I’ve been replacing some outdoor-located LEDs in preordered WS2812b strips (and, unfortunately getting good at it, due to practice as the temperature drops).
So far, I’ve been able to identify the faulty LED because it’s always been the first one to be acting “wonky” – with all the ones in front of it working fine, and all the ones after it acting up.
I’m just curious if anyone has had a bad LED that worked fine appearance-wise, but sent out bad signals – making you replace the wrong LED (the first one that seemed to be faulty because of its behavior).
If you’re using the strip kind (with the adhesive backing), those don’t last very long outside. Temperature changes will cause the material to expand and contract, causing the very thin solder joints to break. Get the string kind, with wires going from pixel to pixel, like xmas tree lighting.
@Ashley_M_Kirchner_NoToo late! Already up and installed. I’m not using the adhesive backed though. I have the ones in the silicon sleeves and the strips sit in there somewhat wavy so I’m sure there’s some give and take for expansion/contraction. I suspect what’s happening is the occasional LED has a bad surface mount solder at one of its for pins – and the contraction from the cold is creating a gap there. I’m keeping any of the LEDs I cut out and will maybe try to reflow them at a later date – as an experiment.
So far I’ve always removed the correct LED – I was just curious if the faulty one ever disguises itself as working while making the next LED down the line look like the culprit,
Sometimes it’s not the LED chip but the strip itself that is messed up. Had issues with a strip of APA102 LEDs but couldn’t figure out why until I peeled the adhesive strip off and saw the bad traces underneath.
Yep LED Strips are usually badly made! Before installing, bend the hell out of them, tap each pixel, twist the strip and run at at least 50% power for an hour to burn in.
