LED string lights - Higher quality and brighter

Toni

New elf
Joined
Aug 31, 2018
Messages
42
Location
Sydney
Hello,
Most of the LED string fairy style lights I've come across are very cheap and poorly made out of China.

I'm looking to glue cut out and engraved acrylic logos directly onto the leds. Acrylic really needs brighter leds for the engraving to pop.

Where can i find higher quality led string lights that are actually bright and seem safe to operate to AU standards?

Any suggestions of brand names or suppliers to contact?

I've done a ton of searching but the market is flooded with cheap rubbish.

Cheers
 

videoman3857

Full time elf
Joined
Apr 21, 2016
Messages
445
Location
Glass House Mountains
I use these in 12 volt in both 12mm and 9mm nodes. the link says 5volt , but is actually 12 volt.
Theses are not fairy lights
The light intensity is great. The 12mm have a larger dome shaped LED and sticks out further. The light intensity is the same as each other, but the 9mm node operates at a lower voltage than the 12mm
There are 50 Leds per string, spaced 60 mm apart and the wiring is colour coded. Red = red and white wire. Blue = Blue and white White is Grey and white.
Ray also has pink, purple and yellow as well as the Red, Green, Blue and White.
Ray will custom build to your needs. Mine are 100 mm spacing on 18 awg wire, but you must take a minimum of 1000 nodes = 20 strings x 50 nodes

https://www.aliexpress.com/store/pr...l?spm=2114.12010612.8148356.19.6c244e4aUvarND
 

BradsXmasLights

WiFi Interactive
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Dec 23, 2010
Messages
601
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Brisbane, Australia
The bulk of people on this forum (Australian) would buy from Ray. I've used him for years without issue.

Some how he was found many years ago; and he's picked up a LOT of business every since :)
 

Toni

New elf
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Aug 31, 2018
Messages
42
Location
Sydney
That's fine.

Happy to support him if he is honest and delivers.

I'm just very skeptical of Chinese suppliers. Had many bad experiences and been ripped off thousands.

What I'm looking for is something videoman linked to above - 10m all pre-wired as much as possible 12v 18 awg with 3mm flat top leds. Flat top compared to round top leds work better with acrylic as the lighting is not as direct.
 
Last edited:

videoman3857

Full time elf
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Apr 21, 2016
Messages
445
Location
Glass House Mountains
That's fine.

Happy to support him if he is honest and delivers.

I'm just very skeptical of Chinese suppliers. Had many bad experiences and been ripped off thousands.

What I'm looking for is something videoman linked to above - 10m all pre-wired as much as possible 12v 18 awg with 3mm flat top leds. Flat top compared to round top leds work better with acrylic as the lighting is not as direct.

I have had no major issues with Ray. I find him to be very honest.
I did have one item short in an order of the nodes I listed above and he sent me a replacement, plus three extra strings at his own expense
He does get busy from time to time and may take a while to answer.
You do have to explain yourself well and if you can send photo's or diagrams it helps him understand what you want.
I found the easiest thing to do is to contact Ray and tell him what you need.
He will tell you what he has and recommends, give you a price delivered.
ray@rita-light.com
Ray wu's store: http://www.aliexpress.com/store/701799
 

Toni

New elf
Joined
Aug 31, 2018
Messages
42
Location
Sydney
Thanks videoman.

These LED's look like they can clip or mount into something? Is there some sort of mounts I can buy?

I'm just trying to figure out the best way to stick these guys to acrylic. The plan is to stick the ends of the LED's to 6mm thick, 70mm wide acrylic discs with engaved pictures on them.

Either i find some neat mounts and glue then to the acrylic or i end up designing some form of mount.
 

videoman3857

Full time elf
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Apr 21, 2016
Messages
445
Location
Glass House Mountains
Most of us mount the LED's into Boscoyo products or conduit.
Mine are mounted in PVC electrical conduit as arches over my driveway. I drill a 12.5 mm hole for a nice snug fit.
I have mounted some through 3mm aluminium plate
some are used on wire frame faces and use a clip that will hold the light and clip onto the 6mm aluminium rod.
|I am not too sure on the type of mounting you are wanting to achieve.
 

Toni

New elf
Joined
Aug 31, 2018
Messages
42
Location
Sydney
I use these in 12 volt in both 12mm and 9mm nodes. the link says 5volt , but is actually 12 volt.
Theses are not fairy lights
The light intensity is great. The 12mm have a larger dome shaped LED and sticks out further. The light intensity is the same as each other, but the 9mm node operates at a lower voltage than the 12mm
There are 50 Leds per string, spaced 60 mm apart and the wiring is colour coded. Red = red and white wire. Blue = Blue and white White is Grey and white.
Ray also has pink, purple and yellow as well as the Red, Green, Blue and White.
Ray will custom build to your needs. Mine are 100 mm spacing on 18 awg wire, but you must take a minimum of 1000 nodes = 20 strings x 50 nodes

https://www.aliexpress.com/store/pr...l?spm=2114.12010612.8148356.19.6c244e4aUvarND

Thanks videoman.

How doe the light intensity compare to these:

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/100X-5m...20cm-Prewired-12V-LED-Lamp-Light/263868332726

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/5M-Flex...of-5050-SMD-Warm-White-300SMD-AU/183238319000

?
 

videoman3857

Full time elf
Joined
Apr 21, 2016
Messages
445
Location
Glass House Mountains
The intensity of the first pre-wired 5mm lights are lower than the 12 volt nodes I am using. They are more like the fairy lights we use. i think the Americans call them mini's
The smb 5050 are pretty dam bright, though the warm white are not as intense as the bright white.
I use the smb5050 RGB (dumb) and they are are bright, but I believe it it because there are so many of them per metre compared to a strin light, but they are very bright
 

Toni

New elf
Joined
Aug 31, 2018
Messages
42
Location
Sydney
I've placed an order with Ray over a week ago and items still haven't shipped.

I understand the guy may be busy but...

Where can I buy led pixel nodes in Australia immediately?
 

videoman3857

Full time elf
Joined
Apr 21, 2016
Messages
445
Location
Glass House Mountains
I've placed an order with Ray over a week ago and items still haven't shipped.

I understand the guy may be busy but...

Where can I buy led pixel nodes in Australia immediately?

I do not know of anyone myself.
I just got notification of my order shipping.
It's been a couple of weeks.
 

diyer

Full time elf
Joined
Jan 5, 2013
Messages
149
Location
Sunbury
QUOTE="Toni, post: 97528, member: 27771"]I've placed an order with Ray over a week ago and items still haven't shipped.

I understand the guy may be busy but...

Where can I buy led pixel nodes in Australia immediately?[/QUOTE]

There are eBay sellers that advertise that they are in Australia.
Also Hanson Electronics have 5v 2811 bullets: http://www.hansonelectronics.com.au/product/ws2811-5v-nodes-10cm/
Advetek Lights: http://www.hansonelectronics.com.au/product/ws2811-5v-nodes-10cm/
ENTTEC: https://www.enttec.com/range/lights/pixel-dots/
Probably more if you search
 

MD389

New elf
Joined
May 31, 2018
Messages
42
I've placed an order with Ray over a week ago and items still haven't shipped.

I understand the guy may be busy but...

Where can I buy led pixel nodes in Australia immediately?

Toni,

Last order I placed with Ray I waited 2 weeks before following him up regarding shipping, after this follow up email the items were sent in ~48hours.
 
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