Homemade lamp from LED strip. How to save money and make a lamp from an LED strip with your own hands A lamp on an LED strip with your own hands

How to make a lighting device from a diode strip with your own hands? What it is? This is worth talking about in more detail. LED lighting is gaining popularity every day. It covers new areas of application.

Very often, LEDs are used not only for the main lighting of the room (lamps), but also for some types of lighting (for example, in the kitchen, in the dressing room, and so on). Such beauty, naturally, cannot be cheap, so if you want to use LED lighting in your home, you will have to fork out a little.

DIY LED strip lamp options

So, for the first version of the lamp you will need:

• LED self-adhesive strip (8 mm wide);
• aluminum corner (size 10x10 mm, length 1.5 m) or plastic electrical box (optional);
• screws;
• small switch.

LED strips are becoming practical to use. They look like a flexible “board” on which the LEDs and resistors themselves are attached. It is very convenient to cut the size of LEDs you need from the LED strip. There are many ways to make it. They depend on what final type of lamp you want to get: a vertical lamp, horizontal or on legs. Let's look at a few of these.

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We carry out the design of the lamp

To do this, you need to measure the length of the corner that you need. Next, drill a hole in it so that you can attach it to the surface with screws. Having done this, you will need to cut a groove to secure the microswitch. After following all the instructions, attach the corner to the selected location using screws. In order for the LED strip to stick well to the corner, you need to wipe it with acetone to degrease it. Don't forget to install a switch in the groove and solder the wires. Connect them to an adapter or 12V power line. The lighting device is ready. It is intended for horizontal surfaces. You can use it, for example, in the kitchen (under a cabinet). If such a lamp is used at a height of 70-80 cm above the surface, it will well illuminate 60 cm of its width, most importantly, it will not blind the eyes.

Now let's look at the second version of the lamp. It will be more difficult to work with, but more original. Let's start manufacturing. To do this you must buy the following materials:

• RGB LED strip (3 m long);
• 3 furniture legs;
• nickel-plated pipe (diameter 25 mm, length 1.5 m);
• 2 pipe mounts;
• 9 m slats (platbands);
• plywood (10 mm);
• a can of black paint;
• RGB controller (remote);
• a piece of chipboard;
• electric jigsaw;
• thin screws.

First, you will need to cut 6 rings of different diameters (2 large, 2 medium, 2 small) from plywood with an electric jigsaw. And also one circle of chipboard (it will be the base of our lamp) and a circle of plywood, in which you cut six holes (this is the top of your lamp - its cap). Paint all cut rings and slats black and let dry. It is better to paint outside, as the paint has an odor. Please note that before painting the slats, you need to drill holes in them at equal distances for fastening with screws.

You should attach fasteners for a nickel-plated pipe to a chipboard circle and a plywood circle. It will connect the entire structure of the lamp, made by hand. In the middle of the rings, stick an LED strip, which you initially cut into segments equal to the inner diameter of the rings. You need to solder wires to each of the rings.

After this, start connecting small rings to the slats using screws. They will be in the middle of your lamp. Next, the middle rings will be attached to both sides of the small rings and, at the end, the bottom and top of the lamp. Hide the wires in the cable along the entire height. Don't forget to paint the cable black so that it doesn't differ from the strips and rings.

A LED is a semiconductor device that allows you to convert electric current into light radiation. One 220 volt LED lamp allows you to save a huge amount of electricity. The savings are 2 times more than a fluorescent lamp and 10 times than an incandescent lamp. If you use parts from a burnt-out lamp to make such a lamp, you can significantly reduce costs. You can assemble an LED lamp with your own hands quite simply. But do not forget that for this you need to have the appropriate qualifications, since you will have to work with high voltage.

Advantages of LEDs

Nowadays you can find a huge number of types of chandeliers with LED lamps in stores. They have different advantages and disadvantages. Modernization of energy saving lamps allows you to take full advantage of fluorescent light. This applies to the most common lamps with an E 27 base. And the old representatives of this family were endowed with an unpleasant flicker. Fluorescent light sources are truly a miracle. Compared to them, incandescent lamps are losing ground very much. Their high energy consumption and low light output do not offset their high color rendering index.

Durability is their main advantage. Mechanically it is strong and reliable. It is known that its operating life can reach up to 100,000 hours. They are also considered environmentally friendly light sources, unlike fluorescent lamps, which, in turn, contain mercury. But as you know, fluorescent lamps have some disadvantages:

• The vapors contained in the pipes are quite poisonous.
• Due to frequent switching on and off, they can quickly fail.
• The design itself requires some disposal.

In order to remove this small minus and turn it into a good plus, you can build a lamp from an LED strip with your own hands. In this way, the cost of the light source can be reduced. It will be much lower than that of luminescent analogues . And also this lamp will have a number of advantages:

• The lamp life will be a record 100,000 hours, but only with proper assembly.
• The cost of a homemade device is no higher than that of a fluorescent lamp.
• The watt/lumen efficiency is far superior to all comparable products.

But there is also one drawback - there is no warranty for this product. It must be compensated by the skill of the electrician and strict adherence to the instructions.

Homemade lamps

There are a huge number of ways to create a lamp with your own hands. Using an old base from a burnt-out fluorescent lamp is the most common method. Such resources are available in every home, so there will be no problems finding them. You will also need:

In some schemes, one or two elements from this list may not be useful. However, in others, on the contrary, new chain links may be needed, for example: drivers or electrolytes. In each specific case it is necessary individually draw up a list of necessary materials.

How to make an LED lamp with your own hands

To begin installing the lamp, you need to prepare two damaged fluorescent lamps with a power of 13 W and a length of half a meter. There is no point in buying new ones, it is best to find old ones that don't work. But they must be checked for cracks and chips.

Next, you need to purchase an LED strip in the store. This must be approached responsibly, since the choice is very large. Tapes with natural or pure white light are best. Since they do not change the shades of surrounding objects and are super bright. Typically, these strips contain LEDs in groups of three. The power of one group is 14 W, and the voltage is 12 volts per meter tape.

After which you need to disassemble the fluorescent lamps into their component parts. You must act very carefully - do not damage the wires or break the tube, as this will release toxic fumes. All removed entrails should not be thrown away. They may be useful in the future. Next, you need to cut the tape into sections of 3 diodes. After this, it’s worth getting expensive and unnecessary converters. Large, sturdy scissors or wire cutters are best for cutting the tape.

In the end there should be 22 groups 3 LEDs or 66 LEDs, which must be connected in parallel along the entire length. To convert alternating current to direct current, the standard voltage of 220 volts must be increased to 250 in the electrical network. This is due to the straightening process. The next step is to figure out the number of LED sections. To do this, you need to divide 250 volts by 12 volts (voltage for 1 group of 3 pieces). Having finally received 20.8 (3), you need to round up - you get 21 groups. It is best to add another group, since the total number of LEDs will be divided into two lamps. And dividing an even quantity is much easier.

Next, you will need a DC rectifier, which can be found in the removed insides of the fluorescent lamp. Using wire cutters, remove the capacitor from the common circuit of the converter. This action is quite easy to perform, since it is located separately from the diodes; you just need to break off the board.

Using superglue and soldering, it is necessary to assemble the entire structure. Don't try to fit all 22 sections into one lamp. As mentioned above, you need to find 2 half-meter lamps, since it is simply impossible to place all the LEDs in one. There is no need to rely on the self-adhesive layer, which is located on the back of the tape. It won't last long. Therefore, it is better to use superglue or liquid nails to secure the LEDs.

To summarize, we can analyze all the advantages of the assembled product. The amount of light in the resulting lamps is 1.5 times greater than in analogues. But the power consumption is much less than that of fluorescent lamps. The service life of this light source will be approximately 10 times longer. And also one of the advantages - this is the direction of light. It is directed straight down and has no ability to dissipate. Therefore, it will be best used at the desktop or in the kitchen. However, the light emitted is not very bright but has low power consumption.

Constant use of the lamp in the on state will consume only 4 kW of energy in a year. The cost of electricity consumed per year can be compared with the cost of a ticket in public transport. Therefore, such light sources are often used where constant illumination is required, for example:

• Street.
• Corridor.
• Utility room
• Emergency lighting.

A simple LED light bulb

There is another way to create a lamp. A table lamp, chandelier or lantern needs an E14 or E27 base. Accordingly, the diodes and circuit used will differ. Compact fluorescent lamps are now common . For installation you will need one burnt cartridge, as well as an altered list of materials. Necessary:

Let's move on to creating an LED module with our own hands. First you need to disassemble the old lamp. In fluorescent lamps, the base is attached to a plate with tubes and secured with latches. The base can be disconnected quite simply. It is necessary, having found places with latches, to pry them off with a screwdriver. Everything needs to be done quite carefully so as not to damage the tubes. When opening it, you must ensure that the electrical wiring that leads to the base remains intact.

From the upper part with gas-discharge tubes you need to make a plate to which the LEDs will be attached. To do this, you need to disconnect the light bulb tubes. The remaining plate has 6 holes. In order for the LEDs to be firmly attached to it, you need to make a cardboard or plastic “bottom”, which will also insulate the LEDs. You need to use NK6 LEDs, they are multi-chip (6 crystals per diode) with parallel connection.

Because of this, the light source is super bright with minimal power. You need to make 2 holes in the cover for each LED. The holes should be pierced carefully and evenly so that their location matches each other and the intended pattern. If you use a piece of plastic as the “bottom”, the LEDs will be firmly fixed. But if you use a piece of cardboard, you will need to glue the base with the LEDs using superglue or liquid nails.

Since the light bulb will be used in a network with a voltage of 220 volts, an RLD2−1 driver will be required. You can connect 3 diodes of 1 watt each to it. This lamp required 6 LEDs with a power of 0.5 watts each. It follows from this that the connection diagram will be formed from two series-connected parts of three parallel-connected LEDs.

Before you begin assembly, you need to isolate the driver and board from each other. To do this, you can use a piece of cardboard or plastic. This will prevent short circuits in the future. There is no need to worry about overheating as the lamp does not get hot at all. All that remains is to assemble the structure and test it in action. White light makes the light bulb appear much lighter. The luminous flux of the assembled lamp is 100−120 lumens. This may be enough to illuminate a small room (corridor or utility room).

Types of lamps

LED lamps can be divided into two groups: indicator (LED) - used as indicators because they are low-power and dim. The green lights on the router are indicator LEDs. There are such diodes on TV as well. Their uses are quite varied. For example:

• Car panel illumination.
• Various electronic devices.
• Computer display backlighting.

Their colors come in a huge variety: yellow, green, red, purple, blue, white and even ultraviolet. It is worth remembering that the color of the LED does not depend on the color of the plastic. It is determined by the type of semiconductor material from which it is made. In most cases, you need to turn it on to find out the color, since they are made of colorless plastic.

A lighting structure is used to illuminate something. It differs in its power and brightness. It also has a very reduced price, so it is often used in household and industrial lighting. This type of lighting is considered productive, environmentally friendly and cheap. Today, the level of technology development can make it possible to produce lamps with a high level of light output per 1 Watt.

LED lighting is increasingly used in apartments and private houses, gradually replacing traditional light sources. LEDs have gained wide popularity due to their technical characteristics and high economic indicators. LED strips are in particular demand, used as the main lighting devices and installed in a variety of places. However, the main obstacle to the widespread use of LEDs remains their rather high price.

Many home craftsmen are trying to solve this problem on their own, creating original devices, including a lamp from an LED strip with their own hands. Such designs are much cheaper compared to industrial analogues, and in terms of efficiency and quality they are in no way inferior to them. If you have knowledge of the basics of electrical engineering, any novice electrician can make homemade lighting devices.

Application of LED strips

The design of the tape is made in the form of a rubberized printed circuit board, which makes it very flexible and elastic. Thanks to this, it became possible to freely place LEDs and current-limiting resistors without the risk of any damage. That is, when the tape is bent, all the elements located on it also move. Using tape it has become much easier to make homemade lamps. You can cut it freely and get pieces of the desired size.

When working with LED strip, you must follow the mandatory rules. For example, in order not to disrupt the contact between the LEDs, all cuts should be made only in those places that are specifically designed for this. A white line is used to designate them. At the cut site, the contacts are soldered to the supply wire.

The LED strip contains a self-adhesive layer in its structure, with which it can be installed in any place. The LEDs used in the strip have different luminous flux characteristics. The most popular products are those operating on 12 volts. The design features of the tape allow it to be used not only for its intended purpose, but also as the main part of homemade lamps. Such lighting devices usually serve as additional light sources to illuminate a limited space.

Preparation of materials and parts

Due to the high flexibility of the LED strip, luminaire designs can be manufactured in a wide variety of options. However, they all follow the same principles used in the manufacturing and assembly process, regardless of the luminaire configuration.

It is recommended that you stock up on the necessary materials, parts and tools before starting assembly. Otherwise, during the work process there will be unnecessary haste, an urgent search for what is missing will begin, which can lead to a loss of quality of the finished lamp, and the assembly itself will drag on indefinitely.

First of all, you need to purchase an LED strip with pre-known parameters and technical characteristics. An 8mm wide strip works best. You will also need an aluminum corner, instead of which you can use a plastic box for electrical installation. The dimensions of the corner are 10x10 mm, and the length is 1.5 m. All fastenings and assembly are performed using screws. The lamp is turned on and off using a small switch.

More advanced designs use a power supply, controller, and control panel. This product is more expensive, but it is much more reliable in operation. The list of tools includes an electric drill, a jigsaw, a ruler and a pencil. Once everything you need is prepared, you can begin the assembly process.

Lamp assembly

There are various options for making a lamp using LED strip. Assembly will depend on the design that was originally planned for production.

The main steps for any type of product are exactly the same, so assembly will occur in the following order:

• First of all, the exact length of the corner or plastic box planned for assembling the lamp is noted.
• Next, holes are drilled in the corner for subsequent fastening of the device using screws. If necessary, a small area is cut out in the corner to fit the dimensions of a miniature switch, if it is to be used.
• The finished corner is fixed in a predetermined place, after which the switch is installed, and the wires are soldered to the tape along the cut line.
• After this, the LED strip is degreased using acetone or another solvent.
• The prepared tape is attached to a corner or box. At first it is only slightly attached to the surface, and after leveling it is finally fixed in place.
• At the last stage, a controller, power supply or adapter capable of delivering 12 volts is connected to the tape. With the help of these devices, it becomes possible to connect the lamp to a regular electrical network with a voltage of 220V.

Thus, the result was a lighting device installed horizontally. Most often, such lamps are used in kitchens for countertops and hobs. In addition, they are placed above desks, located at the bottom of shelves or wall cabinets. The most optimal distance to the working surface is 70-80 cm, which makes the light completely harmless to vision.

What to do if there is no ready-made LED strip

Sometimes situations arise when it is not possible to purchase an LED strip or there are no funds to purchase it. In this case, you can try to make the strip yourself using separate LEDs.

Before starting work, you need to prepare everything necessary for assembling the structure:

• LEDs, 1 W each, in the required quantity.
• A roll of special double-sided tape with good thermal conductivity.
• Drivers corresponding to the number of LEDs. It is necessary to pay attention to the marking, which indicates the number of outputs for LEDs.
• Aluminum tape or other surface with a minimum thickness of 1 mm. The area should be 1 cm for each LED.

First, the aluminum surface is degreased, after which double-sided tape is glued to it. The lower part of the LEDs is also degreased, after which they are installed on tape, alternating positive and negative poles. The LEDs are pressed and then soldered. Then the drivers are soldered and the lamp can be connected to power. After checking its functionality, it can be inserted into any housing and installed in various places.

LED strips today are increasingly used in organizing lighting in various rooms. Their rich range of colors allows you to create romantic and extraordinary lighting. Installation of the LED strip is simple, but it is necessary to take into account some nuances and know the procedure for carrying out the work.

Application of LED strips

LED strips are used almost everywhere where there is a need for artificial lighting. The advantages of LEDs over a regular Ilyich light bulb are no secret, so it’s worth noting the qualities that are interesting, first of all, to consumers:

• huge service life;
• efficiency;
• a wide selection of block and tape form factors;
• excellent variability in choosing the color of the glow;
• availability of sources.

The scope of application of LED strips has practically no boundaries. It could be:

• ceiling lighting;
• LED ;
• furniture lighting;
• lamp in plasterboard;
• interior lighting;
• illumination of work areas.

In short, it is impossible to list all the areas of application of LEDs, and there is no need to. The main thing is to understand which LED strip you need to choose to solve a specific problem.

Popular brands of LED strips

The most used LED strips for household use are: SMD 3528 And SMD 5050. The LEDs on them are installed frontally on the base, but they have some differences in the luminous flux, or rather, in its saturation. Model 5050 has a more intense light; they are most often used for general diffuse lighting of rooms.

Both LEDs can have different glow colors, which has a strong impact on their suitability for use in specific conditions. So, in order to illuminate work areas and ensure high concentration of attention to prevent eye fatigue, it is necessary to select a more moderate color, since the luminous flux can be intense white or warmer yellowish, more suitable for recreation areas than for work surfaces.

Instructions for creating a lamp for a suspended ceiling

A homemade LED strip lamp can be placed under the ceiling. Therefore, you must remember to be careful: the finished lamp must be lifted very carefully to a height, since the tape itself is very easy to damage, it has poor resistance to tensile loads. In addition, it should be taken into account that fixing the tape can be simplified if you first clean the entire length of the place where it is attached.

Knowing how to properly make a lamp from an LED strip will help you avoid mistakes and unnecessary financial costs. To do this, you can use the following instructions, which describe the basic installation rules and sequence of work.

At the first stage of creating a homemade lamp, you should decide on:

• tape length;
• density of placement of lamps on the LED strip;

To make lamps, you can use the above brands of LED strips:

1) SMD 3528 with a density of LEDs per linear meter in the following quantities:

• 60 pcs. (4.8 W);
• 120 pcs. (7.2 W);
• 240 pcs. (16 W).

2) SMD 5050 with a density of LEDs per linear meter in the following quantities:

• 30 pcs. (7.2 W);
• 60 pcs. (14 W);
• 120 pcs. (25 W).

Important! If you plan to use the lamp you are creating in a room with high humidity, for example, in a bathroom, you should choose an LED strip labeled IP44 and higher.

LEDs on SMD 5050 have higher power and visual differences from analogues installed on SMD 3528.

In one cassette, the LED strip has a constant footage of 5 meters. If the ceiling lamp is long, you will need to additionally buy 1 or 2 cassettes. It is possible to connect a tape up to 15 m long to one power supply. The tape is cut along special marks with ordinary scissors.

If a single-color tape is used, then the contacts are soldered minus to minus, and plus to plus. In the case of using multi-color tape when creating a lamp, sections of the same name are soldered in accordance with the letter markings: “B”, “G”, “V+”, “R”.

Attention! When creating a lamp with a multi-color ribbon, to control it, you need to use a controller, with which you can switch colors and smoothly adjust the brightness. As a rule, a special remote control is used for adjustment.

After the footage and density of the LEDs have been selected, the power of the lamp should be calculated. To do this, you need to multiply the power of a linear meter of tape by its footage and add a power reserve of 30%. This value is standard for selecting the unit through which the connection to the 220 V network will be made.

To connect to the controller or to the power source of the LED strip, it is better to use stranded wires: on one side, tips with a cross-section of 0.75 millimeters are installed using a special tool. During installation, they will be installed in a standard block, after which they are fixed with screws.

When the wires are ready, they need to be soldered to the end of the LED strip. To ensure insulation of the contacts and increase the strength of the connection, you should put a special heat-shrinkable tube over the soldering area.

Making a lamp from an LED strip with your own hands is not very difficult. However, the cost of the finished product, created with one’s own hand, is significantly lower than the purchased analogue.

Modern LED strips are equipped with double-sided tape on one side, so installing them along the perimeter of the ceiling is not particularly difficult. But it is necessary to take into account that it is recommended to carry out all installation operations together in order to prevent damage to the fragile lamp.

The technology described above is optimal when it is possible to glue the tape under the film, which has a translucent structure.

DIY lamp for the workplace

It’s also not difficult to make a small lamp yourself using an LED strip. In this case, a correctly selected housing is of great importance. A non-working fluorescent lamp is best suited for this. For example, for high-quality refreshment, a lamp 30 centimeters long will be enough.

In this case, for the lamp it is better to take an LED strip of the Waterproof SMD 5050 LED Strip type with the following basic parameters:

• current consumption – 1.2 A/m;
• supply voltage – 12 V;
• angle of light radiation – 120º.

The LED strip is attached to the inside of the lamp. You must use a purchased power supply or make one yourself.

By connecting the LED strip to the power supply, you need to check the functionality of the lamp.

During installation, it is important to properly insulate the conductive parts. If everything is done correctly, the lamp’s power supply is masked in its housing or, if it was purchased, it is carefully fixed near the place of its installation. The result is a very economical and neat design that provides high-quality lighting to the workplace.

With the advent of LED lighting technology, our world has become brighter and more economical. Only for now the cost of LED lamps is such that there is no need to talk about special savings, so we will use our innate ingenuity, what we have at hand, LED strips and these same hands. And a little bit of calculations. Then we will have an excellent LED lamp made from tape, which you can buy at any electrical and radio equipment store.

What is LED strip, price

If branded LED lighting is not very widespread due to its artificial elitism, then LEDs and strips can no longer be hidden from us, especially since they are cheaper and cheaper. The price of an LED strip today does not exceed $3-4 per meter, which is still affordable for each of us.

As a rule, it is cheaper to buy tape in 10 m rolls, having previously selected the desired type of diodes. This is exactly what we will do now, since we will have to make a lamp from an LED strip with our own hands, knowing all the parameters of the strip and all aspects of its application.

Application of LED strips

Strips of LEDs with different parameters are used almost everywhere where there is a need for artificial lighting. Enough has already been said about the advantages of LEDs over the Ilyich light bulb, let’s just add what concerns us, as consumers, above all:

The use of LED strips is almost limitless. It could be:

In a word, it is impossible to list everything, and is it even necessary. The main thing is to understand which LED strip to choose for our specific purposes. And we will be able to choose only when we know at least the basic operational parameters of the tape.

Types and parameters of LED strips

The LED strip is a base, rigid (rarely), but most often flexible, with small yellow LEDs already attached to it with hard-working hands. The tape can be self-adhesive or without it. In addition, a limiting resistor is mounted on each tape. LEDs are designed for use on low voltage networks, typically 12 volts, and are installed in small groups of three connected in series.

Once connected, the entire group is connected to the adapter through a limiting resistor. The tape can be cut, but the cutting frequency depends on the number of grouped diodes. As a rule, there are tapes that can be divided into sections of 50 mm, but they need to be cut in strictly designated places.

Roughly, tapes can be divided according to purpose into moisture-resistant and ordinary, and also in each of the groups there are tapes with an adhesive base and with a regular one. Waterproof tapes cost about a dollar more and are coated with a special waterproof gel. They are used for illuminating aquariums, for illuminating bathtubs and swimming pools, and also as basic lighting in damp rooms. Simple tapes are not protected in any way from the effects of the atmosphere and moisture and can only be used indoors.

Types of LEDs used

One of the most used LEDs in strips for household purposes are diodes of the SMD 3528 and 5060 brands. They are installed frontally on the base, but differ somewhat in luminous flux, or more precisely in its saturation. Models 5060 have more intense light; they are most often used for general diffused lighting of rooms.

Both LEDs can have different glow colors, which greatly affects their applicability in specific conditions. Thus, for use in lighting work areas with a high concentration of attention, it is necessary to select a more moderate color to prevent eye fatigue, since the luminous flux can be either intense white or warmer yellowish, which is more suitable for recreation areas than for work surfaces.

Controllers, power supplies for LED strips

We hope that no one will think of plugging the tape into a 220-volt network, and that’s absolutely correct, because the tape is designed for 12 V; sometimes there are models for a 24-volt network. Therefore, to install and launch a homemade lamp, you must use a rectifier and an adapter. The controller, or adapter, converts alternating current 220 volts to direct current 12 volts, and the power consumed by the tape must be taken into account.

You can easily select a power supply for a homemade LED lamp - to do this, look at the power indicated on the tape, for example, 12 W/m. This means that with a length of two meters, our tape will require 24 W, but the power supply must be selected with a 15-20% margin.

This way you can easily calculate the power of the power supply and make any lamp from an LED strip with your own hands. Good luck and enjoy your work!