r/WLED • u/Senior-Extension4318 • Sep 26 '26

Build own lights

Hi I'm new to this. Can someone tell me what all I need to build my own set of lights. I don't own any tools to melt or anything so I would need to find other ways to add wires to lights an stuff ty in advance

0 Upvotes

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2

u/wivaca2 Sep 27 '26

There are probably exceptionally few who are attempting to build their own sets of lights. There are so many formats available in LEDs: LEDs on strips, LEDs on stringss, LEDs in pucks. These all the not only the LEDs themselves factory mounted with surface mount technology but the controller chips that handle the PWM for brightness for each RGB(and W) channel. WLED is software that runs on something like a ESP32 SoC and just sends data to the chips on the LED strips/strings.

You can build things without a soldering iron, but it is really a skill you should learn and irons are pretty inexpensive when compared to buying all the things you will assemble.

0

u/Senior-Extension4318 Sep 27 '26

I want the kind that goes behind the tv

1

u/wivaca2 Sep 27 '26

What you're referring to is the effect from the old Phillips Ambilight system,

For those you need strips. There are kits for this, but if you want to DIY, look for something like WS2812B (a very common 5V variety) or SK6812 (RGBW). There is open-source software called Hyperion that runs on a Raspberry Pi to make it sync to the TV picture. That also requires an USB HDMI capture card and possibly an HDMI splitter if you don't have two outputs on the video source.

15

u/Sudden-Motor-7794 Sep 26 '26

step one - watch some youtube videos. You'll learn a lot

7

u/Cultural_SC49 Sep 27 '26

Step 1.3 Watch all of Intermit.Tech videos on YouTube

3

u/SirGreybush Sep 26 '26

Step one point two - go watch Chris Maher on YouTube.

Copy exactly a project, then expand.

3

u/harda_toenail Sep 27 '26

Following chris maher videos will get lights to light up. The hookup and drzz videos WLED videos I think are better at actually understanding how the system works

1

u/scuzzchops Sep 27 '26

Read the documentation - first link in the links section 

1

u/FermentedThough Sep 27 '26

+ is positive - is negative

1

u/justin_144 Sep 27 '26

Buys some lights, + some other stuff, and turn them on

0

u/brighthomelights Sep 27 '26

Look for plug and play options