Modern LED lights for the New Year

What do you associate with this holiday? Probably a Christmas tree, tinsel, garlands ... right? Celebration is impossible without flickering lights. Garlands come in many forms and designs; they can consist of LEDs or incandescent bulbs. However, LED structures in our time have almost completely replaced other types of light sources. In this article we will look at what kind of LED strips are and which one to choose for the house, and which one to the street.

How is the LED garland arranged?

Most LED lights are powered by 220 volts. It consists of one or more chains. LEDs. Such a connection allows you to assemble a chain that can be powered from a rectified mains voltage.

If there are several chains, then one of the modes of operation of the garland can be implemented. In general, there are:

• Static glow of the whole garland. Sometimes this mode is called “fixing”.

• Flickering or overflow - the alternate inclusion of different chains of a garland. The LEDs in it are placed in such a way that the impression is created that the impression of running lights is created. Sometimes this mode is called “chasing” or “chameleon”.

Modern household garlands are already equipped control unit, which allows you to include a choice of one of the predefined programs: from static glow to overflows and flashes of different durations and speeds. Also in them there are modes of automatic script change. In the figure below, you see the unit for switching the operation modes of garlands.

Dyuralight type garlands require additional purchases in the form of a power adapter or controller for “chasing” modes. However, there are ordinary garlands that work from a power supply. Consider this when buying, ask the seller a question: "Does this model work from an outlet?"

Special attention should be paid to garlands that operate on batteries. They are convenient to use both at home and for temporary structures. They will help out if there is no outlet nearby, and you want to install a garland in this place.

Types of environmental garlands

To use the house, all garlands that can be found on sale are suitable, but for use on the street you need to select the products intended for this.

As you know, the protection class against dust and moisture is marked as follows: IPxx. Where xx is the degree of protection. The first figure in which speaks of protection about moisture, and the second from exposure to small particles (dust, dirt, metal shavings). So for the street, products with a protection class of IP65 or IP68 are best suited.

Constructive decisions

Depending on how exactly you want to decorate the room or the facade of the building, you need to choose a garland of the appropriate design. Otherwise, you will have problems with the formation of the installation of the design. The following types of LED garlands are distinguished:

A thread - familiar to all kind of garland. It is performed in the form of a linear conductor with bulbs, or, to put it another way, in the form of a thread. Such a garland can be used to decorate a room around the perimeter, to design door and window openings. Well suited to wrap a spiral around the Christmas tree.

A curtain - similar to curtains, they usually decorate windows or arches, creating an LED blinking curtain. It consists of the main conductor from which the luminous filamentous chains of LEDs descend, they can be the same length or vary, as in the following photo.

Garlands with different lengths of outgoing lines are sometimes called fringes.

Melting icicles - they are called so, because rigid LED modules are located vertically on windows, building facades and in other places.

Icicles can be of the same length or different from each other, the configuration of their height arrangement can also be different.

This type of garland, like others, can be single-color or multi-color. However, due to the hard protective shell, the light is slightly scattered; in the cold, this looks especially interesting.

Each of these types of garlands can be either in the form of “naked” LEDs, forming small luminous dots, or with curly shades, in the form of stars, hearts, balls and any other shapes.

And lovers of retro themes, as well as loft style in the interior will like garlands made in the form of incandescent bulbs.

Duralight

A garland that is ideal for outdoor use is a duralight. If you connect to the network through the power adapter - it will glow in a fixed mode.

If you connect it to the controller, it will work in the “chasing” mode overflowing with the selected program.

In addition to the method of connecting to the network, the differences between dyuralight and the usual garland also include the possibility of cutting it to the desired lengths, as well as connections or extensions.

Duralight is an LED cord. Protected from dust and moisture, can be flat and round. Contains from 1 or more LED circuits. Duralights with more than 1 LED circuit turn into running lights when working with the controller.

This type of LED garland can be used not only for decorative design of building facades and interior decoration, but also in order to bend inscriptions from it and make a luminous advertisement. It will remotely resemble neon tubes.

We examined it in more detail in the article earlier. How Duralight is arranged and connected 

Do it yourself

We have collected some ideas on how to make a garland with your own hands. The first option is far from LEDs, but has recently become especially popular - use it incandescent lamps. In the figure below, you see how to connect a garland of incandescent lamps in a single chain. A garland is shown here, consisting of two chains of lamps connected in parallel, this allows you to turn on one or two chains of lamps to provide different brightness of the backlight or with automated switches to create an illumination.

But you won’t surprise anyone with simple bulbs. Currently, the so-called "retro lamps" or "Edison lamps" are very popular. These are the same incandescent lamps, but their spiral is made similar to those lamps that were used in the first half of the last century.

The spiral is used long and it is twisted inside the bulb, which creates an authentic appearance. Such bulbs are unreasonable to consider as lighting. They are much more expensive than ordinary lamps, and their power is usually low. Their purpose is interior design and the design of outdoor areas.

Be careful when working with such garlands, as the lamps beat, and are also powered by 220V, so be careful. If you want to adjust the brightness, any Dimmer sufficient power.

The second option to quickly make a garland is LED Strip Light. All you need to do is stick it on or hang it around the room.

For holiday illumination, you can use both 220V and 12V LED strip. However, when using 12V LED strip, you can connect a dimmer or controller with different automated modes to it. Also use RGB LED strip. Indeed, in any controller, the function of automatic color change is built in.

Conclusion

Modern LED strips are practical to use. In most cases, they are not whimsical to handling them. In addition, low energy consumption allows you to use them without fear for your wallet. Thanks to their weak heating, they can be placed on furniture, on Christmas trees and wallpaper, without fear of damage to surfaces or ignition.Nevertheless, observe safety precautions, disconnect the tape from the network during its installation and removal, do not leave it connected at home when you leave it.