Welcome To usLEDsupply!

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Categories

General: Custom Orders, Shipping, 

Power: Power supply, connections, wires

Control: Dimmers, RGB Controllers, Remotes, DMX

Strips: Connecting, Sizing, Installation

Other:  Lifespan, Usage

 

 

 

 

General:

Q: Are flexible LED strips easy to install?
A: Yes, they are easy to install.  In most cases you just plug the power supply in to the controller/dimmer (which then connects to the LED strip), and then plug the power supply into a normal outlet.


Q: I need a 24' section of Flex Strip.  Can you make one for me?
A: Yes, we can make you custom lengths or you can follow our How To section to do it yourself.

 

Q: How long will it take to get my order?
A: In most cases, your order will ship the same or next day and most shipping options take 1-3 days for customers in the USA.

 

Q: If i need something right away can you ship it overnight?
A: Yes we can - just call us to make sure we can get it ready in time.

 

Q: What are you doing to Go Green?
A: We reuse and recycle packing material and boxes whenever possible.  In addition, we don't send paper invoices or packing lists.  Instead, we use email and the web to help keep costs down and to Go Green.

 

 


Power:

Q: What size/type of power supply do I need?
A: You can check our power usage pages or contact us and we will tell you what would be best.  Also, usually the individual power supply listing will state the maximum length of strip which they can power.  It is always better to use less than this maximum length.

 

Q: Is there anything I need to watch for when installing the strips?
A: Yes.  On the RGB flex strips, you need to be careful that the (+) "Black wire" doesn't touch/short to one of the colored wires as it could fry the
mofset in the controller for that color.  If that occurs, that color would always stay on.  It is always good to double check, to make sure none of the wires are touching, before you power the lights.
While the black wire on the RGB strips
is (+) the Black wire on the single color strips and the "Male/Female Power Connectors" is (-) (so if there are only 2x wires (Red/Black) then Black = (-) & Red = (+).

 

Q: If I connect the strip backwards (+) to (-) and (-) to (+) will that ruin the strip?
A: No.  LEDs are diodes so they only let power through in one direction.  Simply reverse the wires and the strip will work fine (On the other hand, the controllers may be damaged so please check before you connect them).

 

Q: I need a larger power supply than what you have on your website?
A: We have larger power supplies up to 350 Watts, so let us know what you are looking for.

 

Q: I already have a 12V DC power supply - can I use it?
A: Yes, any 12V DC power supply will work as long as the output rating is high enough for the length of strip you are trying to connect to it (for a 5' strip you would need at least a 1000mA or 1A or 12w DC power supply).  You can always use a larger power supply than what is needed.  However, a power supply which is too small may cause your lights to be dim or flash on/off; it may also kill the power supply.  For LEDs we recommend a switching mode power supply as opposed to a heavy magnetic transformer, as switching mode power supplies have a regulated output voltage that doesn't change based on input voltage.  You can even use an old power supply out of a computer as they are well designed and can handle some large loads.

 

Q: Can I use your strips on my car, truck, motorcycle, or boat?
A: Yes, most of our controllers and strips are 12V DC so you can connect them straight to your battery (we recommend a 3-5A fuse in-line after the battery).


Q: Does the power supply have to be close to the lights?
A: No.  You can run low voltage wire/control cable up to 50 feet in most cases. But keep in mind the longer the run the more voltage drop you will have and while it can be hard to notice with LED lights they may not be as bright as they could be if they were shorter runs
On long runs and using the RGB strips
set to white you may notice a change in the color temp the farther you go from the power supply so keep it short or use larger wire if you have long runs.



Q: Is it possible to extend the wire between strips to go around obstacles?
A: Yes.  You can use low voltage wire/control cable between the strips up to 50 feet in most cases. (see above)



Q: How many strips can I connect together end-to-end?
A: We recommend only connecting 2 rolls together in each direction from the supply wire (see strip section for more details).



Q: What size wire should I use?
A: In order to connect up to 2 rolls, you should use at least 22 gauge wire.  If you use 16-18 gauge wire, you can connect up to 4 rolls at a time (2 in each direction).  for longer runs (over 10'-15') you can run multiple wires or use a larger gauge wires in order to avoid color change/
drop in brightness  due to voltage drop.



Q: What wire should I use?
A: For single color strips, you only need 2 conductor wire, and for RGB strips, you need 4 conductor wire.  We recommend using stranded copper wire 10-22 gauge (like control or security wire).


Q: I think you labeled your Male and Female Power Connectors worng?
A: That is a tricky one and we have argued this a lot and decided to take the following general gender definitions into consideration when naming our pieces.
“The gender of a connector is determined by the structure of its primary functional components — i.e., the conductors of an electrical connector, or the load-bearing parts of a fastener — and not by secondary features such as covers, shields or handles that may be installed for environmental protection, safe operation, etc.”
“Male connector pins are often protected by a shell, which envelops the entire female connector. RF connectors often have multiple layers of interlocking shells to properly connect coaxial and triaxial cable. In such cases, the gender is assigned based on the innermost connecting
point.
Source: Wikipedia

 

 

Control:

Q: I need a Controller or Device that is not on your site?
A: Please tell us what you are looking for as we have a lot of products which aren't on our site or we may be able to custom make one for you.

 

Q: If I buy the RGB strip can I make a warm white color?
A: Yes, depending on the controller.  The RGB strips make a cool white color with most of our controllers.  If you want to make the warm white color we recommend you get our warm white strips or get the "28 or 44 key IR remote" as it allows you to make any color and program it to a DIY button so you can get pretty close to the output color/brightness of the warm white strips.

 

Q: I got an RGB IR Controller and it has a 4-pin plug on it that connects to the Flex Strip but I am not sure which way to connect it?
A: There is an arrow on one side of the plug- simply align this arrow with the black wire (+) from the strips.  Don't worry if you get it backwards, it should not damage the controller or strips (it simply will not work till you reverse it).

 

Q: I would like to control my lights with my home automation system, computer or the over the internet on my iPhone?
A: We are working on a device to allow you to do that but for now send us a note with the system you have or want to use and we will figure out a way for you to make it work or make a custom program to do just what you want to do.
The Sunlite Touch Controller can be controlled by an iPhone or any device with the Ethernet :-)


Q: You said that the lights are dimmable.  Can I use my existing dimmer switch?
A: No.  The power supplies are not made to be dimmed- it will damage them.  The strips, however,
can be dimmed by using any one of our PWM dimmers or controllers placed between the power supply and the strip.

 


Strips:

Q: Can I use your strips on my car, truck, motorcycle, or boat?
A: Yes, most of our controllers and strips are 12V DC so you can connect them straight to your battery (we recommend a 3-5A fuse in-line after the battery) also if the controller is going to be used outdoors we recommend coating the circuit boards with our Electro-Seal coating to keep the moisture from damaging it.
We also recommend you solder the connections or have us do it for you as the solderless connectors may vibrate loose.

 

Q: I need a 24' section of Flex Strip can you make one for me?
A: Yes, we can make you custom lengths or you can follow our How To section to do it yourself.


Q: If I buy the RGB strip can I make a warm white color?
A: Yes, depending on the controller.  The RGB strips make a cool white color with most of our controllers.  If you want to make the warm white color we recommend you get our warm white strips or get the "28 or 44 key IR remote" as it allows you to make any color and program it to a DIY button so you can get pretty close to the output color/brightness of the warm white strips.

 

Q: I would like to use a strip outside where it could get wet, but I don't want to use the thicker IP-68 strip.  Can I just use the IP-65 strip?
A: Yes, you can use the standard IP-65 strip, as it does have a waterproof coating on the front side (just not on the back side).  We recommend that you use silicone and seal along the edges to help make it more waterproof (this also works well on motorcycles and under deck railings).


Q: Is there anything I need to watch for when installing the strips?
A: Yes.  On the RGB flex strips, you need to be careful that the (+) "Black wire" doesn't touch/short to one of the colored wires as it could fry the
mofset in the controller for that color.  If that occurs, that color would always stay on.  It is always good to double check, to make sure none of the wires are touching, before you power the lights.
While the black wire on the RGB strips
is (+) the Black wire on the single color strips and the "Male/Female Power Connectors" is (-) (so if there are only 2x wires (Red/Black) then Black = (-) & Red = (+).

 

Q: I see other companies selling similar products! are they the same quality?
A: it is hard to say, while
we are very picky about the quality of our products and we stand behind everything we sell we can't say that for other companies as there are lots of manufactures in china making led strips and while there are some good ones there are also lots of bad ones so if we don't have what you are looking for then make sure the company you buy them from has a good rating, takes credit cards, has someplace in the USA to send items back to and doesn't charge a restocking fee.


Other:

Q: Can the strips be used in high temperature areas?
A: Yes and no.  While LEDs are quite durable and will work great in most any environment, heat is the main cause for shortened LED lifespan.  Therefore, the cooler you can keep the LEDs, the longer they will last (if you can keep them below 80deg C you should get the rated life out of them).  With this in mind, leaving them on for extended periods of time while on the reel or bunched up in a confined space will shorten their lifespan.

Q: Can I use your strips on my car, truck, motorcycle, or boat?
A: Yes, most of our controllers and strips are 12V DC so you can connect them straight to your battery (we recommend a 3-5A fuse in-line after the battery to protect the wires from melting in case of direct short).


Q: Do the strips get hot/ do I need to have a heat sink?
A: No, they do not get hot as long as you don't leave them rolled up on the reel.

 

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