How Duralight is arranged and connected

Illumination of buildings and festive decoration has long been performed with the help of garlands. Recently, most of them are LED. This backlight is made in the form of ribbons or cords. The LED cord is correctly called a duralight, in this article we will consider how it is arranged and connected.

What is duralight, features of LED duralight

The word "duralight" can literally be translated as "durable light" (from English durable light). And indeed, duralight, upon careful examination, turns out to be a transparent polymer flexible cord, inside of which there are lamps or LEDs (LED Duralight), in fact - a strong tubular garland. PVC tube in the role of a frame provides duralight moisture resistance, flexibility, resistance to ultraviolet radiation and physical strength.

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

Device and types

Duralight is a LED garland in a polyvinyl chloride shell. It connects to a 220V network, several of its types are distinguished.

According to the operating mode:

1. Fixing. A cord that glows unchanged over time. That is, you turned it on, and it just glows.

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

3. The chameleon. In fact, the same chasing, but consists of different colors.

There are duralight of various types. By the number of lines, there can be from 2 to 7 wires, and the number of LED chains increases, which allows you to get various lighting effects and color combinations.

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

Important:

Since duralight is a PVC cord - it is sealed, which ensures normal operation on the street.

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

You can see an approximate diagram in the figure below. Duralight cord consists of conductive wires, LEDs and a sheath. The number of cores and LEDs can be different, as well as their color.

Inside the cord is by no means hollow; the gaps between the LEDs are also filled with PVC to give duralight extra strength. So, duralight can be safely used in outdoor and indoor advertising structures, in a variety of architectural lighting, for decorating trees and for interior design.

The tube simply attaches to clips or glue wherever needed, and holds firmly, thanks 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, with a constant glow or with various flashing modes, provide truly the broadest possibilities for lighting design.

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

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

Compared with incandescent lamps, LEDs give a uniform saturated color, bright glow, while there is almost no heating, which makes the LED LED duralight much safer than a conventional tube 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 sleeve, while the second end is closed with a plug. An ordinary bridge rectifier is used as an adapter. It is possible to combine several segments using couplings.

In order to build up a cord-garland or to connect in case of repair, use pin connectors, the connection point is sealed and protect by heat shrink, we will talk 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 meter. It is a regular rectifier - diode bridge. The length for connecting the cord depends on its power. Typical lengths for connecting to most adapters are 50 to 100 meters.

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

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

Important:

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, the connector from the power adapter for a 5-core cord is shown below.

As already mentioned - to connect the duralight in flickering mode (chasing) you need a controller. They differ in the number of channels, respectively, how many channels in the controller are so many and there can be wires in the duralumin that he can power.

Controllers for a two-core duralight ensure simple flickering, blinking and smooth switching on, followed by turning off the entire garland.

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

You will get a great effect from the light performance by using a five-wire cord with a controller similar to that shown below.

Wiring diagram

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

If you connected the cord, but it does not light up, immediately disconnect it to avoid damage, and turn the connector over 180 degrees.

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

Combine preferably equivalent pieces of power. At the end, free of connection, put on a special cap. In the manufacture of decorative frame structures, wire or metal tape is used. Special guides will enhance the brightness of the duralight.

Installation Rules

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

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

2. Make a cut only on specially designated marks, otherwise the segment will not work.

3. Connect the connecting and power connectors with sealant, silicone or glue, and you can also protect the joint with a heat-shrink tube. This is especially important if the backlight will be used outdoors.

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

5. At the end of the garland, put on a cap - this will save you from electric shock if you suddenly touch it. Seal it as described above.

6. It is advisable to place the backlight in the reach zone for children and animals.

Nuances when working with duralight

A coiled duralight coil cannot be plugged in for a long time, as this will cause excessive heat. However, before starting installation, the entire cord is checked, including it in the network. Contacts must be dry.

Duralight can be cut only by marks, by multiple lengths. Mount - only in the off state, turn on - only after installation is completed. Unused contacts must be protected by blanking plates. Couplings cannot be strongly deformed or bent.

The use of heat shrink tubing to improve insulation is welcome. It is allowed to combine pieces of equal power density calculated for the same voltage. Observe the polarity!

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

Conclusion

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

At the same time, there are tips on the Internet that using duralight, you can organize lighting for the pool. Of course, if all safety measures are followed, this can be done, but remember - power supply from high voltage has not disappeared, and this is extremely dangerous. For such purposes, a 12V LED strip with dust and moisture protection is ideal.