Ribbon LED Strips

All Customer Questions

Question

I'm using a pair of 6 inch ribbon strips for component lighting in an entertainment center. They are too bright at night running 12 volts, but at 6 volts are just right. Is there any issue with running these at less than 12 volts?

Answer

Nope, no issues at all. Go ahead and dim them down. You may be interested in our dimmers:

Rotary Knob Dimmer
Remote Control Dimmer (and strobe / heartbeat function)

Question

Can i wire these into the speaker leads of a 1500 watt amp? I want it to pulse with the music. I have used other LEDs before but they all have blown above half power. If not do u sell a music controller for them? Or what wattage amp could be safely use with them? - by Andrew (West Virginia)

Answer

No, that won't really work. We do sell a music controller.

Question

Do you carry this product in an orange/amber color? I noticed in the picture section there is one picture of multiple colored strips and one of them looks to be orange but there is not an orange one listed for purchase.

Answer

This is our Yellow color which as you can tell is quite orange / amber. I think it will be suitable for your needs.

Question

can i put these under my door so when my door is opened the lights are shining on the ground

Answer

Yes

Question

In your picture with all of the colors, can you tell us which colors are which? I have a pretty good idea but wish to be sure. - by Anthony (Pittsburgh)

Answer

Warm White>Red>Blue>Yellow>Green>Neutral White>Cool White

Question

What gauge wire is recommended? I just tried 16 and the solder did not hold well. I'd like to get smaller, more flexible wire for my application. - by Jeff

Answer

Usually 16-18 gauge will work.

Question

Do you know the color temperature of the Warm, Neutral and Cool White colors? I want to buy multiple products from you (for example, dome light and strips) and want to ensure the colors will all be the same, or at least very close, in color temp.

Answer

All of our products that have options in white will be very close to other products in the same variation of white

Question

My questions concern the million color strip. Are the red, green and blue leds combined in a single chip or is there a separate chip for each color? Are the strips wired common positive? What are the typical wavelengths for the red, green and blue leds in the million color strip? And are the specs the same for the waterproof strips? - by Bob (Bristol, CT USA)

Answer

Red, Green and Blue are in one LED, so if you get 1 foot of a strip, you get 18 LEDS.

They are common positive.

We do not have information regarding the wavelengths. Other technical information can be found here: http://www.oznium.com/led-ribbon/tech

Yes, they are the same spec for the waterproof strips.

Question

What is the width and height?

Answer

0.32 inches wide x 0.09 inches tall.

Please see the "Technical Info" tab for more specs.

Question

How do you run a 1 foot strip of these LED's along with a couple separate LED's that are of different color, and do you need resistors for the separate LED's? - by William

Answer

Attach all the positive wires together, and all the negative wires together, and attach your power source. Resistor are required for separate LEDs if they are individual LEDs, and not pre-wired.

Question

Want to use them for my Hobby HO Passenger Car lighting. Available Voltage: 18 V AC . How do I use them - by Paul

Answer

The voltage should not exceed 12 volts or otherwise you may burn out the lights.
This product is perfect for RC cars and airplanes, as it lightweight and thin.
Here's an example of a customer using our Ribbon Strips in an RC helicopter.

Question

do these come with leading wires? - by blaine (Santa Rosa, CA)

Answer

They only come with lead wires if you purchase a complete 16-foot roll. Otherwise, you can just solder your own wires onto the Ribbon Strip.

Question

I am planning on using these as undercabinet lights in my kitchen. How do I determine which AC adapter I need (i.e. how many amps)? - by Mark (Vancouver, Canada)

Answer

Figure out the current (mA) that each foot draws from the Technical Info Page, then multiply that number by the number of feet you are going to use, and then pick an AC adapter that can provide at least that many amps.

For example, lets say you want to run 20 feet of the white strips which use 130 mA per foot:

20 x 130 mA = 2600 mA

2600 mA = 2.6 amps

You could use our 3.25 amp adapter

Question

are they available in a 4.5 volt verision I want to use them in a solar application - by Ron (Oregon)

Answer

Sorry, these strips are all 12v ready for automotive applications

Question

I would like to install these in my home could they be put on a dimmer switch [possibly a inline roller type] also would I wire the lights to the dimmer,then run wires to the ac adapter ? thanks

Answer

You can dim them, however you will want to dim the 12V DC output from your adapter with a 12V dimmer.

Question

What are the million color LEDS and what do they look like?

Answer

Groups of Red, Blue, and Green LEDs can combine at varying brightness intensities to produce a smooth fade through the full color spectrum. Unlike the single color strips which use just 2 wires (a power and a ground), the million color strips use 4 wires (3 for each of the colors, and 1 for either a common power or ground). These 4 wires are hooked up to an LED controller.

Question

Can you run them in circuit? Connecting multiple separate strips so that they can all be turned on at the same time even if they are in separate areas under the dash and back seat? - by Bryce

Answer

Yes, absolutely.

Question

Do you have an estimated life expectancy on the LEDs? - by Blake (Boyne City, MI)

Answer

We have not tested the life expectancy of these LEDs.

Question

First time buyer and user. I want to puts strips of light on dash board in the car.
How do i power up the lights. Where do i run the wires to?

Answer

Ultimately, the LEDs will be powered from the car battery. You could also tap into the back of the cigarette lighter, or another 12 volt source under the dash.

Question

Do I have to solder both ends of the strip to make it a loop, or solder to just one end to get the lights to work? - by Brian (Mansfield Center, CT)

Answer

You only need to hook up power wires to one side.

Question

Can i order 5 feet of million color and cut into 5 different sections and run it through 1 controller? because i only see a positive and a negative, not red green and blue seperate wires

Answer

Yes you can do that. The ribbon strips have four connections - a common positive, and three grounds for red, green, and blue respectively. The photos you see are of the single-color version.

Question

Can i use a regular batteries,if so what kind and size? - by Jerry

Answer

You can use regular batteries. You'll need the batteries to provide about 12 volts. You can use any kind or size as long as they put out a total of about 12 volts.

Question

Can these Ribbon LED Strips be used in outdoor applications?

Answer

We do not recommend using the standard Ribbon LED strips for exterior applications, as there is no protection from moisture or other elements.

Please use our Waterproof Ribbon LED Strips for exterior use.

Question

Can you connect the RGB strip without the controller? Would you solder the 4 leads on the strip and what would connect the 4 wires to get power?

Answer

The Ribbon LED Strip will need to have a controller with a common positive. If you connect the RGB strips without a controller all the colors (red, green, and blue) will be at full power are display white. On the strip there are four connections: one is for the common postive and the others (red, green, and blue) are the ground wires.

Question

Are these wired with any resistors or are resistors needed, I am considering these for a headlight project and concerned they may be overdriven since car voltage is typically around 14.2 volts? - by John (St. Louis, MO)

Answer

They have resistors already. Additional resistors are not needed. They will work just fine on the car voltage even if it reaches 14.2 volts.

Question

I want to buy these strips to put around my new bar area at my new house, how exactly do these plug in or get them to work, - by Corrie (Pennsylvania)

Answer

You would need to solder on two wires for positive and ground, and then attach those wires to an AC adapter. It's actually pretty easy!

Question

I plan to put these behind my gauges, I have use a similar product but the leds only worked at certain bending shapes. I only had it in a 360 degree circle. Nothing extreme.
How would I go about buying 2 separate 1ft pieces? Or how do I cut a 2 foot section and add a power source to each piece? - by Kevin

Answer

Buy a quantity of 2 and you will receive a 2 foot long piece. Cut it with scissors!

Question

Will these be coming in Orange?

Answer

Please try the Yellow color. Yellow and Orange LEDs are very similar in color.

Question

What's the difference between the thin LED strips and the ribbon LED strips?

Answer

Thin LED Strips:
- 36 x 1206 size SMD LEDs per foot
- waterproof

Ribbon LED Strips:
- 18 x PLCC size SMD LEDs per foot
- not waterproof
- more light output!

Question

How long are the strips?

Answer

When ordering them on our website, they are sold in one-foot quantities. A quantity of 3 will give you 3 feet.

The total length you make them can be as short or as long as you want them to be.

Question

How would I go about powering these in my motorcycle? What would I hook them up to?

Answer

You'd hook them up to the battery. Hooks up just the same as your car.

Question

In the 'more photos' section I can see the circuit board diagram - can I cover these LEDs with painters tape and paint the ribbon black? - by brad (peoria Il.)

Answer

Yes

Question

Can you buy a whole spool? How many feet are in a spool?

Answer

They are not sold by the spool, but rather by the foot. There are 16 feet in a standard spool.

Question

Can you get these without the adhesive backing?

Answer

That is possible. If you place a large enough order (say $1000), we can custom make them without the adhesive backing.

Keep in mind though, that the adhesive backing does not really affect the performance. The adhesive backing is unobtrusive. You can also remove it yourself if you so desire.

Question

Where did you run the wires to power the strips in the soffit? Can you connect it directly to the lamp power source?

Answer

There was a power outlet installed in the attic. Then there was an AC adapter which put out 12V DC secured in the attic. There was a small hole drilled for the wires to run down from the attic and then be soldered to the ribbon strips.

You could tap into the lamp's power source, but you'd have to install an AC adapter.

Question

How do you power LED strips like this in household use? Car usage just involved tapping into the regular 12V source, but I don't see how you plug these into the wall in your home.

Answer

Use a 12 volt AC Adapter.

Question

If I was to order 4 pieces would you be able to connect them for me to make a 48" piece, or maybe 5 pieces to be as running board lights for my suburban that lays frame? - by Robert (San Bernardino, CA)

Answer

They are already connected. If you order a quantity of 5 (in one color), you will get 5 continuous feet. Reminder: they are not waterproof.

Question

How would you make these strips waterproof?
- by Raymond (utah)

Answer

Silicone, or put them inside of a clear tube and seal the ends.

Or check out these products which are already waterproof:

- Waterproof Ribbon LED Strips
- Silicone Encased LED Strips