Power Supply for Blinkytape Help
**Hello everyone !
Let me just get started by saying that I have no experience with all "this" ,Im a noob. I am wanting to start a project, I want to make an LED Hula Hoop. I found the Blinkytape to be one of the best options for a led strip since you can personalize patterns for light painting and all that. Also I like that its basically ready to go.
Anyway, I understand that it needs a power supply .. for some reason I thought you could just charge it and I could slip it into the hula hoop. So I need a power supply that will fit in a 3/4 hula hoop for the blinkytape.
Since its 5V its getting a bit difficult for me when it comes to power supplies that will fit into a tube. I want to be able to recharge the hoop , I would like to power it with a lithium battery but most of them that would fit into the hoop are 3.7 V.
I found a 5V regulated usb power output that can be connected to the battery that is 3.7V and then this set up to be connected to the blinkytape ( simple enough to do it myself) . But does it power 5V to the blinkytape? I am confused . Would this work ?
Thank you very much for the help in advanced !
-Lucy**
Comments
Hi Lucy- yes, a 5v regulator circuit can very likely power the BlinkyTape. They're basically the same thing that goes into USB power banks (the kind sold for charging your phone). If you have a link to the regulator you're thinking of, we'd be happy to take a look at it.
Hi again Matt!
awesome, heading the right way then.
Ill attach some pictures of the ones I found . I dont know what the difference is besides the price. I like how the second one has already attached wire leads .
Either one of those could work. The only other thing to look out for is that the lithium ion battery has a protection circuit on it. If it's one of the flat rectangular ones, it very likely has it, but the cylindrical ones usually don't- make sure to look for one that has 'protected' in the description.
For the charger, here's an alternate one that also has a charging circuit built in:
https://www.adafruit.com/products/1944
I also saw that as well, cant that work good by itself to power the blinkytape? then just unplug the blinky tape when i need to recharge ?
Yeah, that one is both a power charger and a 5v regulator. It's basically the same guts as you would find in a portable power bank :-).
great! cant wait to get started , thanks so much for all your help Matt!! You were really helpful. I will share once it's finished
Awesome, looking forward to it!