LED strip edge connectors

Beef Boss · October 6, 2020

Hello all,

I installed 48 feet of LED strips in my room, more or less, and at the time I didn't have an adapter/connector to go from the pin layout from the starting edge to the pad connection on the ending edge. I soldered it, it held but wasn't pretty. Now it doesn't work, go figure.

Does anyone know of a ten MM wide strip connector that would bridge two edges that are pad connections? These are not waterproof, just thin 5050 LED strips. I want to stitch in a run of spare LED strips to fix the failed connection.

Hackentosher · October 6, 2020

I think those pads are usually a 0.1" pin pitch so you could solder on some normal 0.1" pin headers to make the connection, but those don't bend well so I usually bridge the connection with some 18awg wire.

Beef Boss · October 6, 2020

Hmmm okay, interesting. I didn't really want to go soldering this as they're already installed, and they don't stick again when taken down.

I think I'm at a loss of trying to get what I really wanted, but this kit on Amazon seems promising. I'm thinking maybe those wires will just clasp around the strip. That section won't have any light then but it'll still illuminate ~16 foot

https://www.amazon.com/Strip-Connector-Solderless-Accessories-Provides/dp/B07RG6T1FV

Hackentosher · October 6, 2020

..but...how? The point of solder pads is to solder to them. That's why the kit you linked comes with little sets of pins for soldering the strips together. You can't get a very solid and sturdy connection by clamping to solder pads, that's why you solder to them.

mariushm · October 6, 2020

If you somehow damaged the pads, you can just scrape the silkscreen/paint off and solder the wires there ... you can see in your picture the four thick traces under the paint :

I keep telling everyone that LIQUID FLUX helps a lot soldering things... add a drop on the pads before bringing the solder in...

solder usually has some flux inside it, but often it's not enough, especially when using cheap irons that are too hot and burn the flux before it gets a chance to attack the surfaces and clean the oxides giving the solder a good chemical connection.

Also, some led strips are made out of segments, where there's a v-score (a groove on the pads) so you can cut the strip there... there may be scoring at every 3 leds or 5-10 leds