What's the problem with cheap LED strips?
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- Опубликовано: 4 июн 2024
- LED strips aren't created equal. We explore a major difference which could rob you of half the light output and make your installation less reliable.
The problem is caused by two issues - voltage drop with distance along the LED tape and how the current is controlled within the LED chains.
The cheap LED tape has lightweight copper tracks which cause a voltage drop, so LEDs further down the LED strip don't receive the same amount of voltage as the ones at the start.
Combine voltage drop with the simple current regulation of the LEDs using resistors and you'll see how the light between the start of the LED strip and the end is vastly different.
Premium LED strip, such as the Osram LEDflex we use in our videos, has more copper in the PCB tracks and uses linear constant current regulators to ensure a constant current flow in the LED chains.
Quite a technical video, but essential viewing for anyone designing and installing LED strip.
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00:00 Cheap LED strip
00:40 Constant voltage and current regulated LED tape
01:20 Measuring the light output of low cost LED strip
02:20 What happens when voltage input drops.
03:35 Light out at the end of a low cost LED strip
04:15 Circuit configuration of low cost LED strip
05:30 The problem!
06:15 Current regulated LED strip
07:10 Measuring the light output of current regulated LED strip
09:00 Circuit configuration of current regulated LED strip
09:45 Comparing voltage drop of cheap LED tape with Osram LED flex
******
== AD ======================================
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LED tape, drivers and connectors used in this series has been supplied by Osram.
Available in the UK from Penn Elcom
www.penn-elcom.com/default.as...
and RS Components
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Benchtop power supply similar to the one used in this video
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Presented by.
Gary Hayers - technical editor eFIXX
Gordon Routledge - technology editor eFIXX
#efixx #lighting #ledstrip 
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To get over the voltage drop problem connect the positive to one end and the negative to the other this makes the same length to each led and the same brightness.
This is why long strips need to be powered in parallel at regular intervals along their length. Also, a linear regulator drops the excess supply voltage as heat, so not only is it a waste of electricity but also the heat is not good for the longevity of the strip.
Gaz, the unraveling of the LED strip was expertly done...Gordon seems to know a bit about LED strip too.
🤣 (great work Gaz)
Put the positive at one end of the tape, negative at the other. Use DVM to measure voltage at one end of strip. Adjust for 12v. This will balance the voltage drop across the strip -- as the negative drops the postive increases and visa versa.
Fantastic demo guys
Great video as always GAZ, these LED videos are awesome. The future of lighting. Would be cool to see a video on the newer RGBW. Learning alot from these man, NICE ONE
Interesting video. 👍
After fitting them to customers kitchen cupboards the remainder looks great inside the back of your van, i just popped out the standard bulb in my Transit & soldered the LED strip to the light fitting, i can now see where i put my 20mm gromits.
Interesting video proving what I learnt the hard way - cheap LED tape breaks quickly and flickers in use. I had to change from cheap to dear for a good customer at my expense after only a few weeks 🤬
What brands do you class as not cheap?
Obviously OSRAM as per the video, but what others are good?
You pomes love to ring main everything else. Just ring main the strip and voila no more volt drop. Job and knock. 😀🤙
Could you not feed from both ends to avoid the volt drop ??
yes that is another option.
I’d expect a 24v Osram one to be superior but not exactly a fair test imo.
I’ve had a 5m £6.99 strip under my kitchen plinth for a good 7 years now and it’s still going strong and I can’t tell any difference in lux levels looking at it (I haven’t measured volt drop). I’ve got a branded one else where and it’s no different.
Interesting experiment though.
Thanks for the feedback... great points 👍
I installed some Rgb Govee led tape at home in 2 rooms. After a month or so I found failed lamps in 2 or 3 different places. So frustrating
Thanks for the update 👍
1533 lux at the start Gary at 12V. 1300+ at 11.5V.
Ansell LED tape all the time for me.
While what you have demonstrated is correct and one should perhaps stay away from really cheap LED strips, it is also the case that power needs to be applied at the end of the strip also and sometimes in the middle too.
That would be a work around for cheap LED strip. However, quality LED strip with current regulators or heavy gauge copper tracks shouldn’t need a work around.
was this filmed on mars? everything is looking a bit redder than normal.
New workshop set up - we are working on the colour issues
I only fit AllLED. Ain't cheap but it is far superior, and can be used up to 10m from one driver.
Test some of our's Gordon, I have been involved in quality MFR for a long time and know the difference better than most. Most of what is on the ethernet is garbage. Issue I have is also some are stocking ultra thin PCB poor quality strip. 24VDC is better, coupled to high copper grade PCB strip with quality encapuslated diodes.
You'd be LED astray wasting money on cheap strip/tape...
🤣
more longer, more resistance. not fair for test.