Scud2 Posted October 10, 2016 Share Posted October 10, 2016 I am getting ready to put up some led strips and see multiple 90 bend connectors. I need an outdoor one though and can't find any. If I buy the 90 bend and silicone it up after the install, is that good enough to be outside for a month in a cleveland winter? Maybe snow and rain on some corners...any help or ideas would be much appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Boyd Posted October 10, 2016 Share Posted October 10, 2016 Heard a lot of bad things with these connectors. Take a 6 or 8 inch piece of 3 or 4 conductor wire, depending on your pixels and loop it into a 90°. Then, silicone it with GE Silicone II. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scud2 Posted October 10, 2016 Author Share Posted October 10, 2016 That is what I wanted to use...the wire. It allows for more freedom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sticks4legs Posted October 11, 2016 Share Posted October 11, 2016 I had similar issues, instead of the wire I soldered pigtails on the ends, it makes setup/removal and repair easier when it can come apart in pieces. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Cringle Posted October 11, 2016 Share Posted October 11, 2016 This is what i used... https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01727CTPC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 It makes the connection the same way that vampire plugs work on SPT wire. It pierces the silicone and makes contact with the soldering tabs (cut points) in the LED strips, which creates a waterproof connection. I also live in Cleveland so we well see how well they hold up. They were easy enough to work with. Just make sure that you have them lined up properly and apply enough force to pierce the silicone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brucey Posted October 12, 2016 Share Posted October 12, 2016 Dumb question about these, but doesn't it assume that the cut line falls right on the corner? What happens if it falls a few inches short (or over)? I was thinking of buying some but then that thought popped in my head and was wondering how you addressed it. Thanks. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Boyd Posted October 12, 2016 Share Posted October 12, 2016 54 minutes ago, Brucey said: Dumb question about these, but doesn't it assume that the cut line falls right on the corner? What happens if it falls a few inches short (or over)? I was thinking of buying some but then that thought popped in my head and was wondering how you addressed it. Thanks. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk The way I addressed this issue, was to use nodes zip tied to PVC. Too much can go wrong with strips. I've spent months on projects and just knew I had them water resistant enough. 2 weeks after putting them on the gutters, I had to replace them again, with nodes. Just sayin'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gsmith37064 Posted October 12, 2016 Share Posted October 12, 2016 (edited) I have tried all those connectors and THEY ALL BITE! If you strip moves and giggles the connector lose you will not have any lights. If it rains and they get wet... give it up. They rust out extremely fast. Either solder them together or run the strips on the inside that way you don't need a connector. This is what I did and it's awesome when it color washes the window. Edited October 12, 2016 by gsmith37064 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brucey Posted October 12, 2016 Share Posted October 12, 2016 46 minutes ago, gsmith37064 said: If you strip moves and giggles the connector lose you will not have any lights. If it rains and they get wet.... That was my thought as well but when I saw "chris" post about them, I was confused as to how effective they would be. For me personally, since I have the dumb ribbons for the windows, I've already figured that they'll 'bow' a little at the corners but if I do them consistently it won't look too bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Simmons Posted October 12, 2016 Share Posted October 12, 2016 (edited) 5 hours ago, gsmith37064 said: If you strip moves and giggles ... I've learned that if only one or two diodes giggle the strip might be okay, because not all of them are ticklish. But if they get to giggling like a bus full of school girls you might as well replace the whole strip right then and there and save yourself the time later. I've also learnt the hard way that you've gotta be careful about cracking jokes (especially one-liners) within earshot of the strips. Smart strips aren't so bad. But the dumb strips are called dumb for a reason. When one pixel starts giggling, it spreads through the entire strip like a viral infection and then you can't get them to take anything seriously the rest of the day. Edited October 12, 2016 by George Simmons 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave76 Posted October 12, 2016 Share Posted October 12, 2016 Does anyone have pics showing the soldering? Nodes, how did you mount them and at what spacing? Picture? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. P Posted October 12, 2016 Share Posted October 12, 2016 5 minutes ago, Dave76 said: Does anyone have pics showing the soldering? Nodes, how did you mount them and at what spacing? Picture? Thanks Soldering strips Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave76 Posted October 12, 2016 Share Posted October 12, 2016 Thank you 27 minutes ago, Mr. P said: Soldering strips Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brucey Posted October 12, 2016 Share Posted October 12, 2016 Soldering the 4 wire ribbons is a pain, imo, with any wire thicker than 18 gauge. Someone gave me the suggestion to do 16 on alternating top and bottom pads, which worked, but 18 was a lot easier and I was able to do them all on the same side. Just make sure if you're going to do it that you get the color schemes correct. When I did it, I soldered the power, then one 'color' at a time to make sure the connection was strong and I had the right color combination until I got comfortable with the process. I just had a pigtail hooked up to the soldered end connected to the controller, soldered a color, turned it on through HU, then moved onto the next one. Just a suggestion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scud2 Posted October 12, 2016 Author Share Posted October 12, 2016 This is what i used... https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01727CTPC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 It makes the connection the same way that vampire plugs work on SPT wire. It pierces the silicone and makes contact with the soldering tabs (cut points) in the LED strips, which creates a waterproof connection. I also live in Cleveland so we well see how well they hold up. They were easy enough to work with. Just make sure that you have them lined up properly and apply enough force to pierce the silicone. These look interesting. Have you actually used them yet? Or will this be your first year? And where in cleveland are you? I am in highland heights... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave76 Posted October 18, 2016 Share Posted October 18, 2016 On 10/12/2016 at 9:37 AM, Brucey said: Soldering the 4 wire ribbons is a pain, imo, with any wire thicker than 18 gauge. Someone gave me the suggestion to do 16 on alternating top and bottom pads, which worked, but 18 was a lot easier and I was able to do them all on the same side. Just make sure if you're going to do it that you get the color schemes correct. When I did it, I soldered the power, then one 'color' at a time to make sure the connection was strong and I had the right color combination until I got comfortable with the process. I just had a pigtail hooked up to the soldered end connected to the controller, soldered a color, turned it on through HU, then moved onto the next one. Just a suggestion. Thanks for the tips! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave76 Posted October 18, 2016 Share Posted October 18, 2016 On 10/12/2016 at 8:48 AM, Mr. P said: Soldering strips Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Cringle Posted October 18, 2016 Share Posted October 18, 2016 On 10/12/2016 at 10:51 AM, Scud2 said: These look interesting. Have you actually used them yet? Or will this be your first year? And where in cleveland are you? I am in highland heights... I have them on the house now but yes this is my first year using them. No issues so far. Funny, I work in Highland Heights. I'm I'm Lake county. Painesville. I will take some pics soon and post them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Cringle Posted October 19, 2016 Share Posted October 19, 2016 Here's a pic of the LED strips around the windows and door. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scud2 Posted October 19, 2016 Author Share Posted October 19, 2016 Here's a pic of the LED strips around the windows and door. That looks great. Clean straight lines. I like them. I think this year I may try to just put little bends in the led. If that turns out bad I may just opt for those! But glad I have something to fall back on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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