Indeed - all true - that bl**dy dog has eaten my thinking cap again.
But 750V is still LV - you can go and buy a cold-cathode neon set up which will come with a power supply poking out a tad under 1000V.
LED Tape Lights - Can I wire in parallel ?
- Thread starter andyblackman
- Start date
But 750V is still LV - you can go and buy a cold-cathode neon set up which will come with a power supply poking out a tad under 1000V.
Sponsored Links
Be that as it may, you're surely not seriously suggesting that people should be allowed to have (and maybe 'snip up' and install themselves) plastic strips stuck to their kitchen cabinets which were fed from a 750V supply, are you?
Kind Regards, John
They are, from the voltage POV. I suspect though that such a system would be unsafe, but it would cross that line before it got to 750V.
They may have and install a 1000V neon lighting system if they wish.
They may have and install a 1000V neon lighting system if they wish.
Which "they"?
As I said and implied, the whole concept of these (partially DIY) 'cut them up, join them together and stick them on' LED strips relies on them running at ELV. That means that, if you want to run the LEDs in series, you're going to have a maximum of around 20 LEDs (not 60 or 300) per constant current driver.
They may (although very few do), but it would hopefully be constructed so as to keep the 1000V well away from them, and wouldn't come with invitations to cut it up into pieces and solder the pieces back together (and leave the soldered joints exposed)!
Kind Regards, John
Sponsored Links
The subject of your question - people.
Fair enough - but, as you admitted yourself, you comment only related to a very small part (just the voltage) of my question.
Yes, of course, people are allowed to have equipment (such as neon lighting) which has very high voltages within it. They're even allowed to have CRT TV's/monitors which have EHT supplies of 10kV - 25kV within them. However, such equipment is designed and constructed so as to keep the people very well protected from those high voltages. As I've said, The same concept cannot really be extended to LED strip lighting - which, realistically, has to use ELV.
It's difficult to know what is the best approach if one has a large number of LEDs to deal with (such as the potential 300 with the OP's product), if one wants/needs to stick to ELV. Whilst having the LEDs (or, probably, small groups of LEDs in series) in parallel, each with their own current-limiting resistor/whatever, may seem 'nasty' and inefficient, it may actually be the best approach. As I've said, the only alternative I can think of would be to have lots of constant current drivers, which is not really either sensible or practical. Do you have any other ideas?
Kind Regards, John
For low cost simple manufacture using low cost components it is the best way. Totally automated assembly at more than a metre per second per machine.
Whilst I agree with that as a generalisation, there are surely far greater issues (associated with voltages) in this case. As I've said, I don't really see any practical alternative, regardless of how much one is prepared to spend, if one has a large number of LEDs and needs to keep voltages down to ELV levels. To have maybe 30 separate constant-current drivers for a set of 300 LEDs would surely be ridiculous (as well as expensive, and requiring much more complex wiring)?
Kind Regards, John
Can I butt in to say thankyou to EFLImpudence for his diagram which I just showed to one of my 'teenagers' who 'got it'.
Plenty more in the Wiki.Apologies about the 'subsequent discussion' (started by a couple of comments!) but you hopefully got the answer you wanted/needed in the third and fourth posts in this thread - namely that to connect the strips in parallel is fine (if that's more convenient for you), and even offers some potential advantages.
Kind Regards, John
It's not his
We use similar at work plugged into little splitter boxes and puts them in parrallel
with the insulated ones they fit two core wire one end and heat shrink BOTH ends to seal the open ends
As you say, you cut to lenght on the marks as shown on this uninsulated version
with the insulated ones they fit two core wire one end and heat shrink BOTH ends to seal the open ends
As you say, you cut to lenght on the marks as shown on this uninsulated version
DIYnot Local
Staff member
If you need to find a tradesperson to get your job done, please try our local search below, or if you are doing it yourself you can find suppliers local to you.
Select the supplier or trade you require, enter your location to begin your search.
Are you a trade or supplier? You can create your listing free at DIYnot Local
Sponsored Links
