USB DECO LIGHTS


USB Deco Lights, retail $4.64 (Website is no longer functional as of 02-05-10)
Manufactured by (Unknown)
Last updated 02-08-10




The USB Deco Light is a string of 20 LEDs that draws all of its power from your computer's USB port.

You can use it to decorate around your monitor, the outside of your computer case, or any other area around your computer. There is 41" of cord between the USB plug and the first bulb in the set, so you can string these lights up even almost three and a half feet from the USB receptacle on your computer.

The set I'm testing for you today has multicolored lamps of red, orange, yellow, and yellow-green; the package indicates these sets are available in "ice blue" as well.


SIZE



These lights are ready to use as soon as you remove them from the package and remove the two twist ties from the lights themselves.

Plug the plug on the end into any free USB port on your computer, and hang them around your computer area as you see fit.

Like most other USB devices, these lights are hot swappable, simply meaning you do not have to turn your computer off before plugging in or unplugging the lights.



Because this light set draws all of the power it needs from your computer, I do not have to tell you how to change or recharge batteries.



The USB Deco Light is designed to be a computer peripheral, not a flashlight, so I won't try to stomp on them with spiked golf shoes, drown them in the commode, slam them against the corner of a concrete stair, run over them with a 400lb electric wheelchair, let my housemate's cat go potty on them, or subject them to any other indecencies that a regular flashlight may have to endure.

They do appear to be at least somewhat delicate, so try not to abuse them (yank on the cord, try to pull the LEDs out, etc.), but they should not just fall apart by themselves.
(Please see 02-08-10 updates below -- they did just that! ).



Photograph of the multicolor light set illuminated, around my computer display.


Spectrographic analysis
Spectrographic analysis of the red LEDs in this light set.


Spectrographic analysis
Spectrographic analysis of the orange LEDs in this light set.


Spectrographic analysis
Spectrographic analysis of the yellow LEDs in this light set.


Spectrographic analysis
Spectrographic analysis of the yellow-green LEDs in this light set.
USB2000 spectrometer graciously donated by P.L.







TEST NOTES:
Test unit was purchased from the isellsurplus.com website on 04-02-05, and was received on the morning of 04-11-05.

Product is made in China. A product's country of origin really does matter to some people, which is why I mentioned it on this web page.


UPDATE: 05-21-05
I purchased a set of these in "Ice Blue" from the same retailer on 05-05-05, and received them on 05-19-05.


Photograph of the Ice Blue light set illuminated, on a bed.

The dominant wavelength (where you would point to on a color
chart) of the LEDs in this set appears to be approximately 470nm.



UPDATE: 02-08-10
One of the multicolor sets has failed. Only a single red LED lights up, and it looks brighter than usual (though this could just be an illusion). A closer examination has revealed that one of the wires leading into bulb #2 has become broken.
As a result of this failure, the dreadful "Failed or was destroyed during/after testing" will now be appended to its listings on this website.


UPDATE: 02-08-10
No, you're not seeing things.
Yes, a same-day update.
One of the other multicolor sets became broken while I was untangling it from a third.
The three "bulbs" at the end of the string came off; the first nine lamps of the set still light -- the rest of it stays dark.

I still have one fully-functional set of the multicolor, so I'm not totally S.O.L. here.


UPDATE: 02-08-10
No, you're not seeing things.
Yes, a third same-day update.
The third (and last) set is now broken.
One of the wires has become broken as it enters the housing of bulb # 10; so the set does light except for the last ten lamps which stay dark.

Since this is not something I can easily repair, it looks like the next destination for the Deco Lights is the dustbin (garbage can).


PROS:
Very unique use for LEDs which works well at times even other than the holidays
Powered from your computer's USB port
Available in multicolor (red, orange, yellow, yellow-green) and ice blue


CONS:
Delicate construction can lead to breakge (see 02-08-10 updates) - this is what lobbed the most stars off.
Yes, they really did fall apart by themselves.


    MANUFACTURER: Unknown
    PRODUCT TYPE: Decorative lighting string
    LAMP TYPE: 3mm LEDs (red, orange, yellow, and yellow-green -- OR blue)
    No. OF LAMPS: 20
    BEAM TYPE: N/A
    SWITCH TYPE: None
    BEZEL: None
    BATTERY: None
    CURRENT CONSUMPTION: Unknown/unable to measure
    WATER RESISTANT: Splatter-resistant at best
    SUBMERSIBLE: NO WAY HOZAY!!!
    ACCESSORIES: None
    WARRANTY: 1 year

    PRODUCT RATING:

    Star Rating





USB Deco Lights *






Do you manufacture or sell an LED flashlight, task light, utility light, or module of some kind? Want to see it tested by a real person, under real working conditions? Do you then want to see how your light did? If you have a sample available for this type of real-world, real-time testing, please contact me at bdf1111@yahoo.com.

Please visit this web page for contact information.

Unsolicited flashlights, LEDs, and other products appearing in the mail are welcome, and it will automatically be assumed that you sent it in order to have it tested and evaluated for this site.
Be sure to include contact info or your company website's URL so visitors here will know where to purchase your product.


WHITE 5500-6500K InGaN+phosphor 
ULTRAVIOLET 370-390nm GaN 
BLUE 430nm GaN+SiC
BLUE 450 and 473nm InGaN
BLUE Silicon Carbide
TURQUOISE 495-505nm InGaN
GREEN 525nm InGaN 
YELLOW-GREEN 555-575mn GaAsP & related
YELLOW 585-595nm
AMBER 595-605nm
ORANGE 605-620nm
ORANGISH-RED 620-635nm
RED 640-700nm
INFRARED 700-1300nm
True RGB Full Color LED
Spider (Pirrahna) LEDs
SMD LEDs
True violet (400-418nm) LEDs
Agilent Barracuda & Prometheus LEDs
Oddball & Miscellaneous LEDs
Programmable RGB LED modules / fixtures
Where to buy these LEDs 
Links to other LED-related websites
The World's First Virtual LED Museum
Legal horse puckey, etc.
RETURN TO OPENING/MAIN PAGE
LEDSaurus (on-site LED Mini Mart)



This page is a frame from a website.
If you arrived on this page through an outside link,you can get the "full meal deal" by clicking here.