How to hardwire specific colors with dumb RGBs

[nato595]

Hello!
I'm looking for a way to hardwire, OR as small of a controller/dimmer as possible to set specific (non-primary) colors on a dumb RGB strip. It will not be connected to a computer, and preferably no controller either.
Ideally, as with red, green, blue, white, yellow, purple, I could be able to just connect wires from power supply.
But my question is how to do a different color. Orange for example.
If I must use an inline controller, any recommendations on the smallest one available that will let me set (without remote control) the color orange?

Thanks!

 

[fasteddy]

I presume you are using dumb RGB lighting for this. I was recently helping my son do a project for school regarding light and the primary colours. I helped him build a coro box with some dumb RGB modules connected to 3 cheap single channel dimmers so other students can interact and change the colour and recreate different colours of the rainbow.

The fact that orange is made up of a mix of red and green (more red than green) then you will only need to manage 2 channels. You would need a mix of 100% red with about 50% to 25% green as orange is a tertiary colour

The dimmers i got from Ebay at http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/DC-12V-8A-LED-Light-Strip-Dimmer-Adjustable-Brightness-Controller-Color-HP-/161080556189?pt=AU_Lighting_Fans&hash=item2581263a9d#ht_2691wt_1677

so other options would be 2 of these
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/12V-RF-Wireless-Remote-Switch-Controller-Dimmer-for-Mini-LED-Strip-Light-H-/281352214284?pt=AU_Boat_Parts_Accessories&hash=item4181e6170c#ht_2691wt_1140

or use a RGB controller

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/DC-12V-24V-Mini-3-Keys-Controller-Dimmer-for-3528-5050-LED-RGB-Light-Strips-ds-/251590035578?pt=AU_Lighting_Fans&hash=item3a93ef487a#ht_1724wt_1140


Another option is to just use orange strip and just connect directly to power

 

[AAH]

If it is just short lengths of strip you can use fixed resistors to control the current. Strip is fairly often 20mA per colour per cuttable length. As long as you calculate the resistors right you should be able to pick whatever colour you like. The longer the strip the higher the wattage of the resistor.
If it is any sort of decent length there are a whole bunch of controllers like http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/promotion-LED-RGB-touch-controller-DC12-24V-input-max-6A-3-channel-output-with-black-remote/701799_1453354341.html . There are ones that have a rainbow like image to allow you to select the colour and others where there are up to a couple of dozens keys that allow you to select a specific colour.

Paste the specifics on the strip if you don't know how to work out the resistors. Voltage and length and preferably a link.

 

[nato595]

Thank you both for your replies.
The resistor solution would be ideal as it would be the smallest and they can be hidden within the project I am building.
These are the strips I'll be using. http://www.holidaycoro.com/RGB-LED-Strip-12v-60-LEDs-per-Meter-Waterproof-p/60.htm
I will be using 1, 2, 3, or 4 cuttable sections per project.
Thanks again!

 

[AAH]

I don't know if it will be fully successful and I don't have any 12V strip handy but I would think that instead of using resistors you could probably use some 1N4004 or similar diodes in series with the green wire to provide the colour you want. Orange is made up by using 100% red along with 63% green and 0% blue or ratios something like that so putting a couple of 1N4004's (1N4001, 1N4002 etc) in series with the green wire will drop the voltage controlling the green by about 0.7V per diode. Using diodes rather than resistors takes the number of sections out of the equation. By fiddling with the number of diodes you can fiddle the colour to suit.

 

[nato595]

Awesome, eBay here I come!
Thank you again!!

 

[AAH]

You can buy 1N4004 diodes from any electronics shop like Radio Shack or from an electronics repairer. They should only be a couple of cents each. I buy them by the 1000 for something like $8.