Waterproof led light strips

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Azure Lord

Aquarium Advice Freak
Joined
Jul 21, 2014
Messages
224
Location
Greenville, KY
I have a spool open ended 3528 waterproof led RGB lights. I bought some line connectors so that I could reconnect them to the adapter. I cut the silicone back so that it would slide into the snap connector...... And that's where I ran into my problem - the contacts don't line up with the teeth in the connector.

Does anybody have any experience with these?
I keep trying to look up tutorials and stuff on the internet and youtube, but with no luck.
 
It sounds like you're referring to the cut-to-length LED lighting strips, right? My first question is this; was it cut at one of the designated spots? These type of strips (RGB or one color) have a special place to cut them every three LEDs (usually marked with a thin line and/or a tiny scissors symbol. Even if nor clearly marked the proper place is quite easy to to find as you'll see pairs (2 pair for one color, 4 pair for RGB) of shiny contact pads across the width of the strip, simply cut between the pads.

If you have cut it properly and the pads aren't lining up with the contacts of your connector than you must have the wrong style connector.
 
No theyre cut properly.....i cant figure out what im missing....

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Hmm... a search online shows that both the 5050 and the 3825 LED strips use the same connector style (assuming both are the common 10mm wide strip). The contacts in the connector must press firmly on the small copper pads on the led strip.

can you post up a picture of both your connector and the LED strip?
 
But most of them are these copper points. Either way they don't match up. Is it possible that maybe the strip it's from before 10 millimeter was the standard?

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Looks like you bought your LED strip on ebay, huh? I get mine there too... they take the cut-offs left over from cutting prime reels off the bulk reel, then solder them together to sell as sub-prime reels. Nothing wrong with them, just that they are soldered together segments. I'd suggest if at all possible to cut it where it isn't soldered together for your connections, as the teeth may have trouble with the extra material present.

Looking at your second picture, your connector is for a wider LED strip. I'm guessing if you measure your strip and search online you'll find the correct (narrower) connectors.
 
im pretty sure the strip i have is 8mm...but i have looked and i cannot find an 8mm rgb snap connector. All i find is is the 2pin single color ones

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Yeah, I just searched and no-one carries the 4 pin 8mm.... kinda odd you have a 8mm RGB strip!

Hopefully you're good with a soldering pencil or know someone who is! Looks like you'll have to solder the wires directly to the strip without the snap connector. Honestly, that's the way I always do it, one less failure point in some cheap connector!
 
True. I've never done any soldering before so i guess its time to learn

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Apparently it is....ive tried the hell out of that

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