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Old 09-21-2015, 09:17 PM
TheArcticWolf1911 TheArcticWolf1911 is offline
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Default RGB Strips Tutorial

Of course, I nor FordRangerForums is responsible for the choices you make, or any damages to you or your possessions.

This writeup will go over the process of installing LED strip lights in your Ranger, or really any other car. This process would work, for example, on a Buick Rendezvous too for example.
To get started, what all do we need? I will be covering the installation of RGB strips so for this we need two components and some supplies.
We need the following supplies:
-The RGB controller.
-The strip(s).
-Either wire taps or some solder and an iron, your choice.
-Bullet/spade/etc connectors, your choice on which to get*
-A few feet of different color wire. Try to keep the red, green, and blue consistent and black for ground.
And the following tools:
-Wire strippers & crimpers
-Pliers or soldering iron, depending on your preference vs t-taps and soldering
-A multimeter
-Some alligator clip test leads wouldn't be a bad idea
-Zip-Ties
-Any other tools to take apart your truck, depending on where you plan to place them. For this tutorial, we will be putting them in my cup holder but the process is the same for any location.

Is your head spinning yet? Fear not. It's not as complicated as you may think. If you already have your parts and are familiar with LED strips and their quirks then feel free to skip ahead. For any new guys/gals out there, keep reading. And now for some basic knowledge you'll need if you've never messed with this type of thing before.
LEDs only operate with one direction of current. If you hook it up backwards, you won't necessarily damage anything, but it won't work, as opposed to our old friend the tungsten lightbulb who quite frankly doesn't give a crap which way current flows.
LEDs are also very sensitive to voltage and current so it's important to have either a controller or a dimmer in-line with the LEDs to protect them. Not only does it help to save your LEDs from a mishap but it also allows you to adjust your LEDs to your liking, depending on what your controller can do.
Now, controllers and dimmers. What's the difference? A dimmer does exactly what it sounds like it does. It dims the LEDs. Nothing complex there. Controllers can do this too, but are primarily used for RGB strips. RGB, if you don't already know, stands for Red Green and Blue. Controllers can make RGB strips turn yellow, green, teal, purple, even white and any other color by controlling the anodes or cathodes of the individual LEDs inside to achieve a specific color and it's really not more complicated than that but there is one thing you should be aware of.
In the world of RGB strips there are two types of strips. Common Anode and Common Cathode strips. Now, why did they do this? Why did they make life complicated by making two different kinds? As you probably have figured out, depending on which of those two types you get you need a Common Anode or Common Cathode (referred to as CA and CC respectively from now on) controller to match. And what does that even mean, anyway?
In a normal LED you have two pins. The "anode" and the "cathode". Anode is positive and cathode is ground. Remember that. Now in an RGB LED this is where things get complicated, but their full nature is beyond the scope of this writeup, but here is the info you care about and need to know for this to work.
RGB LEDs behave just like any other LED. The difference is, in an RGB LED, it's really a red, green, and blue LED all rolled into one to save space. Remember how I said a normal LED has two pins? Well if it's three in one wouldn't that mean there are six pins? This is where CA and CC come in. To save space, either the cathodes or anodes of the LEDs are combined to save space, totaling to four pins. Although on occasion you will run into an RGBW LED, which has a fourth LED inside made to be white; therefor it ups the amount to five pins.
For this tutorial, I'm not using an RGBW strip as they're not all that common and the extra white LED is rather pointless considering 'white' light can be made with or without that fourth LED. So you can forget those even exist.

Alright enough theory. Let's pick out some parts and build this thing. As I said before, we need a controller for this RGB strip. The one I used was a Common Anode strip purchased from superbrightleds.com
Ideally, we want a controller that is wireless so we don't have an ugly box or pod hanging out somewhere. With wireless, you can either use a remote to control the LEDs or your smartphone if you're so inclined. However, there are two types of controllers you should be aware of; because life is complicated like that. You know your crappy TV remote that only works when it's pointed directly at it? Well some RGB LED controllers use that same outdated and unreliable IR technology, meaning that the controller must be within the remote's line of sight. Unfortunately I wasn't paying attention and ended up getting one of these by accident. Make sure you get one that operates either via Wi-Fi or RF, meaning Radio Frequency. With RF or WIFI, you can tuck it away wherever you please. My controller was 15 bucks and came with the remote as well as instructions. I'll leave links at the end to the products I bought, but again, I strongly disagree with using IR style recievers. Spring for RF or Wi-Fi instead so it can truly be hidden. I'll also leave a link to one I should have bought as well.
Is that it? No. There's more, but you can't complain for not having all the info you need. You can get either a 'box' type controller or a slim, in-line receiver. I recommend an in-line receiver as it's very small, comparable to a small pack of gum which makes it very easy to hide away. A box is much bulkier and if isn't secured properly, it will bang and rattle like mad. Also make sure it's suitable for vehicles.
Okay, that's all you need to know for purchasing. Buy it and let's get started putting this together.
Got your stuff now? Let's head to it and actually build something now.
For my application, I wanted them to shine on my cup holders at night. The best decision for this, is to wire it into your interior dash illumination circuit, but not the dimming circuit. I tapped into the light blue and black wire coming off the 4x4 switch, but this can be picked up in a variety of places behind the radio bezel. Either T-Tap or solder into this wire then lead it out the bottom of the dash on the driver's side with the intent of going into the cupholder itself. Don't forget ground either. You can pick this up anywhere you choose. I chose to use the same lead my aftermarket courtesy lights do which was already there.
Now that you have power and ground, it's time to use your connectors. If the controller goes bad then a quick disconnect will make your life easier. If it uses the screw terminal style connections then don't worry about it.
Now remove the cup holder. Now is a good time to mention you should choose waterproof LEDs. This makes them easier to clean and helps protect them against any mishaps you should have.
Once the upholder is dry, peel the backing off to expose the adhesive and wrap the LED strip around the inside like so.

For a clean installation, we need to run the wires into the holder itself. Get your drill and bit set then choose a bit the same size or slightly smaller than the wires coming off your strip. Drill the hole with intent for the wires to simply feed through. If your wires are exposed and not in a loom of some kind, use some heat shrink tubing to make it look a little cleaner. Optionally you can also use a grommet, but I chose not to as my wires fit nicely without it. Also, be careful and drill slowly as not to break the plastic or drill too far into the actual cup holder section. After you're done, feed the wires down into the hole.
Now that our LEDs are installed, it's time to install our controller. If you're using a box controller, I recommend putting it behind the radio bezel for easy access, assuming you're using an RF or wifi type. I chose the IR type and was forced to zip type it up above the gas pedal where the remote could see it.

On the other hand, if your receiver is the smaller 'in line' type than you can simply stick it to the inside of the holder itself, running your power wires down and into the unit.

Whichever way you go, make sure your wires and any parts are nice and secure so they don't rattle or come loose, possibly causing a short circuit.
Now to wire it up. In my case, I have four wires. Red, green, blue, and black. In the case of my strip, the black wire is not ground but rather power in. The three colored wires are the cathodes for the different colors of the LEDs, respectively. Your strip may differ so to be sure, it should read what each contact is for on the strip itself where the wires connect. You should see R,G, B, and either V+, GND, or V-, depending on your strip.
If your controller is the inline type, you can simply match the wire colors and plug your connectors of choice on. If your controller has screw terminals, each terminal will be labled in a similar manner that the strip was.
No matter which type you go with, do bear in mind to wire it up correctly as it won't function properly otherwise.
Once you've done that, tuck everything nice and neat then give it a test by turning on the headlight switch, assuming you've wired yours to the same wire I did. Your lights should be nice and consistently bright throughout. If your strip is an RGB strip, make sure all the colors are working by selecting the different options on the remote.
If it all works as it should, feel free to bolt it all back together and enjoy your new lights.
And, if needed, here is a general schematic for your typical RGB strip. Simply omit all but two wires on the strip side if using a single color strip.
__________________
Fourth Gen, Harvest Gold, 1999 Ford Ranger; 3.0 V6 Vulcan; 4x4 Automatic
Limited Edition, Wolf Series

NEVER use pipe cleaners! They BREAK! Ask me how I know that.

Last edited by TheArcticWolf1911; 10-05-2015 at 12:09 PM.
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  #2  
Old 09-21-2015, 09:23 PM
TheArcticWolf1911 TheArcticWolf1911 is offline
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Default Re: RGB Strips Tutorial

Due to the amount of words in the first post, here's the links to the items I mentioned in a follow-up post.

The IR controller I ordered: Link

The LED strip: Link

And the controller I should have ordered: Link
__________________
Fourth Gen, Harvest Gold, 1999 Ford Ranger; 3.0 V6 Vulcan; 4x4 Automatic
Limited Edition, Wolf Series

NEVER use pipe cleaners! They BREAK! Ask me how I know that.
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