Wiring Question

[Guest guest]

I am getting one 16 channel LOR this year. I am wanting input on how people wired there boxes. In that I mean from the wall to LOR to display. I know there are many ways, but all ideas are welcomed. ( looking at supply cost for this year !!!!)



Court

sgtcsh

[Guest guest]

My amperage needs are so low, on my boxes, that I was able to run 1 extension cord from inside my house to a 5 leg "squid" that powered 2 16 channel boxes.

I have three methods for getting power to my boxes:

1 extension cord from a porch light fixture to 1 16 channel box.

1 extension cord from a plug in my bathroom, up through the attic access and out through a vent to 2 16 channel boxes.

1 extension cord from a plug in my living room, out through a space between my airconditioner and the wall to 2 16 channel boxes.

[Guest guest]

Hi Court,

I'm new too and learning about the LOR products. As you know, there are many ways to feed power to your 16 channel LOR board. I think the relevant question is for you to figure out how much load you're going to be connecting to each of the channels (and the board in total).

There is a 8 amp per channel limitation, and a 20 or 40 amp limitation all 16 channels on one board (depending on the connection). From a household perspective, 15 amp circuits are common, sometimes 20 amp circuits are available (you'll need to check on what you have nearby). At the very least, you probably have a 15 amp circuit available via a heavy duty extension cord to power up the controller. That would work if the connected loads were on the smaller side. You may need more power depending on the total connected load.

Here's an easy example:

Eight of your 16 channels will have 2 strings of mini lights each (0.7 Amps on each channel); 4 of the remaining 8 channels will have 4 strings of mini lights (1.4 Amps on each channel), and the remaining 4 channels will have 1 string of mini lights (0.34 amps on each channel). So here is what the controller would be powering:

8 @ 0.7 Amps = 5.6 amps

4 @ 1.4 amps = 5.6 amps

4 @ 0.34 amps = 1.36 amps

The total power on channels 1-8 would be 5.6 amps, and the total on channels 9-16 would 6.96 amps, for a total controller load of 12.56 amps. For the above example, you can see that a 15 amp circuit and associated extension cord would work. You have to be careful not to load up the circuit too much in case other items are already being powered from it. It would be ideal if you could get a dedicated circuit for the controller.

However, if you had more lights connected to the controller than in the above example, you might need two 15 or 20 amp circuits separately feeding the controller to power all the lights.

As far as what you can use to feed the controller, there are a few possibilities. You can run extension cords from nearby outlets to power the controller, or you can install new outlets (in the garage, for example) to power the controller.

Since your light strings will be outside and subject to the elements, you should use GFCI protection on the circuits. These devices are available on the end of an extension cord, as a replacement electrical outlet, or even as a replacement circuit breaker in the panel. A GFCI device will turn off the power if there is an imbalance between the hot and neutral wires in the circuit, which could happen if the cords get wet, if there is a partial short circuit, or some other type of malfunction.

Please let me know if this helps to answer your question.

Thanks, Randy

[Guest guest]

Hey Dwight....... which cord was it that lights up your teeth:]

[Guest guest]

Heh heh. That's self-contained.

I had another comment to add, but it might have been pushing the family-friendly envelope.