DIY Tutorial: Solder RGBW, RGB, and Single Color LED Strips

Jared Lichtenberg from www.ellumiglow.com lays out the process of soldering LED Strip Tape from start to finish, from wire preparation to giving helpful tips along the way.
To purchase LEDs you see from this video, please visit:
www.ellumiglow...
To purchase an RGB or RGBW Controller, please visit:
www.ellumiglow...
To purchase a great home/portable use soldering iron, please visit:
www.ellumiglow...
Our favorite wire strippers are found here:
www.amazon.com...
This is a great tool to help hold your LED strips or wire in place:
www.amazon.com...
Music used in video:
Melodiesinfonie - Chillhop Essentials - Winter 2016
chillhop.bandc...

[@pennytowner728]

I'm into a big custom job right now. Not one video out there so far to see how others did it. I decided to browse around and see what is actually out there for info. This is hands down the best basic video I have seen AND with knowledgeable responses.

[@Kevin_Reems]

You should inspect/test before applying heat shrink.

[@techguybrandon481]

Finally a short, to the point video. Thank you!

[@MAXimator70]

Best LED strip soldering Video on KZbin

[@cjlhessing]

Genuinely the best video out there on soldering to RGB strips. Why? Correct soldering methods used (Dave @EEVblog would be proud), shrink tube used, fair warning given about excessive heat damage and proper tools used. To those talking about what voltage used, if you need to ask this you need to go back to Step1, watch soldering tutorial vids on EEVblog: not a practical video like this because you aren't ready for this project if you have to ask. Watch a soldering tutorial vid, get the confidence and knowledge then tackle this project. Wire order - it doesn't matter what colour goes where as long as you use the same order everywhere. They aren't magical guardians of the wire inside, it's just colour coded insulation. What site size - buy the wire from the same place as the tape and problem solved, or ASK the people you're buying it from for advice (advice is usually free!) and get it from wherever you want. This video is excellent, straight to the point and shows great methodology.

[@joshwilliams7709]

Christopher H. I am going to respectfully have to disagree where you are telling someone if they don't know how many amps per foot etc... they shouldn't be doing this. Because depending on your voltage, lighting durability/quality. There's actually not a "one size fits all method". So I would still encourage trying it. Low voltage cant kill ya, might burn ya. Might catch something on fire if you're absolutely careless. Than I do agree wiring period isn't for that type. But I have some cheaply made rgbs on the back of my tv that with anything higher than 1amp per 6ft' over powers the small circuits and/or controller and they'll just constantly change colors. But I have a very nice run if RGBs in my kitchen that are using approx 1.6 amp per foot? So I respectfully disagree with your statement, just bc I didn't have no one teach me. So I had to learn and sometimes rge hard way i.e. ( jumping right in and doing it) now if you're saying they have no clue about amps, voltage, resistance etc than yeah, definitely go learn some more first.

[@halfdanfinehair2423]

Thank you, this is exactly the tip I needed to take my electronics projects to the next level!

[@brandonfreer6348]

Finally, a professional!!!

[@jerrym2321]

Could you please link to the multiconductor stripper. Thanks.

[@neondesertrye]

I finally understand what to do.

[@mamba109]

Really need one of those needle nose soldering things. The ones we have are like crayons, it's impossible to solder RGB wires!

[@EllumiglowPage]

Keep in mind, the thinner the tip, the longer it will need to sit on the solder pads to heat it up appropriately. A great little Soldering Iron is the "TS80", it's a super portable, well built iron with multiple tips available. We use these in the field when making soldered connections.

[@Viewfinderfx]

Great video!! Exactly what I was looking for!

[@ledlightingaccessories-led5160]

Nice work, thanks

[@pennytowner728]

For those testing shorter strand connections you can simply use a 9v battery, hold the ground and test the other positive wires individually. Unless you are doing this professionally and on a regular basis you likely don't wish to invest in the tester used in this video.

[@EllumiglowPage]

Penny Towner, thanks for your reply. Yes, in some instances a 9V will provide enough power to test your connection. However many strips today are moving to a 24V input power (from 12v) and a 9V battery may not be enough voltage to turn the strip on. Be sure to check the voltage of your LED Strip either on the packaging or the strip itself. Otherwise you will keep remaking your connection without knowing it's actually working. 😅

[@pennytowner728]

@@EllumiglowPage I never claimed you could run a long circuit off of a 9 volt, I said you can run a couple of feet that way. I am well above amateur grade and can not justify owning your tester. I can however justify a butane soldering iron. LED strips are SO creative, SO versatile that the sky is the limit, Was not your purpose to back it up to the 101? Most people involved in this are dealing with computer cases or pre-harnessed dummy pins. When they learn to solder and learn there is so much more....that is where it at!

[@EllumiglowPage]

Penny Towner agreed! You can do so much with light (which is why we love it!). That was not intended to be a slight against your skills. Only providing additional information for others reading the post. Happy glowing!

[@wrybread]

@@EllumiglowPage And many strips are 5 volt...

[@jennifercarratura4508]

I noticed tou soldered the blue to the W and the white to the B. Does that mean the order of wires doesn't matter as long as ground is black?

[@EllumiglowPage]

The white and blue cables were manufactured next to each other, so that is why this video showed the swap. There is no difference between the wires, so you can match up whatever color wires, as long as they correspond to the same way on your color controller. In good practice, matching up the colors of the wire to the color on the LED is preferred, but we did it this way in the video because it gives a tighter seal when you apply the heat shrink over the top.

[@jennifercarratura4508]

@EllumiglowPage Thank you so much for your response. I'm new to all this electric stuff but recently started making stuff that I need RGBW for. My brain hurts but you have some great and helpful info on your page. You've helped a lot!

[@kamals3582]

Any info on all the soldering tools needed to do the whole job. Any links where to buy and model of soldering iron and handling. Thanks

[@imdbtruth]

Great video! I love tinkering with my LED strips.

[@EllumiglowPage]

Imdb Truth our favorite addressable type strip is our 2814 strip (on our website it’s referred to as a Smart Pixel LED Strip) which adds an integrated White chip into the same RGB pixel, so it’s an addressable RGBW. It’s brighter, provides a nice white output when needed, a little faster than 2812’s, and has a solid PCB which helps dissipate the heat from the LED. If you have specific questions about the product, feel free to reach out via email to [e-mail]

[@imdbtruth]

@@EllumiglowPage Thanks for the reply! I gotta be honest with you though... Your Smart LED strips cost $220 for 5 meters, I'm just not sure I can justify spending 5x more money than what addressable LEDs typically cost.

[@EllumiglowPage]

@@imdbtruth We definitely understand your concern, and please understand there is a big difference between what you can get for $20 and $200 both in short and long term performance. These lights are commonly used in the retail and trade show industries because they are known to last much longer and be far more reliable than the common $20 lights you can find on Ebay. Like you mentioned, you were looking for something more commercial grade and there's a difference both in cost and quality once you step up to commercial grade products. Not to mention the added white that you can achieve with the integrated White LED makes retailers happy because they don't have to sacrifice with the blended white that is common with only RGB leds.

[@mikekazz5353]

Is there a way to use the remaining LED strips if you finished I want to build a drawing table with a built-in light box but also want to add the remaining LEDs to an arcade stick controller and probably the back of a TV. Is it possible to find another color controller or maybe another way to light them up safely?

[@Mr.Thermistor7228]

thats exactly what this video is for.... wire up the remaining light strips you have to a power source.... really not that difficult at all lol

[@d9988]

Is it possible to combine a 4 wire RGB strip with a single color 2 wire strip (so I can have a short section of a different color at the end of the strip)? If so which RGB pads would I solder the 2 wires to?

[@EllumiglowPage]

The only way to do that effectively is to solder to one of the colored pads (- Ground) and the V+. The only way the 2-wire strip would turn on is when you turn on the corresponding color. For instance, if you solder to the Red solder pad (ground) and the V+, anytime the red turns on, your 2-wire strip would turn on, but the green or blue colors wouldn't have the 2-wire strip turn on.

[@MrEinJulian]

is there a trick to avoid solder bridges ?

[@EllumiglowPage]

Hi MrEinJulian - Try to use smaller amounts of solder, and a finer soldering tip to maintain where the solder goes when making contact with the wire and LED pad to apply heat. If a solder bridge is created, desoldering wick (with flux) can be used to remove extra solder and "suck" it up into the wicking. Let us know if that helps!

[@MrBrutuss100]

If I have a single RGB LED that has wire leads RED/BLK/BLK/BLK (where red is power and each of the black leads is RGB)... how do I connect it to a system that is wired RED/GRN/BLU/BLK? (system has a controller)

[@EllumiglowPage]

Easy answer; hunt and peck. Without the colors of the cable, you're basically just guessing which color is your red ground, blue ground or green ground. So hook it up, try to select basic colors on your controller like red. If it turns red, leave that cable where it's at. If it turns green, you know you need to swap with the green wire. Keep doing that until you find the correct channels. The proper way would be to Ohm it out to see which wires go to the right channel, but unless you have a DVM (Digital Voltage Multimeter), this won't be possible.

[@esbenrasmussen4289]

What about temps and tin ratios? Are you using 60/40 and what temp is the soldering iron at?

[@gamingit1]

How can i make rgbw led strip to output only white color? I only have that at home and i want to put it behind tv but i want it to only output white light. How?

[@EllumiglowPage]

If you have a color controller (or even if you don't), you can hook up only the WHITE channel and the V+ channels. If your strip is ONLY RGB (not RGBW) and do not have a color controller, you could hook up each channel (R, G & B) to one another as the ground, and the V+ wire as the + (or red channel). This will blend all the colors and create a blended white.

[@gamingit1]

@@EllumiglowPage so on rgbw i connect only w to minus and +12 to +?

[@EllumiglowPage]

@@gamingit1 double check your strip, but most likely, yes. The strip will have a + for the voltage positive, and will likely just have the color (r, g, b, w) for the negative.

[@gamingit1]

@@EllumiglowPage thanks! I was wondering beacuse i know that on rgb led steip of i connect r,g and b to minus and +12v to V+ that it will output white light but im using rgbw for first time in my life. Thanks!

[@EllumiglowPage]

@@gamingit1 awesome! Good luck!

[@DaStampMASTA2]

if the contacts on the strips aren't labeld, should i just try and error or would that destroy something?

[@EllumiglowPage]

There is a chance you could break your LED strip if it does not have reverse polarity. Most strips do have some kind of reverse polarity protection, so it likely wouldn't damage the strip, but if you would like to take a picture of your setup and email us at [e-mail], we would be happy to help.

[@shaneh7519]

Great video for soldering, I just bought one today and soldered some connectors on for the first time and came out useable but not the cleanest haha. One question I have is why would you use a big control box like that when you can buy lights that use WiFi and you can control easily on your phone? Any benefits to that? I bought a 30 foot strip with power adapter and WiFi contrôler for 50 dollars. Then bought another WiFi controller and power adapter for the extra strip I had after the first instal

[@EllumiglowPage]

Good question! Many of the more inexpensive strips and controllers you will find are using a lower powered LED which is great for some home use applications and adding a splash of color to things. When you start getting into the higher power and higher light output strips (generally for larger installations or commercial applications), those small little WiFi controllers just can't power the strips effectively. For instance, the strip we are using in the video consumes about 23W/m, so a 5m strand is something like 115W, or around 40W per channel (or around 1.6A per channel @ 24V). That controller shown in the video can control up to 8A per channel, so it could control around 5 strips of high output RGB strips. The small little WiFi controllers you see on the market have about a 1A per channel MAX. Pushing any more through those controllers will likely blow out the controller very quickly.

[@imdbtruth]

@@EllumiglowPage Hi. Can you tell me which model of addressable LEDs you would recommend for a more professional / commercial type of project? I've been using WS2813, but I'd be interested in a more commercial version...

[@willsmartlightkit4689]

You should turn off closed captioning can't see you tending the copper strips and that's probably the most important thing people need to see. I'm out for entertainment tonight looking for what not to do with LED strips and I can't included you in the blooper reel. you're video will however scare many people away. But they're in competent anyway. you know the kind of people who spent an amazing amount of time trying to do things half-assed instead of just doing it right the first time. You are doing it right you know this. thumbs up

[@willsmartlightkit4689]

Btw you didn't use your extra/helping hands

[@willsmartlightkit4689]

You didn't use flux either

[@JohnTheMexicanic]

I bought a Wal-Mart solder but it takes a bit long to heat up the wires. What solder gun do you recommend? Not to expensive either. At least under $30. Since I'll only be using the solder gun for led strips and airsoft.

[@EllumiglowPage]

Unfortunately good AND inexpensive aren't very common among soldering irons. We've found that the more you spend better they perform. However that being said, try to find a soldering iron with at least 60W of power. 30-40W soldering irons tend to take a long time to heat up and under perform.

[@fishtailfred8686]

www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-soldering-irons/ Wow..a Metcal Iron! Sign of a true professional! Don't be afraid to put some water on that sponge and tin your tip.. looks like a rat has been chewing on it.

[@arboldechorizos]

If I manage to solder all of the wires to the rgb strip WITHOUT a controller, would I get a white light? (100% R 100% G 100% B). Thanks!

[@EllumiglowPage]

Generally speaking, yes. A color controller can hone in a bit more of the color you want, but adding the RGB lines together would create a white. R&G lines would create a yellow/orange, R&B would create a purple/pink, G&B would create a teal.

[@arboldechorizos]

@@EllumiglowPage Thx! Will try

[@luissan5764]

Would I be possible at all to connect a 4 pin to a three pin LED. I have 2 sets of led strips one has 4 pins that came with a remote controlled mini motherboard that connects to USB. The other led strip has 3 pins and use to be controlled via phone app through a wall pluged wireless control that has been damaged but the 3 PIN LED strip is of higher quality and still works. I want to keep the three pin but was wondering if it was possible to connect to the remote controlled motherboard to it.

[@EllumiglowPage]

Hi Luis, It would be difficult to tell if it would work or not without knowing what type of strip each one was. It sounds like the 3-pin is a WS2811 type strip that each pixel is individually addressable and will allow the product to send through patterns. Does that sound right? If so, is the 4-pin LED the same, or is it a more common RGB strip where the whole strip changes at the same time? If they react different (one is individual, one is the whole strip), it won't work by changing the controllers. However if they both are individually addressable, then it's "possible" that the controller could make either strip work.

[@luissan5764]

@@EllumiglowPage I don't know about the type of strip each is because theirs no labeling on them but on the three pin the copper solder points have words 12V, Din, and GND from top to bottom, and the motherboard has +COM, and the letters B, G, and R from top to bottom which I assume are RGB. The 4 pin use to be lit by the control and would lite up the whole strip. The three pin was individually controlled by the app allowing more colors to be displayed and the LED was much brighter. That's why I want to see if it could be used with the motherboard. I know for a fact the motherboard can control and light the 4 pin as I have solder tested it but I don't know what those three words mean +COM, Din, and GND so I'm not risking soldering anything to them without knowing what they mean.

[@EllumiglowPage]

@@luissan5764 those two strips are not going to be compatible. The 12V (+), Din (Data In), and GND (Ground) signify an LED with an integrated IC, meaning each strip is individually addressable. Your motherboard on the other hand is a more common RGB controller which controls all the pixels and won't control the pixels individually (and likely won't even turn on any of the LEDs properly, if at all). The +COM is simply your (+), and the BGR are for blue, green, and red ground pins. If you check out our Smart Pixel Bluetooth Controlled Module, it should work with your 3-Pin setup as it will talk to many different types of 3-pin LED strips.

[@luissan5764]

@@EllumiglowPage @Ellumiglow Thank you very much for the help. I would very much look into getting your guys Pixel controller.

[@fluked1576]

Is it possible to put rgb leds on a single color led mechanical keyboard?

[@EllumiglowPage]

It's possible, but you would need some way to control the color values of the LED strip. If you did that, the Auralux Micro FIne Density Smart Pixel RGB LEDs are probably the best, since they are about 1/4 the size of a normal RGB LED.

[@fluked1576]

@@EllumiglowPage and how could i control these values? a pcb or something? an arduino? I have 50 bucks that could go to it.

[@jcordova0121]

Is it possible to soldering a RGB LED strip to a single color LED strip.

[@EllumiglowPage]

Hi there! Yes - this is possible, but first we need to know what you're hoping to accomplish. If you're wanting to use just one of the colors of the RGB strip alongside your single color strip, just solder the common "+" on the RGB LED strip to the + on the single color strip, and connect the desired color from the RGB strip to the "-" terminal on your single color strip. The inverse is true if you're hoping to use a single color strip with a RGB LED Strip wired to an RGB controller. The color on the controller will also illuminate the single color strip, based on where the negative wire is soldered to connecting from the RGB led strip to the single color strip. Let us know if you have any other questions! - Team EG

[@yordancarreno5806]

Ellumiglow I have been asking several people and pages and you replied by far the best answer thank you ! I have a project using multiple rgb led strips/ white led strips , and want to use the same rgb remote , power supple , I will have multiple curves (not bends) and using similar led strips as you used here as a prototype , if all goes well I will be purchasing led neon from Ellumiglow!(:

[@EllumiglowPage]

@@yordancarreno5806 Great! Thank you for your reply. If you would like to share your project with us in greater detail, we are happy to help plan out the power and products to use. Should you have any other questions, please contact us at [e-mail].

[@pennytowner728]

RGB stands for red, green, blue and with have the 4th line as your ground. White appears on an rgb line when all 3 are powered equally. To tie in a single strand white, r,g & b wires should come in to the single positive line of your 2 strand white. The white will faintly glow at most times and glow full white when you select white for your rgb line. Think of it in terms of mixing primary colors of paint and pretend that green is yellow. The colors don't care how you wire them it is simply a matter of when they receive power. You can mix and match your wires the same as you can mix paint. If you want your single wire to go on full power when your rgb is purple, bring your r and b lines into the positive of the white single. Remember when you do this, if you run your rgb as red only or blue only your white single will only be receiving half of the power and will appear dimmer. I am using the word power incorrectly, it is about frequency but I'm trying to keep it simple.

[@TheRizzee]

Can u tell me the diameter of the led and the diameter of heat shrink u used

[@JustinMetras]

LED's have all different widths of the circuit board they are on. In most instances, they are between 8mm and 12mm wide, so you need a heat shrink tubing that is at least 12mm (~0.5") DIA for best results. Keep in mind, getting a diameter that's too big will not shrink enough. The goal is to have a tubing that barely slides over the circuit and wires, so it makes a nice firm seal once heated.

[@TheRizzee]

So if i have 10mm led strip is 12mm HS dia is fine? Or 10mm as u said tight fit

[@JustinMetras]

@@TheRizzee assuming it will make a tight fit when shrunk, it sounds like that would work.

[@firpofutbol]

Two things were not discussed. What size solder (diameter) and what gauge wire would you recommend?

[@EllumiglowPage]

Typically the wire gauge we use often is a braided 18AWG wire. It's a good blend of flexible and conductive. For solder diameter, typically the thinner the better. Generally

[@firpofutbol]

@@EllumiglowPage Now I know what to order. Thank you!

[@Mr.Thermistor7228]

@@firpofutbol solid core wire is superior imho

[@RicardoGarcia-104]

What is a good temp to start at ?

[@EllumiglowPage]

You might try around 300C. If your environment is colder, maybe 350-400C could be OK, but the hotter the soldering temp, the quicker you will need to be. Keeping a hot iron on the LED strip for too long can also melt the contacts.

[@kimbybean001]

I would have tested, prior to heat shrinking, but nice video. Thanks!

[@EllumiglowPage]

You're not wrong. We did it this way to show best practices so people don't accidentally shock themselves touching bare wires.

[@shellderp]

the solderless connectors are near useless, the connection is really flaky

[@joshwilliams7709]

I agree, absolutely terrible actually. Almost guaranteed that one color will not work, if not multiple.

[@Matthewsulivan1010]

Tried to solder today for the first time and it didnt went well...for some reason i cant put soler wire on neither led strip and wire... Solder wire just gets stuck to the solder tool head... What am i doing wrong?

[@EllumiglowPage]

When soldering, your surface that you are soldering to (in this case the LED strip) should be the same temperature in order for the solder to "flow" from the tip to the strip. The solder pads on the LED strip are highly conductive, so you shouldn't have to place your soldering iron there for very long, in order for the solder to flow to the pads. However making sure your solder tip is clean is a big help. Take a wet sponge and rub the hot tip in the sponge to help clean it of burnt solder and flux. You'll notice it steams up and cleans the tip, then try doing it again. It's best to use a 3rd hand tool to help hold the LED strip in place, so you can use one hand with the solder, and the other with the soldering iron. Hope this helps!

[@extirpatebabel]

Dip your soldering iron tip on a soldering paste. It will stick and much faster too.

[@DJ_H]

Is there a specific wire that I need to purchase

[@EllumiglowPage]

Dj Harmon there are a number of wires that will work, typically finding a 20-22 AWG wire will be easiest to solder to. 18 AWG and larger tend to be difficult to work with.

[@electricalsmokealarmsandmo1564]

Thank you. I am going to be using this on RGB circuit boards on a lightshow tree that the wires are broken.

[@jhonnynascimento9685]

great video .. what type of wire do you use ?

[@EllumiglowPage]

For standard RGB Lighting, we typically use a high grade 4-conductor In-wall rated wire, shown here; www.ellumiglow.com/led-lights/led-accessories/18awg-low-voltage-4-conductor-led-cable-jacketed-in-wall-ul-cul-class-2

[@dfgoijoi]

where can I find that multichannel LED controller ? thanks a lot

[@EllumiglowPage]

Hi, please visit the link in the video description to purchase that controller.

[@dfgoijoi]

​@@EllumiglowPage thanks . your website is cool and it has really cool products. i have solved my problem in another way though. with a wifi controller controlled by app that connects directly to the strip. I needed a RGB+WW+CW multichannel thing that I couldnt find on your wesite (I might be badly wrong) are you ever going to make a Auralux RGB LED Knob Dimmer with 5 output (RGBWWCW) ? that would be awesome.

[@EllumiglowPage]

@@dfgoijoi That's a great idea. I don't know if we have that one planned for 2020, but it would be really nice to have that kind of control over all colors and white pixels.

[@johnhopkins6260]

What power (W) or temperature setting for soldering iron?

[@EllumiglowPage]

If you have a fixed temperature soldering iron, we'd recommend a 60W or above. Typically the 40W irons do not provide enough heat. The general rule of thumb is to have the temp at the lowest temperature that the solder flows (melts), so you don't damage the copper strips. However we find that temperatures around 4-500° will be best for most solders and LED strips. Note that lead free solder will have a higher melting point.

[@cieuxAI]

Hi Jared. Some of the most important visuals are blocked by your cc. Turn captions off even a deaf person need only see this video audio is unnecessary.

[@EllumiglowPage]

If you click the CC button on the bottom right of the screen, it will turn off captions. Thanks!

[@kitten-whisperer]

This guy looks like Tyler from Music is Win but with lights instead of guitar.

[@Bratmonsta]

is there something wrong with the sound? its like he is under water. :o/ I cant understand anything he says

[@sanjith0776]

i love how i am watching this and not have any of the items needed

[@craigduthie167]

You really don't need most of the things he's using. For a fraction of the price you can do this whole thing using arduino, any old 12v supply you find lying around in the house, a razor blade to strip the wires (and soldering iron, solder, and some old wires of course). And maybe a mosfet or two to act as the switches to power the leds from the power supply. This oke has stacks of expensive tools which make life easier, but are totally not necessary for this sort of project

[@kennmossman8701]

yep that is true solderless connectors are crap

[@kennmossman8701]

WAIT!!!! you have a BLACK wire for POSITIVE, BLUE(>) for WHITE, and WHITE wire for the BLUE????????? LAMAO ARe you colour blind?

[@edwrd1990]

He did that on purpose because of the way the cable is manufactured. Just remember what colors you used on what.

[@mohanamurali4152]

H