Cutting LED Strips

[Parksy]

Hi all

My 5m LED Strip has arrived, I've tested it and it works.

Before I cut it I just want to ask. Can the cut off piece be used also. If so, then really I take it that this can be cut into 10pieces for example and each wired individually. Can I assume that the cut end will need wire soldered onto the strip to connect it to the circuit?

I do hope that makes sense!

Twindaddy

 

[Parksy]

You could buy connectors which push on to the end of the strip Ricki. There should be sets of 2 paralell solder lumps close to each cutting position which the connector engages.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello Rikki

All the LED strips I have seen have marks along them to indicate where to cut. Provided a cut strip has the connection pads you can use it by attaching new 12V power wires.

Some manufacturers use the same circuit strip for white LEDs as well as colour changing strips so when cut, each new end of the cut pieces has 4 solder pads. These are usually marked +12V or with an arrow, and the remaining three R G & B. Even if your strip is just white LEDS, you still need to make all the connections as the WHITE LEDS actually contain three individual white LEDs just like the colour change ones where each Die has all three R G & B.

When making new wired connections to each piece or linking strips together, the +12V feed goes to the marked terminal, but the 0V needs to be taken to all three of the others, by shorting them together. This can sometimes be done with just a blob of solder, or it might be easier to strip a bit extra of the 0V wire and use it to bridge the the RGB pads together.

If you don't bridge out the RGB pads the strip will appear dimmer than it should be.

If you are lining multicolour strips, then each pad needs to be wired individually to its corresponding pads on the controller or adjacent strips.

 

[markallday]

Hi have you done this I've done loads in my van let me know if you haven't