Lighting iMac

[deadlygopher]

For one of our upcoming shows our director wants to have lights inside several iMacs that flash different colors. We're able to gut the computers, but I'm worried about heat from using PAR cans. Any other ideas?

 

[avkid]

LED par cans.

 

[deadlygopher]

LED par cans.

Spendy.....
I'll look into it though.

 

[Capi]

Birdies, aka MR-16's. They don't put out that much heat.

 

[avkid]

Spendy.....
I'll look into it though.

I'm talking Chinese knock offs from an online dj store.

 

[avkid]

Wait a second, look what I found-
http://www.bulbamerica.com/PAR20-Yellow-LED-light-bulb-1028-prod.htm?category_id=610
-
A bunch of those, some medium bases and a something to make them flash.
-
Probably not more than $100.

 

[deadlygopher]

Wait a second, look what I found-
http://www.bulbamerica.com/PAR20-Yellow-LED-light-bulb-1028-prod.htm?category_id=610
-
A bunch of those, some medium bases and a something to make them flash.
-
Probably not more than $100.

The one worrying thing is that the site says "not for use with dimmers"

 

[derekleffew]

If they don't need to be programmable, just flash colors, phil000's favorite place, CoolStuffCheap.com has these. Wire a bunch inside, set the mode, then put them on a nondim.

Here's a picture (I've since changed it back to regular white G30s):

Or, the COLORsplash Jr., PAR38, fully DMX-controllable.

 

[DarSax]

Just use standard edison base lamps and ceramic bases, I'd think (and junction boxes). Should be more than bright enough to let people know they're lit up. Not to mention computers get really hot--not PAR64 hot, but hot enough so they're engineered to be okay in heat.

 

[deadlygopher]

They're only meant to be some shiny flashy color in one scene, so I just want to make sure that we're not going to get a nice burning plastic smell.

 

[derekleffew]

How about a couple of strings of Xmas lights inside each case? That could be cool. You'll probably have to ghost load the dimmer(s).

 

[DarSax]

Oy, then I'd still go with a simple keyless (har!) ceramic/plastic base and some watt of standard bulb (lamp). Easy as anything to wire up, and especially if its just for flash, I'd think no big worry of overheating. Depends a bit on how long you want them on, for how may watts to use.

 

[avkid]

The one worrying thing is that the site says "not for use with dimmers"

I didn't mean a dimmer, more like a chase controller.

 

[porkchop]

I'm going to have to second traditional lamps with ceramic bases. An iMac is big enough to fit a variety of sizes and lamps are cheap with a relatively standard base so when you get the inevitable "can't it be brighter?" getting brighter lamps is easy.

 

[LD4Life]

If all else fails, go with rope lights. They usually don't require a ghost load. I have run them countless times off of a standard dimmer.