tips or tricks for leaping arches led strips?

[raymondclow]

First of all thank you for anybody that stops by to give me some ideas or insight on what i can do with an issue i am having right now, I am using an led strip cut in half to make two arches, this year i bought another strip to make two more arches. Everything was running well until yesterday i notice some flickering and one completely out, after breaking my head trying to figure out the issue i noticed that at the end of each strip, the constant bending started to mess up the inside of the strip, i had to cut and solder the pigtails again to make it work. Is there a way to keep them from bending to the point they start to break? I 3d printed a model someone posted to use at the end of the strip but it doesnt fit with the ray wu pigtails, this model is more for the original connectors they come with. Any thoughts? thanks.

 

[franky_888]

Do you have any photos of how it looks at the moment?

The ends of the strip are always going to be fragile. You're best to try and secure them down to something firmly (but not too tight). The pigtail itself can move about but the threshold where you solder it onto the strip needs support. Can you cable tie an off cut of some plastic/coreflute for to help secure it?

The strip I have trouble 'protecting' is the stuff cable tied to conduit, I've put silicone/heatshrink in/around the threshold and shrunk the heatshrink down, it helps, but I still have to be careful with it.

Example below from a few years back. The loops at the edges here are all siliconed/tied down, but I still managed to bump one last year and break one of the legs

 

[Skymaster]

Off topic- your dog looks amazingly comfortable there on the lights @franky_888 - probably thinking "look at my glowing ears!"

 

[raymondclow]

Do you have any photos of how it looks at the moment?

The ends of the strip are always going to be fragile. You're best to try and secure them down to something firmly (but not too tight). The pigtail itself can move about but the threshold where you solder it onto the strip needs support. Can you cable tie an off cut of some plastic/coreflute for to help secure it?

The strip I have trouble 'protecting' is the stuff cable tied to conduit, I've put silicone/heatshrink in/around the threshold and shrunk the heatshrink down, it helps, but I still have to be careful with it.

Example below from a few years back. The loops at the edges here are all siliconed/tied down, but I still managed to bump one last year and break one of the legs

View attachment 21853

thank you for some ideas, i see how using zip ties can be problematic when trying to keep them still, I've seen a lot of 3d prints for strips to attach to pvc like yours. In my case, i think next year i am going to prep the strip ends better, i do have them solder then hot glue then shrink tubing, but like you mentioned, i need to put more support at the end to prevent them from cracking or ripping off.

 

[Indigogyre]

So, there are several different 3d models out there to try and keep the strip and connector strait. here is one I used due to it being thin and was able to go into the tubing and my arch base.

LED Strip Arch Clip by ShinyObjects

Low profile clip for LED strip arches. They are 18 mm wide with notches for the zip ties to fit inside 1" PEX.

www.thingiverse.com

I kept having the hardest time with strips I cut and soldered pigtails onto. This year I moved to pre finished strips from Wally's Lights just to get a factory end on both sides. last year I made 4 arches and 2 had the same exact problem by the time they were put out.

12v Pixel Strip 60 LED/m 2.5m ~8' Length in Sleeve with xConnect Pigtails

Pixel Strips with 60 LEDs per Meter with xConnect Pigtails The Color order for these in xlights is BRG In xlights these are 50 Nodes. Each node drives 3 LEDs. Silicone Filled Sleeve for Water Resistant These are used for the 9' arches which is most common 2.5 Meter Lengths ~8' 2" Length...

wallyslights.com

 

[raymondclow]

So, there are several different 3d models out there to try and keep the strip and connector strait. here is one I used due to it being thin and was able to go into the tubing and my arch base.

LED Strip Arch Clip by ShinyObjects

Low profile clip for LED strip arches. They are 18 mm wide with notches for the zip ties to fit inside 1" PEX.

www.thingiverse.com

I kept having the hardest time with strips I cut and soldered pigtails onto. This year I moved to pre finished strips from Wally's Lights just to get a factory end on both sides. last year I made 4 arches and 2 had the same exact problem by the time they were put out.

12v Pixel Strip 60 LED/m 2.5m ~8' Length in Sleeve with xConnect Pigtails

Pixel Strips with 60 LEDs per Meter with xConnect Pigtails The Color order for these in xlights is BRG In xlights these are 50 Nodes. Each node drives 3 LEDs. Silicone Filled Sleeve for Water Resistant These are used for the 9' arches which is most common 2.5 Meter Lengths ~8' 2" Length...

wallyslights.com

You know I've seen that 3d model before but i ended up printing a different one which didn't work for mine, and i feel I'm in the same situation as you were, after cutting and soldering everything, once i put them out two out of the four arches lit up, i then had to twist and pull one end to make it work temporarily, i looked into the strips you are talking about and looks like a good idea to keep from messing with these strips every year, how do you like them? I really like the whole DIY but if this is going to be happening every year then i rather just get those strips if that's going to save me problems down the road.

 

[Indigogyre]

You know I've seen that 3d model before but i ended up printing a different one which didn't work for mine, and i feel I'm in the same situation as you were, after cutting and soldering everything, once i put them out two out of the four arches lit up, i then had to twist and pull one end to make it work temporarily, i looked into the strips you are talking about and looks like a good idea to keep from messing with these strips every year, how do you like them? I really like the whole DIY but if this is going to be happening every year then i rather just get those strips if that's going to save me problems down the road.

Well, I liked the model it kept things strait and worked how I needed it to work. In the long run I went searching for an led strip that was pre-made and found it at Wally's Lights. They come factory just slightly longer but still fit in with my old materials so I remade 2 of my failed arches with the new strips. They worked perfectly even though the pex tubing could have been a little longer.

Now, having said that I'm seriously thinking of getting rid of the PEX arches. They look great but are limited to the effects they can produce. I'm 95% sure to be switching to pixel based multi-arches for next year. You can get more effects with them in my opinion.

 

[TerryK]

Not sure if of any use with strip arches but; I stumbled across these the other day. BTF Lighting on Amazon; several styles: 90s, straights and pigtails.

https://www.amazon.com/BTF-LIGHTING-solderless-Connector-ws2812b-Soldering/dp/B01NASHQPO/ref=sr_1_39?crid=61KH7Y6RZUQE&keywords=btf%2Blighting&qid=1673390403&sprefix=%2Caps%2C69&sr=8-39&th=1

 

[scamper]

I could see this was going to be a problem the first time I used strips years ago. I basically made sure the joint was as secure as I could, then I would get some heat shrink and put over the joint, fill the heat shrink with silicone (neutral cure) Then heat it to shrink.
In all the years I have been using them I have not had any failures.
I am still very careful when handling them and when i mounted them I took into account that they would expand and contract with temperature so never pulled them tight when cable tying them so they had room to move.

 

[HertzSwift]

I do the same as scamper and I've had no failures in my arches. It's important not to put tension on the soldered joint. You need tension so that the strip lays flat inside the tube so it has a more uniform glow to it, reinforce and secure the strip, but also the pig tail. I 3D printed something very similar to what ratmondclow posted, 3/4 of it's length secures the strip the other 1/4 secures the pig tail

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