10 Unique WLED Lighting Options! (Neon Rope, FCOB, Fairy Lights, and more)

Thanks for watching! I hope this video gives you some great ideas for #WLED projects! #smarthome #ledlights
I've left affiliate links below for any of the products used - if you decide to buy one, using the link will help me financially at no additional cost to you! Thanks!
-- Products in this video --
Trusty Athom Controller: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mKz...
Side-Emitting WS2812B Strip (AliExpress): s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DnP...
Side-Emitting WS2812B Strip (Amazon): amzn.to/3NCIaSg
FCOB 5V WS2812B (AliExpress): s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_Dlg...
FCOB 5V WS2812B (Amazon): amzn.to/41wEg3g
Flexible Neon Glow Strip (AliExpress): s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DCw...
Flexible Neon Glow Strip (Amazon): amzn.to/3RRx12t
Neon Rope (AliExpress): s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DCB...
Neon Rope (Amazon): amzn.to/4at3qnp
Fairy Lights (AliExpress): s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DEa...
Fairy Lights (Amazon): amzn.to/3vazZGv
Ball Lights: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DBB...
Firework LED Board: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DDx...
Black Circular LED Panel WS2812B (AliExpress): s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DeU...
Black Circular LED Panel WS2812B (Amazon): amzn.to/48tFtuw
White Circular LED Panel WS2812B (AliExpress): s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DCX...
LED Rings WS2812B (AliExpress): s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_Dd9...
LED Rings WS2812B (Amazon): amzn.to/3v6vBIB
Hex LED Panel (Etsy UK): www.etsy.com/uk/listing/14820...
ZigBee Knob: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mLm...
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Desk Glow Lamp: amzn.to/3GlfAAB
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Monitors: amzn.to/3ZgN63r
Monitor Mounts: amzn.to/3vN1z9M
Mouse: amzn.to/3It7595
Keyboard: amzn.to/3ik7jon
StreamDeck: amzn.to/3wqEfyY
Desk Microphone: amzn.to/3IwCYxz
Acoustic Panels: amzn.to/3wnALNV
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Studio Headphones: amzn.to/3WVnffR
Under-Cabinet Speakers: amzn.to/3IxkHQP
Camera: amzn.to/3imNq04
Desk Backlighting Strip: amzn.to/3vJvLCX
Desk Backlighting Controller: www.athom.tech/blank-1/wled-h...
Desk Backlighting Power Supply: amzn.to/3IwduAD
Desk Board: amzn.to/3CwFbFy
Desk Brackets: amzn.to/3GJHDeh
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Key Light: amzn.to/3WTJkvo
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[@makeitworktech]

Thanks for watching!! -- Products in this video -- Side-Emitting WS2812B Strip (AliExpress): s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DnPHbgz Side-Emitting WS2812B Strip (Amazon): amzn.to/3NCIaSg FCOB 5V WS2812B (AliExpress): s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_Dlg3g29 FCOB 5V WS2812B (Amazon): amzn.to/41wEg3g Flexible Neon Glow Strip (AliExpress): s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DCw81qv Flexible Neon Glow Strip (Amazon): amzn.to/3RRx12t Neon Rope (AliExpress): s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DCBR5XT Neon Rope (Amazon): amzn.to/4at3qnp Fairy Lights (AliExpress): s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DEa4muD Fairy Lights (Amazon): amzn.to/3vazZGv Ball Lights: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DBBKVOv Firework LED Board: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DDxz7Ud Black Circular LED Panel WS2812B (AliExpress): s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DeUktyd Black Circular LED Panel WS2812B (Amazon): amzn.to/48tFtuw White Circular LED Panel WS2812B (AliExpress): s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DCXqv8V LED Rings WS2812B (AliExpress): s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_Dd9I09x LED Rings WS2812B (Amazon): amzn.to/3v6vBIB Hex LED Panel (Etsy UK): www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1482072552/addressable-hexaputer

[@neekster28]

I've been rocking a 20M 5V string of fairy lights on my tree. They're awesome!

[@lawrencemanning]

Hey same as me. 200 of the buggers. I went for the rubbery ones. Amazon also have some that use weird enamel wires but I returned those. They are a load of fun for the kids. And I applied some HA magic by making them flash red when someone is in the porch. 😂

[@makeitworktech]

Nice! Fairy lights are essential holiday lights 🎄

[@davidhawley1132]

Same here, also several strings outside. They run fine with my DIY USB stick format controllers.

[@gedgicat2063]

Great video, definitely interested in a part two, as I'm already looking for ideas for next year's light project

[@TDHobbies]

I was about to get on your discord and ask about some rope lights and found this video, so I guess I have most questions answered. you do a great job at finding and testing things for us. Thank you.

[@AB-jt6ic]

Another great, informative video! I especially like that you give ideas for how to use the strips - I keep buying strips and then can't figure out how I want to deploy them!

[@gumshoe-tech]

Part #2 please!

[@makeitworktech]

Noted, thanks for the comment!

[@j00h]

I've been looking for a guide exactly like this. Brilliant content. Thank you

[@makeitworktech]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@gordon861]

I bought a set of the LED Balls after your Twitter post and they arrived really quickly, they look really good, not enough light to really illuminate with but they are great for the price. The LED fairy lights, I bought a 50m roll of the 12v version (5cm between LEDs) and found that I don't need power injection at about 10m and get clean white along the length. I also tried them out with the GLEDOPTO controller (similar to the Athom one but 10Amp and has two outputs and is cheaper), with a 10m string in each direction and got no colour shift along the length, Finally, the ring LEDs, I have also picked up some of those in the past and my plan was to try them in the base of a vase/bowl with glass pebbles/rocks on top of them. Done some trials with them under a bag of pebbles, which word fairly well.

[@makeitworktech]

Awesome, I saw your posts on Twitter. Super cool looking for sure!

[@Ernzt8]

Part 2, off course!

[@makeitworktech]

I've ordered some more cool stuff to try!

[@TimShelnut]

I really like that door!

[@makeitworktech]

Thanks!!

[@manicmods]

Excellent video, thank you!

[@makeitworktech]

Glad you liked it, thanks!

[@ronm6585]

Thank you.

[@-djs]

Hi Aaron, hope you are well, hey I'm all for as many WLED videos as you want, I love it!, still have my Athom controllers I bought off the back of your first video on them but they've all turned really glitchy and error prone, so I tried DIY esp32 boards but don't know enough about drivers, flashing and all that, I managed to successfully flash a couple of one brand if the esp32 but the other brands my laptop wouldn't recognise no matter what I did, there are hundred of videos about flashing WLED but none about drivers, what they are and which ones are safe to use. So I'm using Quin boards now and have been for a while and touch wood I haven't had a single problem thus far. Anyway I will take the opportunity to wish you and your family a Very Happy Christmas and best wishes for the New Year from accross the pond 🇺🇸🇬🇧

[@Jensen871]

Another really good video! Would love to see more videos about WLED. I have been wanting to do WLED but I am not sure what all I would need and how to inject power. I have looked at some plug and play controllers like the Domestic Automation controller.

[@makeitworktech]

Noted! Careful, it's easy to get hooked! I'll definitely start working on the controller comparison!

[@chrini1]

Would love to see some more from you!

[@makeitworktech]

Working on it!!

[@aryanmn209]

That neon 360 tube light is one of the coolest things ever i ordered 2X 5 meter long ones yesterday so puped to use it in a house project

[@makeitworktech]

Yeah, super fun to play with! I have more on the way as well!

[@goman7614]

I would love to see more videos using these clever configurations.

[@inufficinacongrisugino]

Oohh super 🎉

[@makeitworktech]

Thanks!!

[@imdbtruth]

Subbed for the LED related content. I have some 120LEDs/Meter SK6805 on a 4mm PCB in some 6mm silicone that I really like!

[@makeitworktech]

Thanks!! I've never heard of SK6805s! Time to investigate 🕵️‍♂️

[@elmestguzman3038]

Great video... A controller comparison would be great!!!

[@makeitworktech]

Coming soon!

[@UK786]

Hey Bud, HNY to you. Great video and some interesting ideas. I wanted to ask that from your vast knowledge pool surrounding this subject matter. What you would advise, if I wanted to run two Led strips on a wall in a downward /\ shape with a one directional pattern of white light. So the light would travel from the bottom of each strip end at the top and go again. Which should look like if it’s directing in one direction. The strip would be like when a single led turns on the one behind it turns off. Hope I’ve made some sense, thanks for your time. 😊

[@michaelwalker1621]

Hi Aaron… You alway create great content… & I wish you made more Videos… But with the ever changing world of LED’s it’s just confusing me more… I want to start a project around my Coving which is 18m long & I like WLED & individual LED’s & I’ve also seen that plug & play controller that excepts 5v - 24v & the power brick isn’t a problem… what LED’s do I use? 18m = 5500 x 3500 rectangles & I know I need more power in two of the corners… but I’m torn between SK2812 or WS2812B or is there something newer out now 😂 thank you in advance 😎

[@davidgiertta]

The translucent band on the side of the silicone-encased strip is to allow for seeing the cut marks on the LED strip within.

[@makeitworktech]

Ah, genius!

[@arunskuviyamphotography5388]

I bought these lights but did not come with the mounting clips, I tried sticking a 3m sticky pad behind them but no luck. any suggestions ? TIA

[@makeitworktech]

@arunskuviyamphotography5388 Maybe these? s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mK2yD2E

[@arunskuviyamphotography5388]

@@makeitworktech cheers Buddy!

[@davidgiertta]

@@arunskuviyamphotography5388 Thing is, the rubbery material encapsulating the LED strip is most probably silicone, and nothing really sticks to this.. except silicone! So if you have the possibility of gluing it, then use silicone glue or a silicone filler compound meant for glass, bathrooms and kitchens. If you are set on using clips, then it is not so challenging repurposing some other fixture bits or even modelling something for 3D-printing if you have access to a printer. A small note on gluing these.. The one I had was possible to glue with cyanoacrylate (regular super glue) if you first roughed up the surface with sandpaper.

[@Nordictor78]

Do you have a suggestion on how to make a led strip light up next to you as you walk. Not lighting up the whole led strip but just the area next to you.

[@wscottfunk]

Awesome video Aaron!!! Love the FCOB lights! Which Athom controller and power supply are you using? What length FCOB strip did you use? Looks like the one on Amazon is only a 1m strip but the ones on AliExpress are available in multiple lengths. I'd love to replicate your door frame setup! This would be my first WLED project, so I hope it's pretty easy to set up. ☺️

[@makeitworktech]

I was using the standard LS4P Athom controller and a 15amp power supply. I bought the 5m strip because 1m is just way too short! Sorry I just saw this comment now! Trying to catch up on comments from the past month

[@edward463]

Can you cover twinkly Christmas lights and gives Christmas string lights please!

[@chuckherbert9466]

Hi Aaron. Did you end up using the same power supply around your door (the 10amp) for the FCOB lights? If so, is 10amps adequate for full brightness? I’d really appreciate any comments you have. Ordered the FCOB’s myself and noted they recommended 18w/m, which I believe is 0.075 per pixel. First project for me and want to make sure on the power. Athom is on its way too. Great! video’s…Thank you.

[@makeitworktech]

I used a 15amp power supply instead of 8amp, just to make sure I have enough. Even with a current limiter at 8amp though, you're gonna have plenty of brightness

[@ironcrafter54]

Could you give me a link, for the smart knob that looks pretty cool.

[@makeitworktech]

Here it is. s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mLm5Ktq Requires ZigBee 2MQTT I believe

[@arunskuviyamphotography5388]

A quick question (sorry for my ignorance) : I am planning to use the neon rope light outside the house, I know that the rope light itself is waterproof but the controller and the wires from them aren't, how should I install it in this case ? TIA

[@makeitworktech]

Try putting them in an outdoor junction box? Maybe like this: amzn.to/3T4YD3H

[@arunskuviyamphotography5388]

@@makeitworktech you are a star! Cheers.

[@DRacer90]

Im interested on that one panel behind your monitor that looks like an equalizer at <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="594">9:54</a>. What is that? Thanx

[@makeitworktech]

I made it in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l3_Tc4Jmd7aNpK8si=BtKQFCOxMi1pxwM9

[@geantcreeper]

Super cool videos but the leds need a diffuser, there is the muzata that diffusé perfectly but there is an alternative to Europe because musata is only us ?

[@makeitworktech]

I'll have to test a bunch of them!

[@tjevo4g]

The neon rope looks great, but no one has confirmed that you can cut it down to size (which, in a way, confirms that you cannot). Can't think of too many projects where I need exactly 16.4ft, no more, no less.

[@ericmarciniak3541]

They do sell them in different sizes from 1 - 5 meters but yeah it would be nice to make custom lengths.

[@makeitworktech]

yeah you can cut them

[@schlotdoglaser]

What micro controller do you use?

[@makeitworktech]

Athom LS4P! s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mLVoEeK

[@squalazzo]

how did you connect the zigbee knob to wled?

[@makeitworktech]

I connected them both to Home Assistant and created an automation that controls the LED ring when the knob is turned

[@AndyBerman]

part 2 please

[@makeitworktech]

Noted, thanks for the comment!

[@user-jn1yc2sp7o]

Hey… I am trying to find a way to create a visual timer with lights like these. There are two ways I want them to function A.) if I set a timer then have the light strip countdown the minutes then the last 60 seconds count down per second (Think similar to the Echo Wall Clock iyknk). B.) When I have an event scheduled in my calendar app light strip turns Green 1.5 hours prior to travel time for the event, Yellow an hour prior to departure, Orange half an hour prior to departure, and red at departure (basically trying to train myself to be out the door before the lights turn red). (Travel time is always added in my calendar with either Waze or Google Maps for every event scheduled in my calendar) What light strips would work best for these applications (I understand they may not be the same light strips or light strips at all). How would I set up Automations with Home Assistant to get these to function?

[@makeitworktech]

Hi, that sounds like a fun project! I guess the first question would be where you want the strip to be, and that would tell you which type to choose. The automations in Home Assistant probably would be pretty easy, but you'd need your calendar integrated with HA, and a way to also pull in those travel times. I'm not sure if that exists in your calendar even in a way that it can be extracted in Home Assistant. I would say use a cheap light strip to start testing (WS2812B, maybe 60 LEDs/meter) and see how that goes. Ultimately you could even use an LED ring or neon rope to make things look more fancy. I use google calendar in HA, and the attributes that come through are: all_day: true/false, message: The event summary., description: The event description., location: The event location., start_time: Start time of event., end_time: End time of event. Is the travel time included in one of these fields in your calendar? Feel free to hop on our discord if you want to pitch the question there!

[@dansantoso48]

Hallo, im looking something like this for wled: Govee Smart Ceiling Light. do you know? Thanks

[@makeitworktech]

Hmmm, not that I know of, sorry

[@marcspurgin6144]

Thanks heaps for your time. Hi I'm Marc Spurgin from Adelaide Australia, I'm a sculptor of human figures and I want to light them up. Cand you recommend to me a system that can light up the body head ans go down both arms and legs please.. I'm a retired guy what has no skill electrically. Great video too very informative. Cheers Marc

[@makeitworktech]

Hi! Does it need to be battery powered?

[@hasbulla3167]

Is it possible to connect 144led/m with 60led/m in wled? They’re both 5V and have the same 3 copper connections.

[@makeitworktech]

Yeah, I've done it with no issue

[@hasbulla3167]

@@makeitworktech I appreciate your answer! So I now got 3m 144led/m and 5m 60led/m. They have their own data pin, but why is it still a bit laggy? I thought it only would lag if I put the strips in line but they have their own pin and their own power supply.

[@barygol]

Fcob are the best at the moment aren't they?

[@makeitworktech]

I like them the best for accent lighting!

[@LEDWS2815]

China LED Factory, ws2815, ws2811

[@makeitworktech]

Wut

[@HaZtile]

Ali express links not working

[@makeitworktech]

Hmmm, they are working for me...