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Friday Product Post: Get a Load of This!
A new, handy Variable Load Kit, an LED "Neon" Flex Rope, three types of LED hookup connectors and new (cheaper) PLA filament for your 3D printer!
Well hello there, everyone, and welcome back to another thrilling installment of the SparkFun Friday Product Post! This week we have six brand-new products just waiting for you to take home and begin using. Leading the pack today we have the SparkFun Variable Load Kit and LED Neon Flex Rope. Rounding out this Friday we also have three LED Strip Pigtail Connectors in two-, three- and four-pin variations, as well as cheaper PLA filament that doesn't skimp on quality. Happy Friday, everyone! Let's get started!
Variety is the Spice of Life!
The SparkFun Variable Load Kit is a quick-to-assemble board designed to allow users to draw a specific amount of current from a voltage input. This kit can be used to test stability of the power supply under various loads, battery lifetime, safety cutoffs and other design elements. The Variable Load Kit can test supplies of up to 30V at currents ranging from a few mA all the way up to 4A.
Who said, ‘Let there be light’? N-E one?
This Neon Flex Rope is a 2m long (~6.5 feet), nonaddressable LED strip that simulates the neon effects you see in storefronts at night. Each rope is packed with sixty 5050 RGB LEDs (30 LEDs/m). Though this flexible LED rope does not actually utilize any neon gas, the waterproof (IP65) silicon housing provides a diffused glow similar to those "Open" signs.
These 2-pin JST-SM pigtail connectors mate perfectly with LED strips and other applications that require only two lines and an option for quick connection and disconnection. Even if you don't have a specific use for these pigtail connectors now, it's good to have them handy when you need them! Each connector pack comes with one male and one female connector.
We also carry them with 3 pins...
And 4 pins!
Finally today, this is a 1kg (2.2lb) reel of 2.85mm black PLA (polylactic acid) plastic filament for 3D printing. PLA is a bioplastic and makes for a great general-purpose filament with smooth surface finish. This filament is very easy to print and is even biodegradable! PLA has minimal warping and shrinking compared with other materials, which makes it ideal for printing objects featuring flat surfaces and hard angles, or requiring tight tolerances for fit.
That's all we have today, folks! It was a pretty big week for new products, and next week will be similar, so make sure to check back next Friday! As always, we can't wait to see what you make with these products! Shoot us a tweet @sparkfun, or let us know on Instagram or Facebook. We’d love to see what projects you’ve made!
Thanks for stopping by. We'll see you next week with even more fantastic new products!
What a great stuff)
Any chance you guys could stock some 1.75 mm filament as well? I just got my first 3D printer (a Prusa i3 Mk3) this week, and it’d be awesome to be able to order fillament from the same place I get so much electronics from!
Since the LED Neon Flex Rope needs 24VDC, and Feldi even mentioned the SF supply in her video, I'd sure suggest that there be a link to the power supply on the Rope's page...
Based on the description of IP65, I'm guessing that most of my "hobby" projects should be rated "IP00"! ;-)
BTW, I've put a couple of comments on the Neon Rope page.