Hey, Tex, can you provide a pic of the "waterproof" booger covered strips so we know exactly which ones you are talking about? I have a bunch of red LED strips to put on my Harley and now I'm wondering if they might be the same type you are talking about.
These are the type I have: http://www.tmart.com/60cm-LED-LED-Strip-Car-Flexible-Light-Bar-Line-Red_p92339.html
I tossed all of those horrid things. You can tell if they are the epoxy ones because they stink (literally) and they are sticky (at least when new). Set them down on a surface and you will be pulling them off while referring to chants in the "Drunken Russian Sailor's Book of Curses and Swears".
Also, some red LED strips may not be arranged in groups of three LEDs since most RED LEDs have a lower forward voltage than the other colors.
I measured the resistance of the copper foil conductors on a couple of different reels. They run around 0.2 ohms per meter (1 ohm for a 5 meter reel). You need to allow for the voltage drop across that resistance when you drive the strip from each end (+ on one end, - on the other).
Actually, the positive conductor was 0.88 ohms and the negative 1.10 ohms, so even driving the strip from the opposite ends, the voltage to each LED group is not perfectly divided (but is close enough to not really matter).
Here is the strip lighting that I have. My brothers kid got them off a remodeling job at a bank or jewelery store. The aluminum strip is a heat sink and gets very warm. I do not know what LED's are there but they are bright. All modules run in parallel so I was able to cut smaller strips and install them into a curio cabinet my wife keeps here Swarovski Crystal in. Spectacular sparkle!. Those crystals love point source lighting!
Could anybody recommend us any offer of 5050 warm white led strips (preferred eBay)?
Minimum requirements:
● Color: Warm White
● View angle:120°
● Working Voltage: 12VDC
● LED Quantity: 300 leds/5 Mete
● Working Current/meter: 1.2A
● Working Tempreture:–20 to 50°
● Protection Rate 
Non-waterproof)
● Color temperature: 2800-3500K
● Size: L 5 or 1 m
Great work. I have ordered some 24V 5050 60 led/m led strip from Aliexpress and I intend to put it in a bus.
It is really hard to choose from zillions of led strips, maybe we could create a supplier database, based on the feedback of members.
I suspect that it would be out of date before you hit carriage-return. I doubt that no two orders, even from the same supplier, would get the same product. There is just so much of it out there. I’ve bought quite a bit of them and no two seem to be quite the same.
Anyone in the UK wanting LED strips should check out visualchillout.co.uk
Ive ordered from him before, slightly clunky website but quality products. Not as cheap as the bay but you get what you pay for!
I have no connection to the guy, just a loyal customer.
Merry Christmas one and all!
I pull this thread back from the grave because I got 5 m ledstrip from fasttech today. Described as 72W.
https://www.fasttech.com/products/1064803
They are not explicit declared as waterproof but it has a siliconstyle waterproof coating which can be peeled off easyly. The full 5m strip pulled only 2.5A, so I was upset first but then I cut 1m.
The 60LeD from one meter strip pull 0.9A, that’s acceptable.
3LEDs pull 16mA.
As you can see there are 3 resistors with 150ohm each, how are thes strips connected? I can’t really figure out how the schematic is.
I will try to remove the resistors but I am confused….?
Leave the resistors in, they are needed to limit the current to the LEDs. The strips are arranged as many paralleled groups or parts. Each group is three LEDs and the current limiting resistor in series.
But each led has three LEDs in it too…?
I want just to play a bit with them. I have removed the resistors of one 3 LED part, and soldered a wire instead. Now I power them with 0.1A and they are really nice and bright.
I can’t figure out how they are connected…perhaps I am too tired, I will try tomorrow again.
Did you buy the RGB strip or the white light strip?
Looking at the photo, there are three resistors per three LEDs on the RGB strip. Should be the same configuration with all three RED leds in series with a resistor, all three GREEN leds in series with a resistor, all three BLUE leds in series with a resistor.
Leave the resistors as-is or you are going to fry some LEDs.
I got the neutral white version. I just increase current until color change and then I decrease it…so everything is safe.
The only datasheet of a similar 5050led I found, showed that the parallel legs are one led with forward voltage of 3V or so.
I will try to wire the LEDs parallel and power them with a 7135…
Edit I tried the 3 inner led in every led they seem to work from 2.7-3.7V above that they get blue and then they fry…
I cut the LEDs in single and paralleled 3(6inner leds 3 fried) LEDs and powered them up with 0.4 A. I would be happy if I could do this without ruining the strip, than I would try some kind of 18650 powered lantern or so…
You should connect + from one side, and - from other side, otherwise you have huge voltage drop across the stripe (causing the under-spec current).
After doing that, adjust the voltage of power supply so that voltage across + and - lines in the MIDDLE of strip is exactly 12.0V.
I think it isn’t possible to use these strips in full power without additional wiring in either way connection. Increase voltage will lead to overdriving some LEDs…inconsistent brightness in either way.
Edit: I have thought about your tip and I will try this tomorrow, if I connect one connection to every side the resistance to every strip should be equal…that’s clever
I think I have measured the current for 3 LEDs incorrect…will do that tomorrow again.
As I can live with 1 m strips brightness at0.9A I will parallel 3 strips and glue them on a piece of aluminium and screw that underneath a shelf to enlighten my desk. That was the plan and still is. Also I have wrote fasttech a message to ask if they have additional info or tips regarding the 72W thing….
But it would really be fun if I could use some of the strips for battery application
My other parts dimmer and so on I ordered for this project on the same day as the strip but from DX are just departed, and this is just a partial shipment…DX is so slow…
I have somewhere a 12V 3A power supply laying around and I will test to power the strips with that tomorrow…
And yes they smell
Yup, it took some time to come up with this solution - but after I implemented it, each and every triplet (is that even a word?) of LEDs measures exactly 12V, no matter if I measure it on either of ends, in the middle, or in any other place.
By connecting the + to one end of the strip and the - to the other end, the LED voltages along the strip are fairly well equalized. Driving each end with + and - is even better. Diving long strips from one end only is bad. The LEDs at the far end are starved for current due to voltage drop along the strip.
Oh crap, how could I overlook a idea that’s so simple yet makes so much sense… 
Thanks for this, I’m going to re-wire a few LED strips I have around the house now.
So I have used some meters of this strip and it is ugly blue…okay for my worktable but a neutral tint would be better. The good thing is it has stopped stinking, after laying around outside off the bag and powering it up some hours it does only smell if you go nearer than 50mm.
We will see how long the sticky tape on the back lasts, as it gets hot about 55°C=130°F. One element needs 50mA, one meter has 20 elements(60 LEDs ) and pulls around 900mA.
I use 3 strips of 0.95m(57 LEDs ) in parallel powered with 11.9V and about 2.6A. I have them connected on each side.
They are far away from 72W like described from fasttech so i got 30% of the money back and they have removed them until they have cleared things with the suplier.
I found out what my problem was. Each of the pads needs to be soldered, three are negative one is positive.
So 3inner leds(one of each 5050) are in series with one resistor, and three of these groups are in parallel.
