Someone explain RGB strips to me!

technoholic

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This is going to sound like a proper newbie question but I really need some information on RGB strips. I've not used them before but while building my false chimney and creating a recess for ornaments etc, i'd like to add some there, and have it controlled by z-wave. I know about the z-wave side, and will get the RGBW controller, but not about the strip themselves and how they are powered.

Primarily I want to be able to achieve a warm white colour, the sort to match a normal light bulb, can I do this with an RGB strip or do i need one with white in it? Secondly, I only need about 1-1.5 metres for where I plan to use it, but if I buy one of these 5 metre rolls, I understand I can cut it right? If I then use a second piece elsewhere nearby, can I power it from the same source?

And with regards to power, i've seen this metal PSUs that seem to be dirt cheap, indeed I have used them before in work for other things, but are they good for these strips?

I only really know the basics so a bit of enlightenment would be great as I need to get this sorted asap so I can run the wiring before I board the false chimney.

Thanks
 
You'll get a nicer warm white glow from a warm white strip - colour temperature around 2700K.
You need a 5m WW strip with 2 wires on each end - you need to check this as some suppliers only solder wires on one end. So when you cut the strip into 2 pieces each section will have wires. 30 LED/m strips can be cut every 10cm, 60/m strips every 5cm.

A lap-top style 4A psu will be sufficient for your two such short lengths unless you need to hard wire in using a ventilated (metal as you say) type requiring mains wiring. You will need to chop the plug off the lap-top style ones and connect both strips to psu output lead using a 2-way connector block.
 
thanks, but i want to have "scenes" so that although the light is normally warm white, it needs to be able to be changed to something else. How bad is the warm white from RGB? or can I get RGB+WW strips?
 
Yes you can get RGBW strips and specify WW and it should be compatible with your z-wave controller. So the controller drives both strips, the psu 12V o/p goes to the z-wave DC i/p terminals.
 
ok good, do you have any recommendations of a good RGB+WW Strip?
 
Nothing wrong - you just need to check two important points - colour temperature of the warm white LED's - don't go for anything > 3200K, and the 5m reel must have wires on both ends of the 5m strip unless you are able to solder proficiently with a temperature controlled soldering iron (not easy).
 
so that example doesn't say either of those points then so I should avoid?
 
Warm White on that strip should be in the 3000k Mark - if youre going for that system id recommend doing the WiFi bridge as well, then you can control from your phone or the MiLight app as the bridge will connect to yoru network
 

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