IKEA DIODER
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Ikea DIODER ("puck"-style), retail $49.99 (www.ikea.com...)
Manufactured by Inter IKEA Systems B.V. (www.ikea.com)
Last updated 09-27-08




The Ikea DIODER is an interesting little light set that is intended to bring a splash of color where it was not previously possible - well, not *EASILY* possible anyway.

The DIODER consists of four "pucks" that can be mounted to reasonably flat surfaces with double-sided tape (included) or with screws (also included). It can generate any of seven colors, plus it has color cycle and "color wash" modes available as well.

It is powered by 120 volts AC 60Hz (the most common household power in north America), so you do not have to worry about batteries - ever.

***IMPORTANT***
In the photographs above and directly below, the red LEDs were on; the product is not actually tinted red.


SIZE



To use the DIODER, use scissors, a sharp knife, or a razor blade to slash open the package first. Then remove all of the twist ties from all of the cords.

Plug the connector on the end of each "puck"'s cord into the rectangular receptacles for them on the smallest of the three white "boxes" that make up the product's controller, power supply, and switch.

Pick a place for each "puck", and choose one of the two mounting methods: double-sided tape or screws (both are furnished).
Please refer to the furnished instructional materials to see how these mounting methods are implemented.

Each "puck" is connected to the controller with approximately 100" (~254.0cm) of ribbon cable.

Once the "pucks" are plugged in & mounted, insert the plug on the end of the AC cord into any standard (in north America anyway) 120 volts AC 60Hz household receptacle. The plug is polarized; with one blade of the plug slightly wider than the other - if the plug does not fit into the outlet, turn it 180° and try it again. If it still does not fit, you'll have to call a qualified electrician to have the outlet modernised.

The LEDs should now come on, glowing red.

Press the button on the switch box and then release it to change the color as follows:
  • Green
  • Blue
  • Purple
  • Cyan (turquoise)
  • Yellow
  • White
  • Red
Just like it reads on the backs of many shampoo (or "shampee") bottles, "lather, rinse, repeat".
In other words, pressing & releasing the button again turns the lights to green.

Each time the button is pressed & released, you'll hear a soft "beep" sound.

If you press & hold down the button until more than one beep is heard, the set enters the following modes:
  • Two beeps: Color cycle mode.
    Unit changes colors at approximately 1.0Hz (changes ~once per second).

  • Three beeps: Color wash mode.
    Unit very slowly fades from one color to the next in a smooth manner.
    Lights always start out white, then gently fades from one color to another with no darkness or flashing.

  • Four beeps: Turns all lights off.
Sound file (.WAV format) allowing you to hear the beeps.
File is approximately 63.80K (64,777 bytes) in size.
In this file, you can hear the button being press & released once, then pressed & held so all four beeps can be heard.
The sound is *NOT* loud enough to be obnoxious - it is quite faint actually.
I had to hold the unit directly against the camera's microphone to record this.



Since this product is designed to be operated from 120VAC, this section can be skipped.
Therefore, I don't have to tell you which part to remove, flush away, and then tell you not to.



This is a color-changing light set, not a flashlight designed to be carried around, thrashed, trashed, and abused. So I won't throw it against the wall, stomp on it, try to drown it in the toliet bowl or the cistern, run over it, swing it against the concrete floor of an outdoor patio, use a medium claw hammer in order to bash it open to check it for candiosity, fire it from the cannoņata, drop it down the top of Mt. Erupto (I guess I've been watching the TV program "Viva Piņata" too much again - candiosity is usually checked with a laser-type device on a platform with a large readout (located at Piņata Central), with a handheld wand that Langston Lickatoad uses, or with a pack-of-cards-sized device that Fergy Fudgehog uses; the cannoņata (also located at Piņata Central) is only used to shoot piņatas to piņata parties away from picturesque Piņata Island, and Mt. Erupto is an active volcano on Piņata Island {In the episode "Les Saves the Day...Again", Paulie Preztail says "Hey, ever wonder why this park's called 'Mount Erupto' anyway?", then Franklin Fizzlybear says "I think its an old native term. Means 'very safe.'"}), send it to the Daystrom Institute for additional analysis, or inflict upon it punishments that flashlights (that were born to be flashlights and nothing but flashlights) may have inflicted upon them.

So this section of the DIODER's evaluation will appear SIGNIFICANTLY more bare than usual.

I really like the DIODER, and already have a place planned for mounting. Since this is a rental property, I cannot screw them into the wall; I am actually thinking about using the double-sided tape to mount them to the back of my computer monitor and have the wall behind it bathed in the product's glow.



Photograph of the unit set to emit "red".



Photograph of the unit set to emit "green".



Photograph of the unit set to emit "blue".



Photograph of the unit set to emit "purple".



Photograph of the unit set to emit "cyan" (turquoise).



Photograph of the unit set to emit "yellow".



Photograph of the unit set to emit "white".


Spectrographic plot
Spectrographic analysis of the LEDs in the Dioder, emitting red.
As you can see, it's actually an orangish red.


Spectrographic plot
Spectrographic analysis of the LEDs in the Dioder, emitting green.


Spectrographic plot
Spectrographic analysis of the LEDs in the Dioder, emitting blue.


Spectrographic plot
Spectrographic analysis of the LEDs in the Dioder, emitting purple.


Spectrographic plot
Spectrographic analysis of the LEDs in the Dioder, emitting cyan (turquoise).


Spectrographic plot
Spectrographic analysis of the LEDs in the Dioder, emitting yellow.


Spectrographic plot
Spectrographic analysis of the LEDs in the Dioder, emitting white.
USB2000 spectrometer graciously donated by P.L.


WMP movie (.avi extension) showing the product in color cycle mode.
This clip is approximately 1.070 megabytes (1,267,132 bytes) in length; dial-up users please be aware.
It will take no less than five minutes to load at 48.0Kbps.


WMP movie (.avi extension) showing the product in color wash mode.
This clip is approximately 7.290 megabytes (7,376,454 bytes) in length; dial-up users please be aware.
It will take no less than thirty six minutes to load at 48.0Kbps.


WMP movie (.avi extension) showing the product in color wash mode - installed this time.
This clip is approximately 8.726 megabytes (8,826,454 bytes) in length; dial-up users please be aware.
It will take no less than forty three minutes to load at 48.0Kbps.


WMP movie (.avi extension) showing the product in color cycle mode - installed this time.
This clip is approximately 5.293 megabytes (5,424,608 bytes) in length; dial-up users please be aware.
It will take no less than twenty seven minutes to load at 48.0Kbps.

I cannot provide any of these videos in other formats, so please do not ask.



The unit (set to red) installed behind my computer monitor.



The unit (set to green) installed behind my computer monitor.



The unit (set to blue) installed behind my computer monitor.



The unit (set to purple) installed behind my computer monitor.



The unit (set to cyan {turquoise}) installed behind my computer monitor.



The unit (set to yellow) installed behind my computer monitor.



The unit (set to white) installed behind my computer monitor.





TEST NOTES:
Test unit was purchased on Ebay on 09-18-08, and was received on the afternoon of 09-20-08.

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

The power supply is labelled to output 12 volts DC at 6 watts.


UPDATE: 00-00-00



PROS:



CONS:



    MANUFACTURER: Inter IKEA Systems B.V.
    PRODUCT TYPE: Color-changing lights
    LAMP TYPE: LED
    No. OF LAMPS: 72 (18xLEDs per unit * 4 units)
    BEAM TYPE: N/A
    SWITCH TYPE: Pushbutton on/off/mode control on product's cord
    CASE MATERIAL: Plastic
    BEZEL: N/A
    BATTERY: N/A
    CURRENT CONSUMPTION: Unknown/unable to measure
    WATER RESISTANT: Very light splatter-resistance at maximum
    SUBMERSIBLE: No
    ACCESSORIES: 4x self-adhesive discs, 8x screws
    WARRANTY: Unknown/not stated

    PRODUCT RATING:

    Star Rating





Ikea DIODER * www.ikea.com...






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