Review on LEDwholesalers Ultra-Bright 144W 24V Flexible Ribbon LED Strip Light - 16.4ft White 600xSMD2835 - High CRI 90 - 20218WH by David Richardson

Some friends were interested in lighting aspects of their kitchen in terms of under, over and interior cabinet lighting. We discussed different types of lighting options and preferred colors (circular, linear, warm white, neutral or cool, etc.) and they knew they needed linear lighting under cabinets in clear white, but were unsure about the above: the exterior of the kind of cabinet they wanted. I showed them samples of 4100, 5000, and 5600 Kelvin LED bulbs to help them narrow down their favorite white color. We then discussed the attributes of a high Color Rendering Index (CRI) and how it affects the accuracy of color objects. They chose the 5000K color and really liked how vivid the colors appeared in whatever they placed under my test LED pattern. I found a company that offered 5000K strips with a fairly high power output, but when I contacted them to buy them they "claimed" that they were out of stock even though they had some 5600K strips with a color rendering index of had over 95 who were "measured". about 5100K that I could buy. . So I bought two 16ft reels with the intention of running parallel LED strips in an aluminum channel under the high brightness case, but upon installation I noticed that the color had a slight blue cast which per the seller's description should not have been . 5100K. I think I was deceived. Compare the colors of the LEDs above the cabinet (5000K) and below the cabinet (5600K+) in the photos. After installing under the cabinet my friends were ready for the lighting above the cabinet and we experimented with placing flat round LED downlights (90 CRI, 5000K) on top of the cabinets (face up) to create circular beams of light to create, but the beam angle was too wide narrow and variable in size depending on how high they were above the cabinet, so we agreed to place a linear LED strip above the cabinets for uniformity and a wider one Improve ceiling light coverage. My friends were both familiar with the typical brightness of fluorescent tubes above and below cupboards and, considering their age, felt that was sufficient. As with the under cabinet setup where I convinced them to use BRIGHT for kitchen counter tasks and cooking fun, I suggested the same for 'lighting' and visual impact. Yes, there are many recessed ceiling lights that can illuminate most of the kitchen but don't provide good task lighting like a well-lit countertop. They are very happy they went for a 'lighter' underside of the cabinet which influenced their decision to go BRIGHTER above the cabinets as well. I have installed dimmers for the LEDs for each spot that you can adjust as you wish. So now is the time to buy high performance LED strips that don't need to have a high color rendering index for general overhead lighting or are beyond your budget like most available online. Offers in this class of LED strips. I saw this LEDWholesalers tape on Revain in the past on a random search and now I had an app to try. The 5000K color was right and the claimed 144W/16" bar should have been bright! When I received it I had some 5/8" wide aluminum LED channels to help with the heat dissipation of the 6" sacrificial length Testing LED strips. Within minutes the aluminum was getting too hot to handle but the brightness was amazing! For another demo I unrolled a long section on the cabinets and turned them on to see if the brightness was adequate was which we all agreed was sufficient and we liked the color. I asked if they would rather run twice as bright and they replied that one stripe is enough for a short distance to the ceiling. IMPORTANT! The tape was each less than Turned on for 10 seconds to prevent the LED from overheating with no heat dissipating material applied to it!Heat affects LED lifespan and is the leading cause of premature failure!Since I'm not an engineer ha When determining what type of heatsink I needed, I considered a few things: a) To adequately dissipate the heat from the LED, b) Flat to utilize the maximum angle of the LED beam to illuminate as many overhead and ceiling lights as possible rear wall surfaces as possible. c) Thick enough to minimize thermal expansion and stress on the LED substrate and mounting adhesive. d) be strong and rigid enough to support my friend's large cats, which are often found on the top surfaces of the closet; e) Determine at what distance from the back walls you can get the best results for lighting both surfaces. 1/8" thick x 3" wide rectangular aluminum rod supported by a 2" x 3" rectangular aluminum tube cut to 1" wide. I even used an aluminum L-profile between the support posts with longer ones Added span (not visible) to increase rigidity under the heavy weight of the cat.With this 144W LED strip, you can get by with 2" wide aluminum and still be a little warm after long-term use. You can too Use blocks of wood to raise the aluminum to save money and drilling/tapping The risers have a dual function: they allow cooler air to rise over the aluminum surfaces and they also increase the height of the LED to avoid ceiling see through the protruding bar of the cabinet is shaded.I also wanted the LED and heatsink assemblies to be modular so they can be easily removed if something needs to be replaced.To protect the LEDs from dust and cats s For protection, I purchased a 3/4" clear acrylic tube that was sawn in half, applied to the inside with linear strokes of "00" steel wool, and then secured over the LED strips with clear silicone adhesive. A: Hot glue will not stick to aluminum after the first long use of the LED due to the different expansion rates of aluminum and acrylic, but will not stick to aluminum - even after thorough cleaning of the surfaces with acetone - which needs to be done anyway. for better adhesion of the LED glue Note: Be sure to gently press any exposed area along the strip onto the aluminum between the LEDs and the resistors to ensure the best adhesion and heat transfer! Body oils can shorten LED life or cause premature failure. Due to the high output of this strip, there will be some voltage drop along its length, resulting in a gradual decrease in brightness. Special power supply wiring is recommended should be used every meter on longer runs or Yard to minimize this effect. In my setup I soldered extra voltage lines to both ends of the LED rails. Note the additional connectors for disconnecting the wiring for easy removal of the module. The photos also show amazing, quiet "Mean Well" power supplies and fuses for each LED system, including much lower wattage warm white LED strips in case the glassware is "lit up". This entire system is 24v with 14 and 16 AWG wiring, built in fuses and dimmers. My friends are very happy with the 5000K LED color and 90 CRI accuracy illuminating their figures above the cabinets (interfering with the lighting along the ceiling). :-) and I also agree with the performance. I wish the LEDs under the counter were the same as they are a nicer color without the blue cast. Even if they should have a higher CRI of 95 compared to 90, I prefer the color of the top LED. This was an early 2019 install - as of December 2021 there were no issues. One final note: although the description recommends attaching this LED strip to any heat-dissipating surface, including glass or polished stone, DO NOT. ! It has to be an efficient heat dissipation material, and these materials are NOT! There are several wide aluminum profiles for LEDs on the market, but I'm not sure even 1 inch wide versions with back ribs will be enough to cool this strip. in a short time. Choose the right heat dissipation materials to ensure long service life. Hooray!