Has anyone tried using LED flexible strip lighting to illuminate a shelf layout? My basement has a low ceiling height and I’m worried that using a traditional valance style lighting set-up will lead to excessive head banging (and not the heavy metal kind!). If you have used these, can you suggest a reasonably priced source?
Thanks,
David
If you mean the LED “rope lights”, the consensus of people on the forums who have tried them seems to be that they aren’t bright enough to use by themselves as layout lights.
LED strip lights are available in many forms other than the common rope light. They are useing them to provide light in many tight spaces. I’ve worked with one new product that has a ribbin you install in long lengths that come in spooled rools. You can cut the ribbon at every 3rd bulb. The ribbon has bulb sockets that accept led snap in bulbs that are tube shaped and have surface mounted leds in them. You can rotate the bulb in the socket. They are much brighter than rope lights. I will be looking into this product for my upcoming dual level layout.
Tim Horton’s N scale layout is lit with strip LEDs and it looks pretty nice. I priced them out for a 2 foot wide HO layout design and found them pretty pricey, but that is a relative issue as I don’t have much money. Here is Tim’s layout and there is a section where he discusses the lighting in pretty good detail. The strip LEDs are readily available on the internet and through lighting stores.
Hope this helps.
My double deck layout will be using led lighting. The 16 foot strip of flexible LEDs that I purchased last year to test the idea passed with flying colors and I’m totally convinced of the concept. Low heat, low power consumption and a VERY low profile. The LEDs I’m using are the warm white type and blow away any type of rope lighting or most other lighting for that matter.
I really think this will be the future of layout lighting. While costs are still on the high side, they continue to drop as the technology is accepted. I think my investment was well worth it.
Jerry
Can you share any information on the manufacturer of the 16 foot strips of LEDs? I’ve seen rope lights but not what you are describing. Thanks.
The led strips I described can be found at http://www.theledlight.com/index.html.
Therer may be equivelent led strips out there for a lower price if you hunt around the web.