Small Controller on Light Strings Problem

[GaryBo]

Does anyone know how to make a Christmas light string controller stay steady “on”?


I recently purchased several LED net lights from a seller in China. They are nice nets with great lights. Can even string end to end.
My problem is that I want have the lights stay steady on for use with my LOR controllers. I select the steady on function on the controller, but when the lights are turned off (electrically), and turned back on the controller defaults back to the first setting on the string controller (waves).


Do I “rewire” or is there a way to make it (string controller) stay steady on?


These are the selections on the string controller:
“8 light selector functions with a button of this Red Flashing Light / Control Panel: Combination, In Waves, Sequential, Slow Glow, Chasing Flash, Slow Fade, Twinkle Flash, Steady On.”


A pic of the controller:

[ErnieHorning]

The only way that I know is permanent. It requires cracking the case open, removing the transistors and soldering a jumper across where each transistor was.

[jerryb721]

someone here did this before and posted a fix.
Sorry I don't remember who but here is what he wrote

One of the resistors appears to feed the A.C. voltage into the IC (located on the daughter card), probably for timing.

The other resistor drops the rectified high voltage down to a suitable voltage for the IC. This is also filtered by the capacitor so the IC can work properly.

The 4 strings seem to have a common positive, and switched negative. The switches are probably bipolar transistors.

Since I don't see resistors in series with the LED's, I assume they have built-in resistors, since bipolar transistors vary too much to provide reliable and cheap current limiting.

Therefore, I believe your could get all four strings on by removing the IC daughter card, the two resistors, the capacitor, and the 4 transistors. Jumper the 4 transistors from their E to C leads. These are the leads on the right.

In other words, look at this picture and remove everything with a blue X or red line, because they won't be needed. Then install jumpers where the red lines are.

If you want to be able to switch back to using the built-in effect box, then leave everything in, but just install jumpers where the red lines are.


Attached files

[Geoff Harvey]

Hi Gary

In Australia, most of our LEDs are supplied from step down transformers and come with 8 function controllers which need to be disabled for use with LOR. We have had considerable experience disabling a variety of controllers, but most are low voltage types (usually 24V). I have also disabled some 240V controllers which were essentially the same circuitry and similar to that shown above.

The approach outlined above works, but you do NOT need to remove any components. Just short the output transistors (ie join the red pins). There are a lot of posts on our local Australian LOR support site relating to this topic. eg

http://groups.google.com/group/aussie-lor-users/browse_thread/thread/7850325d4a3c4cb6

http://groups.google.com/group/aussie-lor-users/browse_thread/thread/3e1a50fe1752b3ac

http://groups.google.com/group/aussie-lor-users/browse_thread/thread/99140761d63ac98e

Hope this helps. Regards Geoff

[GaryBo]

Geoff,
Thanks for the info. My controller is a 5 wire in addition to hot and neutral wires.
Pics:

[Frank A.]

Good afternoon

Something that i did with mini light sets with controllers

my controllers had two wires for 110v in

four wires to lights ---- 3 power wires ---- 1 common for all lights

I cut the controllers off of the light strings and wired the strings to standard

plugs jumpering the common from one plug to the next ---- plugged them into a LOR

controller and functioned with no problem

NOTE: ALL PLUGS HAVE TO BE ON THE SAME SIDE OF A LOR CONTROLLER 1-8 OR 9-16

i then used the controller and wired it to an outlet box and have 3 circuits that can control a small group of lights in odd locations ----

for me that is my work environment

Do not know if this is an option for you or not but it is a different path to look at.

Frank A.

[jerryb721]

I have a bunch of these sets and I did similar to Frank A.
Cut cut the 4 wires the went to the lights and wired them all to the power wire, they already shared the common.

I ran for 2 years like this with no problem, but stop last year when folks on here told another guy you can't do that, so I got worried.
It seem to me (I'm by no means an expert here) that if you solder them shorted together that you are doing the same thing (connecting the power).
The LED I got were also good for 220v and came with an plug adapter to make them 110v. Maybe the LEDs do have built-in resistors like the guy I quoted said.

At any rate they did work for me by removing the controller all together.
Only thing I would do id put a fuse inline for protection.

[Geoff Harvey]

Hi Gary

Your controller looks very similar to some of ours. Bottom wire in photo is common and controller functions will be converted to steady on by joining all connections in red box. (make sure common is NOT included)

Remember you have 110V on these terminals when powered, so weather protection and safety are critical.

Regards Geoff


Attached files

[GaryBo]

Geoff,
Your solution worked perfectly. Stays "on" continually. Thanks very much to you and all others who offered
help.
Gary Bo