Installing an LED strip kit on your motorcycle?
Using LED strips or extension wires from 2 brands?
- Mixing LED strips and extension wires can have compatibility issues.
- The most common issue to see is wrong colors, or some strips won’t come on.
This post will talk about 3 things that you need to check.
So, your LED strip kit will work seamlessly with cross-brand parts.
Read this quick guide before you start.
Reminder:
Please note that there is no universal standard that LED strip kit makers must follow.
Brands determine many specifications for their designs based on each’s expertise and understanding.
- This means LED strip kits for the same vehicles may have different parameters for the same functions and features.
- The best practice is to use all parts for your kit from the same brand to avoid compatibility issues.
However, if you already buy from 2 different brands, check before installing them together to build a complete kit for your bike.
- It’s easier to identify and resolve incompatibilities before the LED strips are mounted.
- Avoid the headache by verifying cross-brand components work properly beforehand.
Applicable Conditions:
The 3 points to check are applicable to 2 conditions.
- You already have an LED strip kit and wish to add more LED strips.
- The LED strips still work, but you may need to replace the control box.
Check Voltage
You can find LED strip kits with common input voltages DC 5V, 12V, and 24V.
- Make sure the control box and additional LED strips have the same rated voltage DC 12V.
Otherwise, you will see issues like these:
- LED strips of DC 5V can burn out, if you connect them to a control box of DC 12V or 24V.
- LED strips of DC 12V, 24V may not light up, if you connect them to a control box of DC 5V.
You can check the user manual, sticky labels, or web pages to be clear about the working voltages.
Additional Tips:
All LED strip kits and individual LED strips from DITRIO have the same rated working voltage DC 12V.
Actually, our control boxes have a wider working voltage range of up to DC 24V.
- The reason for this expanded range is to accommodate voltage fluctuations.
- The wider voltage tolerance gives our LED control box a longer lifespan, compared to those designed for a narrow DC 12V.
- During our simulated tests, we use DC 24V for some critical reliability subjects, and they must pass hundreds of repeated cycles.
Types of LED Strips
There are various types of LED strips available, such as RGB, smart LEDs, and single-color strips, etc.
When adding extra LED strips to a LED strip kit, use the same type.
- For example, you cannot combine RGB strips and single color white strips in the same kit.
- The RGB strips require a controller that can power the red, green, and blue LEDs separately.
- The single color strip has only one set of LEDs and needs a simpler, standard power supply.
Similarly, smart LED strips have additional integrated circuits for connectivity and programming.
- Such strips won’t even light up, if you connect them to a control box for RGB strips or single-color strips.
Tips for easy identification:
An easy way to tell different types of LED strips apart is to look at the locking connectors that join each strip segment.
- Single color LED strips usually have a 2-pin connector, carrying the positive and negative power wires.
- RGB LED strips need 4 pins in their connectors to separately power the red, green, and blue LEDs.
- Smart LED strips can have connectors of 3, 4, and 5 pins – so, better to see the LEDs have a small black block on the surface, which is a chip for programming.
Additional potential differences:
Note that even when combining the same LED strip types from 2 brands, you may notice subtle differences.
- The resistors on each brand’s strips may have slightly different specifications.
- This can lead to minor variances in brightness or color consistency when you connect the strips.
The LED color elements themselves can vary slightly between manufacturers.
Side-by-side, you may notice differences even among “matching” colors, if you compare them carefully.
Connectors
Some tips about checking connector compatibility when installing LED strips from 2 brands:
- Connector style – Are they slide connectors, screw connectors, or solder connections? Brands may differ in connector type.
- Male/female ends – Make sure male connectors properly pair with female connectors.
- Number of pins – As mentioned earlier, RGB strips need 4-pin connectors, single color use 2-pin, etc.
Another hidden key point is the pin layout.
- The position of the positive, negative, and other pins may vary between brands.
- For example, the positive pin might be in position 1 on one brand, but position 4 on another brand.
Therefore, if you may see LED strips from another brand:
- A solid color may not light up at all
- RGB strips showing wrong mixed up colors
Then they may have different pin layouts.
The easiest solution is to return the additional LED strips and get new ones from the same brand.
- Or, cut off the connectors
- Figure out the right pin layout
- Use waterproof solder seal wire connectors to combine
Final Thoughts
This guide covered 3 points to check for compatibility of LED strips from 2 brands.
Remember to check voltages, LED strip types and connectors before mounting.
Have issues getting your mixed brand kit working?
Leave a comment below.
We’re here to help troubleshoot.
Let us know if you have any other questions during your custom installation.
Why isn’t there any installation instructions shipped with the kit? What are the two yellow and one blue wires for and where do I hook them up to?
Hi Ben,
Thank you for reaching out to us about the installation instructions for your LED kit.
I apologize for any inconvenience caused by the missing instructions. I’ll be happy to assist you with the wiring details.
Typically, for our LED kits, the wiring connections are as follows:
Red wire: Positive connection
Black wire: Negative connection
Blue wire: Brake wire
To provide you with more accurate instructions, could you please let me know the specific model of the LED kit you purchased?
This will help me send you the correct installation guide.
Once I have this information, I can promptly email you a PDF version of the installation instructions.
-Lucy from the DITRIO team