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Time to throw in the towel?


seriouslylosingit

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I will start by saying that I am extremely frustrated.  I have been unable to connect power to my LED light strips.  I have tried all I know, tinning, scraping the waterproof gel off the top, coming in from the bottom, poking wire into the gel area, Youtube, member suggestions, you name it, but nothing has worked.  I am at my wits end.  *Disclaimer* I bought these strips on Amazon not LOR.

 

I am really ready to give up.  My fingers have been burned so many times I have lost count.  I should own stock in the Band-aid corporation by now. (maybe they and the soldering iron people are in on this together, hmmmm).

 

Anyway, I don't know what to do.  I have incorporated RGB into my sequences which was simple compared to connecting power. 

 

My fingers and mental health thank you.

 

r

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My question is, why aren't you splicing off the wires that were originally on the LED strip? What happen to those wires?

Just cut the connector off the end and strip and splice the wires.

 

Edit: of course if you cut the RGB strip and want to add wiring, then I can understand.

Edited by Santas Helper
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Santa's Helper,

I certainly would use those connectors when I want a long run of lights, but what do I do for shorter runs? I have some areas that I need 3-4ft sections which is what I am trying to connect to.

My question is, why aren't you splicing off the wires that were originally on the LED strip? What happen to those wires?

Just cut the connector off the end and strip and splice the wires.

Edit: of course if you cut the RGB strip and want to add wiring, then I can understand.

That is what I am trying to do:)

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So you really don't say what the problem is soldering or location of connections on strip or your 12 volt supply

 

Sounds like the problem is connecting/soldering new wire to an existing strip that was cut.

Santa's Helper,

I certainly would use those connectors when I want a long run of lights, but what do I do for shorter runs? I have some areas that I need 3-4ft sections which is what I am trying to connect to.

That is what I am trying to do:)

 

That's what I figured when editing my original post. 

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My power supply is good. I am having trouble connecting the 4 wire connecting wire to the actual strips. I tried to solder in that area and I'm not having any success. Maybe my expectations are unrealistic?

I know that the strips are small ,and the wiring and connecting with solder is very tedious, but I have tried numerous methods and still do not have one successful connection between The power supply/controller and the strip lights.

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Did you try a little solder flux on the connections? Solder these days doesn't have as good or as much of flux in it as older solder.

Edited by Santas Helper
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Did you try a little solder flux on the connections? Solder these days doesn't have as good or as much of flux in it as older solder.

I had not tried that. I knew I needed to use newer solder but didn't realize anything regarding the flux. I truly don't even know what it is..

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I had prolbems like that when I first got started. I keep the iron on the pad too long and lifted the pad off. Then solder will not hold onto that strip. I also add a little solder to each pad before I try to attached the tinned wires.

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Did you try a little solder flux on the connections? Solder these days doesn't have as good or as much of flux in it as older solder.

I had not tried that. I knew I needed to use newer solder but didn't realize anything regarding the flux. I truly don't even know what it is..

 

If you have good technique then flux is KEY when you can't seem to get a good 'flow' or 'puddle' when soldering.  Flux is your friend.  Flux is great.  All glory to the flux!

 

Seriously - Get a flux pen and never look back:  http://amzn.to/1kIyp5d

 

https://youtu.be/64Qq31ucGy0

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Soldering is a skill that must be learned.  Once you learn it, you will wonder why you ever had trouble.  The right tools for the job also make a HUGE difference.

 

With that said, the description does not give much detail about the construction of these strips.  From your description, I gather that they are embedded in a gel and you need to scrape that off before you can solder to the pads.  That makes it far harder than a strip in a silicon tube.  However once the gel is removed, it's just another strip.

 

One tip that should make it a little easier (assuming you have the strip cleaned up.  On every strip I have seen, there are pads on both the upper and lower surface of the strip.  You can use either side.  Alternate top and bottom for the four wires.  So for example, the 1st and 3rd wire are soldered on top and the 2nd and 4th are soldered on the bottom side.  That gives you some extra working room.

 

Also, what size (wattage and temperature) is your iron, and how big is the tip?  How big is the solder, and please tell me you didn't buy it at a Radio Shack store.

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I had prolbems like that when I first got started. I keep the iron on the pad too long and lifted the pad off. Then solder will not hold onto that strip. I also add a little solder to each pad before I try to attached the tinned wires.

 

Exactly what I do plus add a little flux to the pad before tinning it.

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The key with that type of strip is to scrape all that junk off the solder pads before you start. You can't burn or melt it off because the pads will come off first. It will take some practice. Use a knife to scrape the pads until the color changes after you have removed the lacquer or whatever it is. Then put some flux on the pads, and put some solder on the tip of your soldering iron. Touch it to the pads until they are all coated. Don't attempt to connect a wire until the pads are tinned with solder first.

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You weren't really specific in describing the trouble.  Is the solder not flowing consistently on all parts?  Beading up or being repelled at some point?  Is it chunky or grainy?   Each has a different cause.

 

I used to teach high reliability soldering for spaceflight projects and I can vouch for the solid guidance earlier in this thread.  This is all solid advice and should result in success.   You also may also want to check to make sure you're using an appropriate solder that hasn't been lying around for years oxidizing.  There are literally hundreds of types of solder choices out there.  I've found that for this kind of work, an electrical grade thin SN63 solid core and a rosin liquid flux are a great combination.   It goes without saying that you don't want to give into temptation of using solder dedicated for other purposes such as plumbing grade.  You also need to be sure that it's CLEAN before you start.  Even invisible contaminants or residual waterproofing will wreak havoc.   You may also want to invest in a DIY cleaner and cheap acid brush.    Just mix pure acetone (Finger nail polish remover) with a 90% alcohol (Both available at a local Walmart for less than $5 or so at a 50/50 ratio and clean both before and after with the acid brush.  Remember that the flux isn't completely inert and slightly acidic so its always best to clean the joints afterwards. 

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I would also add that you should practice simple soldering (i.e. soldering 2 wires together after tinning both) before you start trying to solder wires to pads on LED strips.

You will hopefully then learn how to work with flux and solder both.

Good luck!

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The other problem you might be struggling with is poor quality solder. There's solder on the market that is completely worthless I know because I've gotten ahold of some. Many times at the big box store they buy whatever is cheap. Low wattage soldering irons also can be a problem. You end up spending too much time on the pad trying to heat it up. I like to use a little more heat so I can get on and off the pad and the wire quickly. Also you need a pencil tip on the iron not a flat tip. In short the right tools can make your life a lot easier

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