Light tape Installation goes south

[scorpion 0]

Light Tape

http://lighttape.com/

 

Tutorials

http://lighttape.com/content_lt_media-04.asp?ContentId=318

 

 

Outdoor Installation

http://lighttape.com/content_lt_install-05.asp?ContentId=302

 

 

 

Opened the box, and everything checks out.

 

Read the instructions, and it was what I expected.

 

First note that caught my eye. Do not bend light tape around a corner.

HHHMMMMMM? OK. Info noted in to brain memory.

 

I have a very long roll of light tape. Just think of it as a giant roll of 1/2 masking tape. I also have a very large roll of the protective "sheath" that the very thin tape goes in to for outdoor installation.

 

Just for giggles I unrolled the sheath and layed it out along the side walk of the building. I am going to install this on monday.

 

It comes with a "bracket" that holds the sheath. The instructions say mount 12" to 18" on center. If you ever have mounted Neon Lighting tubes then you are familiar with the tedious installation. That is a lot of holes that you have to drill. The bracket is small, and you only need a number 10 screw to mount it.

 

In hindsight I would have had the stucco crew keep the surface flat where the lighttape is going to be installed. This is a very rough, and thick Knock Down stucco. Had the surface been flat I could have bought a large roll of double sided stick tape, and used that to mount the sheath to the building.

 

I have a problem before I even get started!!

 

Imagine a roof line. I want to go from the far left to the far right to illuminate the roof line of the building. The connector is about 1 1/2 to 2".

 

If I mount the connector to the edge, and run the light tape to the opposite side then I am going to have a small area that is not illuminated where the connector is. HHMMMmmmmm.

 

If I run the tape so that I have illumination from end to end then I have a connector that is stick off the side of the building floating in the air!

 

Now I have to figure out how I overcome this obstacle. I sent the company an email, and hopefully they will respond on Fri.

 

Another problem that I have is that I can do a 90 degree turn with the tape. What I mean is to terminate the horizontal light tape, and then overlay the the verticle tape, and make some kind of connection for the power to go from one strip to the other.

 

This would have been a solution to the other problem from above.

 

If I had a 90 degree transition what they want is to have every strip individually powered. Each strip is to be powered in parrellal from the power supply wires. They do not suggest wiring from light strip to light strip in series.

 

To do a 90 degree transition on the left, and a 90 degree transision on the right then I would need six connectors.

 

Imagine a single story building, and then a two story building then a one story building. The wall was elevated for larger signage.

 

I will need one connector for the first horizontal line, then one for the first verticle line, then one for the top horizontal line, one for the second vertical line that goes back down, and then the horizontal line again.

 

Yikes!!! What a pain.

 

Neon seems much easier in hindsight!!

[thewireguys 3]

What is the price on that stuff?

[C7 in CA 0]

 

Read the instructions, and it was what I expected.

 

First note that caught my eye. Do not bend light tape around a corner.

HHHMMMMMM? OK. Info noted in to brain memory.

 

 

Weird. Because I read this on the website:

 

EASY TO INSTALL, COMES IN ROLLS!

Light Tape® is flexible enough to wrap around corners, over uneven surfaces and areas previously unimaginable. Simply use Velcro or double sided tape for indoor installations. Or try our outdoor extrusions for exterior applications.

 

http://www.lighttape.com/content_lt_whatis-02.asp?ContentId=294

[scorpion 0]

Yea! I waiting for the next surprise to jump out at me!

 

In their defence, I think this is reference to outdoor installations. UV will effect the light tape. The UV will damage the tape, and I think a 90 degree (kink) will subject it to a shorter life span. I think for indoors that this can be bent in to a 90 degree turn with no problems.

 

I do not have 90 degree extrusions!! That would have been awesome to have something like that!

 

I wonder if I can take a hand held band saw and miter cut the extrusions.

I cannot use super glue. It will effect the light tape, and the layers will delaminate, and ruin the light tape. Silicone sealant cannot be used either!

 

 

 

 

$$$$

If you have to ask how much it is then you cannot afford it!! It will make your hair stand on end!!! Yikes!!

 

 

I have a Retail of $6000.00, but I could ask a little more as that price is on the low end of mark up.

 

Neon would have been about the same, but the energy cost to go with it would cost more over time. The light tape could be ran off of solar panels!

It would be like taking a night club, and converting from spot par lights to led par lights. You spend more up front, but you do not have to change bulbs all the time, and you energy cost drop dramatically, and LEDs are not as hot as PAR lighting, and you save on AC cost as well.

 

Have you ever had a cleaning crew pressure wash, and blow out neon glass tubes?

 

Any maintenance on the building leaves you open to some contractor breaking some glass! Maintenance on neon is a pain. Glass can leak, and you can change out a section before the life cycle is due.

 

Have you ever had to take neon down for painting? Where do you store it? How do you store it without it getting broke??

 

 

What I have will cover Four sides of a 4000 sq ft / 5000 sq ft building.

 

You could do 3 sides, and embellish a little bit more.

 

 

The reason I am testing this, (and I do not care about the cost) is that I want to see what I can do to a building that does not eat up a giga watt per hour of power.

 

 

This can be dimmed, or used at full brightness. It can be flashed on, and off.

 

Think of columns on a building that goe 3/4 to the roof line, and then it has a top with a rap around accent/crown moulding. Now have different light tape colors on the top. Now sequence the different colors. Can you do RGB? Can you do a slow transition from one color to another color. Now you have up lighting that shines from the column top up the walls.

 

My goal is to connect this to a DMX pack, and control it with other lighting.

 

If I can get a high end club to take on a project then I will use Light O Rama to sequence the light tapes perfectly to music. You can control as many channels as you want! (It is tedious to program)!

 

http://www.lightorama.com/demo.php

 

I use this more for christmas lighting, but I think it would be great to light up a club.

 

http://www.lightorama02.com/Videos.html

 

I want to use the light tape as an alternative to Black lights. White shirts glow bright under them, and B/W CCTV camera will pull out white shirts like mad!

 

http://eclipsecctv.com/ECL-CPIRD_hidden_camera.html

 

White shirts under black lights create too much of a contrast compared to the scene you are trying to record.

 

Rope lighting is much better for covert, or night club video. Rope lighting looks so antiquated now a days. Plus you have the energy cost factor that goes with rope lighting.

 

I still keep rolls of it cause it a quick buck! Un roll and attach around a DJ booth, or platform dance floor, and hold out your hand for the check!

(and pray that you did not get the cheap roll where all of the bulbs start going out). If you do rope lighting then spend more on the 4 channel light. You can tie all of the channels together, and use it as regular rope lighting, or you can connect it to a controller to sequence the rope lights.

 

A club owner likes it when you can save on the energy bill, and they do not have to change light bulbs all of the time!!

[C7 in CA 0]

I wonder if I can take a hand held band saw and miter cut the extrusions.

I cannot use super glue. It will effect the light tape, and the layers will delaminate, and ruin the light tape. Silicone sealant cannot be used either!

 

It's worth a shot... It would suck to have to cut and connectorize every transition.

[scorpion 0]

I have not received an email back yet. I will let it slide as I am in no hurry to install it. This being a holiday weekend they may have taken Friday off, and I do not expect them to be in on Monday as it is Memorial Day.

 

It would be really nice if they had a swept 90 degree extrusion that way I could hide the connector around the side.

 

I wish I had access to an oven where I could "melt" the extrusion and bend it in to a swept curve.

[scorpion 0]

I talked to a rep at the factory right after I posted the above comment.

 

They do not mind a bend in the curves that are gentle.

 

 

I asked a lot of questions, and my first one was about going from one side to the other side, and the issue of the the connector in regards to having a 1 1/2 dead illumination area, or do I have a connector that sit in the air?

 

I do not know why I heard silence on the phone.

 

I think I am the first person to use light tape as a replacement for neon.

In other words it is used for accents, and I am traveling new ground with the product.

 

I guess I get to be the BETA TESTER, and I get to teach them a few tricks when I am done.

 

The rep was very helpful, and he was concerned that I had everything for the installation. He asked about the inventory to make sure I had everything that I needed.

 

I could not think of anything that I would need to get the installation done, but if I had, I think he would have put it in the mail right then, and there.

That is very reassurring to know!!

 

I am begining to like this company more, and more!

_____________________________________________________________

 

For those of you who do not know me, I can resolve any issue, and create my "circuitry", or wiring that may be needed.

 

I like to communicate with the manufacture first before I tread new ground.

I would not want to ruin a warranty with something stupid.

 

I was told that I COULD use superglue, or silicone sealant on the extrusion. They are highly concerned about the delamination error, and that is why they are comfortable with me using superglue or silicone sealant. They probably would never say that to an "End User". Just keep it off the tape, and you are good to go!

 

They do like the idea of a swept curved extrusion. As this was not designed as a neon replacement this is why they do not have corners. I knew that before I even called. There are other issues that I did not print in this thread, as I was saving this info for my self for "Trade Secrets".

 

_____________________________________________________________

 

This is what they are highly concerned about.

 

The light tape itself will expand, and contract, and they demand that the tape sit in a "floating" manner.

 

They do not like to see the light tape put in to sharp turns as this may bind the expansion/contraction. Curved is OK! Kinked bends are not OK!

 

They do not mind that the light tape is not in the extrusion for corners. In other words, be advised that the tape is exposed to UV rays, and that you are hammering nails in to the longevity coffin.

 

If you are doing an outdoor project then they would like to see weep holes drilled in to the extrusion to drain moisture away from the light tape.

 

This is another reason that they do not like to see the tape exposed at the corners. Rain getting in to the extrusion.

 

_____________________________________________________________

 

For those of you who have been in the security business for a while, then you have seen the "electric tape" that would be installed on a glass door, and it would make a travel path all the way around the the glass frame, and it would sound an alarm when the glass was broken allowing the crack in the glass to seperate the tape causing the alarm.

 

I am wondering if I can take a product like that, and use it to make electrical connections to get vertical, and horizontal connections?

[jonnybb1 0]

Never believe more than half of the twice-over-promised specs on any given holiday that falls in a leap year!

[scorpion 0]

Now you see why I am doing this before I offer it to my customers.

 

I do not mind being a Beta tester.

 

I just hate being the last one to figure a product is a piece of junk!

[scorpion 0]

I have switched from Light Tape to an LED based lighting.

 

I tested a two foot strip prior to an installation, and so far I am much happier with it. It is much brighter than the light tape!

 

The light tape is great for indoors, but it is a terrible pain for outdoor installation. Inserting the tape in to the plastic enclosure that provides the tape with protection from the elements is almost impossible!!

 

For you dirt bikers, and motocrossers then you can relate to changing a tube from a bike. You fight with two screwdrivers, and when you have finally used enough cuss words then it finally slips in!

 

 

I will keep you posted on how the LED lighting goes!

[cachecreekcctv 0]

I use LED's all the time for different projects. Never have run them in that length, though. Mostly run them on 6 vdc. Can run quite a few of them on a regular 9 volt battery, or tap into an installed power supply. Will try to post some pics.

[Rebco 0]

I use the LED based lighting on my own projects and haven't had a problem, I'd have to say there better then neon...