More triac issues

[Santas Helper]

I have a total of 12 controllers, with a half dozen bad triacs between them.  I've never fixed any, but to minimize potential problems, I ALWAYS leave a free channel on each box & if possible I leave 2.  Many a busy rainy/snowy night, I had to quickly change channels and remap the sequences.

 

I keep spreadsheets for all of my controllers with the bad channels marked to avoid programming to them.  This year I have also added red tape to the dongles for those channels.

 

FYI, if you are properly using GFCIs and keeping you plugs out of the water, even a driving rain storm shouldn't stop your show.  it doesn't mine - with the exception of a monsoon like rain a couple years ago - nearly had a river running through my front yard.

 

It's not just about keeping plugs out of water. It's also how your lights are attached to the props/material and how that moisture can cause a ground.

I blew my GFCI with just a heavy fog (no rain prior to) one morning while trying to take a neat foggy shot picture.

 

And wouldn't it be easier to fix/replace a bad triacs in the off season and not go thru the hassle of changing sequence layouts and taping the dongles?

[Jim Hans]

Ok.. you guys that get back triacs.. I have a question.. are any of those channels being used for incans?  I have a long shot idea..

 

Nope... I'm 100% LED.

[Liberty-Laser]

It's not just about keeping plugs out of water. It's also how your lights are attached to the props/material and how that moisture can cause a ground.

I blew my GFCI with just a heavy fog (no rain prior to) one morning while trying to take a neat foggy shot picture.

 

And wouldn't it be easier to fix/replace a bad triacs in the off season and not go thru the hassle of changing sequence layouts and taping the dongles?

 

I've never replaced a triac.  I just move the object to a free channel & quickly modify the sequences.  An hour or two tops for all of my songs and voice-overs.  However, after maybe 8 years of doing this, I probably should replace the half dozen or so this next off season.

Edited October 22, 2014 by Liberty-Laser

[Santas Helper]

I've never replaced a triac.  I just move the object to a free channel & quickly modify the sequences.  An hour or two tops for all of my songs and voice-overs.

Then to go back and change the sequences again....

[Jerry]

Sad thing is , I had NO burned out bulbs, 0 . Mike do you know if the triacs that LOR is sending me will be the 24A or the 16A . BTW, they haven't arrived yet.

[Jerry]

Mike, just a thought here. What would happen if I replaced the slow blow fuses with standard fuses ? Would that save my triacs ?

[alchrisr01]

I have also had this issue.  I first opened a help desk ticket in 2011 and never followed through.  I opened another one 10/09/14 and this is the response.

 

chris richardson,

A Light-O-Rama help desk staff member has replied to your request, #547493 with the following response:

A source for triacs that have been known to work in LOR light controllers is below. You will need soldering skills to install these and it can take 10-20 minutes to replace a triac.

It never hurts to have a few triacs stashed away for emergencies.

Mouser: http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/STMicroelectronics/BTA16-600BWRG/?qs=%2fha2pyFaduiRl999Fj7%2f30CUDUZ%252bCqUN43mVxQfrz1s8Oc0i4sX4CQ%3d%3d

Digikey: http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/BTA16-600BWRG/497-3122-5-ND/654430

Allied Electronics: http://www.alliedelec.com/search/productdetail.aspx?SKU=70013674#tab=specs

We hope this has sufficiently answered your questions. If not, please login to your account at the address below for a complete archive of all your help desk requests and responses.

http://helpdesk.lightorama.com/view.php?auth=o1x52fqaagwkaaaauFfMu%2Fa%2BaiaNXA%3D%3D

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After we reply, we typically set your ticket to a 'closed' status. This ticket is not considered closed but has simply been marked closed to help clear our desk. You can still reply to this ticket at any time. When you do, the ticket will be reopened by the system and brought to our attention.

Thank you.
Light-O-Rama help desk system

 

 

I ordered them from mouser and have installed and tested the board, all is well and it is not that difficult if you have moderate skills.  I have no clue why the go but they do.  Interestingly, my older boards that were ordered as the PC assemble yourself (board assembled, just put it together) have never had a failure.  The only ones to fail have been the ones I ordered as assembled boards over the years and put in housings of my own design/build.  I have had an incan strobe channel, an incan mega string channel, an LED icicle channel, and an incan spiral tree channel fail.  None were overloaded when tested with a Kill-a-watt.  All the boards were bought the same year, so it was most likely during the bad traic source issue.

[Jeff Messer]

Yes they always seen to burn out from time. I was on the phone with LOR running a test and sweat dripped off my face and fell in the box and I watched one get smoked. Just my luck I always have 4 or 5 spare boxes. LOL.. Last year I did not have enough spares and contacted LOR and had them over night the cards. Next day they were installed. You cant beat that kind of service. A++++++

 

Jeff

[LOR Staff]

Mike, just a thought here. What would happen if I replaced the slow blow fuses with standard fuses ? Would that save my triacs ?

 

No.  First, you are on the wrong side of the Triac to protect it.  Second, even a FAST blow fuse is much slower than the 1 cycle it takes to kill a Triac.  

 

FYI, we are happy to send you 1 or 2 Triacs if you have dead channels.  If you have a large number and or just want some to keep 'on-hand' those above links will take you to Triacs that will work.

[R Weiland]

It would be interesting to compare the location clustering you mention with the historical NOAA National Lightning Strike Map. Certain areas of the country have very high frequency of lightning strikes compared to other parts. A  lightning strike miles away can is some situations induce high voltages and currents in the Christmas light strings and extension cords and easily fry a TRIAC, Natures EMP.   At my location outside Seattle Wa we are on the low end of the lightning strike frequency. I have seven controllers that I have been operating for over 6 years without a single TRIAC failure or GFCI trip even in our wet  weather.  Now, with that said we will see how this year goes .