Several Controller Issues

[mcompanik]

I am having issues with several CTB16 controllers. I will list the issues by board. I am using all LED lights and the max strings on any 1 circuit is 900 LEDs. I have looked at the boards, and cleaned them (very minimal oxidation on some of the solder connections) and I am still having problems with them. I have tried to reset them all by removing the jumper etc.

 

Board 1: V2 board, # 2 and # 9 light at the same time. If I test each one, they both go on. I could see if it was 2&3 or 9&10, but 2 and 9 are on different sides of the board.

 

Board 2: V1 board, 1 thru 8 are flickering when not on. If I turn them on individually, they burn bright and a string that is NOT on but flickering may or may not turn off.

 

Board 3: V2 board, one string is on at a low level when off, almost like phantom voltage. also have another channel that is starting to act the same way, but at a very low level (brighter at the beginning of the string and gets dimmer as it goes along the string). Happens with any string of lights, so it's not the string.

 

Board 4: V1 board, 2 strings of lights together, the 2nd half of one string, and the 1st half of second string come on when lit. Again, happens with any 2 strings. haven't tried it with only one string.

 

Any help you guys can give is greatly appreciated. I had a replacement board for emergencies, but I am using it now because of the flickering lights on board 2.

[Caleb Linburg]

Test your cat 5 cables. I had that problem and found it was a bad connection. Best way is to take a good short cat 5 cable with a laptop out to the controller and see if it does the same thing. Also, try putting a string of incandescent lights on with the channels having issues. See if that corrects the problem. Sometimes the load isn't enough for the lor box to recognize the lights. 

[plasmadrive]

I am having issues with several CTB16 controllers. I will list the issues by board. I am using all LED lights and the max strings on any 1 circuit is 900 LEDs. I have looked at the boards, and cleaned them (very minimal oxidation on some of the solder connections) and I am still having problems with them. I have tried to reset them all by removing the jumper etc.

 

Board 1: V2 board, # 2 and # 9 light at the same time. If I test each one, they both go on. I could see if it was 2&3 or 9&10, but 2 and 9 are on different sides of the board.

 

Board 2: V1 board, 1 thru 8 are flickering when not on. If I turn them on individually, they burn bright and a string that is NOT on but flickering may or may not turn off.

 

Board 3: V2 board, one string is on at a low level when off, almost like phantom voltage. also have another channel that is starting to act the same way, but at a very low level (brighter at the beginning of the string and gets dimmer as it goes along the string). Happens with any string of lights, so it's not the string.

 

Board 4: V1 board, 2 strings of lights together, the 2nd half of one string, and the 1st half of second string come on when lit. Again, happens with any 2 strings. haven't tried it with only one string.

 

Any help you guys can give is greatly appreciated. I had a replacement board for emergencies, but I am using it now because of the flickering lights on board 2.

1. Check your neutral wire connections in the controller.

2. Could be your network cable, or if they are LEDs, try a phantom load on those channels.  (sometimes called a snubber)

3. See #2

4. Sounds like you have half wave strings and a triac not turning on in both halves of the phase. 

[Max-Paul]

I agree about board 3. sounds like the neutral and hot might be reversed feeding the controller. I made this mistake the first year by using a non-polarized plug and I had the ghost lights even when turned off. Worse when it rained.