Removing 120V transformer from LED light strip and connecting to 12V battery power

Jades · October 2021

Hi all,

This question has nothing to do with solar so I didn't want to post it in the actual solar forum, but it does relate to batteries, and it seems like there is a good deal of knowledge for wiring on this forum.

I converting a van to a camper and wanted lights for underneath the kitchen cabinet.

I purchased this led light strip for Home Depot (https://www.homedepot.com/p/Commerc...-RGB-LED-Strip-Light-Kit-DT8800-16F/312590609). The first one I bought with USB connection just wasn't bright enough.

I checked the brightness of the first led light strip by plugging it into the inverter, and it was plenty bright. I also like that it comes with a remote.

My first question is whether connecting it to a 12v battery would at all change the brightness of the LEDs and my second question is where in the schematic I would cut out the existing wires and connect to a red/black from my battery (which runs through a Blue Sea Fuse Box and would then run to a dimmer switch (this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07L3MT41G/?tag=cpf0b6-20). I know that the second box (transformer that plugs into the wall isn't necessary, but I wonder if the first one is...whether that connects to the remote or provides any other value), or if the remote goes directly to the light strips themselves, then how to a take a black and a red wire from battery and feed it into a light strip that wants four separate wires (red/black/green/can't remember fourth).

I assume that the dimmer switch would be operable with this, since both would be 12v and that I could use both the remote and the actual dimmer switch, but will that actually work?

Thanks much!

James

mike95490 · October 2021

"dimmer" switches are a trick for LED's. LED's are current operated devices, not voltage. They need a minimum voltage to begin to operate, but playing with them like this, might or might not , work. Usually there is a Current Driver used to brighten/dim LED's

Jades · October 2021

Ah, so it seems that the smaller box prior to the transformer is probably the current driver.

How would I take the four output wires and bring them down to the black and red. (In the past, I’ve seen only three wires, where green is a ground, never four)?

Thanks,

James

mike95490 · October 2021

So many different ways this can be done, you are sort of on your own. Don't electrocute yourself.

mike_s · October 2021

You don't need the wall transformer/power supply. It just converts 120 VAC to 12 VDC. The other box will take 12 VDC directly, but is designed to use a common DC power plug. You could cut the wire/connector off the wall plug and connect your 12 VDC to that. Make sure positive goes to the center conductor, as shown in the diagram on the box.

That box also has the "smarts" to accept commands from the remote and control the LED strip. You can't use a dimmer, you'll have to use the remote. You could switch the power going to the box, I have a similar one and it remembers the last setting when power cycled.

Removing 120V transformer from LED light strip and connecting to 12V battery power

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