My first steps into computer controlled lights

Christmas on Clarafield

Full time elf
Joined
Nov 9, 2011
Messages
395
Location
Melbourne
For all those newbies out there, here are some of my first steps into computer controlled lighting. After spending a few weeks here on ACL I bought my first DC48, downloaded Vixen and cut up a few Big-W LED strings.

I now finally have my first 2 channels connect to the board. Hopefully its all OK to flick on the power switch?
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0354c.jpg
    IMG_0354c.jpg
    303.7 KB · Views: 126

David_AVD

Grandpa Elf
Community project designer
Generous elf
Joined
Jun 12, 2010
Messages
4,681
Location
Victoria Point (Brisbane)
You've used blue as power -ve and brown as power +ve which makes sense. Make sure they are correct at the power supply end.

The strings are on channels 9 and 13 and appear to be connected correctly. :)
 

David_AVD

Grandpa Elf
Community project designer
Generous elf
Joined
Jun 12, 2010
Messages
4,681
Location
Victoria Point (Brisbane)
PSU connection are correct. Just make sure you don't leave much exposed wire hanging out each end of the terminals, lest it bend down and short against the chassis or another terminal.
 

Christmas on Clarafield

Full time elf
Joined
Nov 9, 2011
Messages
395
Location
Melbourne
I now have 8 channels connected which will run 4 mini trees (2 channels/colours per tree).

Time for power and the first test...
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0355c.jpg
    IMG_0355c.jpg
    357 KB · Views: 141

David_AVD

Grandpa Elf
Community project designer
Generous elf
Joined
Jun 12, 2010
Messages
4,681
Location
Victoria Point (Brisbane)
Before you do, you need to trim the output wires so there is no bare wire hanging out of the terminals. You only need to have approx 5mm - 7mm of bare wire. It's easy to trim them back and save any short circuits.
 

fasteddy

I have C.L.A.P
Global moderator
Joined
Apr 26, 2010
Messages
6,648
Location
Albion Park NSW
I see channel 10 and V+ very close to being a dead short, this can blow your output. Use Davids advice when wiring and ensure you dont see any bare copper wires coming out of the terminals and also ensure that when you do put the wire in the terminal that 1 copper strand doesnt bend back and stick out as this also can cause issues.
 

Christmas on Clarafield

Full time elf
Joined
Nov 9, 2011
Messages
395
Location
Melbourne
The DC48 is great and no doubt I will be using multiple boards in 2012.

I have tidied up all the connections to the board and you can see the 4 mini trees that this now controls.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0377.JPG
    IMG_0377.JPG
    258.3 KB · Views: 101
  • IMG_0378.JPG
    IMG_0378.JPG
    305.4 KB · Views: 133

random

New elf
Joined
Oct 16, 2011
Messages
38
Location
Collaroy, NSW
I can see that you have used mains flex for your 30V power connection between the PSU and the DC48. Please replace this cable with something more suitable!!!


It's very bad practice to use mains flex for low voltage cabling, not because it can't handle low voltage at all but because it makes you complacent around that cable type and having habitally used mains flex for low voltage work you may look at a cable sometime in the future (eg next year when you've half forgotten how you wired something) and think it's 30V when it's actually carrying 240V. These can be life-shortening mistakes.


It is much better practice to only use mains flex for 240V, then you can see visually that it is a high voltage cable. Use Figure 8 for your 30V work.
 

kane

Dedicated elf
Joined
Dec 23, 2010
Messages
1,033
Location
Trigg (Northern suburbs of Perth)
David_AVD said:
Before you do, you need to trim the output wires so there is no bare wire hanging out of the terminals. You only need to have approx 5mm - 7mm of bare wire. It's easy to trim them back and save any short circuits.
This is another reason why these forums are so useful. We sometimes assume that something like this would be common knowledge, but if you haven't done a lot of electronics, then I can certainly understand if it's not something you would think about.

Much better to double check things (and also allow others to learn), than to blow things up!
 

Steve22537

Full time elf
Joined
Dec 13, 2010
Messages
258
Location
Harrisdale, WA
Can I put my 10c worth in, try to avoid using 3 core flex (Mains Cable) for your low voltage stuff, can be very messy if you get them mixed up. Figure 8 cable (Mains or Speaker Wire) is a good alternative if Bunnings is your only cable supplier.

Play safe and stay safe.

Steve
 
Top