Brand new. Can LOR control my 24/7 LED strings?

[bluffwood]

haven't even opened the box yet. waiting for my late ordered special vampire plugs and sockets, but I have most of the practical theory down. But here's an important question:

My general icicle lights go from sunset to past midnight. They're LED so not a big load, but I'd like them controlled by LOR as well, so they are turned on at dusk by LOR. dimmed at the beginning of a show, and even on a channel of the show, then faded back up at the end of the show, and left on for the duration of the 8 hours, then turned off.  This means LOR runs around the clock.  Is this all right?  I'm afraid this might burn out or otherwise harm LOR.

[PhilMassey]

If the icicle lights have a controller box attached or a wall wort, you should ONLY send them ON/OFF commands. Sending them fading or effects may burn THEM out, or cause a fire.

If you want them on or off during specific songs, you will have to put them on there own channel in all the sequences and program accordingly. Remember ON or OFF.

[bluffwood]

thanks.  Is that because of the load, ie. the sheer number of them?

Sound like I have to be really careful of fades and effects in general

[PhilMassey]

Well, you always have to know what loads you are putting on each of your controller channels, but the wall wort strings and strings with some sort of mini controller may be damaged by varying the voltage or rapid fading or shimmering.

Normal AC LED or incan strings, with just a plug on the end are fine, with a few rare exceptions.

Martha Stewart brand lights for example are reported to have caught fire when dimmed.

[Orville]

31 minutes ago, bluffwood said:

thanks.  Is that because of the load, ie. the sheer number of them?

Sound like I have to be really careful of fades and effects in general

No, it's because most lights like that have a wall wart that delivers the proper voltage and power to make them work.  I have SnowFall Lights and I use them on my CTB16PC, they are NEVER DIMMED, NEVER FADED, they can only be used with FULL ON and OFF commands, anything else and they won't work, or as one other posted, cause them to fail or even catch fire.   Neither of you want to do or have happen.

The CTB16PC controllers CAN, but MAY NOT ALWAYS control any strand light that runs off a wall wart, but it CAN and WILL run a strand of lights that have their own built in controller as long as that their built in controller has a MEMORY or ANALOG KNOB to select and keep the same function when turned off, then turned back on later.  If not, they CAN NOT be used!

Like said I have SnowFall lights I use, they run off a Wal-Wart, they require ONE CHANNEL and that channel is spedifically FULL ON or COMPLETELY OFF.  This sequence channel IS NOT included in my Musical Sequences tab, it is created as an Animation {.las} sequence and run as a background sequence when I create my shows.   It sounds complicated, but it's actually quite simple to do.   As my SnowFall lights stay on at all times during my show, and then on all night until I set the time for that show to end{usually around 7:00AM} after my main show is done from earlier that night, depending on day of week, main musical show ends Sun-Thur by 10PM and Fri/Sat at 11PM, then my overnight show starts from those times until 7:00AM. Then my Off Hours music for daytime runs {1 channel blank/empty sequences} from 7:00AM-5:25PM, then everything starts all over again.

I have several items in my display I control with my CTB16PC Controllers that are strictly FULL ON/COMPLETELY OFF lights.  Been using them for many years with no problems at all.

 

[bluffwood]

got it. Strings of led lights are not "dimmable" just like some household bulbs are not dimmable.  Thank you.  Great info from everyone. thank you.

[TheDucks]

1 hour ago, bluffwood said:

thanks.  Is that because of the load, ie. the sheer number of them?

Sound like I have to be really careful of fades and effects in general

The electronics in 'active/smart strings' expects standard wall power. Use the Dimming curve setting  for the controller (advanced setting) and set those ports to On/Off (only).

LOR is software. The controllers are normally powered on 24/7 unless YOU added a time clock.

Your SHOW SCHEDULE determines what is ON or off

[TheDucks]

2 minutes ago, bluffwood said:

got it. Strings of led lights are not "dimmable" just like some household bulbs are not dimmable.  Thank you.  Great info from everyone. thank you.

Plug only (the ones with just fuses)  ones usually are dimmable. Just not Martha Stewart brand

[PhilMassey]

3 minutes ago, bluffwood said:

got it. Strings of led lights are not "dimmable" just like some household bulbs are not dimmable.  Thank you.  Great info from everyone. thank you.

SOME, strings don't dim well 

[k6ccc]

As for running LOR 24x7, no problem.  I have been running LOR essentially continuously since 2012.  I have a landscape lighting "show" that runs every night of the year except when my Christmas show is running.  In my case, I have an evening show and an overnight show.  The evening show does a bunch of slow color fades and chases on my landscape lighting, and the overnight show is just a few lights static.  Even my front porch light and a security light next to our parked cars are LOR controlled.

As for the dimability of those lights, all the above comments are good.  If those lights simply plug into a wall outlet, you can always take one string of them and try it with a LOR controller to see if they dim OK.  You will not damage the LOR controller, and with the noted exception of the Martha Stewart brand catching fire, you are not going damage the lights either with a dimming test.  That way you can see how they look.  Some don't dim very well, and some do just fine.