flashing in my 5volt strings

[Baf05]

The one thing I'm a little disappointed in is the 5 VDC strings seems to get interrmittent flashes in them. My 12 VDC ribbon tree colors stay rock solid. I thought maybe it was not enough power injection but I would expect to see the issues in the later parts of the strings but it seems to happen anywhere in the string. Currently I have injection at the bottom only so it's every 84 pixels. No one else has noticed what I'm seeing. The pattern is usually changing fast enough it's not obvious. The thing bothering me is I just bought some J1SYS differential boards to run 5 VDC over longer distances to be able to have colored pixels along my roofline so I'm afraid it will react the same way and those boards can't be changed to 12 VDC.

I took this from Gilrock's post about his mega tree, because I have the same issue with my fairylights.

I the strings are 145 pixels, with power from both ends and to the centre. After talking to a few people I have ensured that each injection point is not shared. But I am still having a flickering issue, except for one string! It is the farthest from the power supply and has no middle injection point, and shares its end injection with the string next to it!

I have ensured now that I am not overloading the board or the power supply, does anybody have any ideas?

 

[Ɠαяєтн]

What type of 5v pixel strings are you using? What speed are you running at as this may be the problem, try adjusting the speed in the string config to see if it will improve

 

[lithgowlights]

My injection points are all tied into the same outlet from the Pixel controller or fuse. The one in the center feeds both directions, and normally I inject every 50 to 100 pixels so there is no pixel more than 25 to 50 away from power. The reason I don't say every 50, is that's not always feasible, so I inject at logical locations depending on the string and location

 

[Baf05]

The are 2811 pixels, not sure of the speed, what ever the default for the p12s is.

However, I read a thread on running three power supplies to a p12s, frankly I got quiet lost until I saw a diagram. So I have tried that, I think (fingers crossed hard to tell in the day light) that it may have fixed my problem....

... however I KNOW for sure that I am pulling too many amps through my 1 timer, its only rated for 10A I am sure at peak I am running about 20, so I need to add another timer and power board....

Tomorrows job, hope it goes ok tonight.

 

[fasteddy]

... however I KNOW for sure that I am pulling too many amps through my 1 timer, its only rated for 10A I am sure at peak I am running about 20, so I need to add another timer and power board....

Tomorrows job, hope it goes ok tonight.

You could use approx 6 x 350 watt power supplies through a 10 amp timer as a 350 watt Power supply should use around 1.5 amps each at 240 volts

 

[Baf05]

Oh ok, so I don't KNOW! hehe,

I thought at max they would be using more?

Soo much to learn.

Well I am only using 5 power supplies, a radio, and power for the network switch, so that seems to be ok.

 

[fasteddy]

The amount of current will vary depending the amount of voltage used for the same amount of wattage

so a 350 watt power supply will draw at

350 watts / 240 volts = 1.46 amps

350 watts / 110 volts = 3,18 amps

350 watts / 12 volts = 29.2 amps

350 watts / 5 volts = 70 amps

Note that most 5 volt 350 watt power supplies do not produce this output current but instead are more around the 50 amp mark