MR2 Roadster Owners Club

The Workshop => Audio / Security / Electrical => Topic started by: Gif on November 6, 2008, 20:51

Title: Flexible LED Strip
Post by: Gif on November 6, 2008, 20:51
Anyone had any experience of working with this stuff?

(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff14/GifAbsarnt/MR2/IMG_1142.jpg)

Seems to have copper connectors like an ordinary PCB but was wondering if they can be soldered in just the same way?  Too afraid it's just going to melt   s:? :? s:?
Title: Re: Flexible LED Strip
Post by: uktotty on November 6, 2008, 21:04
Give it a couple of weeks and I will have built one


Quote from: "Gif"Anyone had any experience of working with this stuff?

(http://uk.geocities.com/chris.barton@btinternet.com/IMG_1142.JPG)

Seems to have copper connectors like an ordinary PCB but was wondering if they can be soldered in just the same way?  Too afraid it's just going to melt   s:? :? s:?
Title: Re: Flexible LED Strip
Post by: Gif on November 6, 2008, 21:06
Built one what   s:?: :?: s:?:  dare I ask
Title: Re: Flexible LED Strip
Post by: uktotty on November 6, 2008, 21:10
Rear bin lighting and glovebox lighting
Title: Re: Flexible LED Strip
Post by: Gif on November 6, 2008, 21:17
Hadn't got that ambitious yet but that's where it will end up I suspect   s:D :D s:D    Just wanted more in the footwells to supplement the incredibly dim interior light first and foremost.

Back to the question, any idea if it is just soldered?   s:? :? s:?
Title: Re: Flexible LED Strip
Post by: Gif on November 6, 2008, 21:54
Here's the answer then   s:D :D s:D  

(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff14/GifAbsarnt/MR2/IMG_1144.jpg)

It does just solder.  Not the neatest for a first effort but as someone else once said, let there be light
Title: Re: Flexible LED Strip
Post by: uktotty on November 6, 2008, 22:10
Solder it then resin it is what we are doing I think.
Nice and bright, what did you pay for it?
maplins want £1.29 per INCH!
Title: Re: Flexible LED Strip
Post by: Gif on November 6, 2008, 22:30
It is Maplins unfortunately.  Bit pricey but worth it.  That's a 9 led cluster attached to a 9v battery.  Just tried it in the footwell and it works a treat.  Easily bright enough for my purposes.  Two 9 clusters one for each side wired together and through the door switch circuit should be good enough.  Not really worried about using the interior light switch to control them.

Would have thought one more for the glove box with a door switch (suitably shielded from view to avoid snow blindness) and two more for either side of the rear bins again with door switches.

How do you resin it?  New to this electronics lark and that was one of my concerns.  Left in this state there are postiive and negative contacts pretty close to one another   s:scared: :scared: s:scared:
Title: Re: Flexible LED Strip
Post by: uktotty on November 6, 2008, 22:54
Its all trial and error right now but I have purchased
2 x push to break micro switches
2 x abs 1"x2" boxes
Resin will be in the form of a glue gun maybe
Lighting strips are similar to this
(http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/9/8/3/3/4/3/webimg/179672553_tp.jpg)
Title: Re: Flexible LED Strip
Post by: Gif on November 8, 2008, 13:14
Decided to try an experiment and set them in proper resin.  Expensive but who knows what else it may be useful for.

(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff14/GifAbsarnt/MR2/IMG_1146.jpg)

Will report back on success or otherwise.
Title: Re: Flexible LED Strip
Post by: Tem on November 8, 2008, 13:23
Quote from: "Gif"Anyone had any experience of working with this stuff?

Yes.

And yes, you can solder it, though you already found it out anyway.  s:D :D s:D