I'm trying to find what part do I need to combine all 4 LED strip bars into one source, and I'm guessing that goes into the Power Supply next?
I lost the model and info about these so I'm guessing it needs 12 Volts, 2 Amps for the one strip? But another question is the Power Supply, if one strip into PS, outlet must be 12V-2A but the 4 strip combined into (something) does the outlet stay the same on PS? Input, Output?

Doesn't have to be USB

Been trying to get help at electric stores but no employees have experiences in wiring. Also would be a bonus if can tell me what "one on/off switch" do I get.

(I'm trying to make my own under desk light with the old LEDglow's wheel kit from 2012)

 

This would go much, much better with a data sheet for the LED strips. I have seen strips for various voltages including 12 Volts. If we assume 12 Volts @ 2.0 Amps per strip and you parallel 4 strips you would need a 12 Volt (2*4=8) * Amp supply as an absolute minimum. That said 2 Amps for those strips sounds pretty high. The strips would be placed in parallel. Most strips of LEDs like pictured generally have built in current limiting resistors. Your strips appear to have a resistor every third LED which is pretty typical. I just question the current as those strips do not look to be very high power. Anyway, they would be wired in parallel, all the (+) sides to positive power and all the (-) sides to negative power.

As to a switch? Just about any on / off toggle or similar switch capable of handling the load.

Ron

 

USB won't supply 12 volts.

Those are automotive, so 2 amps is not out of the question.

If they are 2 amp then the run of the mill 12 volt 10 amp supply should do.

Your switch should be rated at least 10 amps DC, available at most automotive outlets.

 

USB won't supply 12 volts.

Won't supply much current either.

Ron

 

This would go much, much better with a data sheet for the LED strips. I have seen strips for various voltages including 12 Volts. If we assume 12 Volts @ 2.0 Amps per strip and you parallel 4 strips you would need a 12 Volt (2*4=8) * Amp supply as an absolute minimum. That said 2 Amps for those strips sounds pretty high. The strips would be placed in parallel. Most strips of LEDs like pictured generally have built in current limiting resistors. Your strips appear to have a resistor every third LED which is pretty typical. I just question the current as those strips do not look to be very high power. Anyway, they would be wired in parallel, all the (+) sides to positive power and all the (-) sides to negative power.

As to a switch? Just about any on / off toggle or similar switch capable of handling the load.

Ron

What part can I use to parallel or how can I parallel all of them into one adapter or some short into power supply? w/o taking them apart? Yeah unfortunately they were from 2012 and the manual's long gone, they were for car's wheel kit.

 

Wire nuts?

Barrier strips?

Use the terminals on the PS?

 

What part can I use to parallel or how can I parallel all of them into one adapter or some short into power supply? w/o taking them apart? Yeah unfortunately they were from 2012 and the manual's long gone, they were for car's wheel kit.

They sort of resemble the Chrome Glow line of LEDs popular for automotive and motorcycle use and they are likely 12 volt. Each strip has a (+) and a (-) lead so two wires on each strip. Just connect them as I mentioned all the (+) and all the (-) together and then to your power supply. I doubt they are 2 amps each, maybe .2 amp so I would start with maybe a 12 Volt 1 Amp power supply like a common wall wort. You can join the wires however you wish, as Spidy mentions, wire nuts, terminal barrier strips. whatever you choose.

Ron

 

Won't supply much current either.

Ron

I kind of already realized USB wouldn't be able to after going through 15 adapters I had lol

Wire nuts?

Barrier strips?

Use the terminals on the PS?

Finally answered the "part" I was trying to figure out what I needed, so after trying to learn every one of them on google and how it works as much as I can, is this how it goes? Although not sure on the barrier strip if still need that or the wire nut works fine that way either?

 

They sort of resemble the Chrome Glow line of LEDs popular for automotive and motorcycle use and they are likely 12 volt. Each strip has a (+) and a (-) lead so two wires on each strip. Just connect them as I mentioned all the (+) and all the (-) together and then to your power supply. I doubt they are 2 amps each, maybe .2 amp so I would start with maybe a 12 Volt 1 Amp power supply like a common wall wort. You can join the wires however you wish, as Spidy mentions, wire nuts, terminal barrier strips. whatever you choose.

Ron

Check the reply I sent to electric, I included the quick image drawing

 

That should work fine.

Ron

 

Thank you guys very much, been a huge help. I've always love doing my own computers, cars, furniture, etc. Being able to modify wiring or make my own, you guys just saved me future spending and a lot of time searching answers. Sorry if I sounded dumb at the first, I actually knew nothing about any part names/chart rules as I just started learning yesterday. Now I just found out I can use my running computer's PSU based on specs, time to get 4 scrap LEDs up on desk!

Amazing forum, and I will be back more for curiosity experiments!

 

You can likely hack about any drive power adapter for 12 Volts. Yellow +12 and Black Common. Just find a way to snake the power out of the computer case.

Ron

 

Just guessing here, but I'm willing to bet that the 2 amp thing has more to do with the wire size than the amount of current the LED's will draw. But to be certain - I don't "KNOW" that as any kind of "FACT".

If you can, hook up one and test the current. If you're not equipped to measure current but you can measure a resistance, get those facts and post them. Then we can know whether you need 10 amps or can get away with a smaller supply.

I use a lot of 12 volt supplies from cable equipment. I'll go to Xfinity and ask them if I can grab one of their used (returned) power supplies from one of their cable boxes. I often can get a couple. They're (some of them) rated for 5 amps. Often around 3 amps, which I seldom need that kind of power for my projects. The phone wall warts are typically 5 volts and around 700 milli-amps. They're good for the real small projects.

 

I had a spool of 5050 LEDs (RGB) I got from Amazon but unlike the link all I bought was the Supernight LED string. Each small section of the string contains 3 each RGB LED. I cut off a 8 section piece (24 RGB LEDs total). They look like this:


The LEDs are on the left obviously. When making the color White all three colors R, G, and B are lit. Running my cut off section on 12 VDC the total current drain was about 450 mA. Here is a 5050 LED Data Sheet. They were used as part of an experiment at the time. Anyway, getting 12 VDC from your computer PSU should work out fine.

Ron