Color Changing LED Lava Lamp

[Dr. WHAT?!]

 I was able to convert my heritage century into a LED color changing lamp for fairly cheap! roughly $25!!

This was the first part I purchased, its a 50w ceramic heater. It gets hot so a dimmer is a must use. You can see the size comparison with the standard bulb. It wont fit in the standard 32oz or 52oz "premier" bases, I tried. The century has a larger bulb opening allowing you to screw it fully in. Ebay Link

Next purchase was the LED rings. They are 70mm halo rings made for car custom headlights. Cost about $19 for a set of 4 rings that come with a remote 24 buttons and IR remote box and some adhesive pads. I did purchase new IR remote boxes with 44 button remotes that have more color phasing options and dyi options cost under $5.00.  Ebay Link

Here's how it looks with the globe off. The ring fits on the base inner rim perfectly. You can see the ceramic heater is showing its red hotness!  The one thing I was worried about is the LED ring wiring being so close to the heater so I took some tin foil and rolled it around heater so it keeps the heat down for the wiring and flowing upward toward the globe. Speaking of wiring, the only modification I made to the base was that I pulled off the cord plug and then feed the led wiring thru the hole. Then pulled out all the slack of the led wires and tied it off to keep the wiring away from the heater.

Here are a couple pics of the 3 main colors look and a couple videos of the color changing.

[Dr. WHAT?!]

I put a link in the description to what I bought off of ebay.

[Claude J]

I have many of these smaller Reptile heaters available if anyone needs one.

100 Watt - 6 pcs

50 Watt 3 pcs

25 Watt - 1

[Mr MaGoo]

So Dr. What, what you are saying, no pun intended :P, is that until you or we can find a source for a smaller ceramic heater footprint, we are limited to century bases only for this modification? Correct?

BTW, thanks for sharing your findings with the community and allowing us to make this mods ourselves.  Such a cool modification and work around for coolnes!   We also are aware that you in no way are responsible for any modifications that may go wrong, fire, sparks, exploding globes, earthquakes etc.  Mod at our own risk! :)

[Claude J]

These elements work with any Heritage or 52oz base (Maybe 17"?)

The issue is, you need to drill an extra hole and house all the electronics OUTSIDE of the base due to the heat buildup.

Not so in Grandes due to the air volume

Problems?

Explosions?

Fire?

(R&D gets expensive)
WHATCHATALKINBOUTWHILLIS?

Mr MaGoo said:

So Dr. What, what you are saying, no pun intended :P, is that until you or we can find a source for a smaller ceramic heater footprint, we are limited to century bases only for this modification? Correct?

BTW, thanks for sharing your findings with the community and allowing us to make this mods ourselves.  Such a cool modification and work around for coolnes!   We also are aware that you in no way are responsible for any modifications that may go wrong, fire, sparks, exploding globes, earthquakes etc.  Mod at our own risk! :)

[Mr MaGoo]

I know this is the nerd question, but what does wiring looking like when coming out of base to outlet, control box, temp monitor, so we can see the  working end of the "oh the pretty colors" end.  Thank you.

PS Claude, please clean your workspace, cluttered workspace, cluttered mind...  :P

[Claude J]

Like shit LOL

There would be a SHORT  cable with 5 pins flat plug going to a control box with IR wire, then the wires going to the power supply.

It is easier with a grande 

This is why I am making an aluminum control box for the Mathmos lunar color change conversion I plan on doing and even fan cooling the components inside 

It will look like the current MAthmos dimmer box and function as such, but much bigger.

While Im at it, a meter to read the adjusted voltage to the heating element

[Mr MaGoo]

Dang, might as well put a LED display screen on it too! :P  So I take it the power source is at the 12:00 position and the RF controller at 5:00 position?  Does the power source/convertor?  come with that little circuit board a 8:00 position?  There is enough airflow in there, guess a grande base so wiring/ circuits don't get hot?  Thanks for any info Claude J.  Are you doing a "shield" like Dr. What was doing to minimize heat to the led ring 12V , i take it?

[Claude J]

Yes and i went through a bunch of different power supplies until I found 2 that work well for the current and heat involved

Yes that is an RF (NOT IR) controller @5;00

For an IR controller, you have to cut a hole in the front of the base and put in a plastic grommet so it doenst like li was made @crapola inc..

Yes, the grande works well due to the size creating a lack of proximity of the components to the heat source.

Not so much with a 52oz heritage.
Every one I tried fried and melted

Here is a music controller that that didn't make it.

BTY if anyone wants IR controllers i have a bunch of them too for sale along with heating elements

[Claude J]

Well, there is a LED screen of sorts for the lunar

Here is the box

Here is the LED meter

I am building two at the same time with the hopes of selling one to compensate my R&D parts costs.

Try finding a proper flexible 8 conductor cable from the box to the lamp, as well as a properly sized box~!

Mr MaGoo said:

Dang, might as well put a LED display screen on it too! :P  So I take it the power source is at the 12:00 position and the RF controller at 5:00 position?  Does the power source/convertor?  come with that little circuit board a 8:00 position?  There is enough airflow in there, guess a grande base so wiring/ circuits don't get hot?  Thanks for any info Claude J.  Are you doing a "shield" like Dr. What was doing to minimize heat to the led ring 12V , i take it?

[Mr MaGoo]

What does your laser temp read on that ceramic plate while lamp running?  125 degrees?  Yup the controller looks nasty, good bad and ugly.  People not so quick to show the ugly they had to go through, I think it is good personally, all can learn together.  Thanks so much for your time and knowledge!  Guess Dr. Whats controller eye set up different since I dont see eye in the front of base.  Could install a IR remote location eye and place IR eye in back of base and use the remote eye to do it, I know kinda of pain, lot more involved just to lose and eye in front of base.  A thought.

[Claude J]

Have no measured he ceramic plate

only use it for globe temp

The meter is for voltage to the ceramic only because without a light bulb, there is no way to visibly tell what the dimmer is doing

[Claude J]

Dr Whut (PUN) kept the electronics outside of the base.

this got me started in building the remote controller and dimmer box for the Lunar yesterday.

'I'm almost done with 2 of them

They should be completed by the weekend and I will post pics in a separate thread as only one of them will be for sale
Lemme tell you. all these components are a TIGHT FIT and took a lot of engineering to get it all to fit in such a small box