Hey man, I don’t want to spend 100s of $s on this build. Do you think finding a cheap full spectrum led strip on Amazon is worth it? They’re about 20-30$. Mostly for plants (like glow light strips.)
@@RealGalaxyGamers I wouldn't consider those full spectrum personally. The purpose of this build was to use truly "unlike" spectrum diodes, but you're more than welcome to use any kind of LED strip you like!
Wow, what a phenomenally done DIY video. Can't think of a single thing I would change! 10/10, will build cake pan lights in my future and refer to this video while doing so.
Haha thanks bud! I certainly tried! :D I probably could've gotten some more b-roll, but it's easy to forget in the process lol I got a gimbal now though so we gonna up the game baby!
Thank you so much for this build description video. It was a fun project. One deviation I made was to polish the aluminum pan to a mirror finish with various grades of sand paper ending up at 7,000 grit. I was concerned the vinyl film might get hot and not adhere after a period of time. The only tweak that I may make is a better quality power supply. The one I used gets very hot and I doubt the specs are correct. Again, thank you for this build description.
Hey you’re welcome! Awesome you made one! Polishing is a great idea I hadn’t thought of that. And yeah, finding good power supplies is an issue, especially on Amazon haha
Why do you add reflectivity take behind the LED strip? I wouldn't think it needs to be reflective any where other than the sides of the pan (since the light doesn't shine backward but only forward from the LEDs correct?)
I think they could work well for that! It's hard to find one that's not super bulky or too glare prone, or cheap enough... But I've been wanting to narrow done some good ones and test them for this purpose, it's on the never ending to do list lol
does Full-Spectrum mean uv too ? is Full-Spectrum not bad for eyes ? i've been googleing for days cant get any straight answers , please wouuld love a respond
"full spectrum" as it stands doesn't really have a set definition. When I use this term I'm almost always referring to a visible light spectrum that closely resembles natural sunlight. So no, that does not include UV or infrared for that matter.
@@optimizeyourbiology Have you tested these LEDs for UV spectrums which can be harmful for the eyes? You seem to have proper equipment. :) I'm looking to do the build [as my current, store-bought SAD light flickers like hell, and I think I might be sensitive to that], but I don't know how I would test the lights for potentially harmful UVs. 🤔
The Alixpress strip did outperform technically, however the Yuji has a more natural and pleasant spectrum, which was part of the purpose of this project in the first place.
May I ask why the manufacturers solder the copper connectors every so many chips? I am unsure if I can just cut across the two solder beads or do people melt the solder off, then cut.
LED strips are manufactured as smaller strips, they are then soldered together to make longer strips! You should be able to cut anywhere there’s copper, solder joints included.
I was able to cut across the two solder beads with a very sharp pair of scissors. I tried melting the solder beads and manually separating but this damaged some insulating material under the resultant copper pads. Went back to just scissors to the beads. Everything worked afterward and allowed me to use all the chips.
Probably yes! You’d have to put the LEDs closer together rather than spaced out like I did here. That would increase the lux substantially although I’m not sure by exactly how much.
Thank you! I’m on the last step! But I’m trying to decide on a good glue for the diffuser. I tried one form of gorilla glue, but it’s too slow to set. What kind of glue did you use?
Hey awesome! So I just checked and I used Gorilla Clear Grip. Stunk to high heavens but I left it to off-gas and dry for like 24 hours in a ventilated room. There probably something better but I think it’s just what I had at the time!
The link to the aliexpress LED strips is not working anymore. Could you please point me the proper one? [update] One of the links in the Article still worked!
Good question. For these the power supplies are mounted under the desk, I thought about back mounting but decided it would be easier and more thermally efficient to go under the desk.
Good question! The spectrum is definitely going to be better on these DIY lamps, from a naturalistic POV at the very least. Photography lights like the NL660 can certainly work! They might not be as diffuse as you'd prefer for long periods of direct FOV use however. The light itself is also a bit smaller making it less comfortable.
I have a question regarding the LED strips, suppose my country doesnt have these brands, which units of measure are there or what should i look for when picking a good led strip?
I guess I've found one which has CRI of 95 and a 120/m lumens which 8s comparable with the Yuji strip, but it's in 24V. Should I do anything about 24V ?
You’ll just have to make sure your power supply supports 24V, but that’s the only difference. My aim with this lamp was to use strips that were closer to the spectral output of sunlight. A light source can have a high CRI and still be spectrally quite different from sunlight. A high CRI or Rf (TM30) is certainly better than low, but I’d try to find a strip that emits like the ones in this video if you can!
Really good video. Do you know how panel like this compares to light therapy glasses? Mainly I mean does the light only need to reach eyes or skin as well to fully work ? Also would you consider DIY light therapy glasses? I'd love to make a pair but not sure what led cob or strip to use and how to power them and you seem to know what you're doing ! Thanks
It only needs to reach the eyes! DIY glasses would be much harder! Just given the size constraints. I'd think the easiest DIY route here would be to modify a baseball hat or something? But I'm not sure, I'd have to give that a lot more thought haha
I think it's doable. There are lots of videos of making glasses / goggles for cosplay . I'm just not sure or power of cob chip. How many lumens from such a short distance . They could be powered by usb from powerbank for weight control. There are some growing full spectrum chips to buy but not sure what Lumen is needed.
Interesting point, I've not watched those. As for the lumen output, yeah I'm not sure... That would have to be experimented with, probably better to start high and just under-power or over-diffuse if necessary.
Good question! I did have my flicker meter when I built this and I’ve been meaning to go back and retest. I’ll do that soon and update the article with the findings :)
Great great video, if I find the time I want to make one myself. For now I bought the Carex Daylight Elite based on your review. I am curious to learn what kind of mount you recommend if you already have a monitor on an arm mount. Like the positioning of the dual lights right above the monitor - want to create the same setup at my working desk Thanks, keep up the great work ❤
Thank you! That’s a good one! I’m working on mounting options right now for it. I’ll hopefully have some stuff to sure in the video review and I’ll add it to the article :)
i bout the Carex Daylight classic for $20 bucks at a Goodwill... i needed a key light for blogging... Can this be used for that??? I had no idea of light therapy until i googled it.... is it safe to use for long periods if its 3 or 4 feet away??? At least ill be happy making videos😂
Haha nice find! Totally safe yes. It doesn't have the greatest color rendering, but it should work okay! Though I believe there are older Carex Classics that use fluorescent lights so I'm not sure which one you have.
@@optimizeyourbiology oh okay thanks for the info. My model number is DL93011 Claims to be non glare soft light!!! im gonna giv4 it a shot!!! lol Thanks again
Thank you so much for this. I wonder if you could tell me the specs and brand of the Aliexpress led stripe, because unfortunatelly i can't see the article through the link provided from my country (Spain) since is not available here. (I would look for something similar / same brand / cheap available here.). Thank you so much in advance! Subscribed ofc.
Hey there! So you can't view AliExpress links in Spain? Hmmm. In any case, what you're looking for is a "SunLike" led strip. if there are spectral graphs available they should look similar to the ones in this video!
Thank you for the response. This particular item is not available to be shipped to Spain, and seems that for that reason I can't access the item page. Already found one available here. Best regards!
This could definitely be used for plants! I’m sure they’d love it 😊 And yes you can! I’ve built one and have some resources for doing so here: optimizeyourbiology.com/diy-vitamin-d-sun-lamp
@@optimizeyourbiologyI’m very new to using artificial light for plants, but wouldn’t it be to much for the plants? I know you want more blue than the rest, a little uv and whatnot. But I’m just not sure
@@TheRealKiari I guess that depends on what you want to do with the plants? This spectrum is very similar to the Sun which all plants evolved with, so I'd think it's pretty ideal. Some research shows that "SunLike" spectrum lights work better than standard "plant lights" as plants utilize more than mono-color wavelengths.
It would be yes! Any additional light to a space is helpful. The distance makes quite a big difference however. So this lamp with the LED strips right next to each other would be something like 8x or 10x as effective at 1 foot as some spaced out LED strips on the ceiling at 3 feet. So just keep that in mind.
📝 *DIY SAD Lamp Article:*
optimizeyourbiology.com/diy-full-spectrum-sad-lamp
💡 *Best SAD Lamps:*
optimizeyourbiology.com/best-light-therapy-lamps
💡 *Light Therapy Lamp Database:*
optimizeyourbiology.com/light-therapy-lamp-database
Hey man, I don’t want to spend 100s of $s on this build. Do you think finding a cheap full spectrum led strip on Amazon is worth it? They’re about 20-30$. Mostly for plants (like glow light strips.)
@@RealGalaxyGamers I wouldn't consider those full spectrum personally. The purpose of this build was to use truly "unlike" spectrum diodes, but you're more than welcome to use any kind of LED strip you like!
Wow, what a phenomenally done DIY video. Can't think of a single thing I would change! 10/10, will build cake pan lights in my future and refer to this video while doing so.
Haha thanks bud! I certainly tried! :D I probably could've gotten some more b-roll, but it's easy to forget in the process lol
I got a gimbal now though so we gonna up the game baby!
I’ve been looking at RUclips vids for daylight panels, but thus is so much better and simpler, brill content 👍
Thank you!
This is exactly what my sister and I need! Thank you!
You're very welcome my friend!
Very cool and useful video, but I especially tip my hat to the flawless music edit from the background music to the "cool" Snoop Dogg Bit. Phenomenal!
Haha thank you! My editor (the wife) will be glad to hear that! lol
Thank you so much for this build description video. It was a fun project. One deviation I made was to polish the aluminum pan to a mirror finish with various grades of sand paper ending up at 7,000 grit. I was concerned the vinyl film might get hot and not adhere after a period of time. The only tweak that I may make is a better quality power supply. The one I used gets very hot and I doubt the specs are correct. Again, thank you for this build description.
Hey you’re welcome! Awesome you made one!
Polishing is a great idea I hadn’t thought of that.
And yeah, finding good power supplies is an issue, especially on Amazon haha
Thanks for sharing your research and the instructions.
You’re welcome :)
Also i would add as large of a washer that you can fit on the mounting nut and bolt so that it won't strip out over time and it will add stability
You’re right, that portion could definitely be improved!
Can you do a DIY for making a half/full body red light therapy 👀
That would be an interesting project to try out, thanks for the suggestion!
Yes, please do!
The linked light strips cost $200-$300-insane 🤯
Not the ones on AliExpress!
And... for fun you could add a shower curtain diffuserthat has like a sun/ outdoor/ beach scene in it lol.
A cloudy sky even! lol not a bad idea
Great video!
Thanks!
Thank you for creating such an informative video, compiling the links and presenting it so clearly. This is the best youtube video I’ve ever seen.
Wow! High praise! Thank you so much. I tried to make this as accessible as possible.
Awesome video, thanks a lot!
Glad you liked it!
Why do you add reflectivity take behind the LED strip? I wouldn't think it needs to be reflective any where other than the sides of the pan (since the light doesn't shine backward but only forward from the LEDs correct?)
There is some bounce back because of the diffuser, so this would help reflect more of that!
great video!! thank you!
Glad you liked it!
Wow, this is really thoughtful and surprisingly not that hard to implement.
But what do you think about using photo/video light as SAD light?
I think they could work well for that! It's hard to find one that's not super bulky or too glare prone, or cheap enough... But I've been wanting to narrow done some good ones and test them for this purpose, it's on the never ending to do list lol
does Full-Spectrum mean uv too ? is Full-Spectrum not bad for eyes ? i've been googleing for days cant get any straight answers , please wouuld love a respond
"full spectrum" as it stands doesn't really have a set definition.
When I use this term I'm almost always referring to a visible light spectrum that closely resembles natural sunlight. So no, that does not include UV or infrared for that matter.
@@optimizeyourbiology Have you tested these LEDs for UV spectrums which can be harmful for the eyes? You seem to have proper equipment. :)
I'm looking to do the build [as my current, store-bought SAD light flickers like hell, and I think I might be sensitive to that], but I don't know how I would test the lights for potentially harmful UVs. 🤔
I'm wondering the same thing. I wonder if these are UV free. That is important.
@@gdub7360 I haven't done my research on this, but I think there might be a UV filter that can be added together with the diffuser.
@@gdub7360 They are 100% UV free.
great job. Thanks for providing links to everything!
Thank you, and you're welcome! :D
Instead of soldering, do they make clips to make the 180 degree turn to connect each strip?
I believe so! I thought about doing that instead but it was going to be quite expensive if I recall.
I’m assuming it could be done though.
why r u recommending the yugi whatever after finding that the cheap aliexpress strip outperforms?
The Alixpress strip did outperform technically, however the Yuji has a more natural and pleasant spectrum, which was part of the purpose of this project in the first place.
May I ask why the manufacturers solder the copper connectors every so many chips? I am unsure if I can just cut across the two solder beads or do people melt the solder off, then cut.
LED strips are manufactured as smaller strips, they are then soldered together to make longer strips!
You should be able to cut anywhere there’s copper, solder joints included.
I was able to cut across the two solder beads with a very sharp pair of scissors. I tried melting the solder beads and manually separating but this damaged some insulating material under the resultant copper pads. Went back to just scissors to the beads.
Everything worked afterward and allowed me to use all the chips.
@rogeremeadows Oh perfect! Yeah cutting is much less likely to cause any issues... solder can be finicky, glad to hear it worked out :)
Can I make one that way which is as effective as the aurora light pad max for circadian rythm?
Probably yes! You’d have to put the LEDs closer together rather than spaced out like I did here. That would increase the lux substantially although I’m not sure by exactly how much.
Thank you! I’m on the last step! But I’m trying to decide on a good glue for the diffuser. I tried one form of gorilla glue, but it’s too slow to set. What kind of glue did you use?
Hey awesome! So I just checked and I used Gorilla Clear Grip. Stunk to high heavens but I left it to off-gas and dry for like 24 hours in a ventilated room.
There probably something better but I think it’s just what I had at the time!
Thanks a ton!
The link to the aliexpress LED strips is not working anymore. Could you please point me the proper one?
[update] One of the links in the Article still worked!
Thank you for letting me know! :)
So informative !! thank you :)
Glad it was helpful!
Are these UV free? I really want to make one but I'm unsure about this aspect.
The LEDs used in this project are UV free yes.
nice design!
Thank you! Cheers!
Is the power supply mounted to the back?
Good question. For these the power supplies are mounted under the desk, I thought about back mounting but decided it would be easier and more thermally efficient to go under the desk.
does Full-Spectrum mean uv light too ???
Have you tested lamps made by Beurer? They're not on your website but it's a pretty big manufacturer
They're on my to-do list! Just need to find the time lol
Im curious now, how this will compare with video lights? What is the difference?
For example the NEEWER NL660 Bi-Color 660 LED
Good question! The spectrum is definitely going to be better on these DIY lamps, from a naturalistic POV at the very least. Photography lights like the NL660 can certainly work! They might not be as diffuse as you'd prefer for long periods of direct FOV use however. The light itself is also a bit smaller making it less comfortable.
I have a question regarding the LED strips, suppose my country doesnt have these brands, which units of measure are there or what should i look for when picking a good led strip?
I guess I've found one which has CRI of 95 and a 120/m lumens which 8s comparable with the Yuji strip, but it's in 24V. Should I do anything about 24V ?
You’ll just have to make sure your power supply supports 24V, but that’s the only difference.
My aim with this lamp was to use strips that were closer to the spectral output of sunlight. A light source can have a high CRI and still be spectrally quite different from sunlight.
A high CRI or Rf (TM30) is certainly better than low, but I’d try to find a strip that emits like the ones in this video if you can!
Really good video. Do you know how panel like this compares to light therapy glasses? Mainly I mean does the light only need to reach eyes or skin as well to fully work ? Also would you consider DIY light therapy glasses? I'd love to make a pair but not sure what led cob or strip to use and how to power them and you seem to know what you're doing ! Thanks
It only needs to reach the eyes! DIY glasses would be much harder! Just given the size constraints. I'd think the easiest DIY route here would be to modify a baseball hat or something? But I'm not sure, I'd have to give that a lot more thought haha
Also if it only needs to reach eyes then full spectrum for glasses is not required just appropriate wave length blue light chip ?
@@kusmierek9 The Blue-green range is where the circadian system is most sensitive yes, so that should work!
I think it's doable. There are lots of videos of making glasses / goggles for cosplay . I'm just not sure or power of cob chip. How many lumens from such a short distance . They could be powered by usb from powerbank for weight control. There are some growing full spectrum chips to buy but not sure what Lumen is needed.
Interesting point, I've not watched those. As for the lumen output, yeah I'm not sure... That would have to be experimented with, probably better to start high and just under-power or over-diffuse if necessary.
Would a frensel lens like DIY Perks improve this light? Or would it degrade the performance?
It definitely could! Lenses can be difficult to get right but I might try that on a future attempt.
Do you have any red light therapy videos?
I haven’t dove into that world yet, but maybe someday!
is this flicker free?
Good question! I did have my flicker meter when I built this and I’ve been meaning to go back and retest.
I’ll do that soon and update the article with the findings :)
Nice work! How hot do you think those LEDs get? Fair bit of power in a smallish area
Nvm just saw the bit in the video. A lot cooler than I expected!
Yup! Not bad with the large aluminum pan as a heat sink 😁 They definitely got way hotter with the stainless steel.
AliExpress link
Great great video, if I find the time I want to make one myself. For now I bought the Carex Daylight Elite based on your review.
I am curious to learn what kind of mount you recommend if you already have a monitor on an arm mount.
Like the positioning of the dual lights right above the monitor - want to create the same setup at my working desk
Thanks, keep up the great work ❤
Thank you! That’s a good one!
I’m working on mounting options right now for it. I’ll hopefully have some stuff to sure in the video review and I’ll add it to the article :)
i bout the Carex Daylight classic for $20 bucks at a Goodwill... i needed a key light for blogging... Can this be used for that??? I had no idea of light therapy until i googled it.... is it safe to use for long periods if its 3 or 4 feet away??? At least ill be happy making videos😂
Haha nice find! Totally safe yes. It doesn't have the greatest color rendering, but it should work okay!
Though I believe there are older Carex Classics that use fluorescent lights so I'm not sure which one you have.
@@optimizeyourbiology oh okay thanks for the info. My model number is DL93011
Claims to be non glare soft light!!! im gonna giv4 it a shot!!! lol Thanks again
Thank you so much for this. I wonder if you could tell me the specs and brand of the Aliexpress led stripe, because unfortunatelly i can't see the article through the link provided from my country (Spain) since is not available here. (I would look for something similar / same brand / cheap available here.).
Thank you so much in advance! Subscribed ofc.
Hey there! So you can't view AliExpress links in Spain? Hmmm. In any case, what you're looking for is a "SunLike" led strip. if there are spectral graphs available they should look similar to the ones in this video!
Thank you for the response. This particular item is not available to be shipped to Spain, and seems that for that reason I can't access the item page. Already found one available here. Best regards!
@@falconsito Excellent! That's great you could find one.
can these be used for plants? Also is it possible to create a homemade UV B light?
This could definitely be used for plants! I’m sure they’d love it 😊
And yes you can! I’ve built one and have some resources for doing so here:
optimizeyourbiology.com/diy-vitamin-d-sun-lamp
@@optimizeyourbiology Thank you so much for responding and i'll take a look.
@@angelicaterry3367 You're very welcome :)
@@optimizeyourbiologyI’m very new to using artificial light for plants, but wouldn’t it be to much for the plants? I know you want more blue than the rest, a little uv and whatnot. But I’m just not sure
@@TheRealKiari I guess that depends on what you want to do with the plants? This spectrum is very similar to the Sun which all plants evolved with, so I'd think it's pretty ideal. Some research shows that "SunLike" spectrum lights work better than standard "plant lights" as plants utilize more than mono-color wavelengths.
How many meters did you need from ali express
5 meters for the 11x15 pan works great!
How much would you be willing to sell one for homie ?
Thanks in advance
Haha sorry brother but I don’t have the time right now! 😅
@optimizeyourbiology how long did they take you , approximately ?
@@paulsansonetti7410 Maybe two hours?
You're about to become a millionaire, when this video goes viral ❤
Haha I appreciate your enthusiasm! 😁
Hey, if you were to use the ali-express strips, just completely bare on the ceiling. Would this still be effective for circadian rhythm stimulation?
It would be yes! Any additional light to a space is helpful. The distance makes quite a big difference however. So this lamp with the LED strips right next to each other would be something like 8x or 10x as effective at 1 foot as some spaced out LED strips on the ceiling at 3 feet.
So just keep that in mind.
Isn't this kind of a fire hazard using a bunch cheap LEDs and power supplies/
You could find a PSU with UL or ETL if that's a concern, but nothing about this is inherently dangerous.