CCP Controllers, Not very water-resistant

[Ron Boyd]

I found out the other day, that the controller boxes on the CC Pixels are not very water resistant. We did have quite a bit of rain, but it was not a hard rain. I went out to check on everything, as I do each night and found 2 sets not working. the other 2 sets were working fine.

Next morning I removed the 2 controllers and checked inside. Low and behold, there was a little bit of standing water inside and some condensate on the actual board. I then went back and removed the other 2 controllers that were working, they had water inside too. I kept them inside for ~24 hours. took them back outside and hooked them back up.

I did a reset of the 2 controllers per the user manual, re-booted the PC and then reloaded the show.

Results: one set lights a single string for 4 pixels when powered and the other 3 strings do nothing. No status LED, # 1 pixel does not flash green, per the manual, on any strings.

HU does not see these 2 controllers. I thought it may be the Cat5 cable, but I don't think it is and this is why, I have 2 sets on 1 network, and 2 sets on the second network.

Controllers are in line as follows:

Aux A USB485--->Controller 8/9--->Controller 10/11 Aux B USB 485--->Controller 12/13--->controller 14/15 (Each string has it's own ID)

The suspect controllers are 8/9 and 14/15

Controller 14/15 I have not checked the Cat5 cable and that may be the problem. I will check that tonight.

On controller 8/9 though, it is first in line on the network and the HU sees the second controller, so common sense would say the Cat5 cables are ok.

Anybody have any ideas?

Ron

[ItsMeBobO]

Tough trouble shooting problem. The cat5 could be the issue. I hope its not the controllers. Last year I had several cat5 go bad. So far none this year but I have spares on hand now.

No problems with four CCB I have in the grass here. Are you using the black plugs? In my setup, the controllers at the end of the daisy chain have a small open hole since there is only in and no out cat5. I will check them this weekend.

[wbaker4]

I suspect some water can get through the top part of the enclosure where the wires to the Strings go through. They do not appear to be sealed and the wires can be slide through the holes easily.

I had a CCB controller fail after 3 days of use. I did not see any water in the box when I opened it but it was dead, no status led and the 5 volts was down to around 3 volts and I can hear a very faint rapid clicking sound. I am in the process of returning this to LOR for repair.

To be safe, I have all of my CCB controllers in their own enclosures, bottom is open but the back, front, top and sides of the enclosures are sealed.

[Ron Boyd]

Well its been since Sunday. Controllers have been inside with lids off. Tried to get them fired up, hoping that the LOR quality would shine. Alas, not my luck. Looks like a support ticket this evening when I get back home from the Vet

[mikeosf]

I have made rain jackets for the controllers that are not under cover or hidden in a prop. Next year all controllers will be hidden in some sort of box to shield them.

I have returned 2 to LOR already and have 1 more that will have to go back. (I was hoping like you that drying it out would fix it) NOT!

Take Care

M.

[Ron Boyd]

I have made rain jackets for the controllers that are not under cover or hidden in a prop. Next year all controllers will be hidden in some sort of box to shield them.

I have returned 2 to LOR already and have 1 more that will have to go back. (I was hoping like you that drying it out would fix it) NOT!

Take Care

M.

What did you use for the rain jackets? I've got to get something done so this doesn't happen again.

I've got a ticket in to LOR, and if they replace them, depending on how long it takes, my pixel tree will be down for a week and a half to two weeks. It's a major element in the show, so I'd like to get it back up and running.

[mikeosf]

I did a temp fix.

I used construction grade sheet plastic wrap and wrapped them like presents. It can be open at the bottom.

The rest of my units are in wood prop boxes to disguise them.

I was lucky in the sense I had 1 spare and by re-configuring the show I gained an extra spare. LOR was nice enough to hot ship 1 replacement. (excellent service!)

I and going to buy 2 or 3 spares for piece of mind.

In the end there are 3 down right now and I am nervous as hell!!!

Take Care

Michael

[dstevens]

I just had an issue the other night with water getting into a CCB controller box. The box was mounted vertically, with the string connections coming out of the top. I used the black grommets to seal where the Cat5 cable entered the box. All of the screws were in and tight. The water that got in caused some real issues - it apparently messed with the communication circuits, because if I put this controller into my display network, I get random channel flickering on other controllers. The HWU will also find a random number of controllers (one time it finds 2, the next time 5, the next time 11). Normally, the HWU should find all 6 of my controllers. Once I removed the CCB controller, everything is fine - no random channel flickering and the HWU finds the correct number of channels consistently. If I try to connect to just the troubled controller, the HWU cannot find it. Time to enter a support ticket with LOR. Kind of a bummer, since this controller was on a small CCB tree, which was one of my favorite elements.

[Ron Boyd]

Yep mine was on the major element in the diaplay. I kept trying to get it dried and hope it would work, but it never did. I went a whole week without 8 strings of CCPs before I put in my ticket. Of course, LOR did me right. I just hate that it happened. I'm actually glad it was not just something i did. I hate that you folks are having an issue, but i'm glad it may be an enclosure problem and not me being stupid and not taking the proper precautions.

[john fulkerson]

cat 5 cables are not very water proof ive replaced at least 5

[PMC]

when I got my CCP units, the first thing I said was.... Uh-Huh I'm trusting that case, so when I installed mine I put the entire controller in a heavy duty plastic bag, then zip tied the end, and supported the controller zipped tied end facing down. and this "winter" we had 5 inches of rain and 2 dry CCP Controllers, as for my standard LOR controllers, I lost 2 channels on a single controller due to water, we had a 3 inch rain storm, the controller support legs failed and that controller was laying flat on the ground and water rain through the controller like a stream, It was 6am one morining and my wife said.... you better go outside the lights are going crazy, well that was the culprit, so I brought the controller inside, and used an electronics spray called ElectrO-Wash to get the mostiure out of the componients then a low grade heat applied the controller for about an hour, and I got back 14 of my 16 channels, not bad for a controller that was 60% underwater, and no the GFI didn't kick in. I'm lucky to just lose a couple of trics on a sumerged controller, I should have taken some pictures of it in the water, but I wasn't to happy at that moment

[robigd]

This thread is a little concerning to me since I am planning to purchase a handful of CCB units in the next couple months. Should I wait for the next generation to come out?

[dstevens]

This thread is a little concerning to me since I am planning to purchase a handful of CCB units in the next couple months. Should I wait for the next generation to come out?

I think the main thing we have learned here is to provide additional protection for the controller box. Aside from my water issue, the CCB was awesome in my display. I probably will add more - I will just make sure I protect them.

[spomalley]

This thread is a little concerning to me since I am planning to purchase a handful of CCB units in the next couple months. Should I wait for the next generation to come out?

There is no guarantee that there will be a new generation of CCBs any time soon.

[Ron Boyd]

This thread is a little concerning to me since I am planning to purchase a handful of CCB units in the next couple months. Should I wait for the next generation to come out?

Just make sure they are a little extra protected from water intrusion. Once I got the controllers back up and running, they were awesome. You wont be disappointed. I say go ahead and make your purchase.