PPA International OLSMSRGB OLS Motor Series Multi-Color Starter Kit

I got this to see if long strips of these lights (a single controller can handle 26' of lights) might work as battery-saving ambient lights for the VW Camper I'm rebuilding.The answer is: gosh yes! right now I'm running them off a big deep-cycle battery that is hooked up to a 4W solar trickle-charger. I've left them on all night for the last week, and the trickle-charger seems to be holding its own.Installation is easy. (If you're doing a permanent install, I recommend potting all the connectors in silicone). I was concerned about the amount of light, wanting to use these to at least read by: no concerns there: put six strips side-by-side above the kitchen cutting board, and you've got operating-room brightness (which is exactly what you need, given that the cutting board IS an operating room featuring your hands). A single strip is easy to read by. Thrown in for free is the multicolour capabilities. It's a shame that the controller only allows you to choose between 15 colours and white: the LEDs themselves are likely capable of many more, but it's really nice to be able to see clearly, and also do mood or nightlight lighting.I believe these are built to an international standard, allowing you to mix and match manufacturers. And I'm SURE someone makes a plugin controller that syncs them to the music that's playing (Deadheads pay attention).Dislikes?* If the remote dies, so goes the lights: there is no other way to control them.* Restricted colour choices (ridiculous complaint, given the price)* A slight roughness to the response. Switch colours, and it might flash brightly in another colour.* The remote is primitive: to brighten or darken, holding down the button does nothing: you have to press it repeatedly.* But I dislike that I'm even bitching, given how useful and how much fun these are.

When you purchase a DIY item and among the first points on the installation instructions are "professional installation is strongly recommended," you know you are in for a difficult time. Now, I will be the first to admit that I am neither a gearhead nor particularly proficient around a vehicle, so the fact that I was able to complete the installation on my own without outside assistance is at the very least a positive point in its favor. In addition, the lights were bright, and the option to switch colors as the mood strikes (or, if you're like me, find the color that most closely matches all the other lighted dials in your cabin) is very convenient.Probably the most disappointing aspect of this product was the rather unfortunate way the wiring was constructed. Among the negatives:* There was no real clear way to install the device without the DC adapter. The instructions provide absolutely no guidance on the point, virtually forcing you to use the DC adapter.* There is no way to store the DC cable once it is attached to the fuse cable, not without removing all the writing from before the first strip. That's a real pain. I wonder if a 3.5 mm jack or some form of other plug would have been possible; it certainly would have made it easier.* The fuse cable is very long at 3m (and, if you are using the DC adapter as the default, it is unnecessarily long) while the extension cables are very short at .3 and .6 m This seems completely backwards, in that the extension cables should have been significantly longer since this is how you connect one strip to the other. This means it is only possible to install the light strips on the inboard console and not on the door. You COULD install both strips in one seat well, but who really wants to do that?* Continuing on the theme of the extension cords, each of the strips have a male end and a female end, yet one of the cables is male connections at both ends, one has male/female ends, and the Y adapter (which could have been used to give you more cable length to position the light strips where you want) has THREE female ends. I have no idea why this is useful.* The line of sight requirement for the remote is limiting. If you want to have a clean appearance (nearly impossible if you're using the DC adapter because it will always be visible), it limits your ability to hide the cables since you must be able to point the remote directly at the sensor to use the remote...and you can only control the lights using the remote.* The instructions are HORRIBLY written, and sufficiently vague to the point of not being useful in any sense.Is the item worth it? I don't know that it is $50 worth it...maybe $20, given the limited options for installation and the inherent difficulty for the DIYer.

The lights are amazingly bright! These are the "water proof" lights so they can go outside as opposed to the others.The kit came neatly packaged and included everything required to install in a car, truck, boat, RV, etc. However, the directions are just adequate because they look like a photo copy of a photo copy, so the graphics are fuzzy. You have to use pliers to crimp the power wires to the cigarette lighter adapter that is included with the kit. When I first hooked it up, it wouldn't work but it did after I took the watch battery out of the remote and re-installed it. Then everything worked great! The remote allows you to change from bright white to many different shades of colors and brightness. Since the remote is infrared, you have to mount the receiver sensor somewhere in line-of-sight for the remote to see it.Installation in a car is pretty simple with the two 1-foot light strips that are included. Since the controller can handle up to 36 feet of light strips, I'm considering buying some extension light strips to mount under the awning of our RV. You can get a 5-foot light strip for about $60 or a 10-foot light strip for about $100. You can also get two 1-foot light strips with a 1-foot extension cable for about $23. 5-foot extension cables run about $11.