Twinkly Light Set – TWS400SPP Special Edition 400 LED RGB+W with Twinkly Music purchased separately. I purchased 4 sets (1600 LEDS Total) of these lights January 2022 specifically for creating my own visual display to be used in a large barn. My end goal was to create a dynamic display that I could use to show both graphics and text using the LED lights all year long not just during the holidays. I did not want to be limited to a set of standard graphic displays that typical LED holiday lights generally have. There are commercial LED signs that are readily available that will do this, but their costs are significant and, in some cases, there is a learning curve to the software required to run and create the display. After doing some online research the Twinkly light set was discovered. The description of the light set met the requirements that would allow me to complete my LED light project. I liked the fact that these lights were controlled by an app using WIFI and had the ability to display a set of Twinkly created images along with your own custom images and text. The Twinkly lights checked all my boxes and their cost is reasonable considering their capabilities. I think most people would be happy with the bright white color the RGB lights produce, but I wanted maximum flexibility, so I went with the RGB+W LEDs that provide the bright white along with the softer typical white light. I experimented with different grid placement layouts, i.e., spacing the LEDs 2 inches versus 3 inches apart (note, the lights are made so that 3 inches is the max spacing when used for a grid like I have done). I also tried using a rectangle (4 x 8 feet) backing versus a square (4 x 4 feet, 8 x 8 feet) and found that lights work best when placed using a square. When I used the rectangle backing the graphics failed to display without cutting off the top or the bottom of the graphic being displayed. I ultimately decided to space the LEDs in a 2-inch pattern on a 8 x 8 foot square. This produced the best display for both text and graphics. I used 2 pegboard sheets each being 4 x 8 feet, 1/8 inch deep with 1/8-inch holes. I built a frame using 2 x 3-inch 8-foot studs and screws to hold this all together. Once the frame and pegboard were constructed, I painted everything using a flat black plastic coat spray paint. The black background worked great for highlighting the LED bulbs. One thing I want to note is that the LED base is just a hair larger than the 1/8-inch standard pegboard hole, so I had to drill the hole slightly larger (1,600 holes, phew) to get them to fit. I used standard construction silicon to hold the LEDs in place. I laid everything out so that the 2 pieces of pegboard connected in the middle with the proper 2-inch light grid spacing. Even though the 2-inch light layout did not take up the entire 8 x 8 feet base, having the extra space on the outside of the LEDs allowed for much easier handling and mounting. It also allowed room for a power strip to be placed behind the base without touching the lights providing for a nice clean look. Because each light string has its own controller with a button on top that allows you to control and pair the lights, I mounted all the controllers on top of the backing easily accessible as needed. I used 4 steel brackets painted black to connect the 2 pieces of pegboard together. I used ½ inch black pipe brackets to hold the completed structure to the wall. All brackets were purchased through Amazon along with the Twinkly lights. I used a switched outlet to plug in the power strip, all behind the structure. Note the Twinkly light cord is plenty long to span the backing and mount all the controllers on top. Because I planned to mount these 12-feet up on a wall, my last hurdle was to figure out how to lift this now heavy completed structure up while still being able to plug in the power and permanently mount. After exploring different options, I decided to use an inexpensive hand wench from Harbor Freight to lift the structure. This required a 3/8 inch “U” bracket mounted to the 2 x 3-inch stud on the top of the structure along with mounting the wench to the header board of the wall I was mounting this to. It worked perfectly and this method allowed me to hold the structure in place while I completed all the wiring and mounting brackets. The lights are bright and everything worked pretty much as planned, but not without some trial and error. The Good The lights look great and work as advertised. I can display Twinkly’s canned graphics and use custom graphics and text created with my phone or IPAD. This allows me to create logos, Christmas trees, birthday congratulations, whatever I want for whatever occasion. The way the Twinkly app maps the LED lights is phenomenal. You simply point your Phone/IPAD in mapping mode at the lights and the lights are mapped! They use WIFI so I can control the Twinkly lights from anywhere on the same network. They are LEDs so their power usage is minimal. Considering what you can do with these lights, their price is reasonable and much cheaper than trying to do this using commercial sign solutions. Note that the price has gone up since I purchased my lights, but I still think the price is reasonable for what you get. I also have some DMX controlled stage lights. When you compare the learning curve to get the DMX lights to do what I want versus the Twinkly lights, it is like night and day. The Twinkly lights are easy to set up and control versus the DMX lights. The Bad It took me a while to figure out that the Twinkly lights require a really good WIFI connection. I have placed these lights in a very large structure. While my other devices have been fine (Sonos speakers, Google Home, Smart TV’s, etc.) I could not get the Twinkly lights (placed even closer to the router than these other devices) to work reliably. I finally had to purchase a MESH system to connect to the Twinkly devices, so they worked correctly every time. The Twinkly music dongle does not always work reliable regardless of the improved network when controlled through the app using WIFI. It works fine if using the control button on the dongle but seems to lose its connection to the app from time to time with WIFI. I run a fiber based high speed network, so I am pretty sure it’s the dongle and not my internet or WIFI. You must map the lights for each device (iPhone/iPad, etc.) that you use to control the Twinkly lights separately. I have not figured out a way to share my custom created images across devices. This means you must recreate the image for each device used to control the lights. I have also noticed that you will lose your custom images if you clear cache on your device, remap your lights or reload your app. This can be frustrating if you spend a lot of time creating the image. In summary, I like the lights and feel that the plus list outweighs the negative list. No, they are not perfect, but I believe they offer the best bang for the buck today for what these lights can do.