Why??? They are so cheap these days compared to what they used to cost, why would you even bother to build your own fixtures? You will have more invested in parts and time then just buying them outright.
I did build some disco lights in 1990′s. Nowadays you can buy many disco lights more cheaply than you could buy the components. DIY is makes often sense only as a learning experience or if you need something really special that is not available ready made (and can cost time and money to make). Here is my small light control board that consists of two 300W light dimmers.
One device I used a lot was a color organ circuit to control your light colors with sound frequencies, lows, mids and highs on different colors. Microphone, pre amp, frequency filters and a switch to flash different color lights based on the music frequency. I used an older version (slightly different case) of Velleman K8017 kit that controlled a set of 230V 150W halogen floodlights with color filters. If you are building light organs nowadays, it might be a good idea to have a LED color organ circuit powered with safer low voltage.
For single channel light dimming I built aDC-OHJATTU HIMMENNIN K8064. When I needed more channels, I built Four channel dimmer rack based on Velleman K2634 Quad Triac Card Kit. I used the same Velleman K2634 Quad Triac Card Kit to build a four channel light switch box that could be controlled with 5V or 10V on/off control signals.
Here are links to some circuits I have used:
https://www.epanorama.net/index2.php?section=circuits&index=light
Archive of disco Light circuits plans from “Canada’s largest manufacturer of disco lighting controllers in the 70s.”
https://www.epanorama.net/schematicsforfree/Lights/index.php
DMX allows you to control lights further though, like a full stage system
https://www.epanorama.net/newepa/2019/10/20/enttec-open-dmx-diy/
DMX 512 control board DMX 192 repair
https://www.epanorama.net/newepa/2021/03/15/dmx-512-control-board-dmx-192-repair/
Enttec Open DMX DIY
https://www.epanorama.net/newepa/2019/10/20/enttec-open-dmx-diy/
Four channel DMX-512 light dimmer
https://www.epanorama.net/newepa/2016/06/13/four-channel-dmx-512-light-dimmer/
DMX-512 decoder for RGB LED
https://www.epanorama.net/newepa/2017/03/07/dmx-512-decoder-for-rgb-led/
DMX-512 led light teardown
https://www.epanorama.net/newepa/2019/10/16/dmx-512-led-light-teardown/
LED DMX-512 lamp teardown
https://www.epanorama.net/newepa/2019/10/21/led-dmx-512-lamp-teardown/
Amplifier rack
https://www.epanorama.net/newepa/2021/06/19/pa-amplifier-rack/
8 Comments
John Anderson says:
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Tomi Engdahl says:
What is the Difference Between 365 nm and 395 nm UV LED Lights?
https://www.waveformlighting.com/tech/what-is-the-difference-between-365-nm-and-395-nm-uv-led-lights?fbclid=IwY2xjawEkxiFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHbQ5AqVuhwrpfoZjYIdbcGS7878TnU4qs6Z9fh81MArkDo-UQtXayJrdig_aem_EUF5le8KYf2Dx_LtqdCrnQ
Tomi Engdahl says:
ANSI E1.53 – 2019 – Overhead mounting of luminaires, lighting accessories, and other portable devices: specification and practice
(Definition) Secondary Mounting Devices: devices that are intended to stop the fall of Supported Equipment if the Primary Mounting Device fails. Examples would be safety cables and safety chains.
5.3.1 When Secondary Mounting Devices are required to be used
Secondary Mounting Devices are required to be used whenever the failure of the Primary Mounting Device might result in injury to a person. Secondary Mounting Devices are not required when the failure of a Primary Mounting Device is unlikely to result in injury to a person, for example, when a luminaire is mounted where there is no possibility of a person being underneath to be hit by falling equipment, when the equipment is so lightweight that it is unlikely to cause injury, or when there are redundant Primary Mounting Devices and the failure of one of them will not cause the equipment to fall.
Link: https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/docs/E1-53-2019.pdf
Tomi Engdahl says:
“If the failure of one of them will not cause the equipment to fall” then yes. However, “it should be possible for the mounting failure to be detected, so that it can be repaired and the redundant mounting restored”.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Beyond of any official regulation the venues liability insurance provider should also be considered. They very well may not pay a claim if the fixture had no secondary on it. More than once I’ve had an insurance inspector ask for a second or even 3rd safety cable on something. I’m not going to argue it. I just add it and move on.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Safeties on lights above a location any person is seated or may be expected to walk is mandatory
Tomi Engdahl says:
I don’t know what the rules are for regular electrical safety testing in the US, but in the U.K. anything with a plug on it is generally PAT tested once a year at a minimum. Occasionally at longer intervals and often at shorter intervals. So if the venue hasn’t had the cans down for testing (at which point most would normally clean their kit too), I’d probably avoid using them regardless.
Of course it’s also possible that they’re installed and hardwired, or that they’re disconnected and were replaced with LED or other DJ/club lights, and it was just cheaper in labour costs to leave them up there than to remove them.
Tomi Engdahl says:
If a fixtures is above someone, use a safety. There are certain regulations here in Germany where you must not use a safety in certain fixed installations but you generally should.
This is a question you shouldn’t have to ask.