Solution for dimmable LED light strips with automations?

[jons7391]

In my Insteon setup I would like to add under-cabinet LED strips in my kitchen. I need them to be controllable from a physical switch, but also want them available for programming automatic actions. i.e., if after midnight the switch only turns them on a 15% level. Or if after midnight a motion sensor will turn them on at 15% level. Or they turn on automatically at 7am at 50% level, etc. But also want them to be easily turned on/off at a switch (6 button preferred so the 3 or 4 I plan on using can be controlled separately).

Is this possible and if so, any suggestions for the best way to achieve this? Many thanks.

 

[lilyoyo1]

I use hue. There are a multitude of ways to do this. You can hardwire a strip to your cabinets or use something the isy supports via a nodeserver 

[MrBill]

like @lilyoyo1 mine are controlled via Hue.  I actually used a different strip tho with Glendopto controllers that talk to the hue bridge.  

The ISY has various programs that trigger when the overhead light is switched on or off, that tell the Hue Bridge to operate the controllers.  There are diffident on and off levels depending on time, for example under cabinet lights in the evening don't turn all the way off, instead they go to 1% when the overhead light is switched off.

[jons7391]

Thanks for your responses. I do not have a Hue bridge, so will look into that. I like to have something that works without internet - is this local? or does it need wifi? Also, can these just be plugged into an ordinary outlet and then still controlled by an Insteon switch (I guess through the ISY talking to Hue Bridge via Polisy?)

Is there any advantage to using an Insteon On/Off outlet? 

[jons7391]

@MrBill would you mind sharing what strip you use? thanks!

[MrBill]

33 minutes ago, jons7391 said:

Thanks for your responses. I do not have a Hue bridge, so will look into that. I like to have something that works without internet - is this local? or does it need wifi? Also, can these just be plugged into an ordinary outlet and then still controlled by an Insteon switch (I guess through the ISY talking to Hue Bridge via Polisy?)

Is there any advantage to using an Insteon On/Off outlet? 

Hue may or may not need internet during initial setup.  The solution works locally tho, no internet connection needed for daily usage.

 

31 minutes ago, jons7391 said:

@MrBill would you mind sharing what strip you use? thanks!

I went thru many choices on amazon and never found exactly what I wanted.  I ended up ordering from an Amazon Vendor in China.  Specifically this strip.  Considerations included spacing, cut-abilty, and max-brightness (normal day to day use is 50%, but it's nice to have 100% from time to time.  Color is neat, but we never use it, tunable white is mandatory tho.   24V because we have a long span.

Don't laugh, but some of my Amazon trial strips got rejected because I didn't like the way they looked in the reflection on the counter top.  The linked stripped has nice even spacing regardless of mode.

33 minutes ago, jons7391 said:

Is there any advantage to using an Insteon On/Off outlet? 

nope.

 

 

-------------

Edit to add: SuperLedLighthing ships fast... I've ordered from them twice, both times over the weekend, they shipped by Tuesday (China time) and I received both on Friday...  less than a full week from order to receipt of product.

Edited September 17, 2021 by MrBill

[lilyoyo1]

37 minutes ago, MrBill said:

Hue may or may not need internet during initial setup.  The solution works locally tho, no internet connection needed for daily usage.

 

Don't laugh, but some of my Amazon trial strips got rejected because I didn't like the way they looked in the reflection on the counter top.  The linked stripped has nice even spacing regardless of mode.

.

Get an aluminum diffuser. Looks cleaner and you don't get the led reflection.

Muzata 6-Pack 3.3ft 9x17mm U Shape LED Aluminum Channel System with Cover, End Caps and Mounting Clips Aluminum Profile for LED Strip Light Installations Diffuser U1SW WW 1M, LU1 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M09PBYX/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_BTWYMHP7AKV5QJ3JVCCW

[MrBill]

15 minutes ago, lilyoyo1 said:

Get an aluminum diffuser. Looks cleaner and you don't get the led reflection.

too late now... maybe next time.  that would be cool tho.

[jons7391]

@MrBill to connect the Hue Bridge to the ISY - you use NetworkResources? Or Polyglot NodeServer? I just went into the Polyglot and I don't see Hue in there anymore. Is Polyglot going away? 

[MrBill]

23 minutes ago, jons7391 said:

@MrBill to connect the Hue Bridge to the ISY - you use NetworkResources? Or Polyglot NodeServer? I just went into the Polyglot and I don't see Hue in there anymore. Is Polyglot going away? 

Personally I use Network Resources, however there is a Hue nodeserver in the store.

I use NR's for a couple reasons one being my setup existed before I had Polisy and secondly a technical issue that wouldn't apply to 99.9% of other users that prevents me from using that particular nodeserver.   Many use the nodeserver and no it wouldn't be going away.

[Geddy]

3 hours ago, jons7391 said:

I just went into the Polyglot and I don't see Hue in there anymore. Is Polyglot going away? 

@jons7391 are you running polyglot cloud or locally? It's in there for polisy store.

https://github.com/exking/udi-hue-poly

 

Does not appear in the polyglot cloud store.  That's why I was asking which location you're trying to run from.

Your situation sounds like what I've been considering too. I'm trying not to add a bridge to my setup either. I don't really know if I need/want color options, but I do want to be able to dim the lights. 

Thanks @lilyoyo1 for the tip on the diffuser! Just might order me some parts of that to help keep individual LEDs from reflecting on the new countertop. 

 

[MrBill]

@Geddy, @jons7391

NOTE: Hue Emulator is not what it sounds like.  It allows you devices like harmony hub to talk to polyglot by pretending to be a hue hub.

[lilyoyo1]

2 hours ago, Geddy said:

@jons7391 are you running polyglot cloud or locally? It's in there for polisy store.

https://github.com/exking/udi-hue-poly

 

Does not appear in the polyglot cloud store.  That's why I was asking which location you're trying to run from.

Your situation sounds like what I've been considering too. I'm trying not to add a bridge to my setup either. I don't really know if I need/want color options, but I do want to be able to dim the lights. 

Thanks @lilyoyo1 for the tip on the diffuser! Just might order me some parts of that to help keep individual LEDs from reflecting on the new countertop. 

 

You're welcome. There's also a Flexible rubber version if you're going around bends. Good for behind the tv

Edited September 17, 2021 by lilyoyo1

[jons7391]

thanks both @MrBill and @lilyoyo1 I bought the Hue Hub and a bulb to test and so far working really easy. Now to explore light strips. Many thanks!!

[larryllix]

59 minutes ago, jons7391 said:

thanks both @MrBill and @lilyoyo1 I bought the Hue Hub and a bulb to test and so far working really easy. Now to explore light strips. Many thanks!!

There are a few old threads here on RGBW strips and controllers including pictures of mounting styles, power supplies and all the items to install it with many different options. Most of them are MagicHome Pro app compatible and run about $30-40 per 5m strip, much cheaper than other brands.

These controllers go by many different brand names and are mostly compatible, and work on 2.4GHz WiFi.

Most of the strips can be wired into any brand of controller. Sometimes the RGBW wiring may be confused but is easy to straighten out to match the software. Most will just plug together with a fairly standard 5 pin connector and the strips can be cut every 2-3 feet where there are cut marks that won't injure the LEDs.

Edited September 22, 2021 by larryllix

[MrBill]

11 hours ago, larryllix said:

RGBW strips

My advice is that whatever is chosen in this day should be RGB+CCT.  This is 5 channel lighting, Red, Green, Blue, (cold) white, and Warm White.  (I use the term cold white, some people call it by other names "pure white", "true white" or just "white").  CCT stands for Color Correlated Temperature, the jist being that the color of white can be adjusted or fine tuned to any color temp. 

History (for those reading) is that originally strips were available in RGB only... White came from the equal lumen mixture of all 3, but it was difficult to make it look good.  at close range there would be color separation.  The 3 LEDs also could react differently with different surfaces, for example in the kitchen a particular backsplash might absorb more blue light than the other colors, while a shiny quartz countertop might reflect more equally.  Hard to light evenly with white created with RGB LEDs.  In the next generation, strips were available in RGBW or RGBWW (that is White or Warm White, WW not to be confused with 2 white channels), this was a great improvement but required the color of white decision to be made before purchase.  Finally, they added both whites and created the 5 channel strip.  This is superior because after install and after all finishes have been applied the final color of white light can be chosen.   Warm White is often considered 2700K while Pure (cold) white 6500K or greater.  With CCT whites you can actually pick something in between like 3500K.  It also takes the guesswork out of picking materials and colors because you can find the light color that works best with the final product.  (Remember you can't pick colors in the store, you always have to take samples home with it be tile chips or paint chips to see how the color works, a large part of this is the lighting.)

Also regarding the controllers protocol, while many choices work on WiFi, and they don't add much to bandwidth consumed from the access point/router, they do add complexity to the WiFi system (they consume IP addresses, they consume routing table and DHCP table entries etc).  Personally, I prefer to offload as much as possible to other protocols (and/or hubs).  I'm not totally opposed to adding a home automation device here or there to Wifi, but if there's already another choice in place such as Hue, Zigbee, or Z-wave, I'd prefer to take that option.  It's a balancing act.  Today's home routers probably have large tables and better software, but yesterday's routers didn't... Not so long ago I had a popular home brand that maxed out it's DHCP table at 32 entries, it was high end when I purchased it. But even at that time I realized the device cap was artificial and likely purposely kept low... why? to sell more routers in a few years!  The point is: if the user is making the choice hang as many home automation devices on WiFi as possible they should make sure they have an up to date network that can handle the load, and load is not necessarily measured in bandwidth or spectrum.  (Today I have a router/AP combination that won't max out anytime soon, but I'd still prefer to offload devices to other protocols.)

 

[lilyoyo1]

4 hours ago, MrBill said:

My advice is that whatever is chosen in this day should be RGB+CCT.  This is 5 channel lighting, Red, Green, Blue, (cold) white, and Warm White.  (I use the term cold white, some people call it by other names "pure white", "true white" or just "white").  CCT stands for Color Correlated Temperature, the jist being that the color of white can be adjusted or fine tuned to any color temp. 

History (for those reading) is that originally strips were available in RGB only... White came from the equal lumen mixture of all 3, but it was difficult to make it look good.  at close range there would be color separation.  The 3 LEDs also could react differently with different surfaces, for example in the kitchen a particular backsplash might absorb more blue light than the other colors, while a shiny quartz countertop might reflect more equally.  Hard to light evenly with white created with RGB LEDs.  In the next generation, strips were available in RGBW or RGBWW (that is White or Warm White, WW not to be confused with 2 white channels), this was a great improvement but required the color of white decision to be made before purchase.  Finally, they added both whites and created the 5 channel strip.  This is superior because after install and after all finishes have been applied the final color of white light can be chosen.   Warm White is often considered 2700K while Pure (cold) white 6500K or greater.  With CCT whites you can actually pick something in between like 3500K.  It also takes the guesswork out of picking materials and colors because you can find the light color that works best with the final product.  (Remember you can't pick colors in the store, you always have to take samples home with it be tile chips or paint chips to see how the color works, a large part of this is the lighting.)

Also regarding the controllers protocol, while many choices work on WiFi, and they don't add much to bandwidth consumed from the access point/router, they do add complexity to the WiFi system (they consume IP addresses, they consume routing table and DHCP table entries etc).  Personally, I prefer to offload as much as possible to other protocols (and/or hubs).  I'm not totally opposed to adding a home automation device here or there to Wifi, but if there's already another choice in place such as Hue, Zigbee, or Z-wave, I'd prefer to take that option.  It's a balancing act.  Today's home routers probably have large tables and better software, but yesterday's routers didn't... Not so long ago I had a popular home brand that maxed out it's DHCP table at 32 entries, it was high end when I purchased it. But even at that time I realized the device cap was artificial and likely purposely kept low... why? to sell more routers in a few years!  The point is: if the user is making the choice hang as many home automation devices on WiFi as possible they should make sure they have an up to date network that can handle the load, and load is not necessarily measured in bandwidth or spectrum.  (Today I have a router/AP combination that won't max out anytime soon, but I'd still prefer to offload devices to other protocols.)

 

I agree with all that you say. While wifi works well, there are many other variables at play that must be taken into account when it comes to network.

In addition to that, I know what I'm getting with hue in regards to consistency across the board. If i buy a new strip 6 months or a year from now, it'll perform exactly the same as the others that i have. I don't have to worry about whether they'll be around in 6 months like many of these no name companies who show up and disappear constantly on Amazon. 

I also like that hue enjoys industry wide support. Not saying magic home isn't supported by some systems, just not the way hue is. I will use lifx in one off situations because they do have the same consistency across their line the way hue does. If I'm building out a system with it, Its hue all the way

[larryllix]

4 hours ago, MrBill said:

My advice is that whatever is chosen in this day should be RGB+CCT.  This is 5 channel lighting, Red, Green, Blue, (cold) white, and Warm White.  (I use the term cold white, some people call it by other names "pure white", "true white" or just "white").  CCT stands for Color Correlated Temperature, the jist being that the color of white can be adjusted or fine tuned to any color temp. 

History (for those reading) is that originally strips were available in RGB only... White came from the equal lumen mixture of all 3, but it was difficult to make it look good.  at close range there would be color separation.  The 3 LEDs also could react differently with different surfaces, for example in the kitchen a particular backsplash might absorb more blue light than the other colors, while a shiny quartz countertop might reflect more equally.  Hard to light evenly with white created with RGB LEDs.  In the next generation, strips were available in RGBW or RGBWW (that is White or Warm White, WW not to be confused with 2 white channels), this was a great improvement but required the color of white decision to be made before purchase.  Finally, they added both whites and created the 5 channel strip.  This is superior because after install and after all finishes have been applied the final color of white light can be chosen.   Warm White is often considered 2700K while Pure (cold) white 6500K or greater.  With CCT whites you can actually pick something in between like 3500K.  It also takes the guesswork out of picking materials and colors because you can find the light color that works best with the final product.  (Remember you can't pick colors in the store, you always have to take samples home with it be tile chips or paint chips to see how the color works, a large part of this is the lighting.)

Also regarding the controllers protocol, while many choices work on WiFi, and they don't add much to bandwidth consumed from the access point/router, they do add complexity to the WiFi system (they consume IP addresses, they consume routing table and DHCP table entries etc).  Personally, I prefer to offload as much as possible to other protocols (and/or hubs).  I'm not totally opposed to adding a home automation device here or there to Wifi, but if there's already another choice in place such as Hue, Zigbee, or Z-wave, I'd prefer to take that option.  It's a balancing act.  Today's home routers probably have large tables and better software, but yesterday's routers didn't... Not so long ago I had a popular home brand that maxed out it's DHCP table at 32 entries, it was high end when I purchased it. But even at that time I realized the device cap was artificial and likely purposely kept low... why? to sell more routers in a few years!  The point is: if the user is making the choice hang as many home automation devices on WiFi as possible they should make sure they have an up to date network that can handle the load, and load is not necessarily measured in bandwidth or spectrum.  (Today I have a router/AP combination that won't max out anytime soon, but I'd still prefer to offload devices to other protocols.)

 

Yeah...all good points. I have never bought or used just RGB bulbs or strips. My RGBW strips are four channel RGB and WW. However the aprox 3000K WW is a good all around working light in my kitchen as it is all indirect off the ceiling and I have other lighting for working on the counters The LEDenet controllers shown in my photos are 5 channels with the CW (cool white) not used for that application.

All my recent bulbs are RGB WW & CW. A few older bulbs are only RGBWW and I use them on my deck and porch lighting where CW isn't needed and probably shouldn't even be used. I have a few neighbours that used CW bulbs outside and everybody wants to get a BB gun...massive glare at night so you cannot see at all.

Early in the game I spent a few hundred dollars on Hue bulbs and they tried to use only three LEDs to create all the colours. They now sit in a junk box that should be in the bin and I feel very ripped off by Philips for that one.  Hue is way too expensive but an easy go to for the non-techie HA enthusiast. I hear they have fixed their bulbs to display proper colours, as advertised, and I also have one of their IRIS? boxes. Huge clumsy ball with about 2W of light.

All my newer MagicHome bulbs (< $10 each) are 9W of WW or CW + RGB. The bulbs can actually put our about 18W of WW+CW light but I am not sure the bulb enclosures or electronics can actually accommodate that for very long. I try to avoid over-driving them in ISY programs. A better NS for them is currently under foot.

 

In the end the common advice to users wanting colour lighting is
Avoid RGB only products! They cannot properly create nice white lighting of any colour temperature.
RGBCW bulbs come capable of both WW and CW lighting.

Note this bulb (labels on each LED)  has a complete compliment of WW, separate CW, and separate RGB LEDs. No mixing of any RGB colours is done or needed to produce white lighting of any colour temperature. Much better lighting.

 

Right now WiFi is the easy way to go. Other protocols do not support this technology well, or not at all yet. WE already know some may have plans but who can wait for years on promises?
WiFi bulbs are cheap and as your bulb count increases you may need a router less than a few years old. You will anyway as the newer WiFi6 and WiFi6E comes out. If you do any streaming for entertainment you will need it shortly anyway.
I am running about 35 bulbs and strips now. They do not consume bandwidth but as @MrBillposted above it may tax your  tables inside your router. That may become a non issue later, as MagicHome protocol has a self discovery that doesn't require your router to have tables to accommodate IP reservations. Other protocol bulbs likely do too.

Edited September 22, 2021 by larryllix

[MrBill]

22 minutes ago, larryllix said:

I have a few neighbours that used CW bulbs outside and everybody wants to get a BB gun

My next door neighbor uses a TON of COLD white LEDs... I can't stand it when we use the deck at night and their kitchen lights are on.  (I had to backspace the next sentence because as my mother always said If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all).  They don't seem to know what Warm White is....

26 minutes ago, larryllix said:

All my newer MagicHome bulbs (< $10 each) are 9W of WW or CW + RGB. The bulbs can actually put our about 18W of WW+CW light

<Rant On>

I wish the entire world could STOP using a measurement of energy usage to describe light output.  It's so silly to say "My 9Watt bulbs are really like 18W bulbs"  Really? do they consume 9, 18 or some other value?  How many lumens of light do they emit? 

<Rant Off>

[larryllix]

3 hours ago, MrBill said:

My next door neighbor uses a TON of COLD white LEDs... I can't stand it when we use the deck at night and their kitchen lights are on.  (I had to backspace the next sentence because as my mother always said If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all).  They don't seem to know what Warm White is....

<Rant On>

I wish the entire world could STOP using a measurement of energy usage to describe light output.  It's so silly to say "My 9Watt bulbs are really like 18W bulbs"  Really? do they consume 9, 18 or some other value?  How many lumens of light do they emit? 

<Rant Off>

Yeah, I have had bulbs that put out much more (lux) for the same power used (I dislike improper tech slang like "wattage" ).  In case your power rant wasn't rhetorical,  these bulbs can light up both WW and CW LEDs simultaneously so they should be almost double lumens (different colours do not add arithmetically).

[lilyoyo1]

3 hours ago, larryllix said:

 

Early in the game I spent a few hundred dollars on Hue bulbs and they tried to use only three LEDs to create all the colours. They now sit in a junk box that should be in the bin and I feel very ripped off by Philips for that one.  Hue is way too expensive but an easy go to for the non-techie HA enthusiast. I hear they have fixed their bulbs to display proper colours, as advertised, and I also have one of their IRIS? boxes. Huge clumsy ball with about 2W of light.

 

Hue today isn't the same hue from 8 years ago. It's improved tremendously.

I use the iris (started with the old and now new version) alot for indoor plants/trees (such as Cactus, palm, and corn trees). The glow they cast on the wall behind them makes for a phenomenal look that can't be produced with simple uplighting. Personally the new version is too bright for my needs so I turn it way down but still works wonderfully for it. 

[jons7391]

Super helpful discussion, thank you all. I was looking at the LED strip that @MrBill suggested. I see it is a 16.4 foot and says it is 24V, 5.5A and 132W. I ordered some Glendopto controllers.

1. I think I can cut the 16 foot strip to use in 2 separate places if I also buy another 6-pin wire connector for the end piece I cut off, yes?

2. For getting a power supply to drive it, I'm having a hard time finding an appropriate one. I need to get at least 5.5A and then 155W (so 85% is 132W). Does this change if I am cutting the strip in half say? Would then I be able to get away with half of amps and watt needs? So I could find a power supply that does 3A and 80W ?

Many thanks!

[MrBill]

11 minutes ago, jons7391 said:

I ordered some Glendopto controllers.

There are two versions of the Glendopto controller.  1ID and 2ID.  The difference: 1 ID controllers you can only use RGB or tunable white (not both at the same time).  Generally this is probably fine, however if you get the 2ID then the RGB and tunable white appear separately allowing you to turn on both color and white at the same time.

 

15 minutes ago, jons7391 said:

1. I think I can cut the 16 foot strip to use in 2 separate places if I also buy another 6-pin wire connector for the end piece I cut off, yes?

if you buy direct from superledlighting in china... then yes compression connectors for cutting strips are available.  While amazon carries a superledlighting strip similar to what I ordered (Less LED's per meter) Amazon doesn't seem to carry the 5-channel accessories.

SuperLEDlighting does ship fast from China.  Both occasions that I ordered from them I placed the order over the weekend, both were delivered Friday, shipped via DHL.

I order this IP67 version of https://superlightingled.com/dc24v-rgbcct-5in1-480leds-ultradense-series-5050smd-rgbww-flexible-led-tape-lights-164ft-per-reel-96ledsmeter-led-strips-p-2360.html

(If using the aluminum channel and diffuser that @lilyoyo1 linked then order the non-waterproof instead of IP67)

Various accessories:

https://superlightingled.com/6pin-rgb-cct-led-easy-connector-6-pin-12mm-width-solderless-adapter-for-rgbcct-led-strip-lights-1-clip-p-1851.html

https://superlightingled.com/6pin-rgb-cct-led-easy-connector-6-pin-12mm-width-solderless-adapter-for-rgbcct-led-strip-lights-2-clip-p-1852.html

(note: you can cut the 2clip in half to make two 1 clip)

https://superlightingled.com/rgbcct-6-pins-led-strip-connector-terminal-12mm-board-to-board-for-nonwaterproof-tape-light-splice-between-2-segment-strip-lights-p-3251.html

https://superlightingled.com/l-shape-6-pins-connector-12mm-right-angle-corner-solderless-connector-clip-for-rgbwarm-white-cold-white-led-strip-lights-conductor-p-2171.html

https://superlightingled.com/12mm-6pin-6-pin-rgbcct-no-soldering-easy-connector-for-rgb-cct-led-strip-6-pin-connector-p-2173.html

36 minutes ago, jons7391 said:

2. For getting a power supply to drive it, I'm having a hard time finding an appropriate one. I need to get at least 5.5A and then 155W (so 85% is 132W). Does this change if I am cutting the strip in half say? Would then I be able to get away with half of amps and watt needs? So I could find a power supply that does 3A and 80W ?

I used: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01GC6VS8I/ (the plug fits the glendopto without cutting it off and using the terminals.)

Yes, shorter length consumes fewer watts.  Dimming also consumes few watts.  Consider that you'll probably never use all 5 channels on at 100%.

[lilyoyo1]

2 hours ago, jons7391 said:

Super helpful discussion, thank you all. I was looking at the LED strip that @MrBill suggested. I see it is a 16.4 foot and says it is 24V, 5.5A and 132W. I ordered some Glendopto controllers.

1. I think I can cut the 16 foot strip to use in 2 separate places if I also buy another 6-pin wire connector for the end piece I cut off, yes?

2. For getting a power supply to drive it, I'm having a hard time finding an appropriate one. I need to get at least 5.5A and then 155W (so 85% is 132W). Does this change if I am cutting the strip in half say? Would then I be able to get away with half of amps and watt needs? So I could find a power supply that does 3A and 80W ?

Many thanks!

I don't use those strips/setups that you're using so @MrBillwwould definitely know more about them than i do.

All of your questions are why I use the exact same stuff for all of my jobs. Less time figuring out what I need and calculations. Also why I love hue. The work is done for you. By the time you pay for everything you need, figure out how to hide it, etc. you've spent more than what hue costs. 

When I do strip lighting for customers, everything is generally hardwired to be controlled from a standard dimmer so voltage drop is always a concern. This is what I'm basing my response on. For my house, I simply use hue and programming to accomplish the same thing.

Mrbill's info is correct in regards to usage. I differ from him in that i assume worse case scenario for my lights which means everything has an IP rating (unless clearly in a dry area) regardless if protected or not. I also assume lights will be used at full brightness and add a little bit extra to be on the safe side. That way, no matter what, i know I'll never run my equipment at maximum power. 

Depending on your setup, make sure you are using the correct guage of wire to run to your switch (assuming that's your setup).

Cutting your strip in half obviously lowers what you need for power but make sure you're calculating what you need by watts per foot. Your mfg. should be able to provide that information. How many LEDs are on each strip also plays a part in that as well. Higher density LEDs (300 vs 150) need a larger transformer from the start. Since your going with 24v from the start, that part is taken care of. 

I also wanted to add, depending on setup, if you wanted to use 1 overpowered transformer with multiple strips (still do the calculations), you can use a connecting block to run them all together. That way you won't need multiple transformers 

Edited September 24, 2021 by lilyoyo1

[larryllix]

The mounting channels or lots of clear (silicone usually) mounting clips are needed.

Do NOT trust the sticky backed ones as it never works! As soon as the strip gets warm (LEDs do get warm) the sticky lets go and the strip falls off.

 

I have run my 5m strip off 12v 1 ampere wall-wart power supplies. I wouldn't recommend that small for a 5 channel strip though. I had posted a power consumption measurement chart  for various colour combinations in this forum but I cannot find it now.