How to install LED strip yourself

The use of LED strip as a means of lighting has several advantages. First of all, it's saving electricity, convenient installation, lack of high voltage and other advantages. This type of lighting has appeared relatively recently and has become very widely used for various purposes.

LED strip is a flexible plastic strip on which LEDs are soldered and connected to an electrical circuit. Thus, they are already ready for operation and for this you only need to connect the power supply to it.

The main application of the device is the decoration with the light of any place or spot lighting. Due to its brightness and color, it is used in car tuning, in interiors of restaurants and cafes, in home individual design.

However, with all the ease of operation and installation, there are specialties when using this kind of lighting. Before installing the LED strip, you need to select it correctly and determine the power of the power supply. You also need to know how to properly cut off the desired length and connect the power wires. The lines of this article will tell about all this.

LED strip selection by glow

Before you make an LED ribbon, you need to decide what color the glow needs. There is just white light and colorful. A ribbon with different colors is labeled as RGB (R - red, G - green, B - blue). In the case of a conventional one-color design, there are only two contacts, and in the color one there are four. It is worth noting that a multi-colored ribbon can have different modes of luminescence, and a single-color tape - only one.

Selecting the type of LED strip will also affect the characteristics of the power supply. It must provide the necessary power and polarity of supply. In addition, the power supply unit should have a power reserve of 20% in the higher side.

Also, it is worth considering that before you connect an RGB LED strip, you need to plan where the controller will be for it. Since it is often controlled by the remote control, access to it must be within line of sight.

Calculation of LED tape and power supply unit

The density of LEDs per meter of tape can be different. Basically it is within 30, 60 and 120 pieces. Also there is a double wide ribbon for 240 diodes. On this depends the technique of how to calculate the LED ribbon for its correct operation.

For SMD 3528 diodes, the power consumption is:

• 60 diodes per meter consume 4.8 watts.
• 120 diodes per meter consume 7.2 watts.
• 240 diodes per meter consume 16 watts.

For SMD 5050 diodes, the power consumption is:

• 30 diodes per meter consume 7.2 watts.
• 60 diodes per meter consume 14 watts.
• 240 diodes per meter consume 25 watts.

For all cases, if the length of the tape is more than one meter, it is necessary to sum up the entire load and select the appropriate power supply. For example, if on a ribbon diodes of mark SMD 5050 at a density of 60 pieces per meter, and the length of the tape is 5 meters, then the power supply should be at least 70 watts.

Power Supply Selection

To qualitatively make an LED tape with your own hands, you must choose the right power source for it . Once the power consumption is determined, you need to determine the type of power supply. This procedure depends on the location of the backlight. If the tape will work in harsh outdoor conditions, then it is worth paying attention to hermetically sealed plastic or metal versions. They are completely protected from harmful influences and have compact dimensions. But for these advantages you will have to pay a little more expensive.

If the installation site is located in the room and there is enough space for installation, it is advisable to select an open power supply. It, in comparison with the previous versions, larger in size, but its cost is much lower.

Also there are portable power supplies that look like charging for phones. They are designed to work in portable devices that do not exceed the power consumption of 60 watts.

Defined with protective properties

To protect against external influences, the LED strip can be covered from above with a protective layer of silicone or clear plastic. This applies to those options when an external installation is needed. If everything will be mounted indoors, then you can use tapes without protection.

The silicone tape is suitable for use in corridors, large rooms or other places where both mechanical influences and the likelihood of liquids are possible. For outdoor use, full protection is required. This tape is a round elastic rod. It has full protection against all impacts, including temperature. Therefore, special fixings may be required before installing the LED strip of this type.

How to connect two tapes to each other

In order for the diodes to work properly, you need to know how to connect the LED strip correctly. For this purpose, two options are possible. The first and simplest way, when you need to purchase special connectors, you can make a connection in a matter of seconds. The drawback of this method is the possibility of contact oxidation and, as a result, loss of power.

Another way is more reliable, but it requires some skills in handling the soldering iron. The two ends of the tape are soldered with special solder. In this case, the connection is very reliable. After this procedure, it is desirable to close the contacts with shrink tape or special glue. In both versions, in order to know how to properly connect the LED strip, you do not need to confuse the polarity of the conductors. They are connected by the principle of "+" to "+" and "-" to "-". It is worth noting that a multi-colored ribbon can not be combined with a single-colored tape. It is allowed to summarize only one type of tape.

Connecting the tape by soldering

Before you solder the LED strip to the power cord or connect the two pieces together, you need to purchase the necessary tools and supplies. We need:

• Soldering iron of low power.
• Solder based on tin.
• Flux.
• Connecting wires.
• A sharp knife for stripping insulation.

First of all, we clean the contacts on the tape. If there is a silicone protection, then carefully remove it with a knife. Also we clean the wires for soldering. The length of the bare conductor should be about one centimeter. Then take the heated soldering iron and lower it into the flux, and then quickly into the solder. After making sure that part of the solder is stuck to the tip, we apply a cleaned conductor to it. After this operation, some of the solder should go to the conductor. The next step is to solder the prepared conductor to the appropriate contacts on the tape. For this purpose, a conductor is applied in the right place, and a little flux is superimposed on top of it. After that, you need to touch the assembly with a soldering iron tip for one second. The result should be soldering the conductor.

Band connection using connectors

Before connecting the LED strip to the power supply or other tape using connectors, you must select them correctly and attach them with high quality. In the case of joining two segments, you need a pair of connectors, which you first need to weld together. For soldering, you can use the manual described above.

After the two connectors are ready, insert the peeled edge of the tape into its special slot with the lock buttons open. After that, press these buttons and fix the tape contacts. In case of power connection, everything will happen also, but with one connector.

In both cases, care must be taken to ensure that the polarity of the connection is correct. If you confuse something, the tape will not burn. But do not be very upset at this outcome, it will not burn out.

How to cut off the desired length of the tape

Before you attach the LED strip, you need to make a cut of the required length. To simplify this operation, the strip with LEDs has a clear layout of the places for possible cutting. Often, these places are placed every four light elements, but there may be a different cutting frequency. Therefore, we find a suitable place and with a sharp knife or scissors we make an even cut. It should turn out that at both ends there will be two contacts, to which you can connect the power.

If the tape has a special protection in the form of silicone or plastic, then before cutting, you need to clean a small gap. A knife can be used for this purpose. It is necessary to act very carefully so as not to damage the contacts.

Preparing for installation

Before you attach the LED strip to the selected location, the entire system must be checked for operability. For this purpose, the whole electrical circuit is assembled on the table and checked. If there are no comments in the work, then you can go to the installation site. To do this, you need to make sure that the tape is not affected by negative factors in the form of liquids and mechanical influences. It is necessary to design a place for laying the tape so that the radius of the bend is not less than 20 millimeters. Otherwise, a strong bend can damage the tape.

Sometimes the LED tape has an adhesive strip for installation. It allows you to attach it to any hard surface. But before doing this, you need to clean this surface and degrease with gasoline or acetone. In the absence of funds for installation, you can use double-sided tape or other means.

Features of RGB-tape connection

Before connecting this type of LED strip to the power supply, you need to check its operation with a special controller that regulates the voltage. It supplies power to the LEDs that should be lit. When connecting, you need to map all four contacts. On the controller and power supply, all the terminals are signed, and this operation is not difficult. If everything turned out, and the tape works in all color modes, then you can proceed to install it on the workstation.

To connect power supply, special plugs and sockets can also be used. They greatly simplify all work and allow to ensure a reliable connection. For this purpose, a socket with the required number of contacts is soldered to the tape, and the corresponding plug is connected to the power wire.

Car installation

Before installing the LED ribbon in the car, care should be taken to ensure that no harmful factors act on it. This can be physical exertion, kinks and increased vibration. For this, it is usually installed in specially prepared places. For example, it can be a special corner made of plastic or metal, which is attached to the body.

In addition to the right place to install, you need to use a stabilized voltage to power the backlight. For this purpose, a special electronic stabilizer is connected to the circuit. It will allow to equalize the voltage to 12 volts when it is lowered and increased in the on-board network. This device can be purchased at any auto parts store. It is always accompanied by an instruction on the connection, and if it is not, the seller should explain everything.

During the direct installation and when connecting the power cable, it is necessary to remove the terminals from the battery. This action will avoid short circuits and other unpleasant situations.

General recommendations

This article provided basic tips on how to install the LED ribbon and connect it correctly. Compliance with these rules will help avoid in the process, as well as in the future, unpleasant situations in operation.

If you decide to make a spectacular highlight in a car or beautifully decorate certain places in the house, then for this purpose it is better to choose a ribbon with a multi-colored glow. This will allow you to flexibly manage the external design.

For lighting, which should be exceptionally practical, white light is more suitable. It does not impose additional shades on surrounding objects and will be more natural.

Finally

LED strip is one of the long-lasting light sources. It is preferable in cases where low-voltage power is needed. When it is connected, there is no risk of electric shock, since it is too small for this. Therefore, such a lighting without fear can be used in damp areas and basements.