Jump to content
Light-O-Rama Forums

Reducing Power Supply voltage


NTJP

Recommended Posts

Working on a 24 string 48 node matrix.  Using a pixie16 and Pixie 8.  Power supply question...  Using 12 volt strings.  I can set up the software to be at 50% which will use half the amps/watts.  So can I set the software at 100% and turn the voltage down to 6 volts and have the same result.  This may be a dumb question......  trying to figure out what power supplies to buy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, NTJP said:

Working on a 24 string 48 node matrix.  Using a pixie16 and Pixie 8.  Power supply question...  Using 12 volt strings.  I can set up the software to be at 50% which will use half the amps/watts.  So can I set the software at 100% and turn the voltage down to 6 volts and have the same result.  This may be a dumb question......  trying to figure out what power supplies to buy.

NO! Don't do it. The controller need 9-12V to run

You reduce the AVERAGE power by setting to 50%.   The AMPs are still there, just for short bursts.

Matter of fact, I set my voltage UP to 12.7VDC ( safe, even with no load) to compensate for voltage drop in the strings.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 hours ago, NTJP said:

Working on a 24 string 48 node matrix.  Using a pixie16 and Pixie 8.  Power supply question...  Using 12 volt strings.  I can set up the software to be at 50% which will use half the amps/watts.  So can I set the software at 100% and turn the voltage down to 6 volts and have the same result.  This may be a dumb question......  trying to figure out what power supplies to buy.

For a matrix you can get by with 2 - 350W PSU's. 

Let me find my build thread or my picture and link it.

I have the dual pixies dual psu's on my first matrix. The problem you may face is finding an enclosure large enough to fit everything. I found mine on ebay and it has a lot of room. 

JR

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, dibblejr said:

For a matrix you can get by with 2 - 350W PSU's. 

Let me find my build thread or my picture and link it.

I have the dual pixies dual psu's on my first matrix. The problem you may face is finding an enclosure large enough to fit everything. I found mine on ebay and it has a lot of room. 

JR

I use dual HC 400W (33A) External hanging off the back of a CG-1500, powering 2 @ CMB24 (similar size).  The extra power leaves 26.4A at 100% duty cycle 😮

My CG-1500 are closet pole mounted, so 1 PSU goes on either side (cord UP). I use 1" angles for the Top PSU mount. Angle rests-bolts  on top of CG-1500

Leaving tons of cool room inside. (you could even mount a standard 350W on the door if 1 bank needed more power) IIRC HC sells door mount plates for the 1500)

FWIW some of these are on their 2nd rainy season without issue

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 minutes ago, TheDucks said:

I use dual HC 400W (33A) External hanging off the back of a CG-1500, powering 2 @ CMB24 (similar size).  The extra power leaves 26.4A at 100% duty cycle 😮

My CG-1500 are closet pole mounted, so 1 PSU goes on either side (cord UP). I use 1" angles for the Top PSU mount. Angle rests-bolts  on top of CG-1500

Leaving tons of cool room inside. (you could even mount a standard 350W on the door if 1 bank needed more power) IIRC HC sells door mount plates for the 1500)

FWIW some of these are on their 2nd rainy season without issue

 

Yes you can do it with external wp psu’s However

I prefer not to have anything external to my controllers with the exception of the cables.

My second dual pixie Controller uses 1 750w psu. It’s a huge psu.

The one mentioned above with 2-350’s hasn’t had any problems controlling the matrix and like you we have had horrible rain for the past 2 years esp 2018. Record breaking.

JR

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, dibblejr said:

Yes you can do it with external wp psu’s However

I prefer not to have anything external to my controllers with the exception of the cables.

My second dual pixie Controller uses 1 750w psu. It’s a huge psu.

The one mentioned above with 2-350’s hasn’t had any problems controlling the matrix and like you we have had horrible rain for the past 2 years esp 2018. Record breaking.

JR

I worry more about heat. We had very few evenings in the low 30's,some barely got out of the 50's. My area only got slightly above normal rain, unlike the poor folk in the north bay area.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

51 minutes ago, TheDucks said:

I worry more about heat. We had very few evenings in the low 30's,some barely got out of the 50's. My area only got slightly above normal rain, unlike the poor folk in the north bay area.

Never a problem about heat esp with the pixel controllers. We are also in a pretty warm climate esp with the Halloween setup.

K6CCC and Mr. P and several of us had this discussion a couple years ago. I think Jim has the temps from his attic. I have 4 in my attic as well. I do have two vents in the largest enclosure but no fan. Someone had told me "I needed to get a fan" or they would fail. At that time Jim explained his thoughts of the heat on a non AC controller. I was also told to sit in a closet with a heater in it and see if I over heat. There is a big difference between an electrical component and a human being. Unless the military reprogrammed me or place my skin over a robotic shell, but I still bleed. LOL

I think Jim is in your area. For some reason I was thinking you was in FL until just looking at your info.

JR

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For 2018, my pixel tree had a 12 x 12 x 6 PVC electrical box with four 350 watt power supplies (3 x 12V and 1 x 5V).  I had a temperature monitor probe in the box and heat was a problem - not from the power supplies, but rather from the sun.  I had painted the box flat black so it would not show as much at night, but in the sun, it got quite warm.  Had to add some ventilation for the box.  The power supply is the square box on the right side of eh tree about 2/3 of the way up.

Front_of_House_2018-12-03.jpg

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

I am using the box that came with the Pixie16 below.  Also using the 500 watt power supply that came with it.  Remounted it with a 350 watt power supply that is powering the Pixie 8. It is vented in the back and thinking of putting a fan in the front door.  This will be for a Fireworks display so temps could be in mid to upper 90's.  It will only need to run for a few hours, one time during the show.  Also had room to mount a Gen3 mini Director at the bottom of the box.  Plan is to have everything self-contained for the show with a timer to start the mini Director.  Have the dip switch set on the Pixie 16 to start at 1 and the Pixie 8 to start at 17.  Have not been able to test this yet.  Finishing up on wiring 

 image.thumb.png.b547d03964a0ebf517db26a9eb5262cb.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, NTJP said:

I am using the box that came with the Pixie16 below.  Also using the 500 watt power supply that came with it.  Remounted it with a 350 watt power supply that is powering the Pixie 8. It is vented in the back and thinking of putting a fan in the front door.  This will be for a Fireworks display so temps could be in mid to upper 90's.  It will only need to run for a few hours, one time during the show.  Also had room to mount a Gen3 mini Director at the bottom of the box.  Plan is to have everything self-contained for the show with a timer to start the mini Director.  Have the dip switch set on the Pixie 16 to start at 1 and the Pixie 8 to start at 17.  Have not been able to test this yet.  Finishing up on wiring 

 image.thumb.png.b547d03964a0ebf517db26a9eb5262cb.png

Why make it more complicated than needed? Here is a good read for you as far as setting up the pixie series controllers. Your pixie 16 can be set to unit 1 and your pixie 8 to unit 11. That would make your next available unit ID 19. The pixie series do not use the standard numerical system while assigning unit ID's.

Also,my pixie controllers have seen +100 temps and run many hours a day without a fan. My pixie16 and 8 combo does have vents but none of my other pixies have any vents. Have not had a failure.

Also I recommend using the control panel to set the unit ID's. The main reason, if you ever need to change them you do not need to open the enclosure. Its all explained in my writeup or video attached to the writeup.

JR

 

 

Edited by dibblejr
Link to comment
Share on other sites

dibblejr   Thank you for posting the instructions. I had forgotten about them.  They will be a great help....   

     You were a great help to me last year when I had hit a road block and assisted me with the Pixcon16.  You were a life saver.  Now using the Pixie16 and 8 I had bought last year before the Pixcon16 to build this Matrix display for the Fire Department.  AGAIN cannot say enough good about how you helped.....   

Do you think I should put a vent in the front door to help the air flow through?   It would give air circulation to the controller.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, NTJP said:

dibblejr   Thank you for posting the instructions. I had forgotten about them.  They will be a great help....   

     You were a great help to me last year when I had hit a road block and assisted me with the Pixcon16.  You were a life saver.  Now using the Pixie16 and 8 I had bought last year before the Pixcon16 to build this Matrix display for the Fire Department.  AGAIN cannot say enough good about how you helped.....   

Do you think I should put a vent in the front door to help the air flow through?   It would give air circulation to the controller.

I have a very large enclosure for both of my dual pixie setups. Both of them have two vents in the back. The enclosure is light grey and even in the 100+ def temps I never had any heat problems.

no heat problems from my single controller enclosure that do not have any vents.

It’s up to you. If you don’t already have vents I can Provide you with info tomorrow.

Mr. P was kind enough to help me figure out that Pixcon.

Thanks for the kind words and you are welcome, any time.

JR

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • The topic was locked
Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
×
×
  • Create New...