Neon Indicators

[EmmienLightFan]

Instead of putting my controllers outside, I am going to put it inside and put outdoor sockets up for the outside channels. Are sockets with neon indicators dimmable? Could it damage my controller or the indicator itself. If it is I will buy some sockets without them.

[Godney]

To answer your question , yes neon lights are dimmable because I use them on my controller for channel indicators and have never had a problem with them.

[dgrant]

I would love to mount my controllers inside and run the cords outside, but there's no effective way of accomplishing that here. I suppose I could run conduit all over the front of the house, lawn and etc...the other option is to built a power connection into the wall, inside to outside, then some form of weather proofing, but now I'm talking about a whole lot of power outlets...176(88 pairs) of them for me, plus all the RGB dumb and smart data lines and so on. Now putting the neon indicators out there, sure it would work but then you have a whole lot of twinkling neons each time a channel activates. Now that might be good, extra twinkles or it might be distracting to those viewing.

[EmmienLightFan]

I would love to mount my controllers inside and run the cords outside, but there's no effective way of accomplishing that here. I suppose I could run conduit all over the front of the house, lawn and etc...the other option is to built a power connection into the wall, inside to outside, then some form of weather proofing, but now I'm talking about a whole lot of power outlets...176(88 pairs) of them for me, plus all the RGB dumb and smart data lines and so on. Now putting the neon indicators out there, sure it would work but then you have a whole lot of twinkling neons each time a channel activates. Now that might be good, extra twinkles or it might be distracting to those viewing.

I don't really have a "yard". I just have the front of my house. The controller that I am talking about is placed inside because it means less cable runs, and electrical equipment like that with wide open holes wouldn't last long in this countries weather. Not to mention thieves who just need to walk two meters up the driveway and grab it. 12 of the sets of lights are inside in windows, and the other four outside on the house.

The sockets have covers over the indicators. They won't be seen from the road.

 

Edit: Has anybody has experience with LED indicators?

Edited July 22, 2015 by EmmienLightFan

[dgrant]

If just one controller then its not an issue but I've got quite a few therefore it is a problem to accomplish that. I use to live over there in East Sufflolk for a couple of years. I don't remember many people who would rip someone off and most British are upstanding people with very good character/morals. Someone did rip off the things in a deep freezer I had but I figured if they were that hungry, no problem, they can have it. Had they asked, I would have given them the food outright. Still very fond memories of my time over there. Old, quaint, historic and good people!

[EmmienLightFan]

I suppose so.

I will buy a single socket soon and test.

[mixnight]

I do have always my two controllers and one sandevices inside of garage and I run the cords under the garage gate, off course I have to accommodate them in the way that the gate can close well, I toke advantage of the gasket under the gate.

If you want to see pictures of it, please visit http://thehousewithlights.website

[Orville]

Me personally I'd just use basic standard outlets without any lights of any kind in them, unless they are covered and can't be seen or will be out of sight of the viewing audience, then using them wouldn't be a big deal.   I've got one controller that the box was damaged by our lawn maintenance folks, and had to take the electronics out of the box, so I'm considering adding 16 outlets {8 double outlets with each pair of outlets cut apart} in front of my house with the exposed controller inside my front bedroom[workroom} going to those outlets for the 16 channels out front to run my small coro arches I use.   So if I used lit outlets, that would definitely be a distraction to my viewers because the lights in them would be visible to them.

 

And what I mean by cutting the outlets into separate outlets, in case someone may not know this, a duplex outlet is usually always wired as both outlets powered from a single source, there is usually a small copper bar between the upper and lower outlet that can be cut/removed {sometimes these are on both sides, sometimes only just on one side, depends on manufacturer},  then each duplex outlet can be wired as 2 independent outlets, therefore instead of one duplex outlet being channel 1 for example, by cutting the metal link{s} between the two receptacles, you can now wire the outlet as Channel 1 for the upper outlet and Channel 2 for the lower outlet.  This is how I have wired 8 of my duplex outlets and labeled them as CH 1, CH 2, CH 3, CH 4,......CH 15, CH 16, Where all my upper outlets are the ODD numbered channels and all the lower outlets are the EVEN numbered channels.

 

Not saying you have to set your outlets up like I have, I did it this way since this controller controls 16 different items, so setting each outlet up independently from each other just made more sense in my case.

[dgrant]

And what I mean by cutting the outlets into separate outlets, in case someone may not know this, a duplex outlet is usually always wired as both outlets powered from a single source, there is usually a small copper bar between the upper and lower outlet that can be cut/removed {sometimes these are on both sides, sometimes only just on one side, depends on manufacturer},  then each duplex outlet can be wired as 2 independent outlets, therefore instead of one duplex outlet being channel 1 for example, by cutting the metal link{s} between the two receptacles, you can now wire the outlet as Channel 1 for the upper outlet and Channel 2 for the lower outlet.  This is how I have wired 8 of my duplex outlets and labeled them as CH 1, CH 2, CH 3, CH 4,......CH 15, CH 16, Where all my upper outlets are the ODD numbered channels and all the lower outlets are the EVEN numbered channels.

 

Not saying you have to set your outlets up like I have, I did it this way since this controller controls 16 different items, so setting each outlet up independently from each other just made more sense in my case.

I agree. This is precisely why I mentioned on my 176 channels, it would take 88 outlets, getting two channels on each socket. For me, that's a whole lot of of outlets to mount permanently through a wall. I'd do it if I was sure I was going to be in this house forever. Instead of each as a GFCI, I would use  GFCI circuit breakers in the main panel to feed them...saving money.

[EmmienLightFan]

 

 

And what I mean by cutting the outlets into separate outlets, in case someone may not know this, a duplex outlet is usually always wired as both outlets powered from a single source, there is usually a small copper bar between the upper and lower outlet that can be cut/removed {sometimes these are on both sides, sometimes only just on one side, depends on manufacturer},  then each duplex outlet can be wired as 2 independent outlets, therefore instead of one duplex outlet being channel 1 for example, by cutting the metal link{s} between the two receptacles, you can now wire the outlet as Channel 1 for the upper outlet and Channel 2 for the lower outlet.  This is how I have wired 8 of my duplex outlets and labeled them as CH 1, CH 2, CH 3, CH 4,......CH 15, CH 16, Where all my upper outlets are the ODD numbered channels and all the lower outlets are the EVEN numbered channels.

I read that and thought it was a really good idea. I went and found a double socket to look at but unfortunatly, they don't have it in UK sockets.

 

The indicators are not very bright at all. Just visible with the cover open. With the black plastic cover down you would never know they were there.

 

Is there a transformer in the socket for the neon light?

 

And I googled dimming recepticles, and it says it is illegal to dim a normal recepticle because if somebody plugged in a different device (That is non-dimmable) it could cause a fire. I suppose somebody may plug in a car charger or some garden equipment to the sockets in the future, so does this mean it is illegal? I would probably plug them into normal sockets when the LOR controllers are not there.

[dgrant]

Electrically speaking, you certain should not and probably cannot dim any regular socket for that very reason. Now there in the UK, I know the sockets/plugs that you use as a normal. I don't know if pairs can be electrically separated. You could get creative and build a box with power inputs to it from your normal outlets on the house, then within the box, use the US type outlets for Christmas lights only. Only you would know you were feeding 220/50 to them so you'd have to be very careful insuring no one thought differently and plugged something from over here into it. Anyway, this way you could separate the circuits but you would also have to have the matching US plugs...

[Orville]

The neon lights they use in the sockets in the US are 110-120VAC bulbs, they won't light with less voltage.   At least none of the neon bulbs I've ever experimented with would light with anything less than 110-120VAC.     There is no transformer for Neon bulbs, at least I've never seen an outlet with neon indicators use them.   I have seen very small full wave rectifiers and voltage dropping resistors in sockets that may use an L.E.D, for an indicator.

 

Like someone else stated, you could use the "American style" outlets, but I'd definitely put a warning sign on or directly next to the outlets stating they are 220VAC/50Hz!

 

Don't know how European sockets are wired, never looked at, or have ever seen one, if they are duplex, I'm kind of surprised they aren't separable into 2 separate outlets like the American outlets can be.

[EmmienLightFan]

 

Don't know how European sockets are wired, never looked at, or have ever seen one, if they are duplex, I'm kind of surprised they aren't separable into 2 separate outlets like the American outlets can be.

We don't use European sockets. We have our own type.

 

 

I had a look for US sockets. They are very expensive over here, and waterproof ones could only be imported which costs more.

 

I have a single socket. The light dims, but has an incredibly weird dimming curve. I will put signs in each one saying they are not normal sockets, and one above them.

[Steven]

And I googled dimming recepticles, and it says it is illegal to dim a normal recepticle because if somebody plugged in a different device (That is non-dimmable) it could cause a fire. I suppose somebody may plug in a car charger or some garden equipment to the sockets in the future, so does this mean it is illegal? I would probably plug them into normal sockets when the LOR controllers are not there.

 

Here's an example of a dimming outlet from SmartHome. Of interest is the "dimmer key", which is a thin plastic piece with a magnet that you slide over your lamp plug. If you accidentally plug something that doesn't have the dimmer key, the outlet assumes it is not an incandescent lamp, and won't turn the socket on.

[EmmienLightFan]

That is a good idea. Unfortunately would be impossible to do.