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Topic: Led light strips for dummies (Read 1432 times) previous topic - next topic

Led light strips for dummies

Starting to do the LED tape light thing and those very tiny copper dots and the very thin copper foil on the tape has me concerned. Solder hints as I have never attempted such a seemingly delicate connection. Or don't even try it and buy connectors.
Old Phart Phred, EIEIO
89 GV ored 36' #3405 300 hp cat 3208 ATAAC side radiator, mountain tamer exhaust brake

Re: Led light strips for dummies

Reply #1 –
I have found the most connectors suck (to keep the description from being censored).
I bought the pencil tip soldering iron from Harbor Freight and the smallest diameter solder elsewhere.
Patience works best when soldering, Grasshopper. :))
After SUCCESSFUL soldering (test with power) put some SHOE GOO on the connection to help increase its strength and minimize flex.
Nitehawk,  Demolition Lady, & our NEW master, Zippy the speeding BB cat.
1989 Grand Villa 36' ORED
Oshkosh chassis, 8.2 DD V8
2006 Saturn Vue AWD

Re: Led light strips for dummies

Reply #2 –

Get a small soldering iron and some very fime rosin core solder.  Use small wire to make the connections, 20 ga is good. Heat up each dot on the tape and melt a dot of solder on each one.  Strip off 1/8" or so of insulation on each wire.  Heat up the end of the wire and melt some solder on it, this is called tinning the wire.

This is a good paired wire, wasy to work with.

EvZ 20m 66ft 20awg Extension Cable Wire Cord for Led Strips Single Colour...

They make the same thing in a 22 ga wire which will work fine for short connections.

Put the strip on a piece of wood or something that can get hot and tossed, not your countertop.  Put something on the strip to hold it in place.  Put the tinned end of the wire on the correct soldered dot and press it down with the tip of the slodering iron until the solder on both parts melts.  Remove the soldering iron and let it cool for 10-15 seconds before moving it.  Do the other one.  Pay attention to + and -.

I like to put a piece of 3/8" heat shrink tube over the soldered connections and onto the wire.  1/2" is plenty.  Slip the tube onto the wire before soldering.

This is much more secure and durable than the connectors.  They work OK in a fixed location like inside a cabinet in your house but coaches move and vibrate.  With a bit of practice this is very quick.

If you are using several strips - in a repurposed flourescent fixture for example - wire the strips in parallel, each one has its own set of wires and then connect them together at the incoming power.  This will get you more uniform volatge across all strips.

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Roger Engdahl and Susan Green
2001 U320 3610 #5879 (Home2) - 2014 Jeep Cherokee or 2018 F150
Hastings, MN

Re: Led light strips for dummies

Reply #3 –
thanks for the tips.  Going to have to get out the optivisor 2X! and some fine solder from who knows where since radio shack closed up. Cause If the big box stores don't have it you don't need it
Old Phart Phred, EIEIO
89 GV ored 36' #3405 300 hp cat 3208 ATAAC side radiator, mountain tamer exhaust brake

Re: Led light strips for dummies

Reply #4 –
I have a left over 1 lb roll of 0.3 mm solder from strain gage days in the 70's. I will never run out.



In this fixture the wall switch turns on power to the fixture and to the two outside strips and the the added switch.  The switch turns on the center three strips for a two light level result.

I stuck the strips on a thin aluminum sheet with 3/8" double sided glaziers tape, tested everything and then stuck the sheet into place with the same tape.  I put a dab of silicone under the wire connection points. All of this is much easier to do on a work bench than upside down in the coach.
Roger Engdahl and Susan Green
2001 U320 3610 #5879 (Home2) - 2014 Jeep Cherokee or 2018 F150
Hastings, MN

Re: Led light strips for dummies

Reply #5 –
Quote from: Roger & Susan in Home2 –
I have a left over 1 lb roll of 0.3 mm solder from strain gage days in the 70's. I will never run out.

Light strips
Roger I am assuming that you have experience with the light strips!!  can you recommend some that won't come un glued and that give off equal or better light than the fluorescent 
Thanks
Chris
1999 U 320 DGFE
Build Number 5523
Chris & Elka Lang
In the field, Lonoke AR

Re: Led light strips for dummies

Reply #6 –
Quote from: Roger & Susan in Home2 –
Get a small soldering iron and some very fime rosin core solder.  Use small wire to make the connections, 20 ga is good. Heat up each dot on the tape and melt a dot of solder on each one.  Strip off 1/8" or so of insulation on each wire.  Heat up the end of the wire and melt some solder on it, this is called tinning the wire.
Exactly Roger! Unless you are taking a bit of the cover off the waterproof variety, I like to take a pin or push pin and scratch up the tiny copper dot on the strips before trying to get the solder to stick. Once you have it down, you can make solder flow onto the copper in less than a second. Three seconds is max before risking LED damage. After both the wire and strip have been tinned, you can make the connection in about a second. Strong glasses help.

Nice really clean work Roger!

Sometimes the end of the strip starts to come unglued off the fixture so I use a little super glue on an inch or two at the ends.

Pierce
Pierce and Gaylie Stewart
'93 U300/36 WTBI
Detroit 6V-92TA Jake
1140 watts on the roof
SBFD (ret)

Re: Led light strips for dummies

Reply #7 –
The single best help to getting this done once and not having to redo it is the double sided glaziers tape.  Very tough, very sticky.  I did most of my first pass at this with the tape on the strips and pinch on connectors and a poor choice in LED strips.  After some experimenting this is a pretty fool proof method.  I use the glaziers tape on the single strip aluminum channels as well.  It takes so little extra time and $ to do it as well as it can be done.

These strips are huge compared to the strain gages we used.
Roger Engdahl and Susan Green
2001 U320 3610 #5879 (Home2) - 2014 Jeep Cherokee or 2018 F150
Hastings, MN

Re: Led light strips for dummies

Reply #8 –
One other addition to Roger and Pierce's excellent guidance.  On each individual section of strip LEDs, there are numerous (+) and (-) copper dots.  You don't necessarily have to attach both power leads to one end of the strip.  You can actually use any of the available dots to connect your wires.  You can connect the positive lead to one end, and the negative lead to the other end.  On some of my lights, it was more convenient to attach the power leads in the middle of the strip, so that's what I did.  8)
1993 U280 SE 40' WTBI, Build: 4359
C8.3 300hp, 6-Speed, Exhaust Brake
960 watts on the roof (6 x 160)
Sorento (or BOLT) on a Kar Kaddy SS
"Nature abhors a vacuum"

Re: Led light strips for dummies

Reply #9 –
Lots of good suggestions here.  I like to drill a tiny hole in the copper dots and maybe all the way through what the strip is mounted on if it is not conductive like metal.  Then the wire can be inserted from the front or back for soldering similar to a circuit board.  Actually the led strip is a long printed circuit board, but hard to see that.  You will have less future trouble with soldering than connectors.
Jerry Whiteaker former owner 96 U270  36' #4831 Austin,TX-Owner Mods LCD TV w/front cabinet rebuild - LCD TV bedroom - Dual Central AC, either can cool coach w 30 amp - Skylights at roof AC openings - Drop ceiling for ducting of AC - Shower skylight white gelcoat/wood/epoxy frame - Air Springs/Shocks replaced - 2014 CRV - 8K Home Solar - Chevy Volt

Re: Led light strips for dummies

Reply #10 –
I used connectors and a bit of solder on each connector pin. No solder, no go for me. As others have said, little tip and small wire and don't stay on it too long. Working well for year now.
1998 36 foot U270 Build No. 5328 WTFE, 900 watts solar, Victron controller, B2B, bat monitor, 600 AMPH lithium with 2018 Chevy Colorado toad, SKP #110239, Motorcade #17781, 2021 Escape 17B for when Coach is broken down and campsites are too small, retired and full-timer since Dec. 2020. Part of RV family since 1963.

Re: Led light strips for dummies

Reply #11 –
I kind of like the idea of drilling a tiny hole from the front to the back and inserting the wire from the back where it can be secured from strain. The only wire i could find was 18 or 24 gauge and I bought the 24 stranded. Once wire is tined any suggestions on what size hole?  I have wire gauge drill bits size 60 thru 80 and a pin vise.
Old Phart Phred, EIEIO
89 GV ored 36' #3405 300 hp cat 3208 ATAAC side radiator, mountain tamer exhaust brake

Re: Led light strips for dummies

Reply #12 –

20 ga paired wire.
EvZ 20m 66ft 20awg Extension Cable Wire Cord for Led Strips Single Colour...

22 ga paired wire
65.6ft Extension Cable Wire Cord JACKYLED 20M 22awg Cable for Led Strips...

The hole idea is good.  Try just soldering the wires on with some heat shrink tube.  See how it works. There really shouldn't be much stress on the joint. I have never had one come apart.

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Roger Engdahl and Susan Green
2001 U320 3610 #5879 (Home2) - 2014 Jeep Cherokee or 2018 F150
Hastings, MN

Re: Led light strips for dummies

Reply #13 –
Soldering LED Strip Lighting

Some pictures might help.

LED strips have a marked place to cut the strip and attach wires every three elements or so. Cut across or between the copper dots.


The dots are clearly marked + and -.  If you hook them up wrong they will not work. 


Start with a good soldering iron.  This is one for soldering tiny strain gages.


Peel back a bit of the backing and stick the strip to a piece of wood.  This is 0.3 mm solder.


Heat up and apply just a bit of solder to each dot.


Just a dot.


Strip off 1/8" or so from your wires.  It can be longer, trim them later.


Heat up each wire end and melt a bit of solder to coat the wire.


Hold the ends of the wires to the correct + or - dot, apply heat with the soldering iron until the solder in the wire and the dot melt, just a second or two.  Remove the soldering iron and hold for a couple seconds to let it cool off.


Perfect.


This is a good time to test the strip.  I have a 12v dc wall plug in power supply.  They are very useful for testing, maybe $7 bucks.

Slide the 3/8" dia x 3/8" long heat shrink tubing. The kind with the adhesive inside is great for this. The cover strip from the adhesive backing should not be under the tube.


Heat it up and shrink it to snug it up. Don't deform the strip.  You can see the adhesive at both ends to the tube.  This makes a very secure attachment.


Hook up the power again and test it once more.  It is a good idea to test the strip at each step of the way.  It prevents rework.


And then assume the adhesive backing will not work well or last long.  Get some 3/8" x 1/16" double stick glaziers tape.


Peel off the backing strip from the LED strips and apply the glaziers tape.


Once and done.  Sticks to anything.


A bit of practice and you will be an expert.  I hope this helps you give it a try.

Roger
Roger Engdahl and Susan Green
2001 U320 3610 #5879 (Home2) - 2014 Jeep Cherokee or 2018 F150
Hastings, MN

Re: Led light strips for dummies

Reply #15 –
Quote from: TulsaTrent –
I see that you did not deform the strip. What is the secret?
 
Thanks,
 
Trent

Use a 3/8" HS tube.  Just enough heat. Hot but not shrunk too much just pinch it and let the adhesive do the rest.

Lots of trial and error leading up to this point.  Practice improves towards better. 
Roger Engdahl and Susan Green
2001 U320 3610 #5879 (Home2) - 2014 Jeep Cherokee or 2018 F150
Hastings, MN

Re: Led light strips for dummies

Reply #17 –
Try the clip on connectors if you want.  I used the clip on connectors at first.  Every one has been replaced with a soldered connection. Takes more time do do it over than it does to solder it the first time.  Every reel of LED strips you buy from a good source comes with connections soldered at both ends.  Ever wonder why?

Durability, reliability not cost. 

I have been using LED strip lighting for more than 15 years (when it was very expensive) and soldered connections never get a call back.  Six years of LEDs in my coach and soldering is a reliable solution for me.

Good luck with the clip on connections.
Roger Engdahl and Susan Green
2001 U320 3610 #5879 (Home2) - 2014 Jeep Cherokee or 2018 F150
Hastings, MN
 

Re: Led light strips for dummies

Reply #18 –
Cost
"When I die, I want to die like my grandfather who died peacefully in his sleep. Not screaming like all the passengers in his car."