Guest guest Posted July 18, 2006 Share Posted July 18, 2006 Well, this will be my first year with LOR and I am still trying to figure out which to buy. Hopefully some of you can give me good feedback that will help me to decide. I plan on getting 32 channels, however I don't know if I should get the 32 channel package that is 100% put together for $679 or if I should go with the hobby kits.Money is a big concern for me, so I would prefer to save money, but I need to know if it is worth it to me.I can either go for the CTB-16D controlled Triac board with heatsink for 199.95 or the 16 channel kit - delux (high power heatsinks) for 159.95.On a scale of 1 too 10, I would say I am a 6 or 7 when it comes to soldering. I know electrical componets quite well from teaching and EKI circuit class to elementary school kids in a speical sat. program.I am leaning toward getting the kits since that should save me the most money.If anyone has gotten the kit before, I have some questions.About how long did it take to solder all the pieces together?Would you recommend this for me?What guage wire did you use for the 16 channels?What guage wire did you use for the Power cords?What type of enclosure did you use?How much did the enclosure, wire, plugs cost?Is the savings achieved by buying an enclosure, wiring the channels and power, and soldering the componets onto the board worth while, making buying the kit a good way to save?Any other recommendations would be greatly appriciated.Also, how do any of you feel about the CTB-16D controlled Triac board with heatsink for 199.95, is it better to pay 40 more to have all the soldering done and only have to worry about the wiring and enclosure? And then does the cost of the enclosure and wiring almost make buying the fully completed units more sensible?I am just wondering how much I can actually expect to save by going with the kit or the CTB-16D, as opposed to buying the fully completed LOR's.Hope to get a lot of feedback that will help me to make a decision. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 18, 2006 Share Posted July 18, 2006 I bought five of the kits and am working on my fourth one now. The first kit takes the longest to assemble, after that, they go much faster. I can't give you a definite time, as I didn't work on it continuously. Others have posted the time it took them to assemble the kits here on the forum. I had not assembled a kit in about 30 years, but these are not at all difficult. You can download the assembly manual at the LOR site to see what is involved. I am building my own boxes out of T-111 siding for each controller. They will be mounted on poles/stakes about 12 inches above grade. I did not attach pigtails to the boards, but used regular 110/120 household outlets for each channel. These are hardwired to the board and secured to the inside of the box. (Get the contractor pack at Home Depot, 10 outlets for $3.00). On some controllers, I used 14 gauge wire to the outlets; others, I have used 12 gauge. I did this mainly because my son-in-law is an electrician and I used some scraps that he had left from some of his jobs. As for power cords, I would say use the same gauge as the wire for the outputs. My boxes are approximately 13x20x6 with the bottom open to permit the extension cords to pass out of the box. The extension cords will plug directly into the hardwired outlets that I mentioned above. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 19, 2006 Share Posted July 19, 2006 If you decide to buy the kits, go to this thread and hear from people their opinions and mistakes from building the kits. There is some really useful commentshttp://planetchristmas.mywowbb.com/forum25/5887.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 19, 2006 Share Posted July 19, 2006 I tried to build a kit, but realize my eyes were too wobbly to see up close anymore. So, I bought the preassembled boards and was able to mount them in some enclosures and wire the power cords.Of all the things I have lost growing old, my mind is the thing I miss the most. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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