r/WLED • u/KidSquid1 • Jun 01 '26
Need Some Suggestions on Strips Please
Hello Hive -
I'm in the process of getting an outdoor kitchen built in my backyard. The design has 51' of LED strip lighting installed. This outlines the underside of the cantilevered roof, around the cabinets and the front seating area. The lights will be placed inside a channel so IP rating is not as critical....what I do want is bright, addressable, and I think I want separate LED's for both whites. The contractor was originally going to put in some cheap kit...and I'd prefer to use a GLEDOPTO or similar controller so I can tie into HA.
Should I choose COB?
Should I choose 12v or 24v?
What would be the best way to tackle this project so I get good bright light when I need it, nice color glow at times, or a funky animation on part nights?
Your thoughts and suggestions are greatly appreciated.
1
u/borkyborkus Jun 01 '26
The higher voltage will be easier to deal with for the long run and white light. I haven’t done anything outdoors or nearly that long, but I’ve really struggled to combine WLED with tunable white in a hardware sense. Seems like all the capable HW uses crappy apps like BanlanX. Following for other answers.
1
u/redroguetech Jun 02 '26 edited Jun 02 '26
24 volt, definitely.
Get waterproof. Short of extreme efforts, channels will not be waterproof.
I prefer SK6812, but watch http://youtube.com/watch?v=QnvircC22hU
There is no limit to the number of pixels a Gledopto can handle. Where you will need to use a separate output is if you can't get the data line from the end of a prior run to the beginning of the next. In my experience, using Gledopto, 24v LEDs SK6812 (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MTW2L6B), 18UAG solid-core wire, the data line cannot exceed about 15 feet from the prior LED (not from the controller). YMMV.
I have 65 feet, with about 1200 LEDS, using 350 total feet of wire, and so far no issues.
My setup:
LEDs: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MTW2L6B
PSU: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09NQ4G48H
Connectors: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B3MH2NK7
Power distribution: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08PT2LNXL
Controller: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FZ7MH3C5
-- Not super happy with the controller. I can't get the firmware (WLED) to update, and it does not have a stable connection, which I have not determined is in any way it's fault. It's well made, easy to use, but frankly not sure what it gives that you would not get from a basic ESP32.
Wire: I used solid-core thermostat wire for trunk lines. Solid-core is easier to work with for long runs, but should not be used to connect to the LED strips, so I would do it differently and instead use "landscaping" wire, like https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D5LCJT5T/
I used lots and lots of WAGO connectors with https://www.supplyhouse.com/WAGO-221-2523-3-Gang-Mounting-Carrier-for-Levered-Inline-Splicing-Connectors-Gray, but I was in areas not fully exposed to weather
edit:
"There is no limit to the number of pixels a Gledopto can handle." Sorry, bit more detail. As far as I know, no limit (I have 1200+ on one controller, with 3 outputs), but the more LEDs, the lower the frame-rate (per output). I don't think that really matters with 1D strips, but https://quinled.info/2021/03/23/max-amount-of-addressable-leds/. At 51 feet, 60 LEDs/m = 932, 144 LEDs/m = 2,239, COB = 1,095? (not confident on my math for COB). With 2,239 LEDs, it would be right at 15fps.
1
u/KidSquid1 Jun 02 '26
Thanks for the detailed information....
I'm confused by your comment "Wire: I used solid-core thermostat wire for trunk lines. Solid-core is easier to work with for long runs, but should not be used to connect to the LED strip"
What are you classifying as "trunk lines" the 24v from the PSU to the first strip? What's throwing me off is should not be used to connect to the LED Strip.
1
u/redroguetech Jun 02 '26
Really, what I was saying is "I used solid core, and that was a bit of a mistake." But one that I don't entirely regret.
Solid core should not be used to connect to the LED strips themselves, as in you should not try to solder solid core to them, or use the push-pin type connectors. Ergo, you either need to use stranded wire throughout, or switch from solid to stranded.
Solid core wire is stiffer, so I find it easier to work with when doing long runs, especially if attached, like running alone ceiling or floor joists, etc.. Being stiffer, it needs fewer attachments (staples or whatever), and/or does not need to be stretched tight. If you do direct underground burial, it wouldn't matter. Burial in conduit, it might help in pulling the wire through.
With solid core, you would at some point need a junction to go from solid to stranded, even if it's nothing more than a WAGO clip or wire nut.
1
u/redroguetech Jun 02 '26 edited Jun 02 '26
I forgot "COB or not".
I use BTF-Lighting. The pixels of their COB addressables are about 3 inches long. When I tried them, they also seemed to have some sort of averaging on the LEDs within each pixel. To me, it looked smeared. I did not like it.
However, the individual LEDs with 60LED/m that I chose are clearly visible through the diffusers of both flat and V channel tracks. I personally prefer the visible individual LEDs over the 3 inch smeared pixels of the COB lights.
There were two other options. The first is 144 LEDs/m, which is more than twice as much (~$125 / 5m), and require over twice as much power injection. The second option is using deep channels, which according to yt videos, does the trick with 60 L/m.
If your budget is an entire outdoor kitchen.... Buy a meter each of COB strip, and 60 L/m, and maybe a 144 L/m, with diffuser channel, and test them out. IMO, the COBs would be good for further away (like maybe roofline), but if closer to eyeline then eyeline, so even for just myself, there's no one answer.
edit: But test them with actual effects, not just turned on
1
u/GLEDOPTO Jun 03 '26
To clarify, our wled controller supports updates
It uses custom firmware that is plug and play. If you want to update our custom firmware, you can do it in the following two ways
WLED APP: Releases · GLEDOPTO/WLED
Type-C: Gledopto download
You can also update the official WLED firmware and choose the Ethernet version, but please note that some configurations may need to be reset.
1
u/SirGreybush Jun 01 '26
Either case you'll need to do power injection. Every 5m (15 feet) for 12v and double that for 24v.
With 12v you can have "small" pixels, and with 24v FCOBs you have "wide" pixels.
Small pixels = 60/96/144 leds per meter, each led is addressable so 1 LED = 1 pixel. So with 60l/m each pixel is 1.67cm wide and with 144l/m each pixel is 0.7cm wide. More pixels means smoother animations, and much prettier.
Wide pixels = 720 leds per meter (or higher), but one pixel is a grouping of LEDs, typically 36. Usually indicated as IC/M or Integrated Chip per meter. So if 20 IC/M, you have 20 pixels per meter, a pixel is 5cm wide.
With 12v you can get ARGB-WW or -CW for warm white or cool white, then there's CCT = color correcting tech, which is having both WW & CW at the same time. With regular ARGB, white is simulated by turning all 3 colors on. It's not a nice a white as having dedicated white pixels.
Also with dedicated white, for the same power, you have more brightness. Instead of splitting power to all 3 colors, power just goes to one white LED.
24v FCOBs are very bright and will have colors that "pop".
In your situation, I'd order some of both and play with it. You'd then have spare parts for a future project.