(Part 2) Best track lighting products according to redditors

FYI, they also have 90 degree adapters. That's the direction I'm going, since I have no soldering skills. Good job, though!

Easy way to make really obnoxious portable LED projects:

1. Aquire the items below.
   
2. Play with them. ("oooohhh ahhhhh... Why doesn't my brain let me sleep with these as a nightlight?")
   
3. Hack them into new things.
   
4. |<0>=<0>|
   
5. Ghosts and stuff
   
   
   
   USB Battery for 5v power. Minimum 2A output.
   
   USB to barrel jack adapter
   
   Radio Remote Control - lots of options here
   
   Extra connectors
   
   ws2812b LED strips

OP, do yourself a favor and get one of THESE - a suction cup tool used to remove these bulbs. Makes it a lot easier.

If you don't mind going the DIY route, you could probably come in under $100 for parts for the strips:

• LED Strips - https://www.amazon.com/SUPERNIGHT-16-4ft-300leds-Waterproof-Flexible/dp/B00KYKEUXO/
  
• Power Supply - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073QTNF9F/
  
• Wifi controller - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DY56N8U/
  
• Extension cable - https://www.amazon.com/LEDENET-Extension-Cable-Color-ribbon/dp/B00J4HI746/
  
• Snap-on Connectors - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01CNYZ0NW/
  
• Channel for mounting - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LL2SLME/
  
  Instead of the flat channel, you might be better off with angled channel for mounting the strips above the cabinets, since they'll throw more light on the wall, which is what you'll actually see - https://www.amazon.com/LEDwholesalers-Aluminum-Mounting-Installations-1901-V/dp/B00PJSSD7K/
  
  There's a ZWave RGBW controller but it's more expensive than the wifi one and can take some more configuration: https://www.amazon.com/Fibaro-Micro-Controller-Z-wave-Strips/dp/B00P1N68FW/
  
  If you get the snap-on connectors, I recommend putting a small amount of solder on all of the pads where you'll be connecting them on the strips, so that they make a good connection.
  
  As for the puck lights, you could probably get something like this and wire the distributor to the wifi/ZWave controller, instead of plugging it into the controller it comes with: https://www.amazon.com/Changing-Christmas-Furniture-Ambiance-Lighting/dp/B01N2I47VH/ref=sr_1_2

Those sockets often come with a suction cup meant to be used to stick to the crystal of the bulb (when it's cool) so you can then twist and pull the bulb with the handle of the suction cup. (I assume this is a GU-10 type bulb/socket?)

If you don't have the suction cup that came with it, probably any window decoration one can be used in a pinch.

EDIT: something like these: http://www.amazon.com/Nora-Track-Light-NRS90-N20-Suction/dp/B002ZPD4R4/ref=pd_sxp_f_pt

This is my collection one year in the making. Finally got my own place and set up some displays. Wanted to light it up and decided to create my own DIY solution. Designed, Measured, Cut, Soldered, and Attached it all over two weekends. Took about 20 hours total. See further below for WIP pictures. The color light pictures really don't do them justice. My phone camera sucks. They look much better in real life.

----

Close up's of each Display and Shelf, see the full album by clicking "Display" at the top for descriptions.

-

Shelf| Display 1| Display 2
---|---|----
Top| Miku Scales | Odds and Ends 2
2nd| Miku Nendos | Date a Dog Days Live
3rd | Miku Mix | Round 1, Fight!
4th | Odds & Ends 1| Lonely Sinon
5th | To Battle! | Cheerful Japan
Bottom | Empty | Empty

----

A nifty thing happens under blue light. A few of the figures have spots that glow. See here.

----

Sadly I didn't take too many images while working on the lighting, but I do have a few. See the descriptions for more info.

Here is a shopping list if you want to try your hand:

• RGBW LED Strip Lights x 2 (1 per shelf)
  
• RGBW Extension Wire (10m is probably fine for 2 shelves even)
  
• T Junctions (9 per shelf, come in packs of 10) The connectors aren't needed but couldn't find a comparable price for just the junctions.
  
• RGBW Solderless Jumper Cables - For the adjustable shelves so you can move/remove them
  
  You'll also need a soldering iron and all the accoutrements, glue (I used Loctite),heat shrink wrap, blow dryer, tweezers, wire cutters, cardboard work space for protection. I sourced most of these from work and borrowed them for a while.
  
  ---
  Future Plans
  -
  I plan on buying or making some acrylic/plexiglass risers so I can fit some more Nendo's per shelf without overcrowding it. This will let me move the Nendo Petite Vocaloids onto the back of the Miku Nendo shelf and free up room for my incoming Mebae Miku and Ca Calne on Miku Shelf 2.
  
  Then I can also raise up Stormtrooper and Vader and condense the Date A Live and Dog Days shelves as well.
  
  Once Saber Bride (zipped) comes in, I'll move her and Jack the Ripper to Sinons shelf so she isn't lonely anymore. Then when Purple heart comes in she can join Black heart's shelf.
  
  ----
  
  Let me know what you think and if you have any questions about the figures, shelves, lighting, or anything really!
  
  Thanks for looking!

I'd suggest looking for 3528 LED strips. They consume less power and are narrower, making it easier to conceal inside the case. Even with a tinted window, they are obscenely bright. You can also purchase crimp-on terminations for these strips. This means you can order bulk strip and cut only lengths you need.

Mini in-line RBG controller w/ remote

Crimp on terminations

If you do multiple systems, you could easily save money by buying these parts instead of individual kits each time.

I use this
Solarphy 32.8ft (10m) RGB LED... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LYNJTBN?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

And then a splitter to run 2 panels from one source
TronicsPros 2 Packs 4 Pin... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016KSOTXY?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

You could connect them end-to-end or just get a splitter

https://www.amazon.com/TronicsPros-Splitter-Connector-Strips-12inch/dp/B016KSOSX0

I used SMD RGBWW Lights from Amazon. Here is and album of them at night. I have used 3 of 4 strips so far. The remote works great from a long distance without line of site and allows for multiple zones. I have it set on a timer to turn on at dusk. I leave them on fading between colors and during holidays I can choose whatever color I see fit. It is a bit of work but I love the look. Very unique.

Supplies:

• Supernight 16.4ft RGBWW Color Changing LED Strip Light Kit, LED Tape with 5050 300leds Waterproof
  
• Wireless 2.4G RF RGB + White/Warm White Controller Kit, 4 x Controllers and 4-Zone Remote
  
• LEDENET 5pins 10mm Quick Connectors RGBW LED Strip
  
• Color 20m RGBW Extension Cable Line for LED Strip RGBW 5050 Cord 5pin
  
• Silicon Clip for Fixing 8mm 10mm 16mm 20m 3528 5050 RGB
  
• 3/4'' Stainless screws.

I am not sure what the guy below is talking about because even Phillips Hue on Amazon has a picture that shows you can cut the light strip.

You can either solder on wire at the connection points or buy a clip connector like this: https://www.amazon.com/JACKYLED-Extension-32-8ft-Splitter-connectors/dp/B071GY9V64/ref=sr_1_11?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1510229851&sr=1-11&keywords=led+extension+wire

You can also try bending the strip slightly. I have done this with much cheaper RGB strips and have caused a light to stop working though so I would not recommend a 90 degree turn.

Personally, I am starting with 1 strip to test on my 55 inch then if I need more you can get either the 40 inch extension or another 80.

Sure!

So, here are the parts/products I used (all from Amazon, and available for Prime delivery):

• Lights
  
  
• Power supply
  
  
• Jumpers/connectors
  
  
• Wire (for linking cases to same remote & power source)
  
  (And, of course, Michaels Baseball Bat Cases)
  
  [Images are linked for appropriate descriptions below]
  
  First thing was finding the proper distance between the cases for mounting on the wall -- I've seen a ton of other folks doing these in different ways, but the one thing that always bugged me was not taking advantage of using the case as a shelf also, and just doing one right under/over the other, and not leaving room to display other things (like the in-box ones I have there)... plus, it solves the next issue:
  
  I wanted to use the same power & control for both cases (and have them linked together), but not have wires showing to link them... If I wasn't a renter, and knew this could be a permanent fixture, I would've popped holes in the wall to hide the cables, but since that's not an option, I used the in-box pops to hide the wire that runs from the bottom case to the one on top. I'm sure there are a number of other ways to accomplish the same thing, but this seemed like the best solution for me. Personally, I didn't care for the look of the LEDs running along the sides or the top of the cases, so I only ran a strip along the bottom of each case, saving some lights for some other random project down the road.
  
  So, in both cases, I drilled holes into both of the back bottom corners, and then Dremel-ed one of them a bit to allow the main power supply link/adapter to fit inside the case (it's about a 1/2" across in rectangular shape).
  
  The power comes from the wall below, which is behind a larger cube storage shelf, and the cable that leads into the bottom right of the lower case is 'hidden' behind that in-box Tony Stark.
  
  I wired up the bottom case first, and at the end of the strip, set up a jumper from the strip to the extension cable, and threaded enough to reach the top case, which connects to the other strip, running in the opposite direction. Eventually, there'll be a third case above these, which is why I drilled the extra hole in the other corner of the top case, to be prepped for another extension wire to run to the third (once I pick another one up and figure out what to fill it with).
  
  ...That more or less covers it, I think. :)
  
  Feel free to hit me up if you want any other info or pics, etc. It was frustrating at first, trying to figure out the easiest way to do what I had envisioned in my head, but it worked out in the end, so I'm pleased.
  
  Good luck with yours!
  
  edit: formatting

Amazon, some clear tubing to distort the leds, hot glue gun, carpet puller to tuck it, scissors, razor blade, led 4 pin adapters and cuss words.

LEDs I Used

ADAPTER 1

ADAPTER 2

I use these and some shrink tubing

eBoot 22 AWG JST SM 2 Pin Plug Male and Female Connector Adapter with 135 mm Electrical Cable Wire for LED Light, 20 Pairs https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06WGN56V2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_wq6kDb3Z3QWTE

Amazon to the rescue.

I was in a different position with no access to the walls. I used a wireless switch, plugged the power adapter into it, and used these lights. I connected them with 20g speaker wire and had to buy an extra set of these connectors. Overall project was not hard at all, and it makes such a big difference! I did (still do) have some trouble with the adhesive on the lights themselves not being quite sufficient. I plan to put additional double stick tape under the problem areas if I ever remember to buy some.

Doing the project this way made it 100% DIY. I also added them on top of the cabinets just to add the extra light. Can't recommend the project enough, it's so nice to not have my shadow over the cutting board when I'm trying to see what I'm chopping.

You could just cut the connector off & solder the leads to the strip. Or, if you work with those strips a lot, buy a bag of connectors. 20 pairs of M/F connectors with pigtail for $10

I bought these strip lights - LED Strip Lights, ATTUOSUN... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07P61XM9J?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

And these connectors - JACKYLED RGB 5050 3528 LED Light... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072KRCJLD?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

I just ran them up the sides and over and drilled a hole in the bottom for the cables.

The adhesive is super sticky though, had to redo a small section and needed to use rubbing alcohol to get the adhesive off the glass.

Consider this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002ZPD4R4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_UIo.zbWVHVBBN

Mine comes in quite handy

I used this light strip from Amazon. I'm really happy with them. Installation was a breeze. I bought a splitter and L-shape connectors to make things easier.

Good question! You can solder them if you want but each strip contains 4 tiny wires which are a pain to solder. And if you accidentally let solder touch 2 wires then the color doesn't get processed correctly. So they make female to female straight connectors and angled connectors. They also make extension cords if you want to get behind a wall. If you want to save money just buy bulk wire. But if you connect more than 16ft of lights in a single circuit, then you needed an amplifier which needs to be plugged into an extra power supply otherwise the lights near the ends of the circuit will be dimmer and also off color. Color correctness comes from adequate power. Finally you can optionally buy a music sensor so all of your lights blink to the music!

/u/wasser24 to the rescue! I made this same post in the "does this exist" subreddit, and he came through with THIS! Huzzah! Thanks again.

LED2020 LD-Con-W-PW-Switch 12V In-Line Switch

LED2020 LD-Con-W-PW-Switch 12V In-Line Switch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00U2YSG8W/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_iGv.wbHR0K30V


The keywords you should look for are DC inline switch.

They are similar to these:

https://www.amazon.com/FSJEE-Connectors-Solderless-Connector-Connect/dp/B077CLT75F/

The led strip is a flexible strip with copper contacts that slide under the clips. Over time, this is no longer a consistent contact. The copper contacts dimple, and the clips probably lose some grip.

Buy

($6)Wires:For the MOFSET mod

($1o)MOFSET

($6)Wire spades:For the MOFSET mod

($8)Assorted M3 Bolts:You need some for a few mods and for the bolts you will inevitably strip on this cheap wonderful machine

($13)Longer assorted M3 Bolts:For a few mods

($9)M4 Bolts:For one of the mods

($9)Metric allen wrench set:Had to order one of these since metric tools aren’t common round these parts

(~$20) PLA of preferred choice- You’ll run out of the sample bit quick so go ahead and order a roll or two to be prepared. You will note some upgrades require ABS so a small spool of that to your order will also help.

($6)M3 Lock nuts:Critically needed for a simple mod

($10)Threaded rod and nuts:Please note that this item seemed difficult to find online. I recommend going to your local hardware store and getting two 5/16” rods of at least 16” in length. They should have an assortment of threaded rod in various lengths available. Also note that the pitch of the threading matches the nuts you buy. Further instructions regarding this can be seen in Azza’s Z-Axis braces below.)

($6)9mm Wrench for the nozzle: Don’t wait for your first clog, go ahead and have this on hand to remove/change the nozzle. Note to only tighten/loosen the nozzle when heated.



Below is the order of printable upgrades I recommend but I suggest you mix in a few other prints along the way because this is a hobby after all and you should be having fun. It helps to have your quality as tuned in as much as possible for some of these so be patient and keep trying if you need to.

Print

Spool holder- temporary : Until you can mount your spool on top of the enclosure or any other personal preference.

Belt tensioner- print x2

Z-brace

Shielded stop button

Cable relocator : It’s a pain, but if you spend the time to do this and turn your extruder motor 90 degrees then you can get the full Z height without ruining your cables. It does involve opening all the cables to the PSU and feeding a few extra inches back through the cable chains.

Cable shroud : Looks nice if you do the cable relocator.


The following need to be printed in ABS:

M3 Bed Nut retainer: 10/10 upgrade. I know they look worse than the nice metal stock ones, but these help keep your bed level longer.

CiiCooler

Glass bed Holder


Now that the first major round of printed upgrades is done it’s time to shift to a few more supplies to pick up to really fine tune the machine.


Buy

($5)Radial fan: For CiiCooler

($5)Glue sticksThis and a glass bed is magic

($25)Borosilicate glass 8” x 8”

($26)Y-Carriage plate upgrade: This has been a nice upgrade as I now only need to relevel the bed every couple weeks instead of every print. Check out this guide for a ‘how to’ as well as a free upgrade by shifting your Y pulley over.

($15)rechargeable dehumidifier: For keeping in the bin with your opened filaments

($9)Extruder gears: Might be able to hold off on these, but will need eventually. If for some reason you have a Maker Select with metal X-axis blocks (V1 and V2, but not V2.1) then this is a must. You can follow this guide for a how to.

($28)Metal extruder plate and lever: Not needed, but nice.

($14)Noctua 40mm fan: Not needed, but makes the printer a lot quitter. A LOT quieter.

($50)MicroSwiss All Metal Hot End: The destruction of my PTFE tube by this point pushed me to doing this upgrade. If needed you can follow this guide for replacement. Remember to tighten/loosen when the nozzle its hot.

($6)Ceramic cotton: Tore off the stock one when replacing for the all metal hot end by accident. At least its thicker than stock

Now that the printer is in its final form, its time for the enclosure which is a stacked Ikea Lack hack.

Print

Spool holder

Pi Case

120mm fan cover

Fan grill

120mm fan PSU modification: I edited this to fit upside down since my PSU is mounted on the underside. This was nice since I blew the 40mm fan anyways so it made everything a lot quieter than before.

IKEA Lack filament guide

Webcam holder: This is one I designed specifically for the webcam I happen to have lying around. The camera mount piece can be changed out no problem though for what ever webcam you have or buy. The SketchUp file is included on Thingiverse for such purpose.

Buy

($20)2x Ikea Lack: Luckily there is one right down the street from me. I am located in North America though, so we do not have the STUVA, if you live literally anywhere else you may check in to this as an alternative.

($80)Plexi glass for enclosure: Could be cheaper alternatives, but it looks cool

($9)Foam pads for feet

($42)Raspberry Pi3: For OctoPrint. I also suggest using a different USB cable than the stock one provided by Monoprice or you will have issues.

($9)2x 120mm fans: Used for the power supply cooling and enclosure

($6)Rocker Switches so that the enclosure fan can be on for PLA, but off for ABS

($15)Dimmable LED lights

($10)8mm LED light connectors


Total:
$250 printer + $452 upgrades/parts + ~$80 PLA/ABS to date

Sure. You will need to purchase a power supply (this one is 12 volt) to drive this controller. So figure out if your strips are either 12 or 24 volt. If they happen to be 24 volt, this controller has a built in power supply for 24 volt LED strips only. Both can be added to the Philips Hue Bridge.

As for connections, I used these for RGB strips and these for power connections.

​

​

Not only is the DIY solution a HELL of a lot cheaper, you can also cut these strips and extend them. Not to mention, hue strips do not have individually addresable LEDs, which means you can't do fancy effects like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9i4l5_knq8Y , or a more "home automation" style example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2j3UyrBjB4g .

Keep in mind that if your cutting them and want to reuse them, you will have to posses some soldering skills, or purchase these https://www.amazon.com/Nicelux-Connector-Extension-Conductor-Non-waterproof/dp/B071VN9D6N

WS2812B strips can be hooked up to a Lighting Node Pro or Commander Pro; the Corsair strips are WS2812B strips with magnets on the back. I used Dupont female to female wires to go from the JST connector on the strip to the Commander Pro's LED channel connector.

I believe I used this strip on Amazon. iCUE will only work with 60 LEDs on a channel, so one meter with 60 LEDs worked out as a more dense solution than the ones Corsair makes. If you are less inclined to DIY the cabling, these cables on eBay would do the same thing.

I also bought this to be able to cut the LED strip to length and keep the strip on the same LED channel by extending the wiring. Clamp the connectors down well to the LED strip and the wires and they work great.

The minimal amount of soldering would be to purchase some 5050 smd strip connectors.

This video shows how to do what I'm talking about

When running them together like so, you should only have to plug one end into the molex connector.

How many lights are there per strip? 1 light usually uses about 0.15-0.25 Watts.

Thank you! I see amazon has several. Is it 1.0? 2.0?

Here's a bit of what I found:

20 Sets Mini Micro Jst 2.0 Ph 3 Pin Connector Plug Male With 150mm Cable & Female https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DUC1PW6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_wkMDzbY8XK2KT

HKBAYI® 10Pair / 10sets 3 pin JST SM Male Female plug LED Connector Cable For WS2812B WS2812 WS2811 LED Strip Lamp with 15cm Long Wire https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NBSF724/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_7kMDzb3MHSA56

20 Sets Mini Micro Sh 1.0 Jst 3-Pin Connector Plug Male With 100Mm Cable & Female https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DUC1KEO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_BlMDzbRQWQ2J3

Sounds like you want LED strip connectors like this: https://www.amazon.com/iCreating-Connector-Pigtail-Flexible-Solderless/dp/B06XJJMKKH/ref=sr_1_8?keywords=led+strip+connector&qid=1573463388&sr=8-8

First, the LED strip will have designated cut-lines - see https://imgur.com/WL9s39I. For a simple two-wire strip, there will be two copper connectors (labeled + or -) on each side of the cut line. To daisy chain, you simply need to cut strips along the cut-line and connect + to + and - to - of these strips with the 18AWG Low Voltage LED Cable 2 Conductor. The wire will be run in the wall between the upper cabinets on either side of the sink.

Another option is to run 18AWG wire directly from the 12-volt transformer to each strip. This would not involve daisy chaining.

There are a couple of ways to handle connecting the 18AWG wire to the copper connectors on the light strips. My preference is to solder a short length of 18AWG to the strip and then cover with heat-shrink tubing. Another option is to use solderless snap-down connectors like these or these, but you'll need to make sure they fit your strip.

Ah you're right, my apologies. Yes the plan is to buy THIS led kit and THESE connecting wires and solder a connector onto the pcb which will connect to one strip of about the same number (7) leds, and then an extension wire over to the back side for an additional strip of 7 leds. Basically the plan is to add an additional 14 leds to it.

Would this work with the FLS-PP ballast or do I need some sort of connector?

Another option that I've been doing a lot lately is using JST SM connectors, as such: https://smile.amazon.com/MagicW-Connector-Female-Cable-Light/dp/B01G9RWRDA/

They lock together, and come in 2, 3, and 4 pin. You've still got to solder them onto the wires but once installed, they are pretty quick to snap together. Not sure if you're using your LED strips more than once, but these make it pretty convenient.

Also, generally the wires are pre stripped to the right length so you can just cut the strips where needed, then solder straight to them. Flux is helpful and should make it quicker.

The fan connects directly to the GPU on the inside of the housing. It appears to use a So the internal connector for the fan appear to be JST connectors:

Blurry Pics I will need to take it apart again for better ones

• 4 pin for the fan Amazon???
  
  
• 2 pin this is from the 4 pin connector Amazon or This for the pump. The polarity appears to switch and the pump does not work if plugged directly into the board. (Don't think it is supposed to be but it fit) Not sure if this is because there is no RPM reading or the polarity is switched but the pump doesn't run.
  
  

I have had success with [these] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01EIDDQCS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 strips). I have 2 in between 3 Lifx z strips. But like everyone is saying, be very careful. Both because they don't fit exactly and you void your warranty once you intro non Lifx made products into the mix. When connecting, don't be too forceful.it's all about technique. also, make sure these strips are all continuously oriented across the entire loop. there's an "up", and a "down" orientation to these strips. i marked mine to help with consistency. once all put together, these will work beautifully.

I bought some of these based on another post (sorry I forget the poster).
https://www.amazon.com/TronicsPros-Extension-Connector-Flexible-Adapter/dp/B01EIDDQCS/ref=sr_1_20?ie=UTF8&qid=1520053634&sr=8-20&keywords=Litaelek+2

They have been great. I’ve only used the 1m but they still work if setup with multiple extensions connected together.

Basically you just connect them to a 12V power supply and a controller. You can cut the strips to whatever lengths you need and wire them in series. This guide has a lot more information. The ones that I used are the brighter 5050 RGB LEDs.


If you don't want to mess with ordering the parts separately you can find kits like this one. Also, if you want to cut strips and not have to mess with soldering them together you can get straight connectors like these or connectors like these for any right angles that you need to make.

https://amzn.com/B016IG41PE

If you can desolder the strip connectors, these should work. Otherwise, if you don't want to desolder, you can measure the pitch and get your own right angle headers from DigiKey

This is definitely a doable project. The hardest part of the things you mentioned is probably truly waterproofing the whole thing, but if you're not planning on dunking it in water, using it in the rain, or leaving it in a puddle it should be fine just generally covering things up.

1. You'll want what are called addressable leds, probably using the WS2812b chip, like the ones here. You could alternatively make your own matrix using strip lights like the ones here which have the option to be waterproof, though it would be a lot more involved and you'd have to make a lot of cuts which would have to be waterproofed anyway.I'm not too familiar with SMS functionality, but there is a chip called the ESP32 which you can program in the arduino IDE and has bluetooth built in. There are also external modules you could use which would probably help with the SMS functionality, and then can communicate to the main microcontroller.For cables, standard addressable led connectors look like this and you usually get a few extra when you buy strips/matrices, but having more isn't bad and they are pretty cheap. Depending on where you place you electronics, you might need up to a 2m or so run of cable. If you are running the led signals this long, make sure to use higher gauge wire as there is less voltage drop for both the power and signal lines.Depending on your microcontroller, you might need to do something called level shifting/level converting, which is where you take a signal at say, 3.3v and boost it to 5v. If this is the case you'll need a level shifter. A pretty standard choice is the 74AHCT125. Unless you have a compelling reason, I would choose that one since other level converters can have issues with driving LEDs. You can also get it much cheaper on places like digikey/mouser.
   
2. In terms of guides, the video the other commentor linked below is a good start and sparkfun has a good addressable LED guide. In general, looking up "Addressable led tutorial" or something like that will get a lot of results. I'm not sure how much microcontroller experience or similar you have, but tutorials for that should be even more numerous. Start small, for example just flashing a color on and off or something, and work from there.
   
3. Definitely feasible. Depending on how long you plan to use it for, your batteries may not even need to be that big. At max brightness (full white), a WS2812b led will use approximately 60mA at 5v. Keep in mind full brightness is BRIGHT. Like hard to look at bright. Depending on the ambient lighting, you could get away with half brightness or even less. Further, if you only use one color of RGB, we can say you use 10mA per led. Further, with scrolling text you won't have all of them lit at once, reducing power consumption even more. With all this in mind, lets say you want to drive 250 leds for 4 hours. Assuming they are all on (which they likely won't) and in one color at half brightness, it would use 10mA*250*4hour = 10,000mAh. Cell phones usually charge at 5v, and if you wanted to reduce cost, you could just use a 10,000mAh battery pack which aren't even that big/rare. This would also allow for quick swap, just unplug the usb cable and swap to a new battery pack. Other than that you could use 26650 cells or some other type of battery pack, though you'd likely need some sort of battery management system for that work efficiently.
   
   ​
   
   Let me know if you have any other questions! I'm not sure how familiar you are with electronics so if anything is unclear let me know.

https://www.amazon.com/Alightings-Strip-Connector-Non-waterproof-Lights/dp/B01CNYZ0NW/ref=pd_sbs_60_5?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B01CNYZ0NW&pd_rd_r=b31328c1-c0b9-11e8-9e5c-f1354e1a6fb7&pd_rd_w=vINhu&pd_rd_wg=oV39C&pf_rd_i=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=53dead45-2b3d-4b73-bafb-fe26a7f14aac&pf_rd_r=BTBQPKCCZTTN0GM9FY3A&pf_rd_s=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=BTBQPKCCZTTN0GM9FY3A

These have both ends. Each end is a mirror image of the other.
Since it's hard to tell which ends you will need where, I would start with some of these and cut in half and use as needed.