Pop top external strip lights

Does anyone have any recommendations for led strip lighting to go under the pop top when elevated to illuminate outside and best means of attachment please?
SCR Distribution up north.
They can be pretty, or a useful light if left on white static. £55 for a 5m string. 2 of those to go round the whole roof. 3M tape is already attached.

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@Drive Wayne (or anybody else who might wish to chip in). I found this thread via a search and I've just had a look at those lights from SCR Distribution. Did you wire yours via a switch or straight to the battery and did you use an in-line fuse? I see that they have a feature to cut any unnecessary drain but I think I would feel happier with a dedicated switch IF they retained a memory of the last setting before switching off. Also, 2 x 5 Metre lengths is about 2M too long for going all the way around my poptop - did you cut yours or leave as is and tuck the excess away somewhere? I ask as I think some of these LED strips get quite warm and I was thinking about my carpet lining.
Sorry if these seem like stupid questions but thanks in advance.
 
I used 1 5 strips to go round the whole roof.

I used 2.,5,,mm cable pod and chassis return, with a 10A blade first from a distribution first box of the leisure battery.

I don't bother fitting a switch as the on,/off on the app is ok for me..... And I have a big enough battery to not worry about the very slight power drain it takes when off.... But I would advise to fit a hard wired switch.

It remembers the last setting, and you can have presets. And on off timers

The tape can be cut at the marks, so I just cut off the slack....

If your power fade supply in it or cable is not thick enough then you will get some dimming towards the end of the strip.... Which can be seen more on certain colors i.e white..... You can add on a fade to add 12 volt power and ground to both ends of the loop to help reduce this issue.

Ours are stuck on the underside of the pop top as they are not fully waterproof.... That shielded from rain etc when they're on.
 
I used 1 5 strips to go round the whole roof.

I used 2.,5,,mm cable pod and chassis return, with a 10A blade first from a distribution first box of the leisure battery.

I don't bother fitting a switch as the on,/off on the app is ok for me..... And I have a big enough battery to not worry about the very slight power drain it takes when off.

It remembers the last setting, and you can have presets. And on off timers

The tape can be cut at the marks, so I just cut off the slack....

If your power fade supply in it or cable is not thick enough then you will get some dimming towards the end of the strip.... Which can be seen more on certain colors i.e white..... You can add on a fade to add 12 volt power and ground to both ends of the loop to help reduce this issue.

Aldi stuck on the underside of the pop top as they are not fully waterproof.... That shielded from rain etc when they're on.

Screenshot_20260421_193946_Chrome.webp



.

 
@Drive Wayne (or anybody else who might wish to chip in). I found this thread via a search and I've just had a look at those lights from SCR Distribution. Did you wire yours via a switch or straight to the battery and did you use an in-line fuse? I see that they have a feature to cut any unnecessary drain but I think I would feel happier with a dedicated switch IF they retained a memory of the last setting before switching off. Also, 2 x 5 Metre lengths is about 2M too long for going all the way around my poptop - did you cut yours or leave as is and tuck the excess away somewhere? I ask as I think some of these LED strips get quite warm and I was thinking about my carpet lining.
Sorry if these seem like stupid questions but thanks in advance.
Hey! Great lights, not really meant for outdoors, but being under the lip of the roof rain generally doesn't go up hill. They don't get hot, a little warm but nothing to worry about.
I wired in a dedicated switch and can confirm the lights come back on to the last used setting, great if you can't be bothered using the App.
I did swap out the controller for an SP630e which is better than the supplied one which you pay a fiver for. My original supplied one had a flicker/hesitance about it which bugged me!
You can cut the strip off, down to size every 12 inches or so.
Really speaking you should power both ends, but I didn't and neither did a few other folk I know using the same ones. You only notice that if your setting is a static white light, which goes a bit yellowy close to the end of the string.
Going round tight corners is tough, but doable!
Overall I'm very impressed with the lights and the main man Peter looked after me with a replacement string reel when mine died at 11 months.
The built in 3m tape works well, no need for anything else.
 
I used 1 5 strips to go round the whole roof.

I used 2.,5,,mm cable pod and chassis return, with a 10A blade first from a distribution first box of the leisure battery.

I don't bother fitting a switch as the on,/off on the app is ok for me..... And I have a big enough battery to not worry about the very slight power drain it takes when off.... But I would advise to fit a hard wired switch.

It remembers the last setting, and you can have presets. And on off timers

The tape can be cut at the marks, so I just cut off the slack....

If your power fade supply in it or cable is not thick enough then you will get some dimming towards the end of the strip.... Which can be seen more on certain colors i.e white..... You can add on a fade to add 12 volt power and ground to both ends of the loop to help reduce this issue.

Ours are stuck on the underside of the pop top as they are not fully waterproof.... That shielded from rain etc when they're on.
Thanks for all the inputs guys. First up - are these the lights from SCR Distribution:

@Dellmassive. Sorry to be picky but there's a couple of typos in important places in the above (like me, you've probably got fat fingers on a small keyboard!):
'I used 1 5 strips to go round the whole roof'. Is that 2 x 5M strips?
'I used 2.,5,,mm cable pod and chassis return, with a 10A blade first from a distribution first box of the leisure battery' Assume that means 2.5mm cable but is 'chassis return' sparky speak for chassis ground?
Unfortunately, I've not got any spare slots on the 12V distribution box (top right of picture) or 'earth bar' (bottom left of picture) - there is an vacant space but that's where the tap pump cable goes and I took the fuse out as we didn't use the tap and I didnt want to take the chance of the thing being turned on mistake and burning the pump out (but I want to keep the option).
I guess I'm therefore left with putting a bigger box and bus bar (which would have the advantage of leaving a couple of spares), splicing a fused cable into an existing wire and doubling up on an existing ground terminal or running a fused cable straight off the battery. Any suggestions to what would be the best option - I'm guessing it's a new distribution box and bar but TBH I'd rather avoid that.
Wiring.webp
 
Yes! Those are the ones, plus vat, plus delivery, times 2!
My 12v feed comes from my busbars, inline 10a fuse, up from there over the back of the van poptop bedboard, and out through the poptop panoramic roof opening zips on the passenger side.
I used roughly 1 and a half reels and cut off the length not required.
I started from the nearside rear and went all round with the link in the middle professionally Gorilla (clear) taped to the underside of the lid.
I would use your tap pump slot to save grief.
 
Thanks for all the inputs guys. First up - are these the lights from SCR Distribution:

@Dellmassive. Sorry to be picky but there's a couple of typos in important places in the above (like me, you've probably got fat fingers on a small keyboard!):
'I used 1 5 strips to go round the whole roof'. Is that 2 x 5M strips?
'I used 2.,5,,mm cable pod and chassis return, with a 10A blade first from a distribution first box of the leisure battery' Assume that means 2.5mm cable but is 'chassis return' sparky speak for chassis ground?
Unfortunately, I've not got any spare slots on the 12V distribution box (top right of picture) or 'earth bar' (bottom left of picture) - there is an vacant space but that's where the tap pump cable goes and I took the fuse out as we didn't use the tap and I didnt want to take the chance of the thing being turned on mistake and burning the pump out (but I want to keep the option).
I guess I'm therefore left with putting a bigger box and bus bar (which would have the advantage of leaving a couple of spares), splicing a fused cable into an existing wire and doubling up on an existing ground terminal or running a fused cable straight off the battery. Any suggestions to what would be the best option - I'm guessing it's a new distribution box and bar but TBH I'd rather avoid that.
View attachment 323987
Yes. Two 5m kits

Yes 2.5mm2 for both pos and neg....

Yes chassis ground.. IE vans bodywork.

Yes. Your best option would be to upgrade to a 8way blade fuse box.

Yes. You can double up on the neg busbar by just adding another ring terminal to any stud.

Sorry for the confusion..... It's was voice to text and miss quoted me.



.
 
@Ayjay they also give you a fiver back because you only need one controller for the 2 reels. Tell them when you order!
I have got 2 spare SP621e's if they are useful to anybody...
 
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