I used wire strippers to cut my wire to the desired length and then strip off a small amount of insulation from each end. With the Kasa light strip, you can light up walkways, TV setups, bookshelves, bedrooms and so much more. When soldering LED strip lights, the first step is to remove the clear coating on top of the copper pads. All-in-all, I was very happy with how my kit looks and performs, especially at its very affordable price. By connecting the next section of LED lights to the wire, you’re creating the custom fit to suit your application. If you have any questions or want to share any notes from your own project, please feel free to leave a comment. Simply peel off the paper backing and stick them wherever you want them to go. Once I had pushed down and cut the coating, I pressed the knife blade towards the cut end of the strip. Of course, the first thing I did was put batteries in it and play around a bit. LED flex strips have become the standard for adding indirect, accent lighting around your home. To test the connection, I got out my multi-meter. on How To Extend LED Strip Lights By Cutting And Soldering, 11 RSLogix 5000 Tips To Make You A Faster PLC Programmer, an inexpensive LED light strip off Amazon, Aimengte 3 meter battery-powered LED strip light with motion sensor. Then, I touch one multi-meter lead to the opposite end of the wire that I just soldered on, and the other multi-meter lead to the copper pad that I haven’t yet soldered. When doing so, I made sure that I left just a bit of slack in the controller’s output cable. Each end of the LED fixture has a three-pronged recessed connector. Instead of a dreary medieval dungeon, our room is now brightly lit and cheery. After each solder joint, I like to test the connection electrically. With the constant improvement in LED strip lighting, linear lighting applications continue to increase in popularity. The strip is 6.5 feet long but can be extended using Sengled's Smart LED Multicolor Light Strip Extensions or trimmed for a smaller space. You can always wrap up any extra and tuck it out of sight. Of course, you’ll need whatever wire you’ll be using to extend your LED light strip. All you have to do is attach the chains and power cord or linking cord and they’re ready to hang. Strips are available in 12-and 24-volt versions. Go ahead and gather your materials for soldering. There are actually marks designed in LED strips that direct you where to cut them. I connected the cable to my controller and opened and closed the door a few times. However, you cannot cut them just anyhow as you might damage them by accident. Probably around 3/16″, maybe 1/4″. If everything looks good, make sure to protect the new connections as you did with the first section. Assemble LED Shop Lights. 2. Peel the top layer off to expose the ends. Follow along with me below and I’ll show you how to extend LED strip lights by cutting the strip and soldering in some wire. Cut into the … You also want to create a bit of “strain relief”. I wanted to extend the light strip in the center so that I would have enough lighting on each side of the door frame to illuminate all of the shelves within my closet. The Commercial Electric LED shop lights come almost completely assembled. Using the third hand tool, I positioned the stripped end of the wire on top of the LED strip’s exposed copper pad. By working on the “far” wire first, it wouldn’t be in my way when I go to work on the second wire. Now, it’s time to make the electrical connections. SkylerH Automation Blog is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Browse our complete selection of LED light strips and accessories and … To extend the lightstrip you would then simply cut over the joint and use the official Philips Hue light strip extension lead. A good solder job will allow you to form a robust electrical connection between the strip and your wire. Hopefully you can just melt the solder and try to get a better joint. I decided at this point to extend the light strip to get the light where I wanted it. With the strip’s controller on one side of the closet, I ran the light strip up the door frame. LED Under-Cabinet Lighting Fixtures Provide Long-Lasting, Dimmable Illumination. I also like to use a 3rd hand tool. If there are 60 LEDs per meter, it means that maximum power consumption of complete tape is 5*60*0,24=72W. Make sure your joint is strong, both mechanically and electrically. Eve Light Strip epitomizes convenience and class with the most sophisticated HomeKit-enabled LED strip. Once you have the light strip completely adhered, it’s time to test it out! Experience the most flexible light source anywhere. With one wire wrapped, get some more electrical tape and wrap up both wires. If I messed up on the joint, I want to fix it now while everything is in position. I started peeling off the backing paper so I could permanently adhere the light strip to the inside of my door frame. With the LED light strip on, test for good DC voltage between the two wires on the opposite end of your wire extension. When you’re estimating how much wire you need, err on the side of cutting too much wire. Have you done a similar modification to your own LED light strip? How To Power And Connect Your NFLS-X3 LED Light Strip, How to Make a DIY Christmas Wreath With LED Strip Lights, How to Create Your Own LED Light Fixture: Aluminum Channels, Four Ways to Brighten up Your Thanksgiving. They also run off 12v which makes them easy to install i… Since the LED strip can only be cut every third LED, you may have to go slightly over or under your desired specification. Now it’s time to finish extending your LED strip lights by performing the same work on the other side of the wire. Then, I stripped about 3/8″ of insulation or so, but that was mainly out of habit. In this tutorial we will teach you how to connect two of your led light strips. Select if you are going to use single color or color changing LED strips Lights 3. I wanted to connect the wire with the red stripe to the “+” terminal. That way, you’ll see what you’ll have to do to end up with a job that looks the way you want it to look. The voltage you choose will depend on where you’ll install your strips. Wrapping one wire with electrical tape will help to ensure that it cannot short with the other wire. Every home has a lot of furniture. In reality, you only need to strip a slightly larger length of wire than the width of your copper pad. Chances are, an extra inch or half inch won’t make a tremendous difference in the final appearance of your lighting. Furniture can always use some light décor. Think about these marks as safety points. If I have good voltage, then I’m good. I picked up a battery-powered kit with an integrated motion sensor (click here for my review of the product itself). Now it’s time to bring your device back to its intended area and see how you did on the wire length. You will most likely see a solid line in the middle of the copper pads at which you will make new electrical connections. - Easily configure any LED strip Light to your own requirements. You may have your LED strip light sent to you in a reel (16 feet) or by the foot, depending on the quantity ordered. With the app you can adjust the lighting to any color on the color wheel and any brightness under the sun. From there, I brought the strip, around the top of the door, and then down the other side. You can always hang it up with some Scotch tape and move it around if you don’t like where you’ve placed it. Lifespan of LED strip lights depends on many factors, which influenced how long do LED strip lights last. For example, most vehicles will require a 12-volt LED strip light. With the backing paper pulled aside, I gently pulled the LED light strip straight and then pressed down with my other hand to adhere the adhesive. You just need to kno… I should see approximately the same DC voltage reading on the multi-meter as when I measured the two pads directly. I hope this guide was helpful for you. Also make sure that you do not add so much solder that it electrically connects one copper pad to the other. One of the most important things to consider when installing LED Strip lights is the effect of what is called “Voltage Drop”. The strip I was working with permitted a cut after every single LED section. I was pretty excited when the package arrived with my LED light strip and controller. At InStyle LED, we supply a range of LED strip lights – including a choice of sizes, different levels of brightness, and even waterproofing (IP67 rated). I took my modified light strip to my new linen closet and temped it back in place with Scotch tape. If you’d be interested in seeing more content like this, enter your email below so I can let you know whenever I make a new post: Thanks again for reading, and best of luck in your own LED lighting projects! After using the 3M adhesive tape to mount the controller, I positioned the start of the LED light strip on the inside of the door frame. Earlier, I made sure to use the red striped wire on the positive terminal. This strip light has brought our living room out of the dark ages into the future. This made it very easy to solder the wire to the small copper pads I’d just exposed on the cut ends of the LED light strips. With the first wire in place on the copper pad, add solder to the copper pad. Lower cost LED strip options will use skip this step, keeping the copper color exposed. Depending on the situation, I’m not really sure how you would solder without one. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Once you’ve made the second joint, check both electrical connections. By connecting the next section of LED lights to the wire, you’re creating the custom fit to suit your application. So, to add additional 4 meters I need to buy several things. In this example we use a 90° connector but we have many other varieties available for purchase. Govee Smart WiFi LED Strip Lights are available through Amazon, and are priced at around $30 (AED 110, £24.46, AUD$44.52) for a 16.4ft (5m) strip of lights. LED strips are relatively cheap, the RGB strips can make any color, and they're small and easy to hide. LED Strip Surface - High quality LED strips will usually include an extra coating of white paint to help increase the reflectivitiy of the light and increase overall light output. Led Strip Light Connectors Kit, Right Corner Angle Solderless Gapless Adapter, 4 Pin Conductor Light Strip Splice for TV, 10mm Tape Light Connector DIY Accessories for SMD 5050 RGB Multicolor Strip. 99. Voltage. If you’ve damaged the copper pad beyond use, you can always cut back one more section and try again. Voltage should be present at the + and – copper pads at the cut end of my terminal strip. For a “sanity check”, I first measure DC voltage at the copper pads to make sure my multi-meter is working. Get it as soon as Thu, Jan 7. I temped the kit in around the inside of the door frame in my new linen closet. The control unit also mounts this way and is short enough to hide behind the lower lip of the cabinet. Cove Lighting. Plus, I wouldn’t have to run new wire through my walls. Now that you’ve soldered both wires to the copper pads and tested your work, you need to protect the new connections. After the motion sensor stops seeing motion, it turns the light off after a short interval. The strips can be cut with normal household scissors. Use the included tool to gently lift the metal prongs in the cut-end connector just enough so that you can easily slide the tool underneath the prongs. Try to get it right on the first shot by giving it a dry run. Once I had the extended LED strip light in place and was satisfied with how it was positioned, I began by mounting the battery-powered light controlled to the front of the shelf. 5 ways to use indoor LED strips Indoor strip lights can be used to accentuate certain indoor features, create lighted pathways, or set the mood with subtle lighting effects. When soldering LED lights, you want to make sure that you have a solid joint that will hold up over time. - Easily ineterconnect any LED strip lights to make corners and bends in a snap. Click and connect Extend any indoor Lightstrip Plus with additional 1-meter extensions (sold separately). Because the strips are sealed in silicone, you will need an exacto knife or razor blade to slice back the silicone for access to the gold solder pads. Use a sharp knife to make a slit along the black lines between the light and the end of the LED strip. I chose to position mine in that location so that the motion sensor would reliably detect someone opening the door or walking past the closet if the door is open. With the pads torn, I was unable to form a reliable electrical connection. The kit I bought also had a time-out on the light. I can go ahead and solder the other wire onto the other copper terminal at the cut end of the LED light strip. You want to make sure the copper pads, solder joints, and exposed wires are completely covered. Next, cut down the middle of the silver solder points. That’s it! I wanted make sure that it looked the way I wanted and that my battery-powered LED light strip controller with motion sensor would reach to the front of the shelf where I planned to mount it. I’m getting ready to get a RGBW LED Strip light to go under the kitchen cabinets and I can’t figure out how I would connect an extension cable to span the 24" or so under the microwave to reconnect the 2 pieces that have been cut. Many LED strip lights can only be cut every third section or so. Use connector pieces to keep the strips flush in the corners. Hue lightstrip on the left, and the extension pack on the right. Think about installing flexible … Hopefully you have enough or more than enough wire (versus being a little short). I took a small paring knife and made a cut just inboard of the copper pads (close to the “-” and “+” symbols). In this example we use a 90° connector but we do have many other varieties available. Making the cut is extremely straightforward. After measuring and cutting the LED strips, it is time to add wire to the end of strips where power will be passed from one strip to another. What Is Needed For Installation of RGB LED Strips and RGB LED Light Bars? Simply cut the strip at the designated line with a pair of scissors. Take care when cutting LED light strips – make your cuts only at the designated points. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Apply LED along the inner lining of the closet and see the change yourself. Leave a comment and tell me about it! A single Hue light strip is 2m in length, comes with a plug and power block, this 2m strip can then be extended up to 10m in total length using extension light strips. You generally don’t want cables pulled taut. Additional 4 m LED RGB 5050 Strip, 60 LED… How To use: 1. I used a pair of scissors to cut between the two insulated wires on each end to separate them. No matter if a traditional color palette's more your thing or you prefer gaudy colors, with Eve Light Strip you can magic up the mood that suits how you feel. If necessary, take the time to temp in your light strip to see how it fits. 4.3 out of 5 stars 688. The light strips come with an adhesive strip on the back. Decide how much flexible LED strip lighting you will need for your project. With the strip I was using, I found that the copper pads were too fragile. Make sure to cover any exposed wiring. It bears mentioning that I did first try to secure my wire to the copper pads without soldering. The wire I was using had white insulation with a red stripe on one of the two wires. Additionally, you’ll need to know how much wire you will want to solder in at each cut. Follow all of the procedures above on the other side of the wire. Poking the wire through the pads caused them to tear. After the strips are up, use your cables to connect them together. My plan was to splice in enough wire to cross the top of the door frame. What I’m driving at is that the first step in the project is to determine where you will need to cut your LED light strip. I stripped back way too much insulation from my wiring, but even with less exposed wire, I still would need to take this step as I’ll describe below. The answer to that is NO. I just used an inexpensive soldering iron that doesn’t have its own base, so I used an old metal pan to protect the table where I was working. 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