Capt Ike Posted November 30, 2018 Share Posted November 30, 2018 I have a strange issue that I'm hoping someone with more smarts than me can help me with. I have three snowflakes, each with two colors ( red and green) on them. Between all three snowflakes, I am using six channels (3 snowflakes X 2 colors each). So Snowflake 1 - Red is on channel 1, Snowflake 1 - Green is on 2, Snowflake 2 - Red is on 3, etc. I am using these lights: https://www.environmentalled.com/5mm-LED-Christmas-Lights-70L-Green-WHITE-WIRE-p1952.html Each strand of lights is connected with a 75ft 16/3 extension cord back to the controller. The problem is I cannot (for the life of me) get the green lights to dim. The red ones work flawlessly. I initially thought that there was something wrong with the lights themselves, but when I plug them in directly to the controller (sans extension cord) they dim just as they should. When they're on the wall (with the extension cord) they behave like an LED light with no rectified circuit (strobing, flashing and then just turning off completely). I've tried switching circuits with the red ones, changing controllers, switching the plug around on the lights themselves (thinking the polarity was an issue), but nothing seems to work. As a test, I ran a 40 foot extension cord from the green lights back to the controller and that works great, but as soon as I plug in my 75ft cord, no luck. I've even plugged the green light extension cord into the red lights, and they work just fine....so it's not the cord. I am using the LOR1602 controllers with the blue board. Anyone have any ideas? This is the last hurdle I'm trying to overcome so I can turn on my display this year. Any help will be appreciated!! Merry Christmas! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a31ford Posted December 1, 2018 Share Posted December 1, 2018 (edited) I am going to assume you need snubbers in the circuit, place them on each channel, a c7 incan bulb will work as a snubber, however most use a 6.4K ohm 1 Watt (important that it's one Watt) resistor in each circuit. to prove it to you... get a nightlight (that has an incandescent bulb, NOT and LED), and plug it into the female end of the green lights or use a 3-way tap, and join it into the green circuit... the bulb can be anywhere along that cord, controller, far end, somewhere in between, location is not important. It's called capacitive loading, the resistor or the bulb will stop it. Edited December 1, 2018 by a31ford Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt Ike Posted December 1, 2018 Author Share Posted December 1, 2018 Ooooo, ok...I'll try that out and report back. Thanks so much for the suggestion. As a side note, during my troubleshooting, I metered the power at the channel while it was at 100% and found it to be around 137 volts. I next metered the box at the wall (where the controller is plugged in) and found it to be 123 volts. Any idea whats going on or did I just find the solution to the worlds energy crisis?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDucks Posted December 1, 2018 Share Posted December 1, 2018 3 minutes ago, Capt Ike said: Ooooo, ok...I'll try that out and report back. Thanks so much for the suggestion. As a side note, during my troubleshooting, I metered the power at the channel while it was at 100% and found it to be around 137 volts. I next metered the box at the wall (where the controller is plugged in) and found it to be 123 volts. Any idea whats going on or did I just find the solution to the worlds energy crisis?? Your meter probably does not like odd waveforms. or you have a floating Neutral (Classic, part of the house is dim, the other Bright) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt Ike Posted December 1, 2018 Author Share Posted December 1, 2018 4 hours ago, a31ford said: I am going to assume you need snubbers in the circuit, place them on each channel, a c7 incan bulb will work as a snubber, however most use a 6.4K ohm 1 Watt (important that it's one Watt) resistor in each circuit. to prove it to you... get a nightlight (that has an incandescent bulb, NOT and LED), and plug it into the female end of the green lights or use a 3-way tap, and join it into the green circuit... the bulb can be anywhere along that cord, controller, far end, somewhere in between, location is not important. It's called capacitive loading, the resistor or the bulb will stop it. "You're a gd genius Gump!!" Seriously though, you saved the day!! Thank you so much...now I can get my show running. I wired in a C7 on each circuit and voila, instant success. I'll make up some resistors and put them inline later, but for now, I'm good to go. Thank you again, I'm so excited!! 😂 2 hours ago, TheDucks said: Your meter probably does not like odd waveforms. or you have a floating Neutral (Classic, part of the house is dim, the other Bright) Well that's disappointing...I was hoping these not only controlled lights, but generated their own power. Thanks for the info!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a31ford Posted December 2, 2018 Share Posted December 2, 2018 glad we could help ( ducks & I ) 👓 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt Ike Posted December 3, 2018 Author Share Posted December 3, 2018 Last thing regarding this....when making the resistor for the circuit (to replace the C7), am I correct that the resistor spans the hot and neutral of the plug? My thought was to take a plug from another strand of lights, snip the lights off and put the resistor between the two prongs of the plug. Then just plug the LED lights into the female end of the plug. Is that correct? Or does the resistor go inline on the hot leg? I'm guessing it would go across the the hot and neutral as that's exactly what the C7 is doing, but I'd like to make sure....for obvious reasons. :0 Thanks again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDucks Posted December 3, 2018 Share Posted December 3, 2018 57 minutes ago, Capt Ike said: Last thing regarding this....when making the resistor for the circuit (to replace the C7), am I correct that the resistor spans the hot and neutral of the plug? My thought was to take a plug from another strand of lights, snip the lights off and put the resistor between the two prongs of the plug. Then just plug the LED lights into the female end of the plug. Is that correct? Or does the resistor go inline on the hot leg? I'm guessing it would go across the the hot and neutral as that's exactly what the C7 is doing, but I'd like to make sure....for obvious reasons. :0 Thanks again! Accros Hot and Neutral. Just remember to well insulate, shock hazard as, EITHER lead can be hot as that plug is not polarized Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt Ike Posted December 3, 2018 Author Share Posted December 3, 2018 Gotcha!! Thanks again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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