Hue lighting strip... anyone fitted it?

I'm wanting to replace some tube lighting with Hue light strips under the kitchen cupboards. The dilemma I have is whether to buy a 3mtr strip and cut it as a (2mtr and 1 mtr) or just buy 2 x 2mtrs length and cut it.
Given that you can only cut this in certain parts of the strip, I realize that maybe not the full length of the units will be covered but I don't think that's too important, as I think there will be enough light coming from both sections.
I can buy a reel of extension cable to cover the connection across to the single cupboard.
There are some propriety connectors and extension reels available from another company called Litcessory on Amazon.

As regards power, the 3 cupboards are not an issue as there is a spur already under the cabinet (see diagram)........ the single cupboard could be powered either from the 3 pin socket on top of the cupboard (see diagram) or if compatible with the other run including the extension from the spur.
Here is my diagram with measurements .. hope it's ok!

Any help/tips would be appreciated thanks

https://i.imgur.com/IhLjmmZ.jpg?1

The only tip I can give after fitting some strips under my cupboards is make sure you position them at the FRONT of the cupboards. I originally fitted mine at the BACK and the resulting shadows cast on the wall tiles looked terrible.

Might not matter or be noticeable but I'd also be concerned if you have to cut in some random place that one cupboard might look brighter than the other.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bobdog

The only tip I can give after fitting some strips under my cupboards is make sure you position them at the FRONT of the cupboards. I originally fitted mine at the BACK and the resulting shadows cast on the wall tiles looked terrible.

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Thanks for the tip bobdog, read that somewhere else too:encouragement:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kingstepper

Might not matter or be noticeable but I'd also be concerned if you have to cut in some random place that one cupboard might look brighter than the other.

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That's something to be considered Kingstepper. I'm thinking the cuts are 20cm apart? The light from the strip hopefully is better than the small tubes I have now given that the LED's are brighter anyway. :smug:

Didn't use Hue, but used something similar to this under our two sets of kitchen cupboards

https://www.diy.com/departments/colo...2761846_BQ.prd

Then connected the plugs into remote control sockets (as they are up by the ceiling like yours)

I'm using ancient RF mains switches linked to a wall-mounted toggle, but something like this would work just as well if you've got Alexa and are happy to voice control

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The light provided is very good, I have it under a run of wall units about 12 feet long and the strip stops about 1 foot from each end and it isn’t obvious.

I did this with the two longer ones but put them on top instead. Miles easier and linked it to a routine and both Amazon Echo and Google Assistant on the phone.

Rod,

I'll add to this in so much as alcohol clean the receiving surface prior to sticking the LED ribbon up.

You'll get no chance to move it once it's pressed into place and the self adhesive backing is fantastic providing the surface is totally clean.

I've seen it droop off after a relatively short time which can be avoided.

I used it four years or so back for back lighting my tv, no issue cutting and joining the strips.

For the kitchen I’d consider using some of the defuser profiles to minimise shadows and hot spots.

https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/tcl/sea...&Submit=Search

Wileeeeeey ... cheers, but this is to illuminate the workspace... Might consider one later for the cupboard top.

Thanks Reggie, I'll give it a thorough wipe .. guess a lot of grease accumulates over time

How much is hue ? I bought some from Amazon - very cheap and a nice little app that integrates with Alexa - used on the top of my cupboards.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I replaced ours with Hue a couple of years ago & would do it again in a heart beat.

I have 2 near enough full strips under 2 cupboards and 2 half cut lengths under the others (I didn't bother trying to join left overs together).

Not noticed any difference in brightness across cupboards, but you could dial it out by dimming if required.

On the smaller cupboards, rather than cut 'short', I went longer & there is some light stuck to the actual wall vs the 3 sides of the plinth. Thought it was safer to get more LEDs under there & dial back than too few & be unable to make it brighter.

Did the same under my parents cupboards too afterwards, following same process / logic and worked brilliantly.

If you sit in the kitchen at a table / low seats, you might want to mount right at the top of where the plinth meets the cupboard to limit the amount of 'raw' LED you see vs refracted light.

You won't regret it

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mj2k

I replaced ours with Hue a couple of years ago & would do it again in a heart beat.

I have 2 near enough full strips under 2 cupboards and 2 half cut lengths under the others (I didn't bother trying to join left overs together).

Not noticed any difference in brightness across cupboards, but you could dial it out by dimming if required.

On the smaller cupboards, rather than cut 'short', I went longer & there is some light stuck to the actual wall vs the 3 sides of the plinth. Thought it was safer to get more LEDs under there & dial back than too few & be unable to make it brighter.

Did the same under my parents cupboards too afterwards, following same process / logic and worked brilliantly.

If you sit in the kitchen at a table / low seats, you might want to mount right at the top of where the plinth meets the cupboard to limit the amount of 'raw' LED you see vs refracted light.

You won't regret it

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I want to get preferably a 2mtr length for the three cupboards and use the offcut for the small cupboard joined with an extension up and over the extractor to join them and power them from the spur under the three copboards? Is that feasable? My problem is how much distance the cut off points are apart on a 2mtr strip.
According to Hue the cut off part is unusable?
I'm a bit confused by this because there's another company that makes extensions and joining pieces to do this.
Given my diagram, what's best?
Thanks too for your kind reply!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rod

I want to get preferably a 2mtr length for the three cupboards and use the offcut for the small cupboard joined with an extension up and over the extractor to join them and power them from the spur under the three copboards? Is that feasable? My problem is how much distance the cut off points are apart on a 2mtr strip.
According to Hue the cut off part is unusable?
I'm a bit confused by this because there's another company that makes extensions and joining pieces to do this.
Given my diagram, what's best?
Thanks too for your kind reply!

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I’ll take some photos of mine tomorrow,
the strips have cut markers on them every 20cm? You cut to the nearest to the lenght you want and this leaves contacts either side of the cut.
The tricky part is the strip has a plastic insulation layer you need to slice off gently exposing the contacts so you can connect the joiners.

It’s this exposing of the contacts that’s the reason for philips saying you can’t use the remainder. You definitely can I’ve got three right angle joins on my set.

Hold fire it looks like Philips might have changed the strips.

I’ll compare to mine tomorrow.

Edit:
Found an image of how the joints work.
But I can’t be 100% that these work on the latest strips, you’d have to check with your supplier

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon....AC_SL1500_.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...e8bfca6c24.jpg
I wasn’t confident in what I had read about joining strips, even the BIL who is naturally spend thrift did full ones per cupboard just in case.

This is our mall cupboard. Poor photo but you can see how small it is from the number of LEDs used. I just wanted to make sure it was robust & worked when required and as expected.

I’m not great at DIY so played it safe. I kept all my off cuts for about a year before realising I’d never do anything with them & binned them.

Looking at the outdoor version for underneath the pergola are the moment but can’t quite decide.

My strips have the raised solder cut points and also flatter copper points, when photographing this morning I remembered that I cut on the copper points.

https://i.postimg.cc/0jTZtq3y/63865-...-B53-CF3-E.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/0y2ZcZXm/8-D808...4-F4-C3-E3.jpg

I suspect the newer strips don’t have these ‘copper’ cut points only the solder ones?


The 90° joins
https://i.postimg.cc/rs0QCpfH/29-B50...9-A935-F28.jpg


Lights on and off at 08:30ish today
https://i.postimg.cc/ZqH7J29w/58-A62...-ED675-D89.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/1tzWXBws/61540-...EA768-AA57.jpg

Mj2K & Captain Morgan, many thanks for your replies and taking the time to do the pics! really appreciated and useful.