Controller Load Calculator

[Guest guest]

Rick,

Thanks for all the hard work you are putting into this. It will be a real beneficial tool for anyone who uses computer control.

Now for all your hard work you'll have to put google adsense on one of the tabs and make some money!:laughing:

[Guest guest]

Rick,

Wonderful! Thank You! Did you notice that on the Controller 6 page the channel numbers are for #5?

jeff

[Guest guest]

Zac_Cutt wrote:

STICKY!

So Zac

What exactly is STICKY (imagination going wild), I asked the daughters and they didn't know.

Bill

[Guest guest]

Meaning someone should sticky it in the forum, meaning it will stay at the top like the rest of the Important threads.

Zac

[Guest guest]

Hey Rick - Great spread sheet. I just started fooling with it and I'm curious where you're getting your numbers from. I enter a light type of "Mini 100", qty strings = 3, lights per string = 100, and power applied = 100%. By my calculations I should come up with somewhere between .99 and 1.02 amps. I think we typically assume that 100 minis consume 1/3 of an amp at 100% power. The spreadsheet shows only .63 amps, or .21 amps per string of 100 minis. Can you shed some light (pun intended :laughing:) ?

Thanks for the work on the spreadsheet.

D.T.

[Guest guest]

I have worked on the spreadsheet today and noticed a slight difference of numbers with maybe amps, lights or what ever. I adjusted my actual light strand numbers to what he initially entered and all worked out great. There will be some slight difference to strands of lights, rope lights/amps & such (there are too many different kinds to choose from) so if you change your numbers of lights/amps per strand, per channel to meet your actual set-up, then all that matters is that the spread sheet will add it all up for you. That's a big help right there.

Thanks a bunch Rick.

Tom

[Guest guest]

Opps!

Two ways to fix the Channel 6 channel error

1) Download the fixed file.
2) Unlock the page, change the chanel #'s

http://www.quartzhillchristmas.com/12.html

Sorry for the error.........

[Guest guest]

Rick,

Nice spreadsheet, Excellent work

I was playing with it tonight, in the totals total Bulbs, r3 and q3 should sum row J not I

Great work on it still the same.

I found one error in my light counts so far which your sheet showed red, after I looked at it again it was definately red, so it likely saved me a fuse *SMILE*

[Guest guest]

DownTown wrote:

Hey Rick - Great spread sheet. I just started fooling with it and I'm curious where you're getting your numbers from. I enter a light type of "Mini 100", qty strings = 3, lights per string = 100, and power applied = 100%. By my calculations I should come up with somewhere between .99 and 1.02 amps. I think we typically assume that 100 minis consume 1/3 of an amp at 100% power. The spreadsheet shows only .63 amps, or .21 amps per string of 100 minis. Can you shed some light (pun intended :laughing:) ?

Thanks for the work on the spreadsheet.

D.T.

I Checked the calculations, and I can't find what you are pointing out?

my calculations are: WATTSXQTY/VOLTAGE=AMPS (I=P/V)

In the case of the minis, I am using .25 watts .25x100=25(P)/120(V)=.2083 (I)(.21 Amps)

The light inventory page is intended for the USER to add their own inventory (Light Name, Watts, Qty) what is listed is my own inventory and can be assumed to be different from everyone else, like the Channel 1 data I included.

Sorry, it's late and maybe I don't see the error.......

-Rick-

[Guest guest]

Rick, on the "Light Types" worksheet, row 4, you have a rope light defined. Is that an incandescent rope light or an LED rope light?

There is a big difference between the two, and we might want to have both listed, as those of us who are multi billionares are starting to acquire LED rope lights.

I just today received an awesome 30 foot rool of red LED rope light that I won on eBay for $39.95, a HUGE bargain in this day of 150' reels going for $500!

The red LED rope light that I got appears to be far superior to other "colored plastic" LED rope lights. This rope is actually clear and the LEDs come on BRIGHT red, much brighter than my lamp Ropes. Some of the expert sellers I see online frown down on the colored plastic LED rope lights, claiming they are not as good.

My LED rope light has some confusing specs on the box, but translated from Chinese, it says 6.5 V, 70 mA. It's hard to say if they are trying to tell us the max current the rope can handle, or if it is the steaady state current of the LED light rope.

If I can ge tmore of these, I'll ditch my rope lights in a heartbeat, they are the single worst draw of power there is.

Some of my 2' x 3' rope light displays draw up to an amp. That's just way too much, and overloads my circuits quickly.

BTW, anyone know if there is some kind of small meter box we can buy that you just plug in a strand of lights and it tells you the current draw?

[Guest guest]

jeffostroff wrote:

BTW, anyone know if there is some kind of small meter box we can buy that you just plug in a strand of lights and it tells you the current draw?

Yep. Using an A/C line splitter and a Clamp Meter I was able to get pretty darn exact numbers on my strands.

I like the chart, but it's why I'm having a hard time using it. I have some deer and trees (6ft white, like RichardH) in my display which I have no idea the wattage per bulb. It's much easier for me to simply input the amps per strand and move on.

[Guest guest]

jeffostroff wrote:

BTW, anyone know if there is some kind of small meter box we can buy that you just plug in a strand of lights and it tells you the current draw?

Jeff

What you and everyone else who does any large Christmas display needs is an Clamp on AC current Multimeter current of 3.18 amps to .6. The only way I could have easily taken this measurement is with a clamp on meter.


I will post a pic of the extension cord a little bit later

Bill

[Guest guest]

blearning wrote:

Rick,

Nice spreadsheet, Excellent work

I was playing with it tonight, in the totals total Bulbs, r3 and q3 should sum row J not I

Great work on it still the same.

I found one error in my light counts so far which your sheet showed red, after I looked at it again it was definately red, so it likely saved me a fuse *SMILE*

Your right!, nice catch.....
This will not effect any calculations, I checked the LINE Calc and that's looking in the correct place, I will place this on the new update.

-Rick-

[Guest guest]

A remember a fairly new device, I think it's called "Watt's UP". It just plugs inline with the lights and measures the power draw.

https://www.doubleed.com/secure.html

Cheers.

[Guest guest]

Here's another one I just found called Kil A Watt:

http://www.p3international.com/products/special/P4400/P4400-CE.html#

It's cheaper than the Watts Up, but does not have all the software features and exporting to Excel spreadsheet features. It sells for $20 to $40 online.

[Guest guest]

A new version of the Controller Calculator for 25 controllers is complete and is being beta tested now.



I have added options for 120/240 volts, ability to enter the inventory by amps or watts, a new controller overview that should help tremendously by displaying ALL controllers and channels on one page and the amperage drawn if any, all cells that require input have been relocated to the left of the worksheets, Help comments have been added.

Thanks for all the input from everyone, I have incorporated almost all requests that have been posted, I hope to have the new version up this week.

Thanks again everyone.

[Guest guest]

ok, Bill Gates, now if you really want ot make this spreadsheet useful, make it so that every time I open it, it downloads the latest verion and upgrades itself automatically!

wouldn't that be choice dudes!

[Guest guest]

jeffostroff wrote:

Rick, on the "Light Types" worksheet, row 4, you have a rope light defined. Is that an incandescent rope light or an LED rope light?

Remember, you can specify any kind of light and power consumption on the "light types" tab. So for the rope light, just change the power rating to be what you need, and the magic of excel updates all your calculations. You can also add new entries to the table, and they will show up as choices on the controller tabs.


The new beta has better oganization and is easier to use! Rick already told you what's on it, so I won't bother listing the changes. But, it's very exciting! You guys will love it. (Of course, I haven't had a chance to actually test it yet to see if it works....lol.)

[Guest guest]

Thanks for taking the time to make this. It is very helpful

[Guest guest]

Can anyone tell me what the data is for 300 light icycle lights?

Amps, watts, etc.

It's for this wonderful calculator.

Thanks!

Luke