Joining LED strips

[benoir1]

Hello

I have read a previous post on LED strip lights (//www.diynot.com/forums/electrics/what-wire-type-for-12v-led-strips-tape.359241/) and you all appear to know what you're talking about - please help!

I have purchased a 5m LED strip light roll with a standard PSU bundled with it. I've cut it down substantially and illuminated under some kitchen cupboards. However, I have another smaller kitchen unit and am hoping to bridge over to that and use some of the leftover LED strip (it still won't total 5m). So my question is:

- can I bridge over to that with some standard cabling (if so what) without having to boost the power? I guess it will fade after x metres, but wondered if I could get away with it without having to boost it. Am I better simply getting another PSU?

Thanks in advance!

Ben

 

[Taylortwocities]

Led strips are very low power, so volt drop should not be a problem for the average sized room.

Use cable about the same size as the output from the PSU and it will be fine.

 

[benoir1]

Awesome, thanks buddy

 

[aptsys]

Use cable about the same size as the output from the PSU and it will be fine.

But draw power directly from the PSU for subsequent rather than daisy chaining the LED strips. The volt drop over a 5m strip is generally quite significant unless you've managed to find some good quality LED strips.

 

[GNServices]

Use cable about the same size as the output from the PSU and it will be fine.

But draw power directly from the PSU for subsequent rather than daisy chaining the LED strips. The volt drop over a 5m strip is generally quite significant unless you've managed to find some good quality LED strips.

I done this and used 6 core alarm wire which was ideal (could also use phone line cable), Mine was for RGB lighting

 

[benoir1]

Use cable about the same size as the output from the PSU and it will be fine.

But draw power directly from the PSU for subsequent rather than daisy chaining the LED strips. The volt drop over a 5m strip is generally quite significant unless you've managed to find some good quality LED strips.

I done this and used 6 core alarm wire which was ideal (could also use phone line cable), Mine was for RGB lighting

Thanks both, that's a great help. So, even though it was meant to be 5m (and hopefully powered for such) and I'm only using about 2.5 ish metres of it, its better to run the spur of power directly from the power supply, as opposed to from the end of the strip already illuminated as that might be reduced?

 

[GNServices]

Thanks both, that's a great help. So, even though it was meant to be 5m (and hopefully powered for such) and I'm only using about 2.5 ish metres of it, its better to run the spur of power directly from the power supply, as opposed to from the end of the strip already illuminated as that might be reduced?

Yes your always best taking from original supply if possible but there would be no problem connecting to the end of the current LED strip as long as the distance of cable joining the two isn't too far (how far do you plan?)

Its worth to mention that itll be easier to take from the original source anyway as it will save you having to use one of them crap connectors from the end of the LED strip into wiring, then to one of the crap connectors again into your next LED strip.

 

[benoir1]

Thanks both, that's a great help. So, even though it was meant to be 5m (and hopefully powered for such) and I'm only using about 2.5 ish metres of it, its better to run the spur of power directly from the power supply, as opposed to from the end of the strip already illuminated as that might be reduced?

Yes your always best taking from original supply if possible but there would be no problem connecting to the end of the current LED strip as long as the distance of cable joining the two isn't too far (how far do you plan?)

Its worth to mention that itll be easier to take from the original source anyway as it will save you having to use one of them crap connectors from the end of the LED strip into wiring, then to one of the crap connectors again into your next LED strip.

Yes, connectors = arse. Plus I don't have any, so was scratching my head and considering soldering :-/ either that or buy the connectors.

If I connected to the end of the existing strip I need to run about 2.5 metres of the cable you suggested. If from the psu (as it stands) its a **** load longer! Is that too far in terms of power loss? If so i mat need to switch the psu location

 

[GNServices]

Yes, connectors = a**e. Plus I don't have any, so was scratching my head and considering soldering :-/ either that or buy the connectors.

If I connected to the end of the existing strip I need to run about 2.5 metres of the cable you suggested. If from the psu (as it stands) its a s**t load longer! Is that too far in terms of power loss? If so i mat need to switch the psu location

Forget the soldering idea unless you got a good equipment cause its a pain
Do whatever is easiest at a max cable length of 5m, a low power consumption, a small csa cable, volt drop is pretty much negligible