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How to cut the LED Strips into smaller segments?
I'm trying to build a small light panel, and am wanting to cut the LED strip into smaller segments. However, I am wanting to cut at every soldered joint for the build. I'm wondering if it's possible to do so without needing to desolder the joint and if just plain cutting will make it hard to resolder those ends with wires for the end product.
While most of the LED strip cut lines do not have any solder on them, the LED strip reels are assembled in approximately 19.6 inches (50 cm) sections at the factory, and these cut lines will have solder on them.
Directly cutting through the solder is certainly an option and will not affect the reliability or longevity of the product. You will likely want to ensure that the scissors or knife that you use are sufficiently sharp, and as always, please be sure to exercise caution when cutting.
The solder can then be re-used to connect wires and other accessories. If using our solderless connectors, the solder will prevent the LED strips from sliding into the connectors, so we would recommend avoiding this cut-line altogether.
I keep getting confused by series and parallel wiring methods for LED strips, so I have come up with a wiring diagram that I'd like to run by you.
I have attached the diagram below, and it is one Hybrid tape reel split into 10 x 50cm sections that are cut at the soldered points. From what I have gathered from your website, it is still a parallel circuit, even though it appears to be a series circuit with daisy-chained soldered points. It looks like the easiest and most effective way to connect the small strips so far, so please let me know if this is actually very wrong!
We have indeed confirmed that this is what we would call a "series" wiring configuration, though as you correctly mention, the LED sections are still wired in parallel from an electrical circuitry standpoint.
This is the exact wiring configuration that comes to mind when one suggests connecting 10 x 50 cm hybrid LED strip sections, in "series." We do not foresee any issues with this configuration and I think you are good to go!
As we had discussed before, unfortunately, the 50 cm sections will overlap exactly with the pre-soldered ends, so you will need to cut through the solder and solder those wires onto those sections.
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LED strip lights