Workbench under the shelf/cabinet lighting ideas?

[max.wwwang]

Upgrading my workbench (or rather desk) by adding a shelf (similar to this: https://images.app.goo.gl/iWiyDsL11cuPvNq2A but with only one level). Look for under the shelf led strip light options that are brightness (and preferably colour temperature) adjustable. Any suggestions or ideas? Including lessons you learned in doing the same, things to pay attention to and things or mistakes to avoid. Thanks.

[nctnico]

This thread should provide enough input & ideas: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/whats-your-work-benchlab-look-like-post-some-pictures-of-your-lab/

The only thing I wouldn't do is try to cram all the equipment in the work area. It looks impressive but IMHO it clutters the work space. Store the equipment you don't need on a shelve or in a closet. If you can, setup the desk in front of a window so you have daylight onto the work area.

[abeyer]

The only thing I wouldn't do is try to cram all the equipment in the work area.

Then how are you supposed to impress people in the workbench thread with your collection? 

[RoGeorge]

I just found a USB light with a broken LED.  The limiting resistor was pushing more than 50mA.  Changed the LED with a warm white 3V one, and the limiting resistor with a 100 ohms instead of 27.  Had to break the enclosure to reach the LED, so added a matte white packaging foam sheet as a light diffuser, and a bread plastic bag clamp to keep it in place.  Pointed to the ceiling at let it run in the kitchen since 2 days ago.



So far, delighted with this new ambient light. 

For the workbench, I use many types of light:
- LED bulbs in the ceiling (about 2700 or 3000k, don't recall, but I don't like the "natural" white, and hate the "cold" white)
- halogen nearby the working area (rarely used)
- sunlight from the windows (the most preferred)

[max.wwwang]

This thread should provide enough input & ideas: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/whats-your-work-benchlab-look-like-post-some-pictures-of-your-lab/

The only thing I wouldn't do is try to cram all the equipment in the work area. It looks impressive but IMHO it clutters the work space. Store the equipment you don't need on a shelve or in a closet. If you can, setup the desk in front of a window so you have daylight onto the work area.

Thanks.

That helps with workbench idea in general including the lighting element. I'm after specifically the lighting arrangement, and if possible, products and setup people have used or tried (with success or as lesson learned). There are too many products for LED lighting and even LED light strips out there. I would like to narrow these down and to avoid easy mistakes.

Desk arrangement for me is fixed but it's next to a window, so with very good natural light (and nice mountain view). Interesting point about keeping some equipment in closet; as pointed out above, probably I'm among those who do not have too much of it and are keen to pull all out and display on the shelf to please ourselves (and impress others!). 

[max.wwwang]

I just found a USB light with a broken LED.  The limiting resistor was pushing more than 50mA.  Changed the LED with a warm white 3V one, and the limiting resistor with a 100 ohms instead of 27.  Had to break the enclosure to reach the LED, so added a matte white packaging foam sheet as a light diffuser, and a bread plastic bag clamp to keep it in place.  Pointed to the ceiling at let it run in the kitchen since 2 days ago.



So far, delighted with this new ambient light. 

For the workbench, I use many types of light:
- LED bulbs in the ceiling (about 2700 or 3000k, don't recall, but I don't like the "natural" white, and hate the "cold" white)
- halogen nearby the working area (rarely used)
- sunlight from the windows (the most preferred)

DIY recycle/upcycle options are always highly preferred if possible. To me that means an 'ideology' against materialism, care for the environment, and more importantly, makes things unique and special.

I also have several light sources: ceiling light (probably I should give it a couple of more lumens), halogen desk light (can be moved around), and of course natural light from the window. I'm thinking under-shelf lighting, obviously, because I'm adding a new shelf, and also because I find it very neat, compact (with virtually zero footprint) and good for ambient lighting (one particular advantage of it is that its light will never come directly into your eyes, which is very important).

[RoGeorge]

- About LEDs, from what I've seen so far, most LED strips will fail with time, unless they are placed on a radiator (placed on a thick aluminum band strip).  Placing your LED strip on a metal radiator is very important for the LEDs life, even if the LED strip didn't come originally with a radiator.
- Another concern is about flickering, though recent mains to LED drivers won't flicker.  But this is not guaranteed, check first.
- Color temperature and CRI (Color Rendering Index) are 2 more factors to consider.  Most white LEDs have decent CRI, though I prefer a lower CRI and a warmer light color, than higher CRI and colder white, it depends with personal preferences.
- Yet another factor to consider is the EMI radiation.  Some LED drivers are so bad that they will interfere with radio reception, or they will mess with sensitive measuring instruments, and sometimes might even mess with casual handheld DMM measurements when the probes are nearby malfunctioning LED drivers. 

[wilfred]

For the workbench, I use many types of light:
- LED bulbs in the ceiling (about 2700 or 3000k, don't recall, but I don't like the "natural" white, and hate the "cold" white)
- halogen nearby the working area (rarely used)
- sunlight from the windows (the most preferred)

Isn't the sun a "cold white"?

[Analog Kid]

Isn't the sun a "cold white"?

Yep, about 6000° K.

I don't like that "cool white" color either. A good combo is half warm white (incandescent color, ~3000° K), half cool white.

[max.wwwang]

- About LEDs, from what I've seen so far, most LED strips will fail with time, unless they are placed on a radiator (placed on a thick aluminum band strip).  Placing your LED strip on a metal radiator is very important for the LEDs life, even if the LED strip didn't come originally with a radiator.
- Another concern is about flickering, though recent mains to LED drivers won't flicker.  But this is not guaranteed, check first.
- Color temperature and CRI (Color Rendering Index) are 2 more factors to consider.  Most white LEDs have decent CRI, though I prefer a lower CRI and a warmer light color, than higher CRI and colder white, it depends with personal preferences.
- Yet another factor to consider is the EMI radiation.  Some LED drivers are so bad that they will interfere with radio reception, or they will mess with sensitive measuring instruments, and sometimes might even mess with casual handheld DMM measurements when the probes are nearby malfunctioning LED drivers.

Thanks. These are exactly the kind of advice I'm after. It seems super easy to have one, but perhaps not so easy, even difficult, to get it right.

Radiator – this can be done, by attaching the strip to an aluminium flat section.

Colour temperature – like another comment, I like perhaps half warm white (probably 3500–4500K?). Definitely not cool, or cold white, given that it's needed mostly at night, and cool white is generally not so good for night.

EMI – this is more complex, and yes I heard of many comments on boats upgrading LED causing interfering marine radios due to EMI of bad drivers. Particularly relevant in this context (for electronics workbench). But I guess other than "don't use super cheap products" there isn't too much that I can do.

[IanB]

EMI – this is more complex, and yes I heard of many comments on boats upgrading LED causing interfering marine radios due to EMI of bad drivers. Particularly relevant in this context (for electronics workbench). But I guess other than "don't use super cheap products" there isn't too much that I can do.

Sure there is: build it yourself.

Firstly, source your LEDs, choosing high quality with the desired color temperature and good CRI. LEDs often come in strips with built-in resistors to run off a 12 V power supply. So after choosing your LEDs, source a high quality 12 V supply with low EMI. For example, one with a grounded metal cage. Even if you want to choose the constant current option, you can source the LEDs and power supply separately.

[max.wwwang]

..., source a high quality 12 V supply with low EMI. For example, one with a grounded metal cage. Even if you want to choose the constant current option, you can source the LEDs and power supply separately.

Good idea. I have 12V supply handy (salvaged from equipment), which looks decent and is super compact yet powerful (the only downside is that it has a constantly running fan, not running on demand). But how can I know if it (or any supply) is low EMI, other than inference from price and quality?

Recommendation of LEDs and power supplies, just in case?

Another important factor for lighting, not just lighting (like for display cabinet, which is not for one's constant exposure) but for those like reading lights, is lumen. I don't see much posts about installing LED strips mentioning the consideration of this. Too few lumen doesn't do the job, but too bright is harmful to your eyes. I guess the absence of this consideration might be due to the fact that it depends on the length of the strip you use, not like if you buy a bulb for your reading lamp. That's why brightness adjustment would be ideal.

[IanB]

I don't have specific advice to offer, only general. But reputable power supplies from brands like Meanwell should have to comply with legal requirements for markets they sell in, like Europe or the USA. You might even do tests, such as connecting an unshielded wire to an oscilloscope input and scanning for any noise it picks up. Or holding an AM radio close and seeing what happens.

[max.wwwang]

I don't have specific advice to offer, only general. But reputable power supplies from brands like Meanwell should have to comply with legal requirements for markets they sell in, like Europe or the USA. You might even do tests, such as connecting an unshielded wire to an oscilloscope input and scanning for any noise it picks up. Or holding an AM radio close and seeing what happens.

General idea helps.

I can focus on 4000K or thereabout 12V strips. Temperature adjustment is not a must. I guess I can make brightness adjustment (somehow) by myself by switching between lengths of the strip(s). Though not smooth adjustment (like what LED dimmers do), it does the job. I also recall hearing (EMI?) problems of LED dimmers.

[max.wwwang]

By the way this is my shelf add-on, just finished its 2nd coat.

Desk was used cheap 1800mm wide, modified by making it 300mm deeper with materials salvaged from another desk of similar size and colour initially destined for landfill. Still I want more desktop space! 

[max.wwwang]

Having had a little bit 'research', there are plenty of off-the-shelf aluminium channels for LED strips, which work both for aesthetics and perfectly as heatsink. So unless I have free parts to use, it's sensible to simply buy a few sections of these off Ali.

Also there are so-called CCT LED strips. Looks like it stands for Colour Change Technology (or tunable white) though this webpage has "Color Temperature Changing (CCT)". A lot of confusing (to me) information on the internet, noting also that CCT also stands for Correlated Colour Temperature. It looks like fancy names are tossed around by people who only know half of what they are talking about.

It looks like CCT LED strips only have RGB LEDs and white LEDs (of different temperatures). Not super complicated or hyper hi-tech, but I suspect however fancy it sounds, the lighting effect will probably feel highly artificial (particularly given now I'm already biased).

Anyhow, ordered some COB 12V 4000k strips for test. Perhaps look later at more adjustment options and, potentially, fancier alternatives (though in general I'm not fan of fancy stuff).

[RoGeorge]

Isn't the sun a "cold white"?

During the daytime that's OK, after sunset however, I like the color temperature to be less than 3000K or so.  Of course that's a matter of personal preference.

I've seen once a study about color temperature of light used after sunset, and sleeping patterns, and it seems to matter a lot.  At first I've thought it's bogus, but then I've installed a program that was lowering the temperature color of the PC monitor (only after the sunset time), and loved it.  That was during the Windows XP and bulky tube monitors.  Later, the color shifting became a standard feature in all major desktops no matter the OS, which hints that many will prefer warmer light colors after the sunset.


Now, speaking of sunsets, here's a funny one from this morning.  I was watching a documentary (titled "Follow The Rain"), about all kinds of fungi and mushrooms from Australia.  Gorgeous close-up/macro photography and timelapse shots.

At some point in the movie, it was a timelapse with a sunset in the wilderness.  Beautiful colors, though it felt fake.   Then, another sunset timelapse, again, the sunset looked fake!  This time payed more attention, and first thought was that it was played in reverse.  Why would they do that? 

In the northern hemisphere, where I live, the sun moves the other direction, from left to right.  So, to me, watching a sunset timelapse from Australia feels very awkward, looks like a sunrise played in reverse.

Well, it was not reversed, just that in Australia, the sun goes from right to left.
Pretty obvious, but I never realized that until this morning. 

[max.wwwang]

This is what the shelf looks like, without led lights yet (which will be invisible from the normal directions of view anyway).

[max.wwwang]

In the northern hemisphere, where I live, the sun moves the other direction, from left to right.  So, to me, watching a sunset timelapse from Australia feels very awkward, looks like a sunrise played in reverse.

Outside of the window (north facing) next to my desk the sun rises from the right side, up, then down to the left side.