24AWG wired Pixels from Ray Wu.

Yochui

New elf
Joined
Dec 28, 2019
Messages
13
Hello shinny happy people!
Has anyone purchased 24AWG wire Pixels from Ray Wu and would recommend them?

My budget is tight and shipping price to Mexico is above 30% of the Pixels.

If I purchase the promotion pixels I could get s few extra strings, and I know power injection would be an issue with 24awg, but I'd like to have more lights.
 

Yochui

New elf
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Dec 28, 2019
Messages
13
You sure they are 24AWG and not 20AWG?
24AWG is the same thickness as a wire inside of a Cat5e Ethernet cable.

Hello Mark.
Thank you for your answer.

Yes, the gauge is 24AWG. It is in the description of the item.

I know Mr. Wu is the gold standard but I was wondering if more people purchase the "promotion" more affordable strings ang get no issues.
 

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Yochui

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Dec 28, 2019
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check with sellers in the USA, might work out cheaper for you.

24awg is super thin, I wouldnt trust it.

Hello Katekate.
Thank you for your answer.

I've looked into RGBman, Amazon and Ebay, and they come off a more expensive, and I would still have to pay for a broker + taxes.

Do you have a reliable vendor I could look into?
 

LeighH

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Apr 22, 2018
Messages
29
I used these for my first build a few years ago, They are very small wires to work with and break easily, Although I got through the season ok they gave trouble the next year & ultimately had to be replaced.
Try to wait & purchase 18/ 20 Awg so what you make lasts.
 

Yochui

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Dec 28, 2019
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I used these for my first build a few years ago, They are very small wires to work with and break easily, Although I got through the season ok they gave trouble the next year & ultimately had to be replaced.
Try to wait & purchase 18/ 20 Awg so what you make lasts.

Leigh, thank you for your answer.
I think I'll better wait.

Do you have links to strings you'd recommend?
 

LeighH

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Apr 22, 2018
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Kockie_nl

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Nov 3, 2016
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Location
the Netherlands
I have these, they seem to be allright (just installed them in a ping-pong matrix panel). I found it necessary to use powerinjection every 50 pixels, otherwise they turn pinkish at the end at full brightness. No long-term experience yet. I agree with LeigH about the flimsy wires.
 

Yochui

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Dec 28, 2019
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I use 5 volt Pixels which can take a little more wiring ( Power injection ) then the 12 volt option.

Paul Zhang - Etop https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32949751135.html?spm=a2g0o.cart.0.0.4e823c00NOR2Wt&mp=1

Ray Wu https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32694632275.html?spm=a2g0o.cart.0.0.4e823c00NOR2Wt&mp=1

This year I purchased custom strings through Daniel Zhang via Facebook messenger, Very good communication & simple to relay pictures to each other.

Hi Leigh.
I will give these two options a look.

Thank you!!
 

djgra79

My name is Graham & I love flashing lights!
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Cranbourne West
I have used these thin wire PROMOTION! pixels and they are fine. yes they are thin so it means more power injection is mostly needed for your props, but so long as you can factor this in, they work just fine.
 

Yochui

New elf
Joined
Dec 28, 2019
Messages
13
I have these, they seem to be allright (just installed them in a ping-pong matrix panel). I found it necessary to use powerinjection every 50 pixels, otherwise they turn pinkish at the end at full brightness. No long-term experience yet. I agree with LeigH about the flimsy wires.

Kockie,
Thank you for your answer.

When you do power injection, what is the longest distance you go from the power supply to the injection point? And what wire gauge you use?
 

Yochui

New elf
Joined
Dec 28, 2019
Messages
13
I have used these thin wire PROMOTION! pixels and they are fine. yes they are thin so it means more power injection is mostly needed for your props, but so long as you can factor this in, they work just fine.

Thank you Graham!
Besides Leigh's recommendations I found another store on AliExpress that sells 20awg 5V Pixels, 3" between leds.
They have great customer reviews and 11-21 days UPS FREE shipping and I might try'em.
 

TerryK

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Joined
Feb 9, 2020
Messages
655
Location
West Central Ohio
It would depend upon the hardware you choose to use in your display. Power injection cable length will depend upon the number of pixels in a prop (or the number of pixels that are being driven by a particular cable if multiple injection cables are implemented), type of pixels (regulated or resistor), how hard the pixels are driven, and cable type (ohms per unit length, foot, meter, or whatever). I may have forgotten one of two but that's most of them I think.
Number of pixels and their drive level will determine the prop's amperage requirements. The type of pixel will determine allowable voltage drop although drive level plays into this as well. From voltage drop and amperage requirements the maximum length of a power injection cable can be determined based on a cable's resistance per foot rating.

An example may help. I'll fudge a few numbers as I do not have everything at hand presently. I have a Coro GE icicle, 3 actually but I'll use only 1 here. 150 pixels and I plan on using 5 volt WS2811s. Most individuals use .06A per pixel at 100% white for those but from testing I find them closer to .05A (I'll use .05A). From testing I also know that I cannot see anything above 90% which is still exceedingly bright so I'll limit drive for the prop at 80%. Amp requirement is then 150 * .05 * .8 = 6A.

Voltage drop is a bit more difficult to know but again from testing 5 volt WS2811s seem to start dropping in the 3.8 volt range (I'll use 4 volt). At this point the power injection cable needs to supply 6 amp with a voltage drop of no more than 1 (5 minus 4) volt. Ohms law can be used to determine the cable's maximum resistance (R = E / I) so 1 / 6 = 0.16667 ohm.
There is a 'got-cha' here that I feel a number of individuals overlook. Wire charts are not giving the ohms per foot of a cable but rather a single conductor within the cable. Voltage drop within the cable for the supply's negative run to the prop needs to be considered with the supply's positive run to the prop. Thus the 0.16667 above is negative and positive combined and needs to be halved. 0.08333 ohm is the value that needs used in the following.

I plan on using 14/2 which according to standardized charts has a resistance of 0.002525 ohm per foot. Maximum power injection cable distance is then the 0.08333 / .002525 = 32.6 feet. This would be for a single power injection cable. If I would run a 2nd cable and inject at the end then each cable essentially powers 75 pixels rather than 150 so the distance would double.

Apologies for the length; got carried away. I think there are no mistakes in all this. Cheers.
 

Kockie_nl

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Joined
Nov 3, 2016
Messages
18
Location
the Netherlands
The panels I made are 600 * 2440 mm and have 150 leds. 6 runs of 25. I use 70 cm of 1.5mm square (i think 16AWG?). At the bottom every run is connected to the power injection wire. Every panel has its own psu.

A little video of 2 panels set aside
 
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