HOW TO: Reject shop 100mm ball modifications

lytnin

lytnin

Full time elf
Joined
Jul 26, 2010
Messages
117
Location
North Richmond NSW
I had loads of comments from visitors to my show about the 100mm RGB balls I had along my fence line.

Here's a quick HOW TO, on what I did to wire up these 100mm Balls from the Reject Shop (AUS)

Materials:
- Balls (Reject Shop)
- 2m 3 pin extension Cables (Ray Wu)
- WS2811 3leds 12V rgb pixel led module (Ray Wu)
- Heat Shrink

Tools:
- Phillips head screwdriver
- Tube Cutter / Hacksaw
- Drill
- Wire Cutters
- Soldering Iron

PREPARATIONS:
- Separate the riser tube from the base
- Remove white ball from the black base
- Remove the original solar panel/LED assembly from the base
- Cut the pixel string into single pixels (CUT equidistant between pixels so there is enough wire for both the in and out)

Instructions:
- Remove the spike from inside the riser tube
- (optional) Cut the riser tube to desired length
- Drill 2 holes (same diameter as your cables) through the tube approx 35 - 40mm from one end (So that the spike has clearance when inserted)
- Elongate both holes so that the cable passing through them will angle upwards. (see pic)
5527-5625a90ffee1c124e53c380b71d7dd11.jpg

- Cut the extension cable (approximately 5cm longer than the riser tube) from the female end
- Remove 2-3cm of outer insulation from both cut ends
- Insert both cables ends into the riser tube and feed through to a workable distance (5cm or more)

- Strip wires on both the extension cable ends, as well as the pixel
- PLACE BASE over the extension cables and attach to the riser tube
5528-2991d67dcb9474508640b0fb07a7bf61.jpg

- Install heatshrink prior to soldering
- Join pixel to the extension cable (TAKE NOTE: of the in and out as well as pos/neg/data)
- DOUBLE CHECK the wiring before soldering
- Solder all joins
- position and shrink the heatshrink
5529-1da761907c96d949b5485be88ac4d37e.jpg

- Pull the cables back down the riser tube to bring the pixel closer to the base and to take up any slack
5530-0210afac66871571b6c9c35540d0d035.jpg

- Reattach the ball to the base
- Repeat for the rest

Hope it helps someone.
Dave
 
I actually bought one as a sample the first time they appeared. That was early last year?

It's been outside for a lot of that time. Not in full sun for the whole day, but quite a bit.

The plastic on that one seems just fine, so I'd expect they'd last many Christmas seasons.
 
One thing to note, not all spikes/stakes fit properly in the riser tube (hey it's a 2 dollar thing, what do you expect?) if you find the stake doesn't fit in the tube nicely, don't try to jam it in you WILL BREAK THE TUBE. I destroyed a few that way...

As for how long they last... I had them out all December, in full sun... seems just fine.
 
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@burnt That must be one fast printer ... mine is 86 mins :sleep:

Also, if you only have the one pigtail in, how did you wire up for multiple lights. (I'm assuming you used more than one)
 
i use a 4 pin pigtail. with all the +ve and -ve wire connected together before the pigtails and data daisy chain from one lamp to the next.
 
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