Rainbow Floods...ASSEMBLED!!

[Ponddude]

Well, it depends on how many are going per controller. Are you doing 5 floods per controller? If so, you will need a controller that can put out at least 6 amps at 12 VDC. The floods draw about 1.1amps (give or take) per flood. The power supply is going to depend on what your configuration entails. I always recommend these:

http://www.circuitspecialists.com/prod.itml/icOid/9621

As you can see, they are sold out, but when they come back in, I would recommend that one.

[Robsaus]

Thanks, I found one with 12.5amps just hope it doesn't overheat.

[Santas Helper]

Randy wrote:

If anyone is interested, Harbor Freight is having the yellow light fixtures on sale for this week, marked down from $12.99 to $8.99.

http://www.harborfreightusa.com/usa/common/displayCoupon.do?hdr=mag&week=2810&campaign=A_Multi&page=2810A_Multi.html&cust=00000000000&keycode=0000

The bad thing is it says "Limit 1". Is that one coupon for an unlimited amount or just one light fixture with this coupon?

[Randy]

My experience is that the coupons always say Limit 1, but I've been able to buy more. Sometimes they want to ring them up as separate sales, but I've always been able to do it....Take a few coupons with you and go for it!

[Bill Hoffman]

If you have a Menard's close to you check them out. They usually have these yellow halogens regular price at $8.99, plus if you catch a sale you can usually pick them up for $4.99. (no limit)

Bill

[Guest guest]

Ponddude wrote:

Well, it depends on how many are going per controller. Are you doing 5 floods per controller? If so, you will need a controller that can put out at least 6 amps at 12 VDC. The floods draw about 1.1amps (give or take) per flood. The power supply is going to depend on what your configuration entails. I always recommend these:

http://www.circuitspecialists.com/prod.itml/icOid/9621

As you can see, they are sold out, but when they come back in, I would recommend that one.

1.1A per flood? I must be missing something...on the data sheet, it shows 10 mA and notes "when white", so I assumed this was full brilliance, all LEDs on..it seemed very low, but hadn't gotten back to measure current draw on the one I built to verify.

Even at 1.1A/flood, its no big deal...I'm watching a 12V/20A supply on ebay (bit more aattractive price than the CS device) that i plan to pick up..they also have a 30A supply which I'm feeling is a bit of overkill. I don't see eating up the full 20A per bank, or anywhere close to it, with what I'm looking to do.

[Dan C]

It would be nice if they added the current draw info to the website that sells them. Just a suggestion.

[rstately]

Dan C wrote:

It would be nice if they added the current draw info to the website that sells them. Just a suggestion.

I agree, It should be in the Data sheet, right below the Product, where it now says,
Operating Voltage 12V
and dimensions

When I was first looking at these and the RWR's I had to really look to find this in the user guide.
Also I don't see a link back to the Product page from the store, but I may have missed it?
Can't wait for the Rainbow spots!

[Ponddude]

DonFL wrote:

Ponddude wrote:

Well, it depends on how many are going per controller. Are you doing 5 floods per controller? If so, you will need a controller that can put out at least 6 amps at 12 VDC. The floods draw about 1.1amps (give or take) per flood. The power supply is going to depend on what your configuration entails. I always recommend these:

http://www.circuitspecialists.com/prod.itml/icOid/9621

As you can see, they are sold out, but when they come back in, I would recommend that one.

1.1A per flood? I must be missing something...on the data sheet, it shows 10 mA and notes "when white", so I assumed this was full brilliance, all LEDs on..it seemed very low, but hadn't gotten back to measure current draw on the one I built to verify.

Even at 1.1A/flood, its no big deal...I'm watching a 12V/20A supply on ebay (bit more aattractive price than the CS device) that i plan to pick up..they also have a 30A supply which I'm feeling is a bit of overkill. I don't see eating up the full 20A per bank, or anywhere close to it, with what I'm looking to do.

Don,

I have no excuse other than to tell you that it is completely wrong. I will change the data sheet immediately!

The floods have 54 LEDs running at 20 mA, which is 1,080 mA, or 1.08 amps. That is why I said 1.1, just to be on the safe side.

I am sorry for the confusion and will get that changed ASAP!

Greg

[Guest guest]

That sounds more like it..

It's still way under what a 20A supply and a DC card can handle...I figure on doing 3-4 RFs, one channel per color...so at full brilliance, assuming 1.1A for white, it will still run ice cold..

Can you also verify the spec on the blizzards? I look to be using a few of those...probably spread across a couple channels.

[Dan Ancona]

I'm looking at the picture of the spots and wondering what can I put that into? Greg, what is the size of those little puppies?

[rstately]

Ponddude wrote:

Don,

The current proto type is approx. 3"x 1.25".

 

I think it's still this size?

[Ponddude]

DonFL wrote:

That sounds more like it..

It's still way under what a 20A supply and a DC card can handle...I figure on doing 3-4 RFs, one channel per color...so at full brilliance, assuming 1.1A for white, it will still run ice cold..

Can you also verify the spec on the blizzards? I look to be using a few of those...probably spread across a couple channels.

The Blizzard data sheet is correct in regards to the the amperage. The fact of the matter is, the amperage is going to depend on the pattern you select, the speed it is set at the delay it is set at. There is no one particular amperage per light. Even more important, will be how many lights you have inline with each other. It really all depends on your settings so it is had to give an accurate description of how much power each unit draws. The amount listed in the data sheet is on the higher end of what is drawn.

Also, the spotlights are the same size...I think. They may be 3.15"x1.25"...for the final board, but don't quote me. I will have to measure them when I get home.

[Steven]

Ponddude wrote:

The floods have 54 LEDs running at 20 mA, which is 1,080 mA, or 1.08 amps. That is why I said 1.1, just to be on the safe side.

I was thinking, "Why doesn't someone just measure it?"

So I did. I just soldered my first one and connected it to an old laboratory power supply. I set the supply at precisely 12.0 V and measured the current.

Red and green each drew about 180mA. Blue was 200mA, but that was the limit of my power supply, so the voltage dropped a bit.

It's probably safe to say that each color will draw under 200mA, probably less after the voltage drop from the switching transistors and a long run of Cat5 cable.

According to the design, the floods have 54 LEDs, but they are in sets of 3 in a series, meaning that if 20mA flows through each LED, total current would be 18 * 20mA = 360mA. At 12 volts, direct, with no dimming, I measured about 50% higher.

[Ponddude]

50% higher? What do you mean by that?

[huskernut]

Ponddude wrote:

50% higher? What do you mean by that?

Steven said
"Red and green each drew about 180mA. Blue was 200mA, but that was the limit of my power supply, so the voltage dropped a bit.

According to the design, the floods have 54 LEDs, but they are in sets of 3 in a series, meaning that if 20mA flows through each LED, total current would be 18 * 20mA = 360mA. At 12 volts, direct, with no dimming, I measured about 50% higher. "



So if red for example draws 180ma actual current and there are 6 sets of 3 leds in series then each leg is drawing 180ma / 6 or 30ma per leg = 30ma per led is 50% more than the 20ma mentioned.

[Guest guest]

Just did a quick set of measurements, using my bench supply, thru a CMB-16D...red drew 180 mA, blue and green sat at about 170...limit on this set output was 500 mA, so no V drop.

did one measurement with all 3 channels on one channel on the DC card, total draw was 460 mA. This was full brilliance, all 3 colors.

There was no current limiting involved here either at the supply, or the card, so I feel pretty comfortable that the 1.1A per card is very much on the high side.

[Ponddude]

Ok, I was never good a math, so after reading that a few times, I got it...haha.

My initial testing of the lights (this is going back to around January) the lights were pulling that. Nothing has changed with the lights, so I am going to have to do some tests tomorrow and see what I get.

[Robsaus]

Greg

Ok I'm starting to get all the supplies I need to put the rainbow floods in the work light casing and was wondering if there is anyway to put the RJ45 connector on the back side so you can use the RJ-45 ECS connector. Im thinking ahead just incase it fails it would be easy to unplug instead of cutting the cable off. I dont have a board in front of me so im just brainstorming.... thanks Rob

[rstately]

OK, I'm not an "electrical guy".
I tested mine and, "all on" read 0.75 Amps.
But I noticed when it started warming up the current started slowly rising.
in about 15 minutes it read 0.93 Amps.
So is that normal? Did I solder bad?
I don't know?:shock:


Ron

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