LED Rope Light Connections

This set of web pages will show you how to make end-to-end connections
with LED Rope Light as well as how to terminate the ends with polarized
power connectors.

I get my LED rope light at Coolneon.com

I successfully connected blue, white and green ropelights and they all light just fine.

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Click on any image to see a full-sized version.

This is LED Ropelight
This is LED Ropelight
The ropelight has three LEDs in a row, with a resistor connected in series. You can cut between sets of three. If you look carefully, you can see a zone between sets of three that has only the two wires that run down the sides.
LED Ropelight End View
LED Ropelight End View
Seen from the end you can see the ends of the two long wires and a hole in the plastic tubing.
Exposing the Wires for an End-to-End Connection
Exposing the Wires for an End-to-End Connection
You'll need to cut away about 1/8" of the plastc tubing to expose two stranded wires on each side of the central hole. You'll use a scary-sharp pointed hobby blade. Find the two wires and plunge the point toward the center of the tube right next to one of the wires. Be careful not to cut the wires!
Exposing the Wires -- continued
Exposing the Wires -- continued
Then plunge the blade into the plastic tubing on the other side of the wire. You control how much of the plastic will be removed by how far the blade is from the end of the rope light. Then turn the tubing over and make the same two plunge cuts on the other side, again being careful not to cut the wires.
Removing the Tubing
Removing the Tubing
Now cut between the plunge cuts to remove a lot of the plastic tubing. This is where you must be extremely careful not to cut right through the wires. I put the back of the blade next to the wires and cut away from them.
End Partially Removed
End Partially Removed
Here one side has been cut away between the two plunge cuts. You'll need to do this on both ends, which will leave the two wires still embedded in a small amount of plastic.
Remove Excess Plastic from the Wires
Remove Excess Plastic from the Wires
Cut very gently and *not* very deep along the outside of the tubing right over the wires.
Remove Excess Plastic from the Wires - continued
Remove Excess Plastic from the Wires - continued
Then do the same from the inside of the tubing, again, gently and not deep. If there is more than a trivial amount of plastic in any direction around the wires, just slice into it, but not deep enough to reach the wires, which cut like butter under this knife.
Final bits of Plastic on Wires
Final bits of Plastic on Wires
Here you can see the results of all the plunge and cross cutting of plastic. Two rectangular blocks of plastic remain on the wires. Sometimes you can just pull these right off. Usually you need to cut around their base *very carefully* right up to but not into the wires.
Final Plastic Removal
Final Plastic Removal
You can use a wire stripper to remove the last chunks of plastic, which should come right off now. You can also use your fingernails (probably).


All information herein is Copyright 2009 by Howard Cohen, all rights reserverd Worldwide.