Rope lights (1 Viewer)

[lee jordan]

In trying to provide as much theater realism to my HT I had always wanted to simulate the guide lights some theaters use to guide you through dark areas on your way to your seat. I was in a local Sam's Club (walmart)here in Kansas City and they had a new product they were selling called rope lights, these are 25' lengths of clear pvc tubings which are very flexable and can be used in or out of doors and can be used to highlight posters or entry ways into your theater plus they were cheap ( $9.97) for a 25' roll. If you combine them with some X10 products you can dim them or turn on remotely.

 

[Gary_R]

I saw them too, and Sam's has the cheapest price of all. I think the product is Sunbeam's.
Be aware that you cannot repair burnt out lights with the Sunbeam product. You can cut at specified intervals, but then you need another cap and another unit. K-Mart sells the Sunbeam rope lights in 12' lengths and they're on sale every couple of weeks, but not as cheap as Sam's offers.
The most versatile rope lights I've seen are at Lowe's, which lets you put together what you want in a kit. I forget the manufacturer's name. For instance, they offer strip moulding to hold the lighting in place instead of using nails and guides. Much more expensive, however; I like the track idea, though, and wonder if I could couple it with another manufacturer's lights.
I bought the Globe product at Wal-Mart: $8.88 for 12'. The Globe product comes in other colors too: I just bought the blue version to wrap around my four amplifiers that sit on an isolated wooden frame. I'm concerned about heat, however, and they do get hot; also, I'm receiving some light reflection, so I may have to cut them at exposed areas.
For control, I have the Lutron Spacer lamp dimmer module that allows me, via IR commands, to dim the lights. It works. I just haven't figured exactly where I want to place the lights.

 

[Darren Mortensen]

Lee,
I see you live in my vicinity! I bought the rope lights from Sam's last month, they are in storage for later use for around my raised seating platform. However, I do also have a set from Lowe's that I used in a "Film Strip" wall sconce I made. It is connected via X-10 and operates remotely in our media room. Works Great!!!
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[Ben Cannon]

I Love RopeLite, it's so versitle!!
You do need to watch yourself WRT temprature, enough of it can dissapate quite a bit of heat (5w every 18", but it can add up, and even scorch the tubing's clear plastic.)
Avoid running doubled-up legenths, and avoid totally enclosing the ropelite. Also, avoid direct contact with metal. If you do that, thet bulbs should last many many years.
Yes, replacement options are limited to replacing a section (which can leave artifacts in directly visable applications) or to replacing an entire legenth, which can get expensive.
The prices, if for genuine RopeLite, are quite good. Better per foot than I pay for a full 300' spool actually

Best!
Ben
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Ben Cannon
Dream With Your Eyes Wide Open, Inc.
"Every man dies, not every man really lives" --Mel Gibson, "Braveheart"