The sections are already in separate lengths, so no need to cut the rail.
This form of installation is often used where the two strips are well separated, so two separate supplies is more convenient than running power between the two parts. It does have a poor reputation and that’s where the recommendation not to use separate power supplies might be coming from, but it is the long run of the data connection that is the problem, not the separate power supplies. So it should only be done where the data connection can be kept to a reasonable length.
Each to his own Jeff.
But it is not the data connection that is the problem as it is very low current. It is the voltage drop over the relatively small power tracks in the LED string. One length is usually OK but it is when you start extending with extra lengths that the far LEDs become noticeably dimmer with the lower voltage. The idea is to bypass this smaller track with larger wire thus breaking up the track into smaller effective bits.
True with very long runs there may be some issue with the data line as with any data connection. I think the clue here is to run this LED data at the lower speed. There will probably be some sort of absolute limit though as with any data run but i think that would be a lot of LEDs.
I don’t recall seeing anything published on any such limit but I daresay someone might know.
Cheers Bob
Does it make a difference if I connect both to the power supply and not in series?
It will be easier to connect them individually to the power supply than link them and then connect it as one strip to the power supply.
Hi
One thing I failed to mention (I thought you might know).
The data line has some little arrows printed on the strip. That is the direction of the data signal. They MUST point in the correct direction.
Cheers Bob
Hi
I don’t there is anything like “GOOD” “BUDGET” soldering iron kit. If you plan on continuing your experimenting in this electronics field my advice would be to get a reasonably good temperature controlled unit in the first place. You could save a lot of spoiled jobs, frustration and disappointment. The Hakko is a good choice but may seem expensive. But not in the long term.
Then learn how to use it. There have been lots of Forum discussions and videos on the subject.
Cheers Bob
To be honest I’m not going head in , in the electronics field.
I tend to make a lot of projects out of stone since that’s my profession and more than often it includes led lighting but I also don’t want to get the cheap LED strips kits that are out there.
I hope that clears things a bit.
I see quite a few variants of the Hakko soldering iron you mentioned.
Obviously I don’t want to spend some $600 for something I will use occasionally.
Are the cheaper models like FX-888D any good?
Edit: I’ve just read the reviews for that model, so I’ll go for that.
Get yourself a Pinecil. Temperature controlled, USB powered, goes up to 450 degrees. Well under a hundred bucks, makes the fancy mains irons of yore look like ripoffs.
The Pinecil is an open-source copy of the TS100, which was a bit more spendy and had much less configurable software. These irons can run off a cordless tool battery, which is a game-changer.
As for attenuation on the data line, I read someone somewhere addressing that; apparently the chip in each LEDs boosts it - you only have to consider attenuation on the data line on the bit between the first LED and the controller, if the wire is very long, or you’re using a 3.3V signal with LEDs meant to use 5V data (which you can probably get away with).
