Dimming lights

1562 Views 11 Replies 7 Participants Last post by DarkhavenManor, Oct 7, 2015

DarkhavenManor

Discussion Starter · Oct 6, 2015

Set up the decorations yesterday and I ran into an issue with lighting my corpse. Right now I'm using one of Spirit's spotlights that I purchased last year in blue, but it's just too bright. From further back it's actually so bright that you can't even see what you're looking at. Looking to see if there's a way I can dim the light itself without having to go out and buy a whole different one.

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Here's a couple pics of daytime and nighttime. The light itself is placed right up against the rock wall, and I don't really have anywhere else to move it. Any suggestions are welcome. Thanks in advance!

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TosaTerror

· #2 · Oct 6, 2015

Can you move it further down along the retaining wall, away from your steps? Shining the spot light at the skeleton on an angle might give a cool shadow effect, while not drowning it in the bright light.

Or maybe angle the light slightly to the side of skeleton, so the full intensity of the light isn't directly on it.

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Icepick

· #3 · Oct 6, 2015

Electronics Technology Electronic component Electronic device Switch

You could make yourself a dimmer switch. I can't say if the spirit lights are capable of dimming though. If you, or anyone has a dimming outlet in there home, maybe you or they, can check into that for you.

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MrNightmare

· #4 · Oct 6, 2015

A couple of ideas:

1. Can you move the Spot Light further away? (never mind, saw the bottom of your post stating you can't...)
2. Try covering with plastic bags to shade down the light. Since it's LED they don't produce a lot of heat.
3. The new Spirit LEDs have a strobe and Short Circuit function that could ease the light output and give an effect.

You can try making a dimmer switch like icepick suggested, but some LEDs are not dimmable. If you do use a dimmer, make sure you buy one that is LED compatible so it uses the same frequency. I have several of these Spots and I am curious of they are dimmable myself.

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DarkhavenManor

Discussion Starter · #5 · Oct 6, 2015

MrNightmare said:
A couple of ideas:

1. Can you move the Spot Light further away? (never mind, saw the bottom of your post stating you can't...)
2. Try covering with plastic bags to shade down the light. Since it's LED they don't produce a lot of heat.
3. The new Spirit LEDs have a strobe and Short Circuit function that could ease the light output and give an effect.

You can try making a dimmer switch like icepick suggested, but some LEDs are not dimmable. If you do use a dimmer, make sure you buy one that is LED compatible so it uses the same frequency. I have several of these Spots and I am curious of they are dimmable myself.

Hmm might have to give the plastic bag thing a go. Moving it is tough because the prop is right next to the walkway and the Spirit lights are so bright that they'll blind anyone walking by them, which doesn't usually end well on granite steps. I'll try the bag tonight to see how that goes, and if it doesn't work, I'll probably just end up making my own dimmer

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annamarykahn

· #6 · Oct 6, 2015

similar to the plastic bag trick, how about a chunk of a plastic milk jug or something else similar?

if you have a piece of clear plexiglass you can sand it so that it diffuses the light and isn't so directional, spreading the light around more?

amk

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littlebuzz

· #7 · Oct 6, 2015

I'll second the milk jug idea.
Take a plastic gallon milk jug and cut out the area where the handle is located. Then you should be able to insert the light and put the stake down thru the pouring spout of the jug. That will cut the intensity of your light down tremendously.

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budduke

· #8 · Oct 6, 2015

What I use on my fire/ice floodlights is I got some stainless steel flashing for the roof. they come in different size rolls. I screwed them to two wooden stakes and staked them around the spotlight and painted the flashing black with outdoor paint and they block all light from people's eyes and still project onto my display just fine. I will try to take a pic of it tonight when I get home and post it so you understand it better. It works for me, I aim the spotlight closer to the ground so the full light does not shine on the prop also to give it a dimmer light.

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DarkhavenManor

Discussion Starter · #9 · Oct 6, 2015

Read online that black pantyhose work really well, so I grabbed a pack at the dollar store. I'll try that out tonight and see what happens!

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MrNightmare

· #10 · Oct 6, 2015

DarkhavenManor said:
Read online that black pantyhose work really well, so I grabbed a pack at the dollar store. I'll try that out tonight and see what happens!

That's a good idea!

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budduke

· #11 · Oct 6, 2015

I tried the black pantyhose one year and it dim them down a little, but if I read your question correctly, the light are hurting people's eye when looking at the display. LED seems to do that even if you are off on an angle. That is why I started putting up a barricade between the viewer and the LED spotlight so they would only see the light it gives off and not being shined in their direction.
I was able to snap a quick pic of what I was talking about in case you need to go that route. This setup has worked best for me over the years because I can bend the metal around the area I am working to block it from different angles.

good Luck!

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DarkhavenManor

Discussion Starter · #12 · Oct 7, 2015

The pantyhose worked like a charm! Definitely toned down the brightness quite a bit, and it actually made the color look a bit deeper. Would definitely do it again

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