DC Controller

[rmkrause]

I just read mention of a DC controller. Would someone explain the advantage of such an animal. Thanks
Dick

[Geoff Harvey]

I'm from Australia and find the DC controllers perfect for controlling our LED strings.

Some background - In Australia, almost all Christmas lights (or outdoor lights) are run at low voltage, usually 24V. Thus our minis have 240-24V AC transformers and our LEDs also have transformers or DC powerpacks. The majority of LEDs sold have AC transformers and an 8 mode flashing/chasing controller. The controller includes a full wave rectifier to provide the LEDs with DC. To get these to work with LOR, it is necessary to disable the controller functions and then plug the transformer into the 240V LOR output. While this works in most cases, It is a real pain to have to keep using all the transformers & controllers. The LOR DC board allows me to discard the transformers and controllers and just connect the LED strings directly to the LOR board.

In the US, I understand most of the retail lighting is 110V, but if you were to use the 12V MR16 LED floods or spots, then the DC board would be ideal for controlling these lights. I am sure there are also other applications that I have not considered, but for our LED lights they are ideal.

Regards Geoff

[rmkrause]

Thank you ever so much for the information.



Dick

[Charles Belcher]

Geoff Harvey wrote:

I'm from Australia and find the DC controllers perfect for controlling our LED strings.

Some background - In Australia, almost all Christmas lights (or outdoor lights) are run at low voltage, usually 24V. Thus our minis have 240-24V AC transformers and our LEDs also have transformers or DC powerpacks. The majority of LEDs sold have AC transformers and an 8 mode flashing/chasing controller. The controller includes a full wave rectifier to provide the LEDs with DC. To get these to work with LOR, it is necessary to disable the controller functions and then plug the transformer into the 240V LOR output. While this works in most cases, It is a real pain to have to keep using all the transformers & controllers. The LOR DC board allows me to discard the transformers and controllers and just connect the LED strings directly to the LOR board.

In the US, I understand most of the retail lighting is 110V, but if you were to use the 12V MR16 LED floods or spots, then the DC board would be ideal for controlling these lights. I am sure there are also other applications that I have not considered, but for our LED lights they are ideal.

Regards Geoff

Geoff,

I live in Texas, USA. I want to rig up my boat this summer with an LOR DC card and 12-24v lights. Do the Christmas lights sold in Australia plug into the transformers or are the transformers built in? This would be perfect if I could buy just the strands and not the transformers.

Charles

[Geoff Harvey]

Hi Charles

Yes, the lights do plug into the transformers, but I have yet to find a supplier who sells just the lights without the transformers. As a result, I have a couple of boxes full of surplus transformers and plug packs.

Also, the manufacturers rarely make things as simple as just being able to plug the lights into a simple DC supply. There are some where this does work - these units have no controller and have a smoothed DC power pack - usually 24V. These work well at the voltage specified on the power pack.

However, the majority of LED strings in Oz are sold with an AC transformer and a flashing/chasing controller on the string of lights. These controllers invariably include a full wave rectifier, but no voltage smoothing. The LED lights then are lit only at the voltage peaks and the DC voltage required to drive these strings is often very different to the rated transformer output voltage. To use these with the LOR DC boards, I cut off the controllers and test the strings to determine what voltage is required to light the string and whether current limiting resistors are already included or need to be added to run from my 24 or 36V supply.

I see from the web that some of the Chinese manufacturers are selling 24V LED strings, but I have not tried importing any, so cannot comment on how well they work.

Regards Geoff

[thebaronn]

rmkrause wrote:

I just read mention of a DC controller. Would someone explain the advantage of such an animal. Thanks
Dick

OH! DC cards are the bomb!!! Hook it up to a battery an ELL and you have a wireless display!

Check it out:

If you cannot wait, scroll to the 3 minute mark that is when it really gets good!

Let me know what you think!

[Charles Belcher]

thebaronn wrote:

rmkrause wrote:

I just read mention of a DC controller. Would someone explain the advantage of such an animal. Thanks
Dick

OH! DC cards are the bomb!!! Hook it up to a battery an ELL and you have a wireless display!

Check it out:

If you cannot wait, scroll to the 3 minute mark that is when it really gets good!

Let me know what you think!

That will keep thse pesky kids from coming to your door!

Great job. Now tell me how you did it. Were you wearing the ELL and battery pack? Did you sew lights into the fabric? And what about that mask?

Charles

[thebaronn]

Yes! I used 2 6V lantern batteries to run the board and ELL. I used 1 6V lantern battery to run the 400 LED lights (they were on 3 channels and they are 4.5V LEDs, but they werent bright enough so I ended up over volting them, I hear they will burn out faster, but its not like I run around wearing that thing every day)

First I purchases a Grim Reaper costume from http://www.grimreapers.com/ps-4313-24-grim-reaper-deluxe-adult-halloween-costume-and-mask-56in-long-cloak.aspx I also puchased gloves http://www.grimreapers.com/ps-5993-33-skeleton-full-action-gloves-halloween-costume-accessory-dg1005.aspx

It was such a bada$$ cloak that I didnt want to destroy it so I purchased a cheap one from the Spirit Halloween Superstore. I cut slits in the cloak and pushed the LEDs through (so the wires were on the inside) and just used duct tape to hold them in place.

For the skull and gloves that was a little more work. At first I just crazy glued them on (but I didnt like the wire protruding) so I cut slits in the glove and threaded each light through and then glued it. You can see a picture of the clean and unclean version in this thread(also ask any other questions there, I didnt mean to hijack this thread, sorry): http://lightorama.mywowbb.com/forum83/17292.html

Another one: http://lightorama.mywowbb.com/forum83/17411.html

But back to the DC controller. With the ELL the applications are endless. If your car is the the way of your light show at night when you park in the drive way, make it part of the show with a DC board and an ELL and some LEDs!!!

[Steven]

thebaronn wrote:

If your car is the the way of your light show at night when you park in the drive way, make it part of the show with a DC board and an ELL and some LEDs!!!

As someone else mentioned on these forums, set your DC board as unit #1, hook it up to an ELL and 12v LED strings on your car. Then drive around to other LOR displays in your area. If they are using an ELL, they probably have lights on unit #1, so your car can be part of their display!

[Charles Belcher]

Steven wrote:

thebaronn wrote:

If your car is the the way of your light show at night when you park in the drive way, make it part of the show with a DC board and an ELL and some LEDs!!!

As someone else mentioned on these forums, set your DC board as unit #1, hook it up to an ELL and 12v LED strings on your car. Then drive around to other LOR displays in your area. If they are using an ELL, they probably have lights on unit #1, so your car can be part of their display!

Steven,

I had forgotten about that. I will absolutely do that next year. How fun would that be?

Or better yet, get a live costume like thebarrons; drive to another display then get out and stand in the middle of their yard.

Or wait, what about hacking your car horn and connecting it to the DC board. Unit #1 channel #1. That would be entertaining.

This is too good.

Has anyone actually done the drive-by thing?

Charles

[Dennis Cherry]

thebaronn wrote:

Yes! I used 2 6V lantern batteries to run the board and ELL. I used 1 6V lantern battery to run the 400 LED lights (they were on 3 channels and they are 4.5V LEDs, but they werent bright enough so I ended up over volting them, I hear they will burn out faster, but its not like I run around wearing that thing every day)

First I purchases a Grim Reaper costume from http://www.grimreapers.com/ps-4313-24-grim-reaper-deluxe-adult-halloween-costume-and-mask-56in-long-cloak.aspx I also puchased gloves http://www.grimreapers.com/ps-5993-33-skeleton-full-action-gloves-halloween-costume-accessory-dg1005.aspx

It was such a bada$$ cloak that I didnt want to destroy it so I purchased a cheap one from the Spirit Halloween Superstore. I cut slits in the cloak and pushed the LEDs through (so the wires were on the inside) and just used duct tape to hold them in place.

For the skull and gloves that was a little more work. At first I just crazy glued them on (but I didnt like the wire protruding) so I cut slits in the glove and threaded each light through and then glued it. You can see a picture of the clean and unclean version in this thread(also ask any other questions there, I didnt mean to hijack this thread, sorry): http://lightorama.mywowbb.com/forum83/17292.html

Another one: http://lightorama.mywowbb.com/forum83/17411.html

But back to the DC controller. With the ELL the applications are endless. If your car is the the way of your light show at night when you park in the drive way, make it part of the show with a DC board and an ELL and some LEDs!!!

Here is 12 volt LED light strings.

http://www.imaginarycolours.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=12vStrings

[thebaronn]

Dennis Cherry wrote:

thebaronn wrote:

Yes! I used 2 6V lantern batteries to run the board and ELL. I used 1 6V lantern battery to run the 400 LED lights (they were on 3 channels and they are 4.5V LEDs, but they werent bright enough so I ended up over volting them, I hear they will burn out faster, but its not like I run around wearing that thing every day)

First I purchases a Grim Reaper costume from http://www.grimreapers.com/ps-4313-24-grim-reaper-deluxe-adult-halloween-costume-and-mask-56in-long-cloak.aspx I also puchased gloves http://www.grimreapers.com/ps-5993-33-skeleton-full-action-gloves-halloween-costume-accessory-dg1005.aspx

It was such a bada$$ cloak that I didnt want to destroy it so I purchased a cheap one from the Spirit Halloween Superstore. I cut slits in the cloak and pushed the LEDs through (so the wires were on the inside) and just used duct tape to hold them in place.

For the skull and gloves that was a little more work. At first I just crazy glued them on (but I didnt like the wire protruding) so I cut slits in the glove and threaded each light through and then glued it. You can see a picture of the clean and unclean version in this thread(also ask any other questions there, I didnt mean to hijack this thread, sorry): http://lightorama.mywowbb.com/forum83/17292.html

Another one: http://lightorama.mywowbb.com/forum83/17411.html

But back to the DC controller. With the ELL the applications are endless. If your car is the the way of your light show at night when you park in the drive way, make it part of the show with a DC board and an ELL and some LEDs!!!

Here is 12 volt LED light strings.

http://www.imaginarycolours.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=12vStrings

WOW!! Thanks! I bookmarked the page! Still no purple battery operated LEDs.

Still searching..........