A DIY Wi-Fi-controlled 5 V switcher for USB LED fairy lights, built around an ESP-12F module running Tasmota firmware. Powered by a battery bank, it lets you toggle garden lights remotely from your phone — no 230 V wiring outdoors and no freezing walks to the power outlet.
The lights
"USB Fairy Lights" or "USB String Lights" — 10 m / 100 LEDs, available from China for under ~$3. They are 5 V USB-powered and weather-proof (except the USB connector).
The 100-LED circuit with 5.1 Ohm series resistor — consumes ~1.8 W at 5 V.
Close-up of a single LED — brightness difference between first and last LED is barely noticeable from a distance.
The ESP-12F 5 V switcher
An ESP-12F module with a MOSFET switches the USB 5 V supply to the LED string. Running Tasmota firmware, it connects to your Wi-Fi network and can be controlled from a phone or any MQTT/HTTP client.
Complete setup — battery bank, ESP-12F switcher, and LED fairy lights.
With Tasmota's default configuration (no deep sleep), the battery bank needs recharging every few days. A larger battery and ESP8266 deep sleep could extend runtime to weeks.
Assembly
Before starting, ensure the ESP-12F module is pre-programmed with Tasmota (or any OTA-capable firmware). See ESP-12F programming guide for first-time flashing.
Items needed:
Step 1:
Step 2:
Step 3:
Step 4:
Step 5:
Step 6:
Step 7:
Step 8:
Step 9:
Final assembly:
Completed setup — ESP-12F switcher between battery bank and LED fairy lights.
3 comments:
Hi, I really like your project and will try it out myself.
And I have one question:
is there a specific reason why you use two diodes instead of a 3.3v regulator?
I don't have diodes lying around but loads of those regulators ^^.
Jan Ryklikas: 3.3v regulator is even better, i just used 2 diodes to bring down the 5v to 3.6v
Pretty compact. I have used an esp8266-01 for something similar but hardly as compact
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