n00b needs help with led strip lighting 5050 type

You home run each strip back to the power supply. You need to purchase some 4-conductor cable to do that if they are RGB.

You can't feed through each strip because the traces on the strip won't handle all of that current.

Check your specs on the power supply; I doubt a single supply could power all of those strips, especially the type that has the remote.

The strips have a current rating (amps) per meter which varies depending on how many LEDs per meter the strip is.

Multiply the current per meter by 40, and you know the total current you need. Then find a 12v power supply exceeding that current.

Tim

You can use 4-conductor thermostat cable. Ideally any cable rated CL2 or CL3 will work. Probably 18ga, depending on how long your runs are.

240W doesn't sound like a lot.. except in this situation (12V).. that's 20 amps.

I like Jameco for power supplies.. look at Meanwell AC-DC transformers. You would be looking for something like this. You may need other features in a power supply, but that one will probably work for you.

Tim

Each 5 meter length is -4- 6 amps at 12 volts. To get 108 feet you would need just about 6.5 runs at 16.4 feet each. So that is a total of -4- 6 amps * 6.5 = -26- 39 amps.

How I would approach this (and how I did this in my room) would be to split your 6.5 runs into three different sections. Each of these three sections would be powered by a separate power supply and controller.

Power supply:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/8-Amp-12-Volt-Ac-Power-Adapter-with-3-Prong-Plug-with-5-Mm-Dc-Output-Jack-/390346437395?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5ae275f313

Controller:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/44-Key-IR-Remote-Controller-For-RGB-3528-5050-LED-Light-Strip-Two-outputs-2con-/111001727232?pt=US_Lighting_Parts_and_Accessories&hash=item19d837f100

The controller that I linked to has two outputs so that you can run thermostat wire as Tim mentioned to the beginning of each run.

If you can find a more powerful power supply (say one that provides 12 amps) then you could do this with two sections instead of three. In that case you could use a controller such as this to handle more than two outputs.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/44-Key-IR-Remote-Control-Controller-For-5050-RGB-LED-Light-Strip-Five-outputs-/160788477117?pt=US_Lighting_Parts_and_Accessories&hash=item256fbd74bd

I found these links quickly, so you may be able to find cheaper prices with a little digging.
Edited by aaustin - 3/1/13 at 1:26pm

You also have to watch what those RGB controllers are rated for; the one linked says 2A (per color).

Tim

Thanks Tim. I missed that.

Dr. Zaus,

I must correct my previous post. Your LED strips have a load of 6 amps per 5 meters, not 4 amps. So the total amount of current is 6.5 * 6 amps = 39 amps.

I'm the same boat as DrZaus . So I'm looking at about 34 feet of LED strip. If I go with the PSU AAustin suggests and controller that should surfice.
The hardest thing I've been stumoed to find is a programable dimmer switch that will mimmick Sunrise and Sunset on a timer that I can set in a wall plate.
Is this possible on a budget or am I just looking for a needle in a hay stack?

Also I've been hard pressed to find a How to guide anywhere on how to wire this system up to the home electrical.

Any info would be great. Thanks for your time =)