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Any protection from weather needed for controllers


Joshb

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Do the controllers need covered to prevent any weather from getting inside? Mine will be up off the ground mounted to small posts. I noticed a couple boxes have rubber seals, but a couple don't. Also, do you guys tape up or cover your electrical connections (extension cord ends)?

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Do not tape extension cord ends will keep water in them won't dry out tried some after rain the ones not tape dry the ones taped were wet when it gets cold tap ones will hold moisture in

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1 hour ago, james morris said:

Do not tape extension cord ends will keep water in them won't dry out tried some after rain the ones not tape dry the ones taped were wet when it gets cold tap ones will hold moisture in

Even the unused ones? Like I have 3 way plug adapters and might only use two. I wonder if one of those child safe outlet covers would work for that.

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I heard guys were using the child safe covers. Like James said I would not tape. If the opening is facing down I would not worry about covering at all

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Just keep them off the ground. I use the spikes from Lowe’s and zip tie the plugs to them.

If my yard floods like last year I use a. 5 gallon bucket with notches at the bottom and cover from the extra heavy rain. Then I drill 2 holes in buckets and spike them down.

They are only used for my singing faces since they can be hid behind the props.

Seall or no seal I have  not done anything extra to controller  enclosures. Just be sure to  close and tighten the screw that secured the door.

A lot off mine are outside year round  and never a problem.

JR

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Controllers are already built weather tight so nothing else needed as long as you keep them off the ground. Same for the connections, if they are hanging then the water will drip off the bottom and air dry. Covering or wrapping with anything other then a weather proof type box will just hold what moisture gets in and prevent them from drying. I always try to hang any connections that I have by hanging in a tree or bush. Connection that are out in the open I just elevate off the ground.

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1 hour ago, Joshb said:

Even the unused ones? Like I have 3 way plug adapters and might only use two. I wonder if one of those child safe outlet covers would work for that.

I've been running my shows for years, and got the DO NOT TAPE YOUR PLUGS thread early on. I've never had a problem leaving them untaped and the weather here in November/December can be pretty wild. I have yet (knock on wood) to experience an issue doing this. All my controllers have the rubber insert and I hang them up off the ground with some PVC stands I built myself, but I'm anal and put a tarp over them spreading it out and staking it down, but leave the sides partly open so everything can "breathe".

Edited by MichRX7
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3 hours ago, Kulpy said:

I heard guys were using the child safe covers. Like James said I would not tape. If the opening is facing down I would not worry about covering at all

I use those child proof outlet caps on every single exposed connection {male/female pass through on light strands, unused extension cord ends, like the triple taps, all mine get those outlet covers.   I also painted all my outlet covers flat black as the ones I got were all white and reflected light, so they were quite noticeable.  1 can of flat black spray paint painted well over 300+ covers.  You only need to paint the backs, not the prong side that plugs into the exposed female outlet opening.

Been using mine for years, even had one that ended up underwater in a puddle one year, it was about one foot under water!  And the child-proof outlet cover kept the water out and the connection completely dry inside.  I highly recommend them, they DO WORK!

 

EDIT:  Almost forgot this tip:   Where the cat5 enters the Controller boxes, get some of the grey foam pipe covering, comes in about 6 foot lengths and is actually very inexpensive, around $2-$3.  I cut this down and I push it around the cat5 cable where it enters the controllers, I put it inside at the top area where it comes out next to the PC Board as well.  This keeps creepy crawlies and lizards out of your controllers.  A slimy, wet lizard or small frog can actually short and cause damage to a controller.  

So I've been using this method with my AC {CTB16PC} Controllers for years.  All my RGB Controllers don;'t need it because they use a different {and better} type rubber inset that prevents this.  But the CTB16PC controllers, I also highly recommend doing this. 

It will also keep hornets and wasps out from building a nest inside your controllers.  I recall someone here this happened to, wasps or hornets had built a nest inside their controller.  The foam will keep them out.  It's just a small diameter foam, for smaller PVC water line pipe like you find in your attic.  I think it's 1/2" or 3/4".  Either size will work as long as you squeeze it tightly around the cat5 cable and into the openings where it enters through the bottom and exits from inside the controller.

 

Edited by Orville
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adding to all of the above.  (I use the Childproof  In every unused (stacking too) connector. Dome up (make it so) Buy the big bag of them at Amazon, cheap $4 120V string will use 2:on the stack and on the far end)

Keep the controller  Vertical AND  those downward facing connections, above the 'splash zone' (~18" if the side of the mud splashes on the siding are a clue :) )  Help the water to leak out fast, by NOT creating bad places to collect.

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Forgot to add, I also use those childproof caps in every unused channel dangle on my controllers as well.  Before I did, if they were a little closer to the ground than I thought, they would get mud and even dry dirt blown up into the channel dangle.   So cap off all unused channel dangle connections with those childproof caps as well.  You'll be glad you did!

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Odd, I've never had any issues during my Christmas shows with creepy crawly things in my show boxes. Must be the negative temps keep them out as well. 🤣

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2 hours ago, Joshb said:

Thanks for all the tips guys. My main concern was snow on the ground.

It is not so much the Snow I would worry about. It is Snow melting, then the melt getting into things and REFREEZING.  That can crack snug plastic fittings if ther is very much moisture.

In the Winter: Leave your controllers powered on. Even the tiny amount of power consumed will help keep things better.

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40 minutes ago, TheDucks said:

It is not so much the Snow I would worry about. It is Snow melting, then the melt getting into things and REFREEZING.  That can crack snug plastic fittings if ther is very much moisture.

In the Winter: Leave your controllers powered on. Even the tiny amount of power consumed will help keep things better.

This is why I tarp mine. I have mine on PVC stands I create, then I tarp over the stand like a tent and stake that into the ground. It leaves the sides pretty open so airflow goes through, but keeps the accumulating (and melting) snow off the boxes themselves. I looked for a picture, but I must hide them well as I could not find one that showed it. Also, when I bring them in the house during tear down I leave them vertical for a couple of days in the house so they don't accumulate moisture and let them acclimate to the indoor heating before I box them up. (My wife loves this part)

Edited by MichRX7
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8 hours ago, MichRX7 said:

Odd, I've never had any issues during my Christmas shows with creepy crawly things in my show boxes. Must be the negative temps keep them out as well. 🤣

Well you folks up thee get some really cold temps, in Florida, the creepy crawlies and flying creepy crawlies can be active year round, they may slow down a bit during our winter season, but in Central Florida {Orlando} where I am in Florida, they are pretty active all year long.  And if it happens to get cold, such as a freeze, those flying creepy crawlies with stingers like to make a nest inside a nice, snug, warm controller until the cold snap breaks {which only last maybe 3-5 days at most, if that at a time.}   

That's why I use the grey foam pipe insulation in my cat5 channel, the flying bug-a-boos, like wasps and hornets don't seem to like it or the taste of it, so they check it out and then leave.   Been doing it for over 5 years like this and never had anything in my controllers.  

My first year before I discovered doing this, I did have and find a lizard that had gotten electrocuted in one of my controllers, and he was one crispy critter when I found what was left of him.  

Fortunately that critter only took out one channel {killed the Triac on Channel 5} on that controller.  And that was during the Christmas season the it crawled inside the controller, and the only way it could have gotten in was via the cat5 cable access opening, all other {power cords, channel dangles} wouldn't have allowed it access into the controller.   

So now I always make sure I stuff those cat5 cable access openings as much as possible to keep the critters out of the inside of my controllers.

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We had some great snow a few years ago. Made the show look even better.

Last year we had some -5 temps- yes here in Central Al.

It was so cold the drone could not take off and my pixels actually appeared to freeze up.

They worked the next day once the temps got in to the 20’s+.

The city created flooding in my yard has been my major issue so I use various things like the buckets to keep my cables and excess lights in.

This year using a trampoline base as my mega tree base to elevate it. (Cut down to 18” height.

The city’s drainage system in our nh is to small to keep up with the water flow and it happens to run diagonally across my yard. Last year was torrential record breaking rainfall Halloween night through after New Years. No more than 2-3 day spells without rain.

JR 

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9 minutes ago, dibblejr said:

We had some great snow a few years ago. Made the show look even better.

Last year we had some -5 temps- yes here in Central Al.

It was so cold the drone could not take off and my pixels actually appeared to freeze up.

They worked the next day once the temps got in to the 20’s+.

The city created flooding in my yard has been my major issue so I use various things like the buckets to keep my cables and excess lights in.

This year using a trampoline base as my mega tree base to elevate it. (Cut down to 18” height.

The city’s drainage system in our nh is to small to keep up with the water flow and it happens to run diagonally across my yard. Last year was torrential record breaking rainfall Halloween night through after New Years. No more than 2-3 day spells without rain.

JR 

Out of curiosity, how big is your mega tree?

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2 hours ago, Joshb said:

Out of curiosity, how big is your mega tree?

The mega tree I mention is 25’ ground to tip of star

JR

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Something I have seen people do, and have considered it myself, is using tupperware.  You can take the lid off, cut a minor hole in the top for an extension cord to fit through, then make your connections in the piece of tupperware and put the lid on it to keep the snow/rain off it.

I know this doesn't necessarily apply to the controller boxes and those cords, but could be useful for the connections in the yard.

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