An interesting new Poundland product. It's a 1 metre section of bright white LED tape with a USB lead on it. There are 30 LEDs along its length, each with its own 47 ohm resistor.
The LEDs are being run at about 30mA which is fairly fierce, but those of a technical inclination could tame it with a series diode to drop in the region of 1V or a couple of 10 ohm resistors to cut the current down to about 100mA. That would make it better suited to applications where it was being run from a USB power bank.
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13 thoughts on “Poundland usb led tape.”
  1. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Peter Sage says:

    Hello Clive. I have a couple of eBay spools of similar tape (about twice the density, ~60 per meter, and 100 ohm resister per) which I intend to use for low power lighting. Individual USB wall warts per meter and a couple external resistors to throttle the current, pretty much as you recommended for your Poundland find. Mathematically, I'm treating each strip as a single high(ish) power 3V LED with a 100/N current limiting resistor. Would Georg and Gustav (the namesakes of the laws in question) approve, or are there traps that I'm missing?

  2. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars AndrewByers says:

    When I was in deals they only had strip lights but they where in a smaller packet I’ve been using them seem to work great

  3. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Brad Jarvis says:

    I have these behind my TVs in my living room and bedroom half the strip in the bedroom has failed and the living room was flickering and died about a month ago. They lasted a good few months to be fair to them

  4. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars fliec says:

    Jim browning?

  5. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars RecaCW says:

    I got it for £1 today

  6. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars James Precious says:

    I've bought several, to add lighting to shelving. There is a problem with the strips though. When the strips are first used, out of the packet, they emit bright cold white.

    Over the course of a few weeks, though the colour of the light they emit changes from the bright white to a more yellowed hue. I haven't worked out whether this is caused by the rubber strip or the LEDs degrading. Something to be aware of, though.

  7. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Amber Louise James says:

    Was urs a pound mine was 2 pound pls reply

  8. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars webchimp says:

    Finally managed to get some of this today, it does cost £2 at Poundland and they have the [2] on the back.

  9. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars TheLastPost says:

    Sooo, is it possible to cut this 1m length to as short as you like and it will still work? Say as short as 9 LEDs in length?

  10. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Psi Q says:

    Getting a strip for 2 bucks, i thought those times were long gone 😅

  11. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars icarusi says:

    Just got some B&M micro led lights, 120 lights 12.3M run off 4.5v AA battery box £4.99. It comes with a 2x button cell 'tester'. The far leds are dimmer than those closer to the AA box, but all the leds are parallel wired on 2x single strand copper(?) wire. I wouldn't have expected that length and type of wire to be acting as enough resistance to effect the brightness? The led 'blobs' are the tiniest I've seen so far.

  12. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Greg X says:

    Can you explain how diodes drop the voltage?

  13. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Chris Coleman says:

    Got mine yesterday , finally arrived at poundland in Ashton under Lyne !

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