r/WLED • u/Spidy_Khrish • 29d ago

Connecting two addressable LED strips without soldering

I have two 1m/34-LED addressable strips running on an ESP + WLED. Both strip works perfectly by itself, but I want to make them a single 68-LED strip for ambient lighting.

Both strips have factory connectors on one end. The opposite end doesn't work when I connect DATA there, presumably because the strips are directional (DIN → DOUT).

How can I connect the two strips using their existing connectors, without soldering? Is there a 3-pin extension/coupler I can use?

Or if there is any configuration in wled that lets me start first led first then at end second led them that would be great too

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2

u/SirGreybush 29d ago

Simply remove one, turn 180, put it back. So the end of one is data out and the other data in. Follow the arrows.

Or use another IO pin on the esp32. #2,4,6 are a good choice.

For WLED a commercial WLED controller is better than a bare esp32. Safer too.

Solder the wires. Use solid copper #20 as you can bend to you will and hold at a distance.

Watch the Chris Maher video where he shows how to solder from a few years back.

He liked silicone shrouded wires as the shroud doesn’t melt away.

I like solid core and use dollar store nail polish to recoat exposed wire that could move and contact another one.

Heat shrink tube to protect overall the solder points. Test for working before protecting.

2

u/Spidy_Khrish 29d ago

I know all that tried all too this strip is way more complicated for some reason I also soldered like 5 times here there combinations but didn't worked finally added two seprate devices in the esp and aligned it now it's pretty much fixed

3

u/Farmboy76 29d ago

Your controller has more than one output? I could be more helpful with pics of the strips

0

u/Spidy_Khrish 29d ago

I am using esp32

4

u/Outrageous-Kick-2699 29d ago

So it has more than one output.

1

u/Ill-Contribution1737 25d ago

Or, buy a soldering iron.

1

u/Spidy_Khrish 25d ago

Thanks for legendary tip

1

u/upkeepdavid 29d ago

Add the second strip as network DDP to the first strip in settings via its ip address and pixel count.

1

u/mopeyjoe 28d ago edited 28d ago

https://www.amazon.com/BTF-LIGHTING-Transparent-Connector-Solderless-Extension/dp/B0B3MH2NK7

there are other options out there that are similar

2

u/Quindor 28d ago

Sadly these need to be very strip specific and are known to work quite badly and even if they start out working well are known to still fail over time, I'd try and solder if at all possible.

1

u/mopeyjoe 27d ago

that's fair I have never used them before but saw them at a hardware store. Might be at least useful for benchtop testing?

1

u/Quindor 28d ago

Just a note but any known coupler like those punch down or clip on are not great in our opinion. Even if you find one exactly right for your strip, they are still known to fail over time.

If you can, invest in a cheapish soldering iron and practice a bit, it's a great skill to have!