I simply hate working in a dark room on an artistic project and it's why installing the correct lighting right at the beginning it one of my top priority, well before laying tracks. It seems to me that getting the correct lighting is an invitation to work on the layout and make progress.
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Who wants to work in a dark corner? |
However, adding lighting to a layout can be a very frustrating exercise and Internet is full of stories about this peculiar aspect of our hobby which is harder to control than we could think of. Finding the right amount of light, the correct color temperature, longevity and a reasonable price point are sometimes mutually exclusive or hard to get in one package. No wonder many use off the shelf solutions like LED "fluorescent" tubes, LED fixtures and many older systems that have been tried and tested for years. LED strips may be interesting, but choosing the right ones is sometimes quite difficult. A lot of stuff is on the market from reliable to unreliable sellers. I did several tests with under cabinet fixtures and wasn't impressed. The output was good and some had selectable color temperature, but the CRI (Color Rendition Index) was generally poor, making the old CN green paint looking drab...
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With only one strip of Neutral White LED |
For this reason, I started to look online at what type of LED strips professional photographers used for their DIY lighting rigs. Since the goal was to test, I purchased two LED strips from a Chinese vendor called DIY LED which had good reputation from varioys DIYers. Their LED cost more than the competition but they have much better characteristics as they cater to customers that require high CRI for photography and similar uses. Here are the specs of what I bought:
When I tested them, I was surprised by their output, but also by the quality of their light. No longer my CN Green locomotives looked weird or reds look washed out. But that comes with more heat since the output is almost twice what you generally get.
My preference goes tot the Neutral White LED because it's a softer white. The Daylight White is much cooler yet still good. Don't forget Daylight White is not direct sunlight, but indirect (diffuse) sunlight you would get from a window facing north. Thus, it's why we often it's too blue because sunlight is yellower when you are exposed directly to it. In all honesty, I feel the perfect spot was blending both stripes together, but for my purpose, I stuck my Neutral White while keeping the door open to add another strip later.
I would say one strip is enough when your layout is about 16"-18" deep and the lighting is about 12"-14" over the surface. Over that, you will need two strips.
I also have space constraints. Indeed, the idea to build a layout between base and wall cabinets was nice but it was also very dark. Since vertical height was very small, I didn't really think through my design, but I knew a valence was out of the window. I thought lighting would be installed later on but decided to start with it before committing to anything. The LED strips were glued on aluminium channels which have a 45 degrees bevel. They are about 1/2" high, which saves a lot of space. They are made for LED strips and act as heat sink and yes, with the kind of LED I'm using, I can guarantee you it works and is required.
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Aluminium channels used as a valence and heat sink |
The aluminium channels also come with polycarbonate diffusers. If you add them, your lighting output drop a little bit, maybe 15%-25% and at that point, you really need two strips. The diffusers is handy if your light source is close to the subject because each individual LED cast it's own shadows, creating weird patterns on the backdrop. It may not be an issue on your layout, so test accordingly before committing.
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With the polycarbonate diffuser installed |
At the end of the day, I'm satisfied with the current lighting installation. It works well, the CRI is high and the work surface and backdrop are well lighted, which is perfect to do miniature work.