I am using blue LED Christmas lights

Short story: I think they work pretty well.

They are easy to install. I use plastic cable ties to connect them to my valence support framework. I plug them into remotely controlled outlet switches (https://www.amazon.com/Etekcity-Wireless-Electrical-Household-Appliances/dp/B00DQELHBS/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1517545114&sr=8-4&keywords=zap+remote+outlet+switch) so that I can turn them all on and off at once. (I love these, use about 20 of them all around the layout for lighting and layout power.)

Haven't used them in a live op session yet, but one of my operators was expressing a concern around them being "too blue." Actually, in my case, it's even worse than that, since I have about three different "blues" due to having bought the xmas lights a few years apart from different manufactures -- and the fact that the xmas lights are a bit different than the blue LED strips lights I use on the lower level. But I still think they work pretty well.

I don't think you'll want to cut them. I have the strings doubled up in order to get enough light.. In most cases, any excess length just continues around the corner, and where I run out of layout and have extra, I just double the lights back on themselves for a bit. I eventually might go back and add yet another strand...the nlight level could stand to be a bit brighter. Again, I haven't run an op session in this yet, so we'll see. Either way, I expect that crews will be using blue or red flashlights (to avoid hurting your night vision) in order to read car numbers, verify switch positions, etc.

Note that my light strings end up being between 20-30" above the layout, which is a good bit farther away than my (already brighter) LED strip lights which are about 14" above the lower level. So, again, I end up with an imbalance in light levels between the upper and lower sections.

I haven't tried dimming, but I don't think LEDs will dim with standard dimmers. But, again, for me, I don't think I'd want them any dimmer.

John

Photos under blue lights

Not great photos, but you get some sense of what it looks like.

Here you can see where the lower level, with the LED strip lights, is much brighter. I think it is less problematic than this photo might suggest...and since I tend to have more of the switching happening down on the lower level, the increased brightness could even be seen as an advantage:

I hoped there were others

I hoped there were others that had done this and would share their experiences!

Thank you very much for the input. I intend to read your information more closely and follow up on any links supplied once I get home from work tonight. Not much time right now: In a fizz to get breakfast slurped down and head out the door to go play trains.

Andre

neopixels

I'm using neopixels so that the color can be adjusted and also you could do over cast days and orange sky's.

Thunderstorms could be done too

but I'm still working on my set up

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MR7STQF/ref=asc_df_B01MR7STQF5357385/?tag=hyprod-20&creative=395033&creativeASIN=B01MR7STQF&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167158513139&hvpos=1o2&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2833071221917114538&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9011571&hvtargid=pla-306899909945

Chief: Again, thank you for

Chief:

Again, thank you for chiming in.

Re: Your photos...

Yes, that is the type of night lighting "look" I'm hoping to achieve on my layout. One way or the other, it's a "definite maybe" that I'm going to try for night lighting.  My lighting will be from 38" to 40" above the layout, so should I go with blue LED lighting, it sounds like I might need to go with blue LED strip lights instead of blue LED's "Christmas" type string lights?

saab:

Very interesting. After looking at your Amazon link, I hit YouTube to see if there were any videos of neopixels being used if a way that I would be interested in (not light shows!), but really didn't find anything.

Have you learned yet:

* If the neopixel light strips can replace "daylight" lighting? (I was going to use track lights w/LED's for "daylight" and blue LED's for "night".)

* If yes to the above, then would seem to me that a programmable device could control day/night lighting in the specified fast time cycle?

Thanks guys, this is proving to have more potential than I first realized.

Andre

Dimmer?

You may want to use non colored lights and a dimmer switch as well to get sunrise and sunset

My method for producing

My method for producing moonlight is pretty basic: I aim a light at the blue ceiling so the blue reflects downward. I experiment by varying the height of that light. The closer it gets, the less blue that escapes, and darker the 'night'.

Good luck with your venture. I look forward to seeing the results.

Mike

Night Is Not Blue ....

Never really understood the logic for using blue lights for night. I've been outside on many a full moon night when it is plenty bright, and it does not look in the least, blue. To me, a VERY dim white light looks much more representative of night to MY taste. I have my room lights on a motorized 2000 watt dimmer that is adjusted to dim down to almost off - just enough light to still see what you are doing. To each their own ....

Mark.

Replies...

Pugatch:

That is indeed an option, too. Still much to think about.

MikeC:

Now that's an original approach!

Mark R opined:

"Never really understood the logic for using blue lights for night."

'Cause I think that's what I want to do. I've tried the dim light approach in the past. It was okay... but this time I think I want to be more theatrical with the layout presentation IF I live long enough to actually have something to present!!

With my new upcoming layout, I'm navigating uncharted (for me) waters. Never before done what I'm going to tackle.

Andre

Hi Andre.  not wanting to

Hi Andre.  not wanting to hijack the thread, but here's a couple of my moonlight shots using the reflected blue of the ceiling. It doesn't give a really strong blue, which suits my needs. I only use a flashlight held close to the ceiling. I stand there like the Statue of Liberty for a full 60 seconds while the shutter is open.

I imagine a stronger light held or mounted permanently closer again would yield more light without getting too blue.

Mike

Neopixels

At this time i am working on a friends layout with these lights. We will be using a different set that includes white light (RGBW) instead for RED/Green/Blue. I hope to be able to set then to change with his fast clock using an Arduino. 

Hi Mike! That looks pretty

Hi Mike!

That looks pretty darn good!  Thanks for sharing the pics.

Several ways to skin this cat, it appears!

Andre