jfuller8400 Posted November 14, 2019 Share Posted November 14, 2019 Hi All, I have a lot of dumb RGB elements in my display and always struggled when I needed to test/troubleshoot them. I would usually need to haul out my show computer, controller, and associated cables, which got to be a lot of stuff just to troubleshoot one device. So in the midst of juggling all of that equipment one time, I finally had that light-bulb moment of why don't I just build a hand held tester. So that's what I did and made the following video of the assembly process: Hand Held RGB Tester Assembly This year was the first time I really got to use it and it's been a real lifesaver. If you have dumb RGB elements I highly recommend creating something like this. Joel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilMassey Posted November 14, 2019 Share Posted November 14, 2019 Iv'e always used a 9 volt battery, and aligator clip leads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orville Posted November 15, 2019 Share Posted November 15, 2019 Nice tester. How well or does that work with smart RGB pixel or smart RGB bulb strands? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichRX7 Posted November 15, 2019 Share Posted November 15, 2019 Great video and nice job on the Tester @jfuller8400 now if you had built it back in September I might have had time to do my own, lol... So @PhilMassey are you telling me I can simply take a 9-volt battery, hook the negative wire to the black and the positive to r/g/b to light one of them up and make sure I didn't break anything? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichRX7 Posted November 15, 2019 Share Posted November 15, 2019 Oops, you posted it in June to youtube. I guess I should search better... 😂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilMassey Posted November 15, 2019 Share Posted November 15, 2019 (edited) 48 minutes ago, MichRX7 said: So @PhilMassey are you telling me I can simply take a 9-volt battery, hook the negative wire to the black and the positive to r/g/b to light one of them up and make sure I didn't break anything? Yep. except that the positive should go to the black, assuming positive anode. Edited November 15, 2019 by PhilMassey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichRX7 Posted November 15, 2019 Share Posted November 15, 2019 Ugh, that means I've got letter trouble. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilMassey Posted November 15, 2019 Share Posted November 15, 2019 (edited) Hope your lights are not common negative. Edited November 15, 2019 by PhilMassey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichRX7 Posted November 15, 2019 Share Posted November 15, 2019 On my spelling of Christmas each of the letters are wired individually. I can get some to light up, but not others. Of course the plug ends seem cheap and some might be bad so I need to strip the wire back a little to test. The worst is the letter I was most worried about lights. Letters I felt good about I'm struggling with, but it is too hard to hold two wires to a battery and get them to touch the led wires. I'm scouring the house now to see if I have some old toy that has that 9-volt clip and wiring on it. I was going to make everyone unsafe and rip apart one of the smoke detectors, but the battery snaps into those so it doesn't have the clip-on end. I tried to see if they sold that at home depot, but I get a million responses searching 9-volt and I don't know if it has a real name. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichRX7 Posted November 15, 2019 Share Posted November 15, 2019 My wife has some led string lights that use 3 AA batteries. I wonder if I can chop the box for that and wires off and use that, because then I can heat shrink it back on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilMassey Posted November 15, 2019 Share Posted November 15, 2019 Don't see why not. I have soldered leads to the nine volt battery terminals on occasion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichRX7 Posted November 15, 2019 Share Posted November 15, 2019 (edited) And now to search through a million posts to find that one where it tells me which soldering iron/solder I need to order from Amazon. I have plenty of strips left over to fix any that I may have (did) screw up. Just no way to solder wire to them, lol... Edited November 15, 2019 by MichRX7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichRX7 Posted November 15, 2019 Share Posted November 15, 2019 I may have hurt the wire ends when I was pulling them through the vinyl tubing (crosses fingers) Then I won't have to restring, just cut back a bit of the tubing and fix the wires. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDucks Posted November 15, 2019 Share Posted November 15, 2019 Since All my Dumb strings (except LOR 10W floods) , I just use an old UPS battery (no capacity) and the matching HC pigtail (all leads have 1/4 Fastons) with the Black (+), attached to the battery. I just touch the R,G or B to the - , but I can push the Faston onto the terminal if I have to fuss with the lights. I added foam, camper seal tape to the battery bottom, when it wanted to slide on the roof Change the pigtail to LOR, and I can focus my floods individually Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilMassey Posted November 15, 2019 Share Posted November 15, 2019 Personally, two years with strips was enough for me, between the soldering and the fragility, I gave up on them and went to nodes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichRX7 Posted November 15, 2019 Share Posted November 15, 2019 Yeah, I see that now. Too late and out of budget to back out this year. Either I abandon the Merry Christmas letters or get it fixed in the next two weeks. I'm hoping I can do the letters without breaks because it looks really good with my sequencing in the visualizer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichRX7 Posted November 15, 2019 Share Posted November 15, 2019 Dear @jfuller8400, I apologize for freaking out and hijacking your thread. Now I for sure want to watch your video and make the tester box. Thanks for the assist all, my neighbor who does hvac concocted a simple 9v tester for me and I am ecstatic to say all my letters actually do work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orville Posted November 15, 2019 Share Posted November 15, 2019 (edited) 3 hours ago, MichRX7 said: On my spelling of Christmas each of the letters are wired individually. I can get some to light up, but not others. Of course the plug ends seem cheap and some might be bad so I need to strip the wire back a little to test. The worst is the letter I was most worried about lights. Letters I felt good about I'm struggling with, but it is too hard to hold two wires to a battery and get them to touch the led wires. I'm scouring the house now to see if I have some old toy that has that 9-volt clip and wiring on it. I was going to make everyone unsafe and rip apart one of the smoke detectors, but the battery snaps into those so it doesn't have the clip-on end. I tried to see if they sold that at home depot, but I get a million responses searching 9-volt and I don't know if it has a real name. Yes, they are called: Fully Insulated 9V Battery Snap Connectors (5-Pack) Description: 9V snap connectors for replacements one or projects with a PVC flexible housing. Has color-coded wire leads and also attaches to our battery holders that have snap connectors. Package of five. Flexible housing allows fitting in small enclosures. Wire leads in between positive & negative snap connector terminals. Radio Shack site lists them at this link: 9V battery Connectors Wow, $5.00 now for a 5 pack, I used to get these same 9V connectors for $0.99¢ Unfortunately, Radio Shack says they are currently Out Of Stock On-Line. But now you know what to look for and what they're called when you do a search to see if you can find them. Good Luck. EDIT: Found them on Amazon at this link: 9V Battery Clip l Type This is 2 for $3.99 and FREE SHIPPING from Amazon. Edited November 15, 2019 by Orville Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfuller8400 Posted November 15, 2019 Author Share Posted November 15, 2019 19 hours ago, Orville said: Nice tester. How well or does that work with smart RGB pixel or smart RGB bulb strands? Its for dumb RGB only - not smart pixels or bulbs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfuller8400 Posted November 15, 2019 Author Share Posted November 15, 2019 5 hours ago, MichRX7 said: Dear @jfuller8400, I apologize for freaking out and hijacking your thread. Now I for sure want to watch your video and make the tester box. Thanks for the assist all, my neighbor who does hvac concocted a simple 9v tester for me and I am ecstatic to say all my letters actually do work. No problem. 😀 Your new props look pretty cool! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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