Need Help RGB led's?

(andrewjet) · (andrewjet) **Join Date: Jan 2003** 10-26-2012, 4:54 PM

I going to FFFin throw a hammer thru my garage window!! How the hell do you solder these tiny little tabs together?? Im going to break something.

(grant_west) · (grant_west) **Join Date: Jun 2005** 10-26-2012, 5:29 PM

Your In Luck I just happend to be lurking here and saw your post.
See if this Video I made helps you out

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0E2C_gHopH4

(grant_west) · (grant_west) **Join Date: Jun 2005** 10-26-2012, 5:41 PM

A few tip's
#1 Get a Fiberglass cleaning pen its (in the video) helps prep and clean the surface of the led strip so the solder makes a good solid connection.
#2 Get a Solder Iron with a Very Small (sharp) tip. This helps you NOT over solder the connection and it keeps the heat right where the tip is. If you use a traditional gun the tip is to wide for a 11mm RGB strip and its easy to De-Solder the connection Next to the one your doing.and you could dammage the RGB stip with to much heat from a fat tip.
I use a Weller solder station, It was $120 and its a Great Investment. I also have a Hakko Station they are also great, Again under $150 and well worth it. If you have the right solder gun it makes the job much easyer and the finish product will be better.

(ryanw209) · (ryanw209) **Join Date: Jan 2010** 10-27-2012, 4:50 PM

Grant obviously you have done this before so help me out a little please. I've looking into doing this in my boat more or less just because I want a fun project and It seems like I can do it for pretty cheap. I have zero experience with LED's but all I know is they don't use much power. If I wanted to run some RGB's around my 11 cup holders and maybe a strip under the helm what would I need exactly besides enough ft of waterproof LEDs. I've seen some kits with controllers and power supplies on amazon for around $30. Can I just buy one of these and then buy another roll of LED's if I need and just keep on stringing them together or is their a limit to what the controller can handle? It seems like these are 12v but they plug into a 110v socket? I can just ditch that cable and wire the controller directly to the batteries/switch etc...? Thanks!

http://www.amazon.com/Ledwholesalers..._bxgy_hi_img_y

(andrewjet) · (andrewjet) **Join Date: Jan 2003** 10-29-2012, 7:30 AM

OK guys. That helped. I got 4-strips made this weekend. 2 for my CBR 1000RR and 2- big ones for my amp area for the boat. Luckily they are both red!! Thanks again for settling me down. Jet