New ribbon LED's and picking out right transformer

[Richard Cooper]

I'm interested in running some LED lights on the new style ribbons.  I'm not familiar with this and how to do it.  I want to illuminate some cabinets.  How does one know how much transformer to get?  How do you join the ribbon LED together and stretch them out to make corner turns up to another level?

[Bill Sprague]

Hi Richard,

My son ran some LED rope lights around his new "home theater".  He found a place that cut to length and provided the power brick.  

If LED rope lights are what you mean, I can get the supplier from him.  If "ribbon" means flat, he didn't use what you want.

[Steve Huber Co-Admin]

Richard,
Here's a source i use for LEDs.
Steve
http://www.platinumlightinginc.com/

[Jim Nichols]

I find that a lot of the round rope leds are 120 volt ac. Ribbon leds are flat with 3m tape adhesive and are 12 volt dc. The ribbon type can be cut and average 16 ft per roll with wires soldered on one end The areas you cut should have printed the + and - symbol and have copper edges to solder your wires about every 3rd led. Also the leds can glow on the edge or on the top of the ribbon. The site Steve listed is just one of many.

[Lee Welbanks]

Orangetreetrade.com has just about any LED light one could ever ask for, prices are good too.

[Joel Weiss]

The ribbons of lights are all rated in terms of watts per foot.  I chose a fairly bright ribbon that was rated at ~3.5 watt/ft so it was simply a matter of calculating how many feet of strip each transformer had to provide power for.  

Here's the strip I used: https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/led-strips-and-bars/high-power-led-flexible-light-strip--nfls-x3/1465/3484/

[Steve Jewell]

Richard, The same lights on ebay are $21.99 and free freight. Item #321256442238.

Steve

[Joel Weiss]

Richard, The same lights on ebay are $21.99 and free freight. Item #321256442238.

Steve

With all due respect, these lights on eBay are nothing like the ones in my link  The eBay listing doesn't give any lumen output ratings or electrical input consumption.  Nor does it provide color temperatures to define the words "warm white" or "cool white".  Furthermore, these lights are rated for 12V only rather than the 9-14.8V range for the ones from SuperbrightLED.  

I have no relationship to SuperbrightLEDs but I've learned that LEDs are like everything else; you get what you pay for.

[Jim Nichols]

You need to know 9 to 14 is the voltage range needed to operate. 9 volts seems to be the low end for not only the leds. Propane refrigerators and our Aqua Hot systems will shut down below 9 volts.

[Steve Jewell]

Sorry wrong ebay link. This one is the exact same light as super bright sells. ( 370461713220 )

Steve