Fantastic information as I have looked at getting these weather boxes. Gotta admit, you did well on getting this video well organized with excellent tips. Good job!! I use Light O Rama cards and depending on which card it is, will use 2 power supplies when the card has 2 inputs. Instead of the weather boxes, I use clear bins so I can see the indicator lights from the ground. Yours looks so much more organized and look forward in getting my 10 cards into a good box.
Nice. Would be good to add a voltage and amp meter in there too… assume you would mount this between the power supply and the distribution block? Thoughts?
Because I have a 500 foot roll of that landscape wire and it was a lot easier to just use two strands than to get a different wire for these couple of short jumpers. The actual current will vary a lot depending on which box we're talking about, and at what brightness I end up running the show. Worst case is likely 30 amps for short bursts. Remember that the current carrying capacity of a wire depends on the length of the conductor as well as the diameter. Fuses carry 100's of amps over very small wires - because they only go 1 inch.
You’re better off leaving out all of the solder on the crimped connectors. Otherwise, it looks great. I really like the idea of “deployable” power supplies.
Crimped connectors (done properly - not with the lousy tool I have) are mechanically stronger than soldered ones if you're only doing one or the other. Doing both is the strongest option. The solder is also a better electrical connection, but not by as much as most folks think. Some will say not to solder because it might melt, but if your setup is getting that hot then it is seriously under-sized for the job.
@@MattHeere I think i remember hearing somewhere that tinning the wire before crimping can be a more brittle option than crimping the bare wire because over time the wire can seperate from the solder after it has been crushed.
So I gotta dumb question I'm assuming the reason why your setting ur power supply to 5v is only because ur lights are goin to be 5v .. so instance I'm carrying 12v strips so in this case my power supply would be 12v and I'm assuming I could prob keep the same fuses at 5amp fuse..
Correct. I have 5V lights. Do watch if you're running 12V lights that anything else you might hook up to power (like controllers) is expecting the higher voltage as well. In my case, 12V would fry the little controller boards I built nearly instantly.
The standard ones that come with a PC motherboard. Guessing they're 1/2" or so. The height isn't really important so long as it's enough to clear the various irregularities in the back of the box
Hey Matt Heere! I saw this and am trying to accomplish the same thing but I cannot for the life of me find what size these screw holes/nuts are. Mind linking me to the screws/standoffs/nuts you have? I seem to have the same PSU as you.
Get those lights and music sync action! I need to do a drive by one of these days to check it out. 😁
Fantastic information as I have looked at getting these weather boxes. Gotta admit, you did well on getting this video well organized with excellent tips. Good job!! I use Light O Rama cards and depending on which card it is, will use 2 power supplies when the card has 2 inputs. Instead of the weather boxes, I use clear bins so I can see the indicator lights from the ground. Yours looks so much more organized and look forward in getting my 10 cards into a good box.
Came back, almost forgot to smash the thumbs UP the first time. 👍
Very neat and professional.
2022, good luck trying to get alot of the parts for this now. CG-1500? rarer than a pink unicorn.
Nice. Would be good to add a voltage and amp meter in there too… assume you would mount this between the power supply and the distribution block? Thoughts?
A cheap cutting board would probably work as a plate also.
I saw someone say go Steelers. Are you in Pittsburgh. I’d like to see your lights, I’m in the north hills.
North of Cranberry in the Harmony Zelie area. I can provide an address via e-mail.
Why didn't the project use a lower gauge wire instead of two low voltage landscaping wiring? How much current do you expect to the project to use?
Because I have a 500 foot roll of that landscape wire and it was a lot easier to just use two strands than to get a different wire for these couple of short jumpers. The actual current will vary a lot depending on which box we're talking about, and at what brightness I end up running the show. Worst case is likely 30 amps for short bursts.
Remember that the current carrying capacity of a wire depends on the length of the conductor as well as the diameter. Fuses carry 100's of amps over very small wires - because they only go 1 inch.
Is there a part 2? I am so confused on how I'm supposed to wire up my lights strips to my 6 port fuse box.
Did you install a power controller in the box?
You’re better off leaving out all of the solder on the crimped connectors. Otherwise, it looks great. I really like the idea of “deployable” power supplies.
Crimped connectors (done properly - not with the lousy tool I have) are mechanically stronger than soldered ones if you're only doing one or the other. Doing both is the strongest option. The solder is also a better electrical connection, but not by as much as most folks think. Some will say not to solder because it might melt, but if your setup is getting that hot then it is seriously under-sized for the job.
@@MattHeere I think i remember hearing somewhere that tinning the wire before crimping can be a more brittle option than crimping the bare wire because over time the wire can seperate from the solder after it has been crushed.
So I gotta dumb question I'm assuming the reason why your setting ur power supply to 5v is only because ur lights are goin to be 5v .. so instance I'm carrying 12v strips so in this case my power supply would be 12v and I'm assuming I could prob keep the same fuses at 5amp fuse..
Correct. I have 5V lights. Do watch if you're running 12V lights that anything else you might hook up to power (like controllers) is expecting the higher voltage as well. In my case, 12V would fry the little controller boards I built nearly instantly.
What size screw stand-offs did you use? My power supply didn’t come with any mounting screws. Thanks in advance!
The standard ones that come with a PC motherboard. Guessing they're 1/2" or so. The height isn't really important so long as it's enough to clear the various irregularities in the back of the box
Steeler Nation!
Hey Matt Heere! I saw this and am trying to accomplish the same thing but I cannot for the life of me find what size these screw holes/nuts are. Mind linking me to the screws/standoffs/nuts you have? I seem to have the same PSU as you.
They are metric bolts - M4 I believe.
generally it's def a better choice to go for 12v lights, with ws2815 there's a solid platform for digital led strips.
I got splinters for my anniversary, so not me!