Construction of a duralight cord from two-channel light bulbs. LED duralight connection (diagram). Nuances that may arise during the installation process

Illumination of buildings and festive decorations have long been carried out using garlands. Recently, most of them are LED. Such lighting is made in the form of ribbons or cords. The LED cord is correctly called duralight; in this article we will look at how it is constructed and connected.

What is duralight, features of LED duralights

The word “duralight” can be literally translated as “durable light” (from the English durable light). And indeed, duralight, upon closer examination, turns out to be a transparent polymer flexible cord, inside of which there are lamps or light-emitting diodes (LED Duralight), essentially a durable tubular garland. The PVC tube acting as a frame provides duralight with moisture resistance, flexibility, UV resistance and physical strength.

A typical LED duralight can operate at ambient temperatures from −50°C to +60°C, and its operating life is only limited - tens of thousands of hours.

Device and types

Duralight is led garland in a polyvinyl chloride shell. It connects to a 220V network; there are several types of it.

By operating mode:

1. Fixing. A cord whose glow remains constant over time. That is, you turn it on, and it just glows.

2. Chasing. This is the name of the operating mode of duralight when it flickers. In order for the LED cord to work in chasing mode, you need to additionally purchase a controller.

3. Chameleon. Essentially the same chasing, but consists of different colors.

There is duralight various types. The number of lines can be from 2 to 7 cores, and the number of LED chains increases accordingly, which allows you to obtain various lighting effects and color combinations.

The shape distinguishes between round and flat LED duralight. The shape determines the ease of installation for a specific lighting configuration.

Since duralight is a PVC cord, it is sealed, which ensures normal operation outdoors.

The duralight cord can be cut; for this purpose there are special marks on its surface either in the form of a strip or in the form of scissors. The cut multiplicity is usually 2 meters.

You can see an approximate diagram in the figure below. The duralight cord consists of conductive cores, LEDs and a sheath. The number of cores and LEDs may vary, as well as their color.

The cord inside is not hollow at all; the spaces between the LEDs are also filled with PVC to give the duralight additional strength. Thus, duralight can be safely used in external and internal advertising structures, in a variety of architectural lighting, for decorating trees and for interior design.

The tube is simply attached to clips or glue wherever needed, and holds securely due to its lightness. The flexibility of PVC allows you to bend the tube at the discretion of the designer, make letters, inscriptions, figures from duralight, or simply distribute the luminous LED tube along the facade of the building. Round and flat duralights, constant glow or with different flashing modes, provide truly the widest possibilities for lighting design.

Single-color and multi-color, flickering and iridescent - modern LED controllers will allow you to realize any design idea.

Pressed into a round tube or flat strip, the LEDs are located at a distance from 1.25 to 27.7 mm, and the power consumption is about 1.5 watts per meter, which is incommensurable with incandescent duralights.

Compared to incandescent lamps, LEDs provide an even, rich color, a bright glow, and almost no heating, which makes LED duralight is much safer than conventional lamp duralight, more economical and more durable.

Connection and installation of LED - duralight

The LED duralight is connected to the network from one end of the cord segment using a special adapter coupling, while the other end is closed with a plug. A conventional bridge rectifier serves as an adapter. It is possible to combine several sections using couplings.

In order to extend the garland cord or connect it in case of repair, pin connectors are used, the connection point is sealed and we will tell you more about this below.

What you need to connect

To turn on the duralight cord, you need to use a special adapter designed for a certain footage. It is a regular rectifier -. The length for connecting the cord depends on its power. The typical length for connection to most adapters is from 50 to 100 meters.

In addition to the adapter, connectors are needed both to connect power to the cord, and to connect several segments or to connect branches. Typical types of connectors are shown below.

In addition, you will need mounting brackets and plugs for duralight. They are shown at the bottom of the previous figure.

Make sure that both the adapter and the connectors are suitable for your duralight, both in shape (flat and round) and in the number of cores, for example, below is a connector from a power adapter for a 5-core cord.

As already mentioned, to connect duralight in flickering mode (chasing) you will need a controller. They differ in the number of channels, respectively, how many channels are in the controller and how many cores can be in duralight that it can power.

Controllers for two-wire duralight provide simple flickering, blinking and smooth switching on followed by switching off the entire garland.

Models for three-core cords already allow the cores to be switched on alternately, thus simulating the effect of rain or the play of colors. The figure below shows that such a controller has three pins in the connector.

You can get a great light show effect by using a five-wire cord with a controller like the one shown below.

Connection diagram

Depending on the number of cores, each of them has a certain connection polarity. Since the duralight garland is powered by rectified pulsating voltage, you need to remember that the polarity of the connection is important - plus and minus.

If you connect the cord and it does not light up, immediately unplug it to avoid damage and turn the connector 180 degrees.

In the figure below you can see the pinouts of 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7 core duralight, both flat and round.

It is advisable to connect pieces of equal power. A special plug is put on the end free from connection. In the manufacture of decorative frame structures, wire or metal tape is used. Special guides will enhance the brightness of duralight.

Installation rules

Before you start working with duralight, read the rules for its installation. Remember that it operates on rectified 220 Volts. This means that at peak the voltage reaches 310 volts!!! Therefore, we have made for you a selection of tips or an algorithm for installing a 220V LED cord.

1. Cut the cord only when it is unplugged - otherwise you may create a short circuit.

2. Make cuts only along specially designated marks, otherwise the cut will not work.

3. Fill the connecting connectors and power connectors with sealant, silicone or glue; you can also additionally protect the joint with heat-shrinkable tubing. This is especially important if the lighting will be used outdoors.

4. Avoid mechanical stress on the connectors; remember that they may become disconnected.

5. Put a cap on the end of the garland - this will save you from defeat electric shock, if you suddenly touch it. Also seal it as described above.

6. It is advisable to place the lighting out of reach of children and animals.

Nuances when working with duralight

A wound coil of duralight cannot be connected to the network for a long time, as this will cause excessive heating. However, before installation begins, the entire cord is checked by connecting it to the network. Contacts must be dry.

You can cut duralight only along the marks, in multiple lengths. Mount - only when switched off, turn on - only after installation is complete. Unused contacts must be protected with plugs. The joints connected by couplings must not be greatly deformed or bent.

The use of heat shrink tubing to improve insulation is encouraged. It is allowed to combine pieces of equal size in terms of power density, designed for the same voltage. Observe polarity!

Ensure normal heat exchange, do not cover the duralight with metal objects. The supply voltage must correspond to the rating voltage for this duralight. Damaged pieces must be removed from the chain. Power supply is rectified voltage only.

Conclusion

The LED cord can be used both indoors and outdoors. This is a convenient solution for lighting or holiday illumination. The advantage of the LED strip is that it operates from a conventional diode bridge, that is, from rectified voltage from a 220V network.

At the same time, there are tips on the Internet that using duralight you can organize lighting for a pool. Of course, if all safety measures are followed, this can be done, but remember - high voltage power is still there, and this is extremely dangerous. For such purposes, a 12V LED strip with dust and moisture protection is ideal.

LED cord duralight

What is duralight? To explain briefly, duralight is an LED strip securely hidden in a silicone shell (rectangular hose).

Duralight can bend easily; it does not require a special power supply, just a small adapter. Duralight is also called LED cord.

This LED cord received the trade name “Duralight” from the company that launched it on the market. Just like what happened with the copier.

Installation of Duralight

To install and connect duralight, you do not need any special electrical installation skills.

In the simplest case, you don’t even need a tool to install duralight. All you have to do is plug the garland into a socket - and a festive mood is guaranteed. By the way, a garland made of LED duralight is much more practical and durable than the usual one made from wires and light bulbs - the wires constantly break and get tangled, and the light bulbs burn out.

If the installation is being done seriously and for a long time - for example, for decorative lighting of part of the room, then to connect the duralight you will need at least a screwdriver (or hammer) and fasteners.

Connecting LED duralight

The connection diagram for the LED duralight is simple. It is better to connect the Duralight LED cord not to a power outlet, but to a permanent connection. In this case, to connect, you will need minimal electrical installation skills, or you will have to trust a specialist.

When purchasing an LED duralight, also buy a power cord with a 220 Volt adapter and a connection connector.

The adapter is just a bridge diode rectifier. It converts AC mains voltage into unipolar pulsating voltage.

The magnitude of this voltage is no less than that in a socket, so be careful!

Another cord option with an adapter (depending on the model and manufacturer)

Adapter device

The adapter for connecting a duralight LED cord actually consists of one diode bridge. The diode bridge converts the alternating voltage of the mains 220V 50Hz into a unipolar pulsating one with a frequency of 100Hz. These pulsations are not visible to the eye at all.

A KBL 410 diode bridge is used.

Closer, with reverse side:

Installation features. Duralight connection kit

The power cord with the adapter is connected to the duralight through a special adapter, which consists of metal pins in the housing.

Duralight LED cord connector

For a single-row duralight, the connector will consist of two pins, for a two-row one - of three. The same adapter is used when you need to join 2 pieces (segments) of duralight.

Adapter – disassembled and assembled

To mount duralight to the surface, special transparent plastic brackets are used, which are shown in the photo.

Installation of duralight. Fasteners and adapter

Exposed wires remain on the cut of the duralight. For electrical safety, they must be closed with a special cap, which should be sold as a set.

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Safety cap on duralight cut

In conclusion, it must be said that LED duralight is usually cut into sections of 1 or 2 meters. Not because sellers do not want to cut a piece exactly to the size of the room, but due to circuit design features. This fact should be taken into account when planning indoor lighting.

U LED strips this drawback (unpleasant feature) is significantly smaller - it can be cut in increments of 5 centimeters, which almost always ensures the required size. An article about the tapes was published on SamElectric.

Therefore, when connecting LED duralight, sometimes you have to resort to tricks and additional costs to ensure the required length of the illuminated part of the wall. The photo below shows how, in order for the length of the illuminated area to be 2.6 meters, I had to buy a piece 4 meters long, and place the rest in a box (ceiling space).

The extra piece will not have to be cut off, but hidden

When buying duralight you also need to pay attention to one more feature. Even from the same manufacturer, different batches (coils) may have different glow colors.

For example, the price tag says “White”, but the shade may be yellow or blue as a result of the use of different components. I had this, for one room I bought two pieces in different stores. I had to change it((

Well, in the end you get this:

Illumination of curtains with duralight

The article discusses only one type of duralight, which is most often found in our stores. In fact, there are a lot of varieties of LED duralight. To verify this, just go to the AliExpress website. Outdoor, Christmas tree, indoor, USB, 220V, 12V, cords, nets, multi-colored, flashing - there are a great variety of garlands and light cords!

Well, if you need LED duralight wholesale, then I recommend contacting the Svetlon company. In this store you can find literally everything related to light!

Duralight LED(Duralight) is a waterproof, durable, flexible transparent colored cord of round or flat shape, inside of which LEDs are placed. It is made of PVC, thanks to which it can operate at temperatures from −20°C to +60°C.

Duralight cord, due to its water resistance (protection class according to IEC-952 - IP54), is widely used as decorative elements and creating color-dynamic effects for street lighting of houses, trees, creating advertising signs, when organizing festive events, illuminating water in swimming pools, installed in cars and many other cases.

Despite its high reliability, like any electrical product, the duralight system can burn out and will require repair, which you can do yourself if you know its operating principle, circuit and design.

Scheme, device and principle of operation
LED cord Duralight

To repair duralight LED cords, you need to know their structure, electrical circuit and operating principle. Without this knowledge, independent repairs will be difficult and can only lead to additional malfunctions.

Main technical characteristics of Duralight

The range of duralight LED cords comes in several varieties, the main ones of which are shown in the table. Duralight is available in lengths from five to one hundred meters.

A duralight cord with a mono glow color can glow in only one color, which is determined by the color of the LEDs installed in it. They can all be the same or different colors. When the cord is connected directly to a DC source, it will glow with constant brightness. If you turn it on via a controller, the brightness of the light can be controlled.

The Chasing cord contains several groups of LEDs of the same color, usually red, green and blue. Each color group is connected to a separate strand of wire running in the body of the cord tube along its entire length. Thanks to this connection scheme, you can use the controller to control not only the brightness of the light, but also the color.

According to their design, duralight cords can be cut or uncut. From the point of view of maintainability, split ones are better. If one of the LEDs burns out, you can cut out the non-luminous section of the cord and replace it or connect the working parts of the cord using a special connector without tools directly at the installation site of the garland.

Duralight cords made using SMD LEDs They have, in comparison with DIP-type diodes, increased brightness.

Electrical diagrams of Duralight cords

Are different electrical circuits Duralight cords only have a circuit of LEDs connected in series. They are connected all in series or in series in groups with an equal number of LEDs in each group.

In a two-wire duralight, all LEDs are connected in series. To limit the current, resistors R1-Rn are soldered evenly along the length of the cord. The beginning of the LED chain is soldered to one current-carrying core, and the end to the other. LEDs can all be the same color or different. For example, this circuit uses LEDs of four colors.

This scheme differs from the one described above in that the LEDs are turned on in small groups, as in an LED strip. This allows you to cut the cord in the places indicated by scissors into pieces. This circuit solution is convenient for repairs and interior design.

Unlike the circuits discussed above, in the electrical circuit of the Chasing LED cord, each group consists of several chains of LEDs of the same glow color connected in series. The beginning of all chains of LEDs are soldered to one common positive wire, and the ends of LEDs of the same color are soldered to a separate wire.

The Chasing cord circuit is similar to an RGB LED strip and allows you to use the controller to achieve any dynamic color effects, from a traveling wave to a shimmering color.

Electrical diagrams for connecting Duralight cords to the network

LED duralight is a complete product and can be operated by applying DC supply voltage to the terminals located at the ends of the tube. It is not permissible to connect directly to a 220 V network..

You can connect duralight through a simple rectifier, consisting of a rectifier bridge and an electrolytic capacitor.

A ready-made diode bridge can be taken from any burnt-out LED or energy-saving lamp. There is a driver inside, just remove the unnecessary parts. Typically, such drivers have diodes rated for a current of 1 A, which is quite enough for most duralights.

To test duralights designed for 220 V, I use the driver from the LED tube shown in the photo. I cut off the part with the current stabilizer and soldered the cord with the plug. I left the fuse and voltage filtering parts.

When connecting duralight through a diode bridge, you can only get a constant glow, without lighting effects. To realize the maximum possible lighting effects, you need to connect duralight via a controller. The simplest one is shown in the photo. By pressing a button you can set one of eight lighting modes.

The most simple circuit The controller consists of only a few parts - a rectifier bridge, a voltage divider with two resistors and an electrolytic capacitor to provide power to the microprocessor and two thyristors of the PCR406 or PCR606 type connected in parallel.

The Q803 type microprocessor is soldered on a separate printed circuit board, which is soldered into the main controller board.

Chinese printed circuit board The controller is not made of very high quality, but at a sufficient level for its reliable operation.

There is no protection in the controller circuit against short circuit output circuits, even the simplest fuse. In the event of a short circuit in the output circuits, in a connector or duralight, all active elements of the circuit will burn out; I have encountered such a case.

The photo shows complete diagram duralight systems. Supply voltage alternating current 220 V is supplied to the controller. From it, the rectified voltage, processed by an algorithm embedded in the microprocessor, is supplied to the cores of the cord wires.

To connect a round duralight cord, you first need to put the clamping nut of the collet clamp on it, insert the connector pins for their entire length into the duralight tube, so that they exactly hit the conductive conductors, and screw the nut onto the connector collet.

To connect a flat duralight cord, the connector pins also cut their entire length into the duralight plane, and the connector is secured to the cord using two special strips pulled together.

It is worth noting that at negative temperatures the polyvinyl chloride tube of the cord hardens greatly and it is almost impossible to connect it to the connector. Therefore, it is necessary to assemble the system at a positive temperature and install the already assembled system outdoors.

Repair of Duralight LED cord

Attention, the electrical circuits of duralight controllers are galvanically connected to the phase of the electrical network and therefore extreme caution should be used. Touching an unprotected part of a person’s body to bare areas of a circuit connected to electrical network may cause serious damage to health.

On the eve of the next New Year, it was necessary to decorate the Christmas tree installed on the street with duralight cords, which last year worked flawlessly in severe frost for several weeks. Upon inspection, it turned out that one of the six cords did not light up. I had to start repairing it.

First of all, the controller was checked by connecting a working duralight to it. The controller worked, therefore, the fault was in the cord.

If it is not possible to check the controller by replacement, then you can connect duralight, observing the polarity, to the network through the diode bridge described above. For ease of connection, you can cut off a few millimeters of the cord, exposing the wire cores.

When examining the cord tube, it was discovered that in the area where the LEDs were installed, there were dark spots It's as if all the LEDs have burned out. Therefore, the tube was cut lengthwise to the length of one section of LEDs including the resistor.

The diodes and resistor were removed through a cut and tested using a multimeter turned on in resistance measurement mode. All parts turned out to be in good order.

It became obvious that the blackheads appeared for another reason. When examining the rations, it turned out that the flux had not been removed from them, and its remains were imprinted on the tube.

To determine the voltage drop across the LEDs, a DC voltage of 15 V was supplied to the chain from the power supply. The LEDs lit up brightly.

The voltage drop across one LED was about 1.8 V, which is slightly less than that of SMD LEDs.

After checking some of the LEDs, it became obvious that the rest were also working and the current-carrying wires running along the entire length of the cord were broken. To test them, a plug was removed from the opposite end of the cord. When checked with a multimeter, the prediction was confirmed. One of the veins ended up in a cliff, and all that remained was to determine its location.

To find the break point, one multimeter probe was attached to the previously exposed end of the wire, and the second to a thin needle. The first puncture was made in the middle of the cord, which made it possible to minimize the number of punctures, since it immediately became clear in which half the break was located. Next, a puncture was made in the middle of the failed half, and so on.

In order to find the location of the wire break, no more than ten punctures had to be made. Since the plastic is soft and the punctures were not through, they did not break the tightness of the cord. The rupture of the vein was about eight millimeters. It seems that when the duralight was removed in frosty weather, it was severely bent, and one of the wires broke.

The beginning of the chain of series-connected LEDs in the cord was connected to one core, and the ends to the other. Therefore, in order not to break the tightness of the cord, I decided to apply supply voltage from the side on which the plug was previously put on.

To do this, from the cut side, the wire coming from the first LED was connected to a working core by twisting. Unfortunately, all attempts to tin the core with solder using even acid flux did not lead to success. To ensure reliability during assembly, the twist was inserted into a tube and coated with silicone.

Due to the supply of supply voltage from the other side of the cord, in order to maintain the polarity of the duralight connection, it was necessary to swap the output wires in the controller. As you can see in the photo, the left pair of wires is soldered.

The repair of the duralight cord is completed, and you can begin assembling it. Since the cord was cut lengthwise, the cut site and the end were covered with a layer of silicone.

All that remains is to align the connector pins with the cord cores and plug them into the tube. Next, screw the union nut onto the collet.

When the nut was tightened all the way, it began to scroll without squeezing the collet blades tightly around the cord. I also had to cover the threads and collet blades with a layer of silicone.

Since the controller had to be disassembled, and its seal was broken, the junction of the housing halves and the place where the wires exited were also coated with silicone.

The repair of the duralight cord with your own hands has been successfully completed, all joints are sealed and now you can use it to decorate street objects. It will work flawlessly in any weather.

To organize lighting along the contour, secondary lighting, inscriptions and decorations, for the implementation of all of the above, duralight is best suited at the moment. The idea of ​​hiding lighting elements in a transparent tube to protect them from moisture, mechanical damage and for ease of installation is not new, but only with the advent of duralight did it become possible to carry out such installation simply and without excessive effort.

Duralight is an assembly of incandescent lamps or diodes in lines on a flexible board; they are combined into long cords, where each lamp magazine is connected in parallel to a single power bus.

Main technical characteristics:

• Degree of protection – IP44;
• Operating life – 25,000 hours for incandescent lamps. 100,000 hours for LEDs;
• Section - round, rectangular from 5 mm;
• Insulation material – PVC;
• Resistant to vibrations and ultraviolet radiation;
• Power consumption is on average 15-25 W per linear meter.

All duralights are divided into two main types: fixings and chasing.

Fixing is a duralight in which all lamps are powered from a single power bus, and the entire cord has only two power terminals, in which one wire is the neutral, and the second is the power channel itself. Naturally, all elements light up at the same time, and there is no way to control them individually. The only control available is brightness control when using the appropriate controller.

Chasing is a more massive version of duralight, in which even elements of one integral group are connected to one normal and several channels in a certain alternation. Power is supplied through several pins, where one is normal, and all the rest are channels.

Chasing allows you to implement garlands with sequential or random inclusion of elements, organize running lights or other light music. Control is carried out through an appropriate controller capable of covering all duralight channels.

Typically, such light cords are somewhat wider than fixings and, accordingly, require more space in the niches for installation.

There is another notable product on the market - flexible neon, which you can read about. However, unlike duralight, it is not capable of producing light intensity sufficient for illumination, but it glows completely evenly. Flexible neon can only outline the contours of an object, and is clearly visible only in poor lighting conditions or in the dark. Duralight produces a powerful luminous flux, both with and with LEDs, and can play the role of a lighting device. Its glow will be clearly visible both day and night. So when choosing one or another glow cord, it is important to accurately outline the requirements for the product depending on the installation location and the desired effect.

Where is duralight used and how to choose the right one

Thanks to its high IP44 protection, duralight can be used both indoors and outdoors. It is not afraid of moisture and is quite resistant to mechanical stress. The wind will not break or tear. A polymer shell, usually made of PVC, provides it with flexibility and protection along its entire length.

The installation method is extremely simple; the connecting elements include splitters for parallel connection of sections of the glowing cord.

Having such specifications, duralight, perfect for shaping, decorating building facades, illuminating niches, stands, ceilings. In the interior, it is perfect for illuminating contours in multi-level ceilings, niches in walls, flights of stairs or forming decorative elements. The brightest and most festive way to use it is, of course, to create bright and spectacular garlands on trees, buildings, etc. Especially when it comes to chasing with the ability to control.

Christmas decorations made of duralight

For lighting it is easier to use fixing, it is cheaper and easier to install, and takes up less space. LED duralights, which, unlike incandescent lamps, do not heat up, have become very popular. Read about the benefits of LEDs. In addition, diode duralights can be made in both round and flat versions, which allows different ways install the tape. In the very simple version The duralight power supply is presented in the form of a small adapter designed for power supply from a 220 V network and an output corresponding to the light cord. It is easier to hide than a power supply from diode strips.

It is reasonable to use chasing only where it is really necessary to use it, for example, or change the color of duralight if LEDs are used.

It is worth remembering that tubes with incandescent lamps cannot change their glow color, it depends only on the color of the tube itself; diodes in this regard are much more practical and even look better. The tube used is always transparent, and the color depends on the diodes themselves.

All duralights are equal in degree of protection IP44. Therefore, you can only choose a more reliable one among different manufacturers, counting on the best workmanship. Duralight can be used in a wide temperature range from -40 to +70. Incandescent lamps still react more to temperature changes and heat up on their own, which is why the upper limit is lower in practice.

What is needed to connect duralight

The special beauty of duralight is the ease of its connection and installation. For these products, appropriate fasteners, power supplies, wires, adapters, etc. are already provided. It is best to naturally purchase duralight and all related elements from one manufacturer for full compliance.

In the simplest version, to install duralight you will need:

• Construction knife or side cutters;
• Duralight;
• Power cord with adapter;
• Connector, power contacts;
• Stub;
• Fastenings;
• Silicone glue or any other waterproof one.

The light cord is structurally divided only into segments of 1, 2 or 4 meters, but no less. In this it is inferior, for example, to an LED strip, where you can divide a strip into 3-5 elements (2-10 cm). On the duralight itself, the places where they can be separated are marked with a crossbar and a scissors icon.

Controller for connecting duralight

The process of connecting duralight

On a flat, hard surface, the common cord is cut into the required pieces with a knife. In this case, the cut should be smooth and perpendicular to the axis of the cord. There is no need to expose the wires or solder them in the future, but it is desirable that the area be as level as possible.

It is checked that all power bus wires coming out to the end are cut neatly and do not diverge to the sides or become frayed.

The connector is a plastic plate into which metal pins with thinner ends are inserted; they are held in the middle by plastic and stick out in both directions. Usually the plastic has sides or a border of the appropriate diameter for the duralight used. The pins are inserted into the cord all the way so that each contact falls between the veins of each supply wire.

The power cord for duralight already has a corresponding connector, with a mating connector for the pins installed in the cord. There is also a shell, a protective casing that is put on the joint. So all that remains is to connect the power wire and the light cord. It is advisable to additionally protect and glue the junction where the protective casing fits onto the duralight.

Duralight connection

More often, controllers for duralight have their own power adapter unit, and therefore installation is carried out as described above. Otherwise, the controller is inserted between the power adapter and the light cord using connectors.

On the reverse side of the cord there is an end with exposed power bus wires. A corresponding plug is put on it, tightly fitting to the cord body. For reliability, again, it is better to use glue for reliability. After this, you can secure the cord in the prepared niche using fasteners. They cover the cord and have an eye for a screw.

Precautionary measures

The duralight is actually powered by a voltage of 220 V. The adapter only converts it from alternating to direct voltage required to power the elements. So the safety precautions are the same as when working with high voltage, this concerns the moment of checking operability and installation, ensuring the tightness of connections.

The cord can bend quite strongly, however, the recommended bending radius is 5-6 diameters of the duralight itself. It is prohibited to bend at right angles, as well as to damage the outer sheath, cut or expose part of the wires, or install them in places where they can rub against the enclosing structures. If damaged areas of the shell are found, the corresponding piece from mark to mark is cut out and replaced with a new one.

In contact with

In recent years, LED duralight has almost become equal in popularity to LED strips. This model is now actively used to create decorative lighting. Despite the fact that it has some similarities with the LED strip, there are significant differences in the connection.

LED duralight

Our article will help you figure out how you can connect this cord to the power supply with your own hands and not damage it with inept handling.

Features of the light cord and its types

Duralay is a kind of analogue of an LED strip, in which the diodes are placed inside a polyvinyl chloride cord. It is a silicone shell that provides a high degree of protection of LEDs from moisture and dirt.

Note! To connect LED duralight, know that the circuit here does not require a power supply. This is precisely the main difference from LED strips. A possible connection diagram is shown below.

Connection diagram

Today, LED light cord is often used for street lighting. With the help of duralight they create figures of fairy-tale characters, geometric figures and various advertising inscriptions. You can learn how to make shapes from it in a special video tutorial.
To create a figure, you can use the following types of LED light cords:

• duralight chasing. It has multiple LED placement channels. Therefore, when you connect a controller to it, you can create various lighting effects. Duralight chasing is often used for festive or themed lighting;
• duralight fisting. Has only one channel. Therefore, it is capable of simultaneous illumination of all its light sources. If you make figures out of it, they can only blink. But for this you need a controller.

Glowing figures

In addition, the LED light cord can be of the following types:

• duralight round. It has a circular cross-section. Using round duralight you can make various shapes. It must be remembered that round duralight can sometimes slide off the frame. Therefore, it must be properly attached to the base of the figure;
• duralight flat. It is more suitable for creating a luminous figure due to the fact that it can most closely adhere to the frame of the product.

Mark for cutting on duralight

Whatever purpose you use this luminous cable, you need to be able to correctly connect it to a 220 V power supply. But to do this, you need to know the technical characteristics of the lighting product.

Light cord parameters and what you need for installation

The light cable, made on the basis of LEDs, has the following technical characteristics and features:

• increased resistance to moisture;
• can function in a fairly wide temperature range: from -20 to +50 degrees;
• simple installation;
• operating from a network voltage of 220 volts;
• may have one or more channels (depending on the model).

Note! To connect to the network, it is important to know how many channels the light cable has.

When connected like this LED products you need to know that it, like tape, can be cut into separate pieces. But you need to cut only where the cable is marked accordingly.

In order to install everything yourself, you will need the following materials and tools:

• the LED cord itself;
• adapters (connectors). They are necessary for fastening the cut sections together;
• network cable with a special connector for connection and with a 220 Volt adapter. It should be purchased at the same time as duralight;
• protective caps. They are put on the cuts, on the side that does not need to be attached anywhere after cutting the lighting product;
• knife and scissors;
• fasteners, a screwdriver and a hammer in order to secure the glowing cable in the right place.

After all the materials and tools have been collected, you can begin connecting the duralight yourself.

Step-by-step instruction

It is recommended to connect the LED light cord not to a power outlet, but through a permanent connection. This will avoid the need to call a professional electrician to carry out electrical work.
The adapter plays an important role in the installation process. It is a bridge diode rectifier that carries out the conversion AC voltage network into a pulsating unipolar voltage necessary for the operation of the light cord.

Adapter for duralight

Step-by-step instructions for connecting the LED light cord look like this:

• take duralight and cut it according to the marks. Remember that you need to cut only according to such marks, otherwise you will simply ruin an expensive product;

Note! The cutting step is one or two meters!

Cutting duralight

• You need to cut the cord with scissors or a sharp knife. When cutting it you need to be very careful. If you make an oblique cut, the product may not work correctly in the future. If you don’t want to take risks, you can buy a ready-made kit with a length of 10 meters and a controller already installed;
• The power cord with the adapter must be connected to the duralight using a special adapter, which looks like a metal pin located in the case. The same adapter should be used when it is necessary to connect a piece of light cable together;

Note! This adapter will be different for different models. For a single-row product it will have two pins, for a two-row product it will have three.

Connecting duralight for the network adapter

• Now all that remains is to connect all the lighting elements. To do this, insert the plug (adapter) of the power cord into the cable. Moreover, it must be inserted in such a way that the location of the pins coincides with the wires running inside the light cable;
• After this, you need to secure the connection using a snap-on lid. It is located in the network cable.

Ready-made duralight that can be connected to the network

Now you can connect the product to the power supply and check its functionality.
After all the lighting elements have been assembled into a single circuit, you need to install a glowing LED cord on the surface. To do this, you need to use transparent special plastic staples.

What

Using different types duralight, the process of connecting them may undergo some changes. But the connection principle itself, described above, will remain without any significant changes.
To ensure that your work is not in vain and you ultimately get the desired result, you must adhere to several recommendations:

• Before connecting, you must make sure that the connected product is working;
• You need to unwind the cord carefully to avoid possible overheating. Only an unwound product can be connected;
• the cut must be made strictly along the line. Due to the fact that the product has a fairly powerful silicone protection in the form of a tube, it is not always possible to make an even and clear cut;
• The light tube connection points must be positioned so that they have maximum protection from adverse external influences. This is especially true for mechanical influences;
• to increase the tightness of the sections, the cut areas after connection should be additionally treated with silicone sealant or waterproof glue;

Connector and cap for light cord

• To avoid the risk of a short circuit, this lighting product must be checked for various types of damage to the contacts.

It is also necessary to remember that, despite the high protection, the light cord is, first of all, a rather complex electrical device. In this regard, it must be placed out of reach of pets and small children. Otherwise, there may be a breakdown of the lighting fixture and the risk of electrical injury to children and animals.

Conclusion

Connecting an LED duralight may seem complicated only at first glance. In fact, it is enough to follow simple instructions to create excellent lighting. The main thing when working with this LED cord is to be careful.

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