github/sowbug

Ikea Kilometer LED lights

I can’t find any description of these lights online. They’re like mini Christmas lights, with a gentle bluish glow that is too faint to read by, but too bright to be an all-night night light for my kids. A string of 48 costs $13: not cheap by IKEA standards, but reasonable. There is no switch.

The AC adapter puts out 21 volts, 90 mA, which I’m guessing is DC because the low-voltage plug is polarized. The Kill-a-Watt measures 0 watts.

I think I can kill a few birds with one stone. A small circuit spliced in between the transformer and the lights could provide a 30-minute gradual PWM dimming timer for the kids. They’d press the button to start the sequence, and fall asleep as the lights went out. The board would sip power from the adapter.

The 21 volts are a challenge. Might be fun.