Help with wiring LED strip

[romeroom]

Hello,

This is my first post. I am a newbie when it comes to wiring LEDs, so I would appreciate some patience, kindness, understanding, and goodwill.

I am going to be attempting for the first time to convert our 4 foot fluorescent basement/shop lights to LEDs for as least expensive as possible. The basement area needed for illumination is dark and used for laundry. I know there are a number of videos out there with a lot of fancy ways of doing it, all moderately costly. I may go in that direction in the distant future, but for now, I am at the experimental stage.

So, here goes:

1. I ordered 10 meters worth of these: (SMD 5630)
   
   
2. I'm going to gut a couple of fluorescent fixtures like these and tape the LED's to the base.
3. I am going to cut to size light diffuser like this I harvested from a dead 46" LED TV. (Actually, the dead TV has a fully working power supply and very bright and functional LEDs. I have plans for this as well.)
4. I have plenty of 12v 5A power supply source for a bunch of these

If I understand it correctly, I read in this article that the farther away from the farther an LED is located from the power source, the dimmer it will become. I would like these lights to be as bright a possible.

Do, given the unlimited amount of power 12v/5A power I have available, how would you recommend I cut/wire these strips?

PS: I totally understand the lights I ordered are very inexpensive, come from China, probably will not give off as much light as I'm hoping for. I get it. But, I'm just experimenting. The total cost of 10 meters worth of LEDs is approximately $7.30, so to me worth the distraction and cost.

PSS: I would like to light a two stall garage with LEDs as well, and yes, as cheap as possible. If you have suggestions on the type of LED light that will work best and other suggestions, I'm all ears.

Thank you.

Omar

 

[Lithopsian]

If they send you the strip shown in the picture they should be pretty bright, something like 1,500 lumens/m, drawing about 1.5A/m. Watch out, because sometimes they show a decent type of tape in the listing and then send you something crap and dim.

In theory, a 5m strip should have a small or very small drop in brightness from one end to the other, but sometimes they cut corners and it is quite noticeable. Give it a try when you get the tape. Loop it round and see if the last LED is a lot dimmer than the first. Maybe, maybe not. However, if you're only wiring four foot lengths then I doubt you'll have any issues at all. Voltage drop is dramatically less on short lengths.

One 5A power supply is plenty for two strips of four foot in one fitting, three strips in a pinch. Just run wire from the power supply separately for each strip (or one pair of nice thick wires and jump it across to the connectors on each strip). Don't connect two or more strips into a "single long strip" unless you absolutely have to, that's asking for voltage drop. You can run wires from the power supply to both ends of the strip if you absolutely want to (to avoid one end being dimmer on long lengths, then the middle will be just slightly dimmer), but make sure they are sized for the current or they'll just generate they're own voltage drop over a long run. Or mount the power supply in the middle and wire to the middle of each strip, if that's convenient. Loads of ways to go, depending on where you want the power supply. Just make sure you get +ve and -ve on the right sides and don't have massive single runs of tape of long runs of wire that's too thin for the current.

Stick these onto metal if you can because they run quite warm, but be careful not to let any stray solder, wires, or bits of PCB copper touch the metal!

You do realise that these LED strips are likely less efficient and less bright than the fluorescent fittings, unless they're really crap old ones?

 

[romeroom]

"...You do realize that these LED strips are likely less efficient and less bright than the fluorescent fittings, unless they're really crap old ones?

First of all, thank you for responding to my post. You have shared a lot of helpful information; it looks like to spent a lot of time doing it, and for that I'm very grateful.

I am aware that the output of the LEDs is likely less than a typical fluorescent 4 foot bulb. (I think depending on the bulb, fluorescent are anywhere between 2,500 and 3,000 lumens? What do I know.) Plus you have the ambient radiating light of a fluorescent that would need significant tweaking with LED's to accomplish the same. (Again, I'm just guessing here since I don't know a whole lot about it.)

Your thoughts on the following:

1. I was actually thinking about putting 4 strips per fixture compensate for the less efficient type of light. Do you think this is OK? Overkill? I'm hoping the diffusing panel will help disburse the light in a good way. (With 10 meters of strips I should be able to cut it to 4 strips per fixture...theoretically, depending where the cutting on the strip is possible.)
2. If I actually use 4 strips per fixture, do you think heat may be a problem? I have some tiny 12 computer fans I can wire into the system.

Thanks again for your prompt support.

 

[Lithopsian]

Is that two strips replacing each fluorescent tube? Four strips in one fitting? Or double that? Two strips should produce better light than one fluorescent tube, especially since the LEDs direct all the light downwards. Beam angle is usually given as 120 degrees which works well for ambient lighting, especially with a diffuser. Or you might not even need the diffuser, depending how distracting you find seeing the LEDs themselves. Only problem is that four full length strips will likely pull more than 5A, and ideally you wouldn't want to load at more than 4A continuously. Either shorten the strips or use two supplies for four strips.

Cutting is possible every 5cm/2". Small enough for most situations. It doesn't matter if there is an inch or two gap at the end, the light spreads out well.

I don't think heating will be an issue if the strips are mounted on metal. Preferably aluminium, but any metal is a far better heatsink than a flimsy plastic tape. On anything less conductive they will get pretty hot, probably not enough to fail immediately but enough to shorten their life. I don't think you'll need fans but its hard to guess, depends on the mounting, how enclosed it is, etc. If you find the metal itself is getting too hot to touch comfortably then you should probably add some cooling. I've mounted about the same power of tape on a fairly thin flat strip of aluminium and it got only mildly warm.

You can play around before you do the final mounting. Use some insulating tape to tack up the strips and see how it all looks. Best not to use the actual tape sticky until you're sure, because it gets a little less sticky each time you pull it off and move it. Make sure to clean the surface thoroughly beforehand, use white spirit. Sticking is fiddly, although you can do a quick job just pushing it with a tea towel or something else with a bit of give. Try not to press hard on the components. The SMDs aren't too bad, they have wide flat bottoms, but the resistors might move and break a connection. You should be able to get a finger between most of the LEDs to really press it on. Take your time, you only do it once and it is hard to get properly flat and straight. The SMDs look yellow and dim from an angle. Luckily the diffuser will hide minor bumps.

 

[romeroom]

Is that two strips replacing each fluorescent tube? Four strips in one fitting? Or double that? Two strips should produce better light than one fluorescent tube, especially since the LEDs direct all the light downwards. Beam angle is usually given as 120 degrees which works well for ambient lighting, especially with a diffuser. Or you might not even need the diffuser, depending how distracting you find seeing the LEDs themselves. Only problem is that four full length strips will likely pull more than 5A, and ideally you wouldn't want to load at more than 4A continuously. Either shorten the strips or use two supplies for four strips.

Cutting is possible every 5cm/2". Small enough for most situations. It doesn't matter if there is an inch or two gap at the end, the light spreads out well.

I don't think heating will be an issue if the strips are mounted on metal. Preferably aluminium, but any metal is a far better heatsink than a flimsy plastic tape. On anything less conductive they will get pretty hot, probably not enough to fail immediately but enough to shorten their life. I don't think you'll need fans but its hard to guess, depends on the mounting, how enclosed it is, etc. If you find the metal itself is getting too hot to touch comfortably then you should probably add some cooling. I've mounted about the same power of tape on a fairly thin flat strip of aluminium and it got only mildly warm.

You can play around before you do the final mounting. Use some insulating tape to tack up the strips and see how it all looks. Best not to use the actual tape sticky until you're sure, because it gets a little less sticky each time you pull it off and move it. Make sure to clean the surface thoroughly beforehand, use white spirit. Sticking is fiddly, although you can do a quick job just pushing it with a tea towel or something else with a bit of give. Try not to press hard on the components. The SMDs aren't too bad, they have wide flat bottoms, but the resistors might move and break a connection. You should be able to get a finger between most of the LEDs to really press it on. Take your time, you only do it once and it is hard to get properly flat and straight. The SMDs look yellow and dim from an angle. Luckily the diffuser will hide minor bumps.

Thanks for responding with such helpful information. I am so impressed with the level of support from this forum.

When I get around to building this in about a month, I will post pictures.

 

[romeroom]

Is that two strips replacing each fluorescent tube? Four strips in one fitting? Or double that? Two strips should produce better light than one fluorescent tube, especially since the LEDs direct all the light downwards. Beam angle is usually given as 120 degrees which works well for ambient lighting, especially with a diffuser. Or you might not even need the diffuser, depending how distracting you find seeing the LEDs themselves. Only problem is that four full length strips will likely pull more than 5A, and ideally you wouldn't want to load at more than 4A continuously. Either shorten the strips or use two supplies for four strips.

Cutting is possible every 5cm/2". Small enough for most situations. It doesn't matter if there is an inch or two gap at the end, the light spreads out well.
.

Thank you so much for taking the time for such a detailed response. I'm really looking forward to experimenting with the suggestions I've gotten. I will not receive the LED strips until sometime in mid to late January. I will report back and post pictures of what I come up with.