How to make LED backlight

LED backlight does not just look spectacular, it literally transforms the interior, giving it originality and chic. In addition, you can hold an LED tape not only in the ceiling structure, it can be framed with the head of the bed or a niche in the wall, decorate the podium or illuminate the wardrobe. The backlight of this type has a wide color gamut, and also uses the minimum amount of electricity. In this article we will tell you how to make an LED ribbon with your own hands and how to install it.

What is LED strip, and how to make it yourself

LED strip is a soft flexible strip made of transparent plastic. Inside such a strip, at an equal distance from each other, the LEDs are placed. The brightness of the backlight directly depends on how many such diodes are contained in the tape. The number of diodes can vary within the limits of 30-240 pieces per 1 m of band.

The dimensions of the standard LED strip are as follows: its width is from 8 to 10 mm, and the height varies between 2 and 3 mm. The tapes are distinguished not only by brightness, but also by the color of the glow. In addition to monochrome and colored ribbons, there are also those that can change the shade of the rays during use.

LEDs are powered by direct current, the voltage value for such illumination is usually 12 V, occasionally 24 V. In order to convert the alternating current to 220 V, during the installation it is necessary to connect the power supply for the LED strip. In addition to the converting unit, during the similar backlighting, it is also necessary to install controllers that will be responsible for changing the brightness of the beams and the color of the backlight. To use the controllers was more convenient, they can be equipped with a control panel.

The installation of the LED tape is not difficult, because on one side of the plastic strip is glued. Since the tape itself is light in weight, the glue is sufficient to ensure that it is securely attached to the surface.

Sometimes LED lighting is used to decorate bathrooms, saunas or other rooms where constant humidity is present. For such cases manufacturers produce special waterproof tape. As a rule, these products are marked with IP 30 or IP 65.

With the LED backlight, it is possible to consider not only the simplicity of its installation and the variety of shades, but also environmental safety, because LED strips in their composition do not have mercury, which is an obligatory component of energy-saving lamps.

A tape of this type can be bought ready-made, and you can make it yourself. On how to solder the LED strip, we will discuss further. First, we'll look at the list of necessary materials. Here's what you need to work:

• sheet getinax;
• enamelled wire;
• LEDs with a voltage of 3 V and an illumination angle of 20-30 °;
• rosin and solder;
• green plastic bottle;
• building hair dryer;
• colorless shrink tube.

The process of manufacturing LED strip by one's own hands is as follows:

1. Place the Getinax sheets on the worktable and cut them into strips about 1 cm wide.
2. Cut the neck and the bottom of the plastic bottle, and then cut the case to make a flat plastic sheet. From this sheet, also cut strips 1 cm wide.
3. In the stripes of Getinax, make holes at equal distances from each other. These holes are intended for fastening LEDs, whose diameter is 5 mm. On the strip length of 0.5 m there will be 16 LEDs.
4. Insert the light-emitting diodes into the received holes, and then solder 4 diodes into one circuit, which will be rated for 12 V voltage.
5. Using an enameled wire, weld all the chains in one common circuit.
6. When this work is done, be sure to check the LEDs for service by connecting them to a 12-volt voltage.
7. If all the bulbs are on, you can put a layer of green plastic on the strip and put a heat shrink tube on it.
8. With hot air from a construction hair dryer, reheat the tube until it shrinks due to the heat.

As a result of the work done, you should get an LED strip with a green glow.

Features of lighting suspended ceilings

LED lighting is most often used to decorate suspended ceilings. There are 4 main ways of installing a tape on such a ceiling:

1. Contour diffused illumination involves placing an LED tape on a special shelf. In this case, the rays of the diodes are directed upwards, as a result, a continuous band of light forms on the ceiling.
2. Directional illumination means that the tape is installed on a slope, and the light from the diodes is directed along the ceiling surface. The effect of such illumination will be the rays diverging in different directions.
3. Spot lights are made in such a way that individual LEDs are located on the surface of the ceiling one by one, as a result, creates the effect of the so-called starry sky. It is quite difficult to make a highlight of this type, so it's advisable to ask specialists for help.
4. Figurative lighting assumes that the LEDs are placed in small-sized ceiling lamps, which are then installed on the ceiling. Such lighting is also difficult to do by oneself, without technical knowledge and practical skills.

LED strip, photo:

Arrangement of contour and directional illumination by one's own hands

Having decided to decorate the suspended ceiling with LED strips, you should first choose the appropriate option. Let us consider in detail what subtleties are desirable to consider when buying an LED strip:

1. First you need to determine the color of the tape. If you decide not to do the lighting yourself and buy ready, then better prefer RGB tape to the controller. Such a tape will enable you to change the shade of the rays and adjust their brightness. The backlight of this kind will not bore you for a long time, besides, you can always choose the color of the glow according to your mood. By the way, this tape is almost the same as its one-color counterparts.
2. The density of the emitters is another important characteristic. This indicator is different and is 30, 60 or 120 pieces per 1 m of the band. The higher the density, the brighter and brighter the light. For installation of a contour highlighting it is recommended to choose tapes with a high density of diodes, from 60 to 120 pieces. For directional illumination, this figure can be smaller and make up 30 or 60 diodes. If the niche of the suspended ceiling is large enough, install in it immediately 2 tapes with different density of radiators. Such a backlight will allow you to do a lot of interesting lighting effects.
3. The power of the LED strip should also be considered before purchasing the product. As a rule, tapes are marked with letters SMD, and also with four figures. Of these four figures, the first two and will indicate the power consumption. In addition, the power of the backlight can be found from the instructions that are attached to the product. When creating a contour highlighting the power should be about 8 W / m, for directional light this figure can be less and equal to 5 W / m.
4. The calculation of the LED strip will depend on its length, so this figure also needs to be taken into account before buying.
5. When buying an LED tape, you should also purchase a controller and power supply. When selecting these elements, pay attention to the voltage. The operating voltage of the tapes has 3 indicators: 5 V, 12 V, 24 V. Both the controller and the power supply must support the corresponding voltage.

The installation of the LED backlight is schematically shown in the picture:

During installation of the tape in the suspended ceiling design, pay attention to the following subtleties:

1. The LED strip is fixed to the surface with adhesive compound that is applied to one of its sides. On the new tape, the adhesive layer is covered with a special film that does not allow it to dry out or get dirty. Since the strip is not very reliable on the plasterboard surface and has the property of peeling off over time, it is desirable to use a special profile for the LED strip during its installation. This profile is made of polyvinyl chloride and its surface retains the tape for many years.
2. Solder the wires to the tape very carefully and with great care, because plastic, and the LEDs themselves do not tolerate high temperatures. For such work it is recommended to use flux-paste and solder POS-61, the melting point of which does not exceed 160 °.It is desirable to solder the parts with one touch. If you do not have enough experience of such work, ask for help from a master.
3. It is not recommended to connect more than 3 m of tape together, since the backlight will not stand the high voltage. It is better to connect every 3 m of tape to the controller using separate wires.
4. Pay attention to the polarity of the wires and their function.
5. If in the process of work the light-emitting diode tapes need to be divided into parts, cut them exclusively on the lines that are provided by the manufacturer. If the tape is the last one and you need a piece of a certain length, take sharp scissors or special cutters and make a cut strictly between the diodes.

LED strip design:

LED ribbon with own hands.

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