New LED tape

[Tshark]

Just saw this new product from Adafruit:

https://www.adafruit.com/product/3634

This is a RGB LED strip where the LEDs are mounted to shine sideways along the edge of the strip, instead of straight up from the surface of the strip.  No more having to make mounting brackets to mount the LED strip vertical to light windows.  The vertical profile seems much smaller so you could use it in smaller scale models.  Also it might eliminate some PCBs (such as a nacelle PCB) for LEDs.  Now you just run a strip along the inner circumference of a nacelle or engine exhaust and light.  Since each individual LED on the strip is controllable in color and brightness via Arduino, the uses for modeling look promising.

[whb64]

These can also be controlled by a Trinket, which is cheaper and maybe easier.

[Tshark]

Yes, the Trinket should work fine.  I am thinking about using this strip along with motors for the 1/650 scale TOS Enterprise bussards.  The Trinket might not have enough outputs/memory for both.  I won't know until I get a bench setup with my Arduino UNO.  Based on rough measurements I should be able to roll the strip twice within the nacelle,  which should give me 12 to 16 LEDs, and still have enough room for the motor shaft and bussard rotors.  It should be interesting to experiment with.

[whb64]

I can't say this 100% but from what I have been looking at the nano doesn't have enough outputs to do all the strobes, and navs and handle additional lights.  I'd probably go with a Nano and a trinket... or a one Mega.

[madmonk]

These are also available in single colour via a well known online auction site!

[Decoman]

Btw, I noticed that hdamodelworx has some new led strips that seems to be really really thin. It says 2mm wide, but it sorts of looks more like 4mm on the photo, unsure.

http://hdamodelworx.com/LED-TapeStrip_c_20.html

[Tshark]

Btw, I noticed that hdamodelworx has some new led strips that seems to be really really thin. It says 2mm wide, but it sorts of looks more like 4mm on the photo, unsure.

http://hdamodelworx.com/LED-TapeStrip_c_20.html

I saw that too.  The problem is that the LEDs are designed to shine straight up from the tape surface.  The tape bends tightest perpendicular to the tape surface, so you would still have to fashion vertical mount brackets.  However, I really like HDAModelworx and have ordered from them before.  Hopefully these 90 degree LED strips will catch on and he will carry them.