LED light installation

[rhino01]

I have just purchased some LED lights off eBay - 12v and about 3 metres in length. They came with no installation kit / instructions. It has only 2 exposed wires on each end that's it. I want to run the LED lights under the gunnels of my boat. Has anyone got any suggestions re: installing.

[mattij2005]

Have you got a pic of them?

What do you want to know? How to wire them or how to install them?

Installing them i'd just say use a real good double sided tape or a glue gun to glue them up under the gunnel, as for wiring well if it's that's i can help i'm an electrician but no point goin into a long description if you already know how ot install them.

[rhino01]

I should of said wiring them - installation is easy come with double sided tape on the back

[sooty_mad]

I don't know the correct terminology (help from the sparkies out there) but I do know that those strip LEDs are "live" sensitive. If they don't work when wired up, swap the wires over and they will. Kind regards... David

[mattij2005]

okay well, wiring them. Easy, well sort of anyway. I assume you have a switch panel on your boat already with a spare switch. All you need to do is find some tinned copper cable from the local boat store, ie BCF or the like, Twin 1mm should be heaps. Twin meaning black and red cores inside an outer sheath (black grey etc).
Have a look behind the switch panel somewhere for the negative bar (you'll see all a bunch of black cables in a copper bar), find a spare spot in that and that's where the negative goes. On the panel you'll need to find which terminal is switched, on mine i have three terminals per switch, (normally open, normally closed and a hard or constant active), you'll need to find which terminal is live (or has power) when you turn the switch on. That's where the red will go.
As for the LED strip there should be labling for positive and negative on it somewhere, if not then it shouldn't be polarity concious (doesn't matter which way you hook it up).
I solder and heat shrink all my gear which i would suggest you do as well if you can. If not terminal crimps are ok barely i reckon.
I also run all my cables in black flexible conduit just to keep it up out of the way and safe.
Hope this helps mate. Any questions mate either pm me or put it up on here.

Cheers

Matt

[CCDrifter]

Also just another tip. If you use the double sided tape supplied with the LED strip light, I would add some selastic or silicon at intervals along the strip as I find normally the double sided tape does not last long....

Nathan

[oldboot]

If you are looking for a good DS tape..Scotch VHB is the go, that is what come supplied with the toll transponders... just a bit difficult to get in less than roll quantities.

Tessa also do some serious DS tapes

As for getting light tinned copper twin...good luck..most of the marine shops only stock 4mm marine which is arround 1.8mm2.
If I could get some .75mm2 tinned double insulated twin I would buy a roll... but havn't seen any

Sometimes ya just have to go untinned......with the wires as light as will be fitted to the LED modules you will have no option but to solder...too light to crimp.
Adhesive lined heat shring is the go.

we've had the crimp V solder thing a while ago..so we wont go there.

Oh with any of the DS tapes....make sure you agressivly solvent wipe both surfaces first and let them dry propelry..and don't use turps it has oil in it.

cheers

[scuttlebutt]

I've got similar LED strips on my boat. Oldboot has a good point. I cleaned the boat surface thoroughly with acetone before sticking on the strip and it's holding on nicely.

[Axl]

Hi rhino01 have a look at this thread mate.

http://www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/showthread.php?t=160472

I brought myself some off these of ebay 5 of 700mm long after talking with the guys but I havent got around to installing them as yet.

[sooty_mad]

I used the LED strips like the picture below. These fit very tightly into a plastic U channel that you can buy at Bunnings as a tile or carpet edge. I Sikaflexd the U channel to the boat and just pushed the LED lights into the channel for easy removal in the future if required.
Kind regards... David

[rhino01]

Picture of the lights I purchased below - as u can see just has 2 bare wires at the end of each section.....

http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/1/3/9/4/8/5/4/webimg/379654919_o.jpg

[mattij2005]

I'd just double side tape them in with some sika rhino you should never have to remove them so i wouldn't worry about that. as for wiring them the cable colour are different but i don't think they are polarity concious if they are it'll say it somewhere. Good luck mate, put some picks up when you're finished hey. I'm currently doin a reno on mine and if they work as good as they look they should i'll buy a set.