Newbie Question

Kahls09

New elf
Joined
Nov 3, 2016
Messages
2
Location
Pilbara
Ok, so I want to basically order a plug and play situation from LOR. The only problem I have is what lights do you use? I will be ordering with australian plugs and voltage, but I have no idea what LED's you use. Can someone please help me? Also, I live in the Pilbara and we have a huge selection of KMart, a tiny Target and a super tiny Home Hardware
 

pjones

New elf
Joined
Dec 27, 2015
Messages
12
I'm not a LOR guy but I think it depends on what controllers you have purchased. Pixel controllers will not control line voltage lights for instance.

Big box store LED lights, as I found out, require some leg work before they can dim. A full wave rectifier is required and each string needs to have the wires cut and reversed so that they can run off of the DC circuit that you just created.

I went the route of building full wave rectifiers and modifying my strings this year, so not a good one to ask about quality from specific venders. I'll let others answer that part.

You can buy "Dmmable" led strings that are line voltage if you don't want to do that yourself, they do cost more though as a result.


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i13

Dedicated elf
Joined
Jul 5, 2013
Messages
1,172
I'm assuming that you're consideering 240V controllers? Unfortunately they aren't particulatly suitable for anything that doesn't have 240V along the entire light set. If you do decide that you want 240V controllers then second hand is the way to go - it will save you hundreds and there are always forum members trying to sell them here.

There's no real easy way to get Australian store bought lights working unless you buy all the same type at once. There are low voltage DC controller options (some from LOR, most not from LOR) that will replace the 8 function units that come with the light sets. The problem is that when you buy different light sets, they require slightly different voltages while the DC controller setup uses central power supplies. You can hack the light sets to get around this (I did) but it is not plug-and-play. There's also the problem that some light sets are wired differently to others and require a different type of DC controller. You can tell by the number of wires going to the first LED. I prefer the type that has 3 or more wires going to the first LED or 2 wires and no 8 function unit. Those sets with 2 wires AND an 8 function unit require the DMX-2 controller from Hanson Electronics.
 

bbayjohn

Senior elf
Joined
Mar 4, 2012
Messages
593
Location
Batemans Bay
If using 240v lor controllers then you would be looking at using lights that don't have a chaser box. Rope lights are one type that works well. If you have lights with those
chaser boxers you might want to consider bypassing the chaser box so save blowing a triacs (loosing channels)
https://auschristmaslighting.com/wiki/Bypassing_Multi_Function_Controllers


but before you do I need to recommend to you that read and understand the following these guidelines


IntroductionIn older style 240Vac systems, each component (controllers & lights) are powered directly from mains power. While 240Vac systems are still popular, they can be more difficult and dangerous to deploy in larger DIY displays due to the lethal voltages used. This is not to say 240Vac systems don't have their place, more that there are safer alternatives available now at reasonable prices.
This is in contrast to more modern lighting, where low voltage power supplies are now almost always part of the equation. LED lighting has also made this more practical due to its reduced power demands. You would have seen power supplies many times before. Most of the OTS (off-the-shelf) light sets come with a plug-pack (wall-wart for USA) to convert the mains voltage to the lower AC or DC voltage used by the lights.
Until the introduction of LED light sets, most outdoor rated light sets used incandescent lamps. These sets were supplied with a plug-pack, usually with a 24Vac or 36Vac output. The change to LED has seen the need for power supplies remain, just with different voltages and now with DC options.
This article involves working with 240Vac electronics.
All 240Vac wiring must be carried out by a suitably qualified person. (Electrician or similar required by law in Australia - check local regulations)
AC TypeAn AC power supply can be a simple plug-pack to power a small section, or a larger transformer that powers an entire display. Most 240Vac controllers should be able to be used with low voltage AC power supplies, but will likely need modification to function correctly.
An example of a toroidal power transformer:
240V Connection
Fitting a 240Vac plug and cord to a toroidal power transformer is a bit tricky. As it is just a bare transformer, you must add a suitably rated fuse (check data sheet for value) inline with the Active wire. The Neutral and fused side of the Active wires go to the "primary" side of the transformer. The green/yellow wire of the mains lead is the Earth, and goes to the case of the metal box you mount the transformer into. After you are done, check with you multimeter (set to Ohms) to make sure the earth pin of the mains plug is indeed connected to the metal case. You should get a reading of less than 1 Ohm. Do this check before plugging in the completed unit. Low Voltage ConnectionIf the transformer has more than one secondary (output) set of wires, check the data sheet for details on how to connect them to get the desired voltage. A mistake here can result in either no damage (but no output), a blown fuse or a destroyed transformer, so double check before powering up. With an AC output, the polarity (which way around the final two wires go) is not important. MountingWhen mounting a toroidal transformer, it is important to use the supplied hardware (rubber pads, bolt, top disc and nut). When mounted in a metal case, it extremely important to not allow the top of the bolt (the nut end) to touch the case. If it does, the bolt forms a "shorted turn" and can cause sparks (where the bolt tip touches the case), heat rise and failure of the transformer.


https://auschristmaslighting.com/wiki/Power_Supplies#240V_Connection
 
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