This one is a bit unusual. Has anyone used anything like this for layout room lighting: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Merkury-Innovations-A21-Smart-Light-Bulb-75W-Color-LED-2-Pack/669037420?
Given that they can do any color (as I understand them), I had the thought to use them for general lighting as well as for modeling evening and night scences by changing colors. E.G. Yellows and Oranges for sunset and change the bulbs to darker blues and such to represent twilight transitioning to night.
As usual, any assistance that can be provided would be most welcomed.
What it doesn't really say is how many color steps there are in the controller. I'm planning to use the strip LEDs, I think they will work out to be less expensive than light bulbs liek this - plus with the strips, the controller is a seperate device. With these bulbs, if the controller fails (more likely than the LED failing), the whole thing is toast. The strips I have, they came with a cheap controller that does not allow smooth enough steps between colors, so no smooth fading into sunset. But that's the controller, not the LEDs. I have another controller, that actually interfaces to the computer, which has a full 255 steps for each of the 3 colors (the cheap controller only has 16 steps per color). The nice thing is that each multiple controllers can link together so all the LEDs change simultaneously. In case you have more LEDs than can be driven by one controller. In my case, witht he size of my layout, I will definitely need multiple controllers.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
My setup is small enough that I think I can get away with just the two. There inexpensive enough that if they don't work, I'm not out much.
Interesting lights. I had never seen them in a 'lightbulb' configuration before.
My biggest concern would be do the lumen outputs provide enough light? In other words, how many bulbs will you need to get proper lighting levels, regardless of the colour? I'm personally not fond of dimly lit layouts, other then when operating at night.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
I think the Philips Hue bulb was the first like this. Color changing LED light bulbs that just screw in have been around for a long time. I've always felt the same way, they sure are convenient, but if the controller fails, the whole thing is trash. And I'm not sure where I'd need a screw in lightbulb that changes colors. Plain white ones -sure, I have dozens, every light bulb in my house has been replaced with LEDs, 5-6 years ago, all still working. Huge savings lighting up the back yard, where each of four 150 wattr floodlights was replaced by an LED floodlight that draws 20 watts. So all 4 on draw less power than just one old one. And since we spend a lot of time outdoors, those lights are on a lot.