Floodlights: Colored Incadescent, LEDs, or "Gels"

[LukeSkiewalker]

For Halloween the last couple of years I have used either Phillips colored floodlights or GE colored floodlights. For Christmas I was inspired by what they have done at WDW this year http://flickr.com/photos/kitzzy/2081489567/in/photostream/ Now my house doesn't look nearly that good, but over the course of the next couple of years I plan on using a similar effect. This year I started by simply adding a bunch of blue floodlights. I found that standard incandescent Icicle lights wash out the blue lights easily. I have five pointed at my house, and while it does produce a nice effect, it's not what I am going for. I decided I am switching my string lights to LED since that is a more bluer white and should allow me to create a better appearance with the blue floodlights.

Now here is my question about floodlights. Does anyone have experience with LED floods or using gels? To be honest I only have a vague idea what Gels are . I know that I want to get away from standard floods because they're performance is disappointing. Locally I have only been able to find Phillips and GE for colored floodlight bulbs. The paint the Phillips brand uses fades rather quickly and on blue bulbs the color looks less blue even after a week of 8 hours a day use. The GE brand uses a paint that seems to take a lot longer to fade, but the paint starts to chip after only a few weeks. I have two that need to be replaced because they have chipped enough in 3 weeks that they are mostly white bulbs now.

So what are peoples experience with using LED and gels? Any good vendors you recommend for either?

[putrid]

Gels are used in theater and concert lighting. There high heat resistant plastic. Meant to be used on lights up to 1000 watts. You should be able to find them at any instrument store that rents equipment for live shows. If you decide to use them you'll have to build something to hold the gel infront of the light.
You have two things working against you using blue floods. First blue has a long wavelength so it's easily broken up with other colors. Secondly the flood light is meant to scatter the color over a wide area. Long wave and wide area equals low color retention. If you use higher watt clear spot lights ( the front of the bulb is absolutely smooth ) and blue gels you will get a more intense color. However the white lights will still wash some of it out. BUT the white light will help make the overall blue more intense. ( when working with colored lights it's best to have a 'reference'. If everything is one color our eyes will wash it out. If you put a small amount of white light your eyes will have something to judge the color by. The color will then appear to be more intence. )
Sorry, don't know anything about LEDs

[LukeSkiewalker]

Okay that helps. But do the gels fade? If so are they rated for a minimum number of hours?

Ultimately I would like one of these: http://www.bulbamerica.com/Spectrum-575-DMX512-Outdoor-Wash-2065-prod.htm

It creates the exact effect I am going for but just isn't in the budget, at least not at this time.

[putrid]

Holy cow! A light that bright you could sit around and roast marshmallows over. LOL

Gels are durable but will eventually fade. Especailly if left in direct sun light. Even in winter there's enough ultra violet to decrade plastic. But at a 1000 watts a bulb gels will last for weeks on end.

[LukeSkiewalker]

Thanks guys! I am going to go to my local light store this weekend (there is one that sells only specialty lights, more so then the big box hardware stores. I'll let everyone know what I find.

[Sickie Ickie]

Have you tried glass paint on the clear floods?

[LukeSkiewalker]

I'm not familiar with glass paint. Would it be heat rated to tolerate a 150 watt flood and or rain and sun? Also where would I find it? Not sure I have ever seem something like that at Home Depot or Lowes, of course I have never looked either.

[Sickie Ickie]

Look for it at Michaels. It should be good, because some kinds actually require them to be baked on.

[LukeSkiewalker]

Thanks. I'll take a look at that in the off-season. And I went to my local specialty light shop only to find that they have some odd hours 7am-5pm M-R F 7am-3PM F and closed on Sat and Sun. Guess I'll have to go next week when I have some time off.

[Sickie Ickie]

I've never understood how stores could be run like that. Most peole aren't even home from work until after 5!

On the plus side, with glass paint, even if it takes several layers to get the depth of color you would like, you can do custom colors that don't come in floods to suit your needs.

[LukeSkiewalker]

Okay I found the paint you were talking about here: http://www.michaels.com/art/online/displayProductPage?productNum=cp0262

and here: http://www.pebeo.com/asp/prod/fiche.asp?lang=us&id=17.

The custom colors is a good point and they do have some nice color options. My only concern now is whether a floodlight gets ti 325 degrees (or higher). Guess I need to borrow my friends infra-red thermometer to find out. I just kind of question the safety of baking a light bulb, if it normally does not get to 325. I kind of worry whether that would excite the gas to much.

Ugh...lighting has become the most difficult part of my Halloween and Christmas (the non-stranded variety that is) displays. But I do have about 11 months before I have to set-up for next year so I have time to figure this all out.

EDIT: according to this: http://en.allexperts.com/q/Thermodynamics-2200/Temperature-light-bulb.htm The surface temperature is probably over 325. Since that's the case I worry this might not work.

[Sickie Ickie]

To tell ya the truth, I wouldn't even worry about baking the bulb.

The paint is what you want baked, not the bulb- so I'd apply the glass paint, let dry, and just turn on the bulb. The bulb gets hot and the paint cures right on the hot part of the bulb. :)

[LukeSkiewalker]

Sorry didn't see that you had posted already. I had already edited my post above.

[Sickie Ickie]

I still say it's worth a shot, Luke. :)

[LukeSkiewalker]

I know this is an old thread, but I started it so I feel justified in reviving it. :) I ended up replacing all of my lights with LEDs. I have 15 blue LED floods pointed on the house and it seems to be working well. I added a bunch more lights today, so I will need to get some more floods to compensate. I am happy with how it has turned out and I will post pictures when I have the final results I am looking for.

[Sickie Ickie]

What are your insight on LED floods vs Floods?

[LukeSkiewalker]

The issue I was having with all of my regular flood lights was that the colored paint would crack and eventually chip off when exposed to the elements. The LED floods I am using are brighter than the standard colored Phillips floods you can buy at the hardware store. The main advantage of the LEDs is that the internal LED produces the color, not a film or paint. You don't have to worry about the bulb fading. My Red floods are now pink, and my blue floods are now mostly white. My LED blue and red bulbs are just as bright as the first day I set them up for my Haunt.

On my house I am now using LED bulbs instead of the standard mini's. The LED bulbs cast a brilliant white, closer to blue, whereas traditional mini's are yellowish. As a result, the blue doesn't seem to wash out as easily as it did with the standard mini's. If you have seem pictures of Cinderella's "Ice" Castle that is up during November and December at the Magic Kingdom this is the effect I am going for. My way of doing it seems to be the budget way to do based on the behind the scenes pictures and TV specials I have seen. The castle has a very expensive industrial "light wash" system. A single unit cost a couple grand and the castle has more than I have been able to count. They are using LEDs on the castle itself, but they have made their own special non-tangle net lights.

I'll take pictures of my house this week, and I will take pictures of the Mouse House when I am down there there next week. :)

[Sickie Ickie]

using MR-16s? I've thought about experimenting with those, but was afraid they would e much dimmer than the regular flood lights.

[LukeSkiewalker]

This is what I am using: http://www.minionsweb.com/osStore/product_info.php?products_id=48 They are incredible.

[Sickie Ickie]

You may have just talked me into next years bulb buys.

[LukeSkiewalker]

Here is the result of 17 LED blue floods

http://www.holidaysonknox.com/gallery/albums/wpw-20081214/normal_PICT0132.JPG (http://www.holidaysonknox.com/gallery/albums/wpw-20081214/PICT0132.JPG)
(Click for full size)

[LukeSkiewalker]

Here is the result of 17 LED blue floods

http://www.holidaysonknox.com/gallery/albums/wpw-20081214/normal_PICT0132.JPG (http://www.holidaysonknox.com/gallery/albums/wpw-20081214/PICT0132.JPG)
(Click for full size)

Next year I think I am going to add net lights to the roof.

[Sickie Ickie]

Thanks for posting that Luke. How many LED in each light (32?)?

I just read about someone who took snow fencing and attached lights to that, then added that to his roof. He was using a sequencer, but static or animated, the idea is the same.

[LukeSkiewalker]

Yeah there are 32 leds in each light.

Was it the orange snow fencing? Do you have a link?

[Sickie Ickie]

Pictures at
http://www.constantlychristmas.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4257&highlight=roof+grid

and how-to at http://www.constantlychristmas.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4133&highlight=roof+grid