recovered if they had been running one of their built in light effects. Instead they just came back on to the same colors they had when they were turned off.
Base: 3D printed base of my own design... needs some weights in it (it is standing on it's own but I would feel more secure about it) and is designed for the full circle, but working "well enough" until I design a better one.
Diffusers: Also working "well enough". As you can see the LEDs are still visible as individual points if you are looking directly at it, even on their dimmest setting. However, bounce the lighting off a wall and it is nice and smooth. I will say that the diffuser plastic was a pain to get in the track but once you learn a "trick" to it, it went smoother. Maybe a larger variety or one with a thicker diffuser would make a completely smooth look but I do not think it is needed.
Here is a cropped picture of just a section of it and the base (it is 6ft tall):
That looks good. It seems that there isn't a lot of info on these diffusers. So I went ahead and bought a meter of each type. I'll post pictures when they arrive.
Looking forward to your information! Especially if you can get a few good pictures of how well they actually diffuse the LEDs.
My wife is a pro photographer, they'll be good 
HA! Not that I need (or expect) great pictures (look at my terrible cellphone one)... but you are setting a high bar here. Make sure to let her know we (well, at least I) now have high expectations. 
