The video resolution of the spreadsheet at the end is poor. Sorry about that. Here is a picture of the spreadsheet: drive.google.com/file/d/1OtPjoz4HVU3_iGX1cyMyzpuYjheBCvPg/view?usp=sharing
Nice work, turned out great! I do a lot of work with LEDs and wanted to share with you the reason why the wattage didn't increase when you turned on another color of the RGB LEDs. Most likely the RGB LEDs being used in those pucks are WS2815. Those LEDs operate at 5V although with it being a 12V string there has to be a way to get the voltage down to 5V and to do that there are 2 blind or dummy diodes in there as well. In other words, in addition to the 3 light emitting diodes (Red, Green, Blue) there are 2 others that don't do anything other than use up power. This way the 12V is always split between 3 diodes to get the voltage down to operation levels. For example, when you have only the red color on, power is sent to the red LED and both blind diodes. When you have red and blue on than power goes to those 2 LED and 1 blind diode, so on and so forth. This is why you didn't see an increase in wattage when you turned on another color, power was already going to 3 of the 5 LEDs. Hope that helps. Here is a great video that goes into the many different types of LEDs and how they work. Enjoy! th-cam.com/video/Umo6jKLfwsQ/w-d-xo.html
Interesting and thanks for the info. More investigation is required :) I did notice that it also looked like that digital stream was not presenting full power. Not totally sure on that but will be looking more into that. I am working with a WLED/ESP32 controller now and will look at the bit stream and measure power as well. Thanks.
@@DanPattenAudioG33k This is a great video. Im interested in using WLED with these lights so that I can integrate it with some home automation. Did you figure out what IC is used on these for addressable control? Jiimmyfly mentioned WS2815, is this it?
Just loaded video: th-cam.com/video/9kOUtz8EDm8/w-d-xo.html In this case, it appears that the power issue is purely a software/firmware issue with this controller.
@DanPattenAudioG33k Great find! Final product looks good. Another great option for a WLED controller is the Quin LED products. They all are ESP32 based with all onboard voltage switching and fused input/output depending on the model. Currently using the Dig-Octa with the power board 7.
Great video. Extrememly knowledgeable, great troubleshooter, but also aprreciate the effort/details in the video. This info is a great go-by for others. Very impressed. 🤟🤟
Thanks for the video. i have wateched it a few times now and taken lots of notes. A few questions: How are these holding up a year later? Could you cut/splice these to make custom lengths where needed? Was anything special needed to be done to shorten them? Could you make jumper wires to span areas that did not need lights? Did you just use spare X-connectors and heavy gauge wire to create those spans? thanks for the additional info!
Your welcome :) The system is still running and I have not had any problems. Yes, you can cut/splice them to make custom lengths which I did multiple times. I used "crimp butt joint solder seal splices". They are slick, you crimp the wires together and then use a heat gun to heatshrink and solder the wires together in one step. I used a bandsaw to cut the aluminum channels to custom lengths. Yes, you can make jumpers. I had ordered some X Connector jumper cables that worked well. I also had a couple of places where I needed to make custom jumpers. Hope that helps.
@@DanPattenAudioG33k One last question.. hopefully. I have emailed eTop as well, but not sure when they will reply or if they will understand what i am asking. for extentions where you want to jump sections without lights needed, did you just use a two wire extender? Or, what i am thinking is, that the data line would always need to be present through all runs. is that correct? so i am thinking a three wire extender would be needed? that leads me to my next question, for all power taps, every 42 feet or so, those should have the data line (3 wire) used. correct?
Thanks for kind comments. Probably would need to contact ETOP directly to check on CSA/UL approval. I kind of doubt that the LED pucks themselves are CSA/UL listed (but I might be surprised). However, the Meanwell power supply that ETOP sells (120VAC conversion to 12VDC) does appear to have all of the appropriate certifications such as UL, CSA, FCC etc.
Hi Dan. Thanks for the videos. I am going to tackle this same project. Does the data line need to maintain one continuous path or can it be split off? If you do split it can you still address the LED's however you need to make the effects run properly across the roof line?
You can split off (making a "Y") connection. However, it will be difficult to do detailed control. For example if prior to the "Y" was LED number 10, you will now have two identical number 11 LED pucks, two number 12 etc. It works. Will just limit your individual control capability.
Great video Dan! Did you have to cut any of the track or the 5 bulb strings? If so, did it cause any issues with the app or controller. Thanks again for posting.
Thanks. Yes, I had to make custom lengths at pretty much every corner. Used a band saw and that worked well. Just had to cut the cable and join the ends. No problems with controller.
Whats the difference between ETOP and gemstone or Oelo lights? Do these have 100k life? Soft white for landscape lights as well? Can you attach wires all the way up to 200'? Can the lights be repaired individually? How is the controller is there an app to use on your phone with custom holiday settings?
That is a lot of questions? I do not have personal experience with Oelo or Gemstone, so I can not make a comparison. The Gemstone parts do look similar. You should be able to do a 200' run if you have power injection along the way. Yes, an individual puck can be cut out and a new one patched in. I am currently using WLED/ESP32 for control. WLED has a webserver, so your phone connects via a browser to WLED.
This is super cool and very helpful. Is power injected mid zone or is each zone two sub zones? Im a little confused how to appropriately power a similar layout from a singular physical access (also my garage)
Thanks. There are two segments/zones with each having their own power supply. Through the secondary wire, the power supply feeds each string at 3 points, end and 2 other points. Hope that helps.
I did not come across anybody just selling the track. However, was not really looking for just the track. I would imagine that ETOP would sell just the track. They were very helpful.
Dan, we are having a lot of trouble with injecting power, hope you can help. We are using provided T-power connectors. We have about 300 feet & used about 6 T-powers as instructed by the supplier. We ran 1 single 18AWG wire (which is connected to the PSU) through the entire installation, & connected that single injection wire to every t-power injection point. To clarify- that’s one injection line total, which is connected to 6 different t-power injectors to inject power. With this method, we seem to be losing voltage. My question is, are we supposed to run SIX different injection wires, each individual wire connecting to the PSU & running to its own respective t-power connector? Hope this makes sense. Thank you
Sorry to hear you having problems. Is this a 12V system? IMO, a single run of 18AWG wire is not sufficient for a run of 300 feet. It is way too small. I used 14AWG wire which is 2.5x less resistance. With 18AWG, I would have used several runs, possibly to every injection point. I was extra cautious and ran 4 independent wires of 14AWG (this was probably overkill).
Good video, thanks! I can not see on the video if LEDs has any certification marks? And in the spreadsheet, did you mentioned the prices after the taxes and delivery?
No UL/CE/FCC markings on the LED modules that I noticed. The controller has CE/FCC markings. The Meanwell power supply appears to have all standard certification markings. The pricing in the spreadsheet includes shipping. Amazon purchased parts were all Prime so shipping is included. Any taxes are not accounted for.
@@DanPattenAudioG33k It seems export to Canada much more expensive - I bought from ETOP last year, and it was more expensive. But anyway, direct import save a lot of cash, I totally agree.
@@alexandergolake7065 I am surprised that China to USA compared to China to Canada would not be the same. Curious. If you click the AliExpress link in Canada does it show up as $629.99 USD (or equivalent CAD)?
Hi Dan; On app, which of the LED types did you choose in the settings? I just got the exact same kit, only the 24v version. They did ship the wrong color of mounting brackets. I needed dark brown and got white. Thanks for the video. Great help for me, as I've never attempted this before.
In the SurpLife Android app, I have "Common RGBW" selected. Dang about getting wrong color metal channel. Is ETOP working with you to exchange? Are they just sending new channel without you returning the white channel? Just curious.
@@DanPattenAudioG33k They are reluctant for returning and suggested that I paint them. Truly, that's probably the easiest solution for the issue. Looks to be overall good quality.
@@dannycrews5365 Shipping USA to China is several times more expensive than shipping China to USA. I am not surprised . Maybe you can ask for partial refund?
Very neat installation Dan! Your video convinced me that the installation is not rocket science :) Were you able to figure out why the pixels pull only about half of stated wattage? superlightingled specs are 0.72W/pc, whereas yours did pull about 0.4W/pc. I am reading (at superlightingled) that power injection should be done every 40 LED lights, whereas ETOP was suggesting every 70 lights. Did you go with power injection every 70 lights (as per your video)? Finally, it was not clear from your video the wiring for the fuse block. As I understand it, there are 6 independent circuits on the fuse block. What is the primary need of the fuse block? To protect the LED lights (vs. protecting the LED controller or LED power supply)? What are you wiring in circuit 1/2/3's input on the fuse block? The 3 independent outputs from the power supply? And then fuse block output 1 goes to the LED controller that powers the first string of lights, versus fuse block output 2 and 3 are used for power injection down the string? Thanks
Thanks for kind comments. I might have not been to clear in video, there are two separate runs and I added 2 taps per run. So I was a little less that 40 modules per tap. The power difference is because of controller. When the app commands a single color to full, the controller will issue full. When the app commands RGB full on, the controller backs off intensity of all 3 colors. Odd. Maybe this a thermal protection issue? Not sure. I am looking at switching the controller to WLED and will make some measurements. I used 4 fuses for each segment: controller, tap wire, tap wire and initial feed of the segment. Just being extra cautious. Hopefully fuses will help protect the LED string if anything catastrophic happens. Cost of controller and power supply are minimal compared to the LEDs and installation labor. I am thinking of adding an over-voltage protect device on the power supply output as well. Each fuse block has 6 circuits and I am only using 4. Hope that helps.
@@DanPattenAudioG33k , thank you for feedback Dan, much appreciated. I'm now clear on the power injection topic. Still not fully clear on the fuse block wiring :( Zooming in on a single power supply and fuse block, from your video at 19:58, it appears that 3 or 4 red wires are connected to DC + terminal (on the fuse block), while 3-4 green wires are connected to DC - terminal (on the fuse block). I'd assume these 3/4 red/green wires (connected to DC + and DC - ) come from the power supply, is that the case or not? I'm confused why a single red/green wire from power supply to DC+/DC- would not be sufficient. Would that be because your power supply has multiple outputs and you need to group them together to achieve maximum amperage / power? In terms of loads (on the fuse block), I noticed the 4 loads you mentioned. I'd assume load 1 (bottom left side of the fuse block) goes to the LED controller, is that a 2A fuse? I'd assume loads 2 to 4 (on the right side of the fuse block) go to 1 initial feed + 2 power injection points, is that a 5A fuse? Did I get it right? Hopefully my questions are clear :)
It is common for power supplies to have multiple connectors that are all in parallel. This power supply actually has (4) for positive and (4) for negative. This is done to spread the current over multiple pins, multiple wires and wiring convenience. This supply is capable of 30A output and doubtful that a single connector is rated for that much. The existing cable harness already had 4 wires populated, so I just used them all. If the power supply had a single massive connector for power and ground, I would have used one wire :) Yes, bottom left is just powering the controller. That fuse could could be much smaller, maybe 0.5A. Correct, fuses on right side are the feed for each string. They could all be the same value. Just didn't have 3 of the same value, maybe all 5A would be fine. Ill have better current numbers once I switch to different controller.
Dan, thank you for the video! With the Chinese companies coming and going overnight, if one of the strips stops working, are there easily available replacement parts? Or would you have to replace all the strips?
Good question. That is a risk with purchasing directly in that there is no local warranty/guarantee. I am keeping a couple of extra segments for backup. If an individual LED module died: - You can easily replace that 1 meter length with a spare. - An individual LED could be by passed by cutting it out of the loop. These LEDs use a standard controller IC that is compatible with other manufacturers. Other manufacturers also use the 30mm standard puck, Gemstone appears to be same physically. Wiring may be different.
@@DanPattenAudioG33k I'd be curious what your thoughts are comparing the gemstone to these led's? I had a quote here for gemstone lights from a local company of almost 18K for my whole house. (approx 350' of track required...) That seemed outrageous and have been looking into doing exactly what you've done. I started basically along the same track as yourself and had priced everything out on aliexpress, then thought, there must be a youtube video with someone doing a diy permanent holiday lights. Your video is the first one I've looked at and you've done a great job! I'm surprised home depot and others haven't started putting out kits yet. It would be nice to be able to buy the channels in longer length's I would think.
@@alvinhilbrec8272 $18K Wow! That is a lot of cash. Mine was 200 feet for the front and side. I ended up with extra that I did a shed in my backyard and have extra strips if I have failures. A friend of mine has Gemstone and they looked very similar to what I installed. I initially thought longer strips would be nice but found that the 1M length worked well. The eves at my home are not too straight and longer pieces would have been unwieldy to work with IMO. Thanks for the kind comments.
Just learned about WLED a few weeks ago and have a ESP32 board in-hand now. Started playing with WLED a couple of days ago attached to two small strings in my work room. Planning on switching to the WLED/ESP32 controller within a couple of days. Planning on documenting the process.
@@DanPattenAudioG33k I would be super excited to see that. I am considering following your plan here but the thing I really want is to get something WLED compatible so I can use Homebridge to put it into Homekit!
Dan I am struggle on this hook up, I bought the 250ft kit and can’t seem to get it correct. I put up 60 LED and seams like it’s back feeding. I added the power at 60led and can’t seem to get a nice clean color. Any help would be appreciated
Not sure I understand your question. (1) Are you using the UFO/Round controller? (2) Have you selected "Common RGBW" in Type of IC Setting? (3) Have you performed the color calibration, Red, Green, Blue, White in that order? (4) Using Colorful>Slider, select a single color and verify that each color is correct. (5) In Settings>Num of Lights, select 60 for lights per segment. Select 1 for number of segments.
I am currently using the round "UFO" controller supplied by ETOP. There is no manufacturer or model number on the device or packaging. The Android app is called Surplife by Zengge which I think is the manufacturer. Surplife app is ok but does not allow independent control of the white channel and the controller every once in a while spits our spurious data. I am in the process of switching to WLED on ESP32.
Did you get your problem solved? I have had some issues with Zengge controller sending random data (flashes). Just switched to WLED on ESP32. Pleased with the results so far. New video: th-cam.com/video/9kOUtz8EDm8/w-d-xo.html
Hi Dan, Thank you for the video. I have a question "What is class 1 and class 2 powersupply? If i am using the class 1 powersupply then how do i know that i am following the wiring method requirements of class 1 circuit.
There is a difference between Class I/II and Class 1/2 and that is super confusing. Class I/II mostly details grounding and insulation. Class 1/2 mostly details power output capability of the power supply. These two different standards having similar names is one of the dumbest things in electronics. Not sure of your question. A Class 2 power supply is inherently limited to specific amount of power (approximately 100W) and is lower than 60V (I believe).
Very nice! I would like to know more details about the controller functionality. For example, what features would you like that the controller (or the app) isn't able to do?
Thanks. I am impressed with the controller considering the cost (maybe $25). The Android app is nice and seems stable and even has cloud capability. Wifi setup was easy because it establishes a BLE connection first then connects via WiFi. Just starting to use App and biggest issue so far relates to dedicated White LED. In all of the settings, when white is selected, you get White from mix of RGB. You can not select the dedicated pure White LED. The only way to turn on the the dedicated White LED is turn on the whole string. Contacted Surplife technical support and they answered in about 2 days and are aware of the issue and plan on upgrading the App to allow this control but with no timeline of implementation.
I went with the a similar setup as you, I used a slightly different track system but the LED lights and controller and power injection all the same idea. I have the same controller with the Surplife App, and am experiencing the same struggle with “White Lighting” customization or the lack of it. Please let me know if you hear back from Surplife or if you figure out a work around. I am considering going to a new controller and using WLeD with a Dig-Quad controller. Although that requires some additional programming. If it weren’t for the lack of White Light customization this would be a perfect setup. Have you had an issue with “Data Loss” I have 150ft ish of track and 225 individual light nodes all on one controller on one long run with 4 Homerun power injection points, voltage and current are not an issue, but I have noticed what I think might be data weakness issues, some minor flickering some interference or something not sure. I recently ordered some “Data Boosters” from Alibaba.com that can be daisy chained in along the run. Specifically where I have extensions for jumps from one track to another 10ft extensions. I am hoping this may help with Data.
Surplife did respond and said that they will add white channel in the future. I asked when and they responded "not sure" :) Every once in a while I will get a data flash that will run the through the whole string. A different color/pattern will flash through the string. Maybe this is what you are seeing. IMO, I would not think that data boosters inserted mid string would help. Each LED puck should provide a buffer to the next. If there was a data loss issue, it would have to be between the controller output and first LED. I have probably 12' between the controller and first LED. I am assuming it is a programming glitch in the controller. I could be wrong :) I will convert over to WLED and see how it works out. I have been playing with WLED/ESP32 on my work bench and close to converting.
Hi Dan, Great Job! I did the same thing as you but I am seeing a red hue that comes of the lights. Would you know why? I also did the 6K lights with 2 24V power supplies.
What controller are you using? Often, red LEDs are turned on slightly to make a white LED look more warm. Is your controller possibly trying to do some color matching and turning on your RED leds?
Typically red hue is not enough power to the lights. How long is your run? Are you doing any power injection? Is the hue on all lights or just near the end.
I have two runs of approximately 110' and 90'. Yes, as I detailed in video, I have power injection at a couple of locations on each run. With the original controllers (little inexpensive round units), I did have some issues however it was consistent for the whole string. With the WLED and ESP32, I do not have any color issues. LEDs are only turned on to what is programmed.
I am using the the same surplife controller as you. I've calibrated the colors and set it up with RBGW common. I read somewhere that the black.wire.is.supposed.to.be the positive? I was always.taught than in DC the red.is Pos.
Just updated the video details, it has direct links to AliExpress, Alibaba and email. There were only a few items on Amazon when I was initially looking, not sure why the items are not Amazon right now.
I wanted to get permission from the manufacturer first. Just did :) I have updated details about the video. It contains AliExpress, Alibaba and email link.
Yes, each LED can be individually addressed. All the LEDs have serial input and a serial output, so each LED can be addressed by shifting data through the string. For example, each module has 4 LEDs with each LED having 8 bits of control (so 32 bits) and if you had 100 modules, that would be a 100x32bit string to individually control each LED.
I ran two separate power cables (just to make sure). However, I am pretty confident that a single 14AWG wire in parallel with each data string would be sufficient.
I ran two separate power cables for each zone but I am pretty sure that was overkill. I think a single 14AWG for each zone would have been fine. Then tap into that 14AWG cable as needed.
One problem: those lights off Amazon are garbage. You need commercial grade LEDS. You did a decent job installing them so I will give you credit there, but a professional company gives you better lights and a slightly better installment with no risk of injury to you. Awesome to see someone do it their self though.
The LEDs I installed are working well and look very similar to parts some of the professional companies are installing. Time will tell though as far as longevity goes. Fingers crossed :)
That’s incorrect You don’t need commercial grade LEDs I own a professional and profitable christmas lights in California and this lights are great Sir you did a great job I would hire you
@@coachjcpartida3592 He did a good job but these lights are not lasting 10 years lol. I have the exact same company, and our lights cost substantially more. Anyone can make this a profitable business, you are just a bad contractor who uses cheap stuff.
The 5000K can be pretty bright :) I chose the 5000K over the 3000K because I can add a little bit of red to tame the 5000K. I have actually been adding a little bit of orange to tame it down.
The video resolution of the spreadsheet at the end is poor. Sorry about that. Here is a picture of the spreadsheet: drive.google.com/file/d/1OtPjoz4HVU3_iGX1cyMyzpuYjheBCvPg/view?usp=sharing
It’s fun to see so many DIY’ers figuring this out. I went through a similar journey when I got quotes for $30 per foot to do my house (years ago).
Agree. It was a fun project that saved a good chunk of cash :)
Looks fantastic! Excited to see your Christmas colors.
Thanks. Will fire up Christmas sequence in a few more weeks.
Nice work, turned out great! I do a lot of work with LEDs and wanted to share with you the reason why the wattage didn't increase when you turned on another color of the RGB LEDs. Most likely the RGB LEDs being used in those pucks are WS2815. Those LEDs operate at 5V although with it being a 12V string there has to be a way to get the voltage down to 5V and to do that there are 2 blind or dummy diodes in there as well. In other words, in addition to the 3 light emitting diodes (Red, Green, Blue) there are 2 others that don't do anything other than use up power. This way the 12V is always split between 3 diodes to get the voltage down to operation levels. For example, when you have only the red color on, power is sent to the red LED and both blind diodes. When you have red and blue on than power goes to those 2 LED and 1 blind diode, so on and so forth. This is why you didn't see an increase in wattage when you turned on another color, power was already going to 3 of the 5 LEDs. Hope that helps. Here is a great video that goes into the many different types of LEDs and how they work. Enjoy!
th-cam.com/video/Umo6jKLfwsQ/w-d-xo.html
Interesting and thanks for the info. More investigation is required :) I did notice that it also looked like that digital stream was not presenting full power. Not totally sure on that but will be looking more into that. I am working with a WLED/ESP32 controller now and will look at the bit stream and measure power as well. Thanks.
@@DanPattenAudioG33k This is a great video. Im interested in using WLED with these lights so that I can integrate it with some home automation. Did you figure out what IC is used on these for addressable control? Jiimmyfly mentioned WS2815, is this it?
These LEDs use the UCS2904B chip. I have used them with WLED on my work bench. I will be converting my install to WLED in the next few days.
Just loaded video: th-cam.com/video/9kOUtz8EDm8/w-d-xo.html
In this case, it appears that the power issue is purely a software/firmware issue with this controller.
@DanPattenAudioG33k Great find! Final product looks good. Another great option for a WLED controller is the Quin LED products. They all are ESP32 based with all onboard voltage switching and fused input/output depending on the model. Currently using the Dig-Octa with the power board 7.
Dan the house looks great!!!
Thanks. It was a fun project. I still need to work with the controller some more.
Great video. Extrememly knowledgeable, great troubleshooter, but also aprreciate the effort/details in the video. This info is a great go-by for others. Very impressed. 🤟🤟
Thank You. Was a fun video to make.
Thanks for the video. i have wateched it a few times now and taken lots of notes. A few questions:
How are these holding up a year later?
Could you cut/splice these to make custom lengths where needed?
Was anything special needed to be done to shorten them?
Could you make jumper wires to span areas that did not need lights? Did you just use spare X-connectors and heavy gauge wire to create those spans?
thanks for the additional info!
Your welcome :)
The system is still running and I have not had any problems.
Yes, you can cut/splice them to make custom lengths which I did multiple times. I used "crimp butt joint solder seal splices". They are slick, you crimp the wires together and then use a heat gun to heatshrink and solder the wires together in one step.
I used a bandsaw to cut the aluminum channels to custom lengths.
Yes, you can make jumpers. I had ordered some X Connector jumper cables that worked well. I also had a couple of places where I needed to make custom jumpers.
Hope that helps.
@@DanPattenAudioG33k One last question.. hopefully. I have emailed eTop as well, but not sure when they will reply or if they will understand what i am asking.
for extentions where you want to jump sections without lights needed, did you just use a two wire extender? Or, what i am thinking is, that the data line would always need to be present through all runs. is that correct? so i am thinking a three wire extender would be needed?
that leads me to my next question, for all power taps, every 42 feet or so, those should have the data line (3 wire) used. correct?
The extensions need to have 3 wires. The power taps are just 2 wires.
Hey Dan is there any way I can find out if these product are CSA approved? Love the vid!
Thanks for kind comments. Probably would need to contact ETOP directly to check on CSA/UL approval. I kind of doubt that the LED pucks themselves are CSA/UL listed (but I might be surprised). However, the Meanwell power supply that ETOP sells (120VAC conversion to 12VDC) does appear to have all of the appropriate certifications such as UL, CSA, FCC etc.
Hi Dan. Thanks for the videos. I am going to tackle this same project. Does the data line need to maintain one continuous path or can it be split off? If you do split it can you still address the LED's however you need to make the effects run properly across the roof line?
You can split off (making a "Y") connection. However, it will be difficult to do detailed control. For example if prior to the "Y" was LED number 10, you will now have two identical number 11 LED pucks, two number 12 etc. It works. Will just limit your individual control capability.
Great video Dan! Did you have to cut any of the track or the 5 bulb strings? If so, did it cause any issues with the app or controller. Thanks again for posting.
Thanks. Yes, I had to make custom lengths at pretty much every corner. Used a band saw and that worked well. Just had to cut the cable and join the ends. No problems with controller.
Whats the difference between ETOP and gemstone or Oelo lights? Do these have 100k life? Soft white for landscape lights as well? Can you attach wires all the way up to 200'? Can the lights be repaired individually? How is the controller is there an app to use on your phone with custom holiday settings?
That is a lot of questions? I do not have personal experience with Oelo or Gemstone, so I can not make a comparison. The Gemstone parts do look similar.
You should be able to do a 200' run if you have power injection along the way.
Yes, an individual puck can be cut out and a new one patched in.
I am currently using WLED/ESP32 for control. WLED has a webserver, so your phone connects via a browser to WLED.
@@DanPattenAudioG33k ok cool I’ll probably order up a kit and just use there one power supply. Thanks
This is super cool and very helpful. Is power injected mid zone or is each zone two sub zones? Im a little confused how to appropriately power a similar layout from a singular physical access (also my garage)
Thanks. There are two segments/zones with each having their own power supply. Through the secondary wire, the power supply feeds each string at 3 points, end and 2 other points. Hope that helps.
Any chance you happened to stumble upon places that sell tracks for that style light? Everyone seems to only have three hat style tracks
I did not come across anybody just selling the track. However, was not really looking for just the track. I would imagine that ETOP would sell just the track. They were very helpful.
Dan, we are having a lot of trouble with injecting power, hope you can help.
We are using provided T-power connectors. We have about 300 feet & used about 6 T-powers as instructed by the supplier.
We ran 1 single 18AWG wire (which is connected to the PSU) through the entire installation, & connected that single injection wire to every t-power injection point.
To clarify- that’s one injection line total, which is connected to 6 different t-power injectors to inject power.
With this method, we seem to be losing voltage.
My question is, are we supposed to run SIX different injection wires, each individual wire connecting to the PSU & running to its own respective t-power connector?
Hope this makes sense. Thank you
Sorry to hear you having problems. Is this a 12V system? IMO, a single run of 18AWG wire is not sufficient for a run of 300 feet. It is way too small. I used 14AWG wire which is 2.5x less resistance. With 18AWG, I would have used several runs, possibly to every injection point. I was extra cautious and ran 4 independent wires of 14AWG (this was probably overkill).
Good video, thanks! I can not see on the video if LEDs has any certification marks?
And in the spreadsheet, did you mentioned the prices after the taxes and delivery?
No UL/CE/FCC markings on the LED modules that I noticed. The controller has CE/FCC markings. The Meanwell power supply appears to have all standard certification markings.
The pricing in the spreadsheet includes shipping. Amazon purchased parts were all Prime so shipping is included. Any taxes are not accounted for.
@@DanPattenAudioG33k It seems export to Canada much more expensive - I bought from ETOP last year, and it was more expensive. But anyway, direct import save a lot of cash, I totally agree.
@@alexandergolake7065 I am surprised that China to USA compared to China to Canada would not be the same. Curious. If you click the AliExpress link in Canada does it show up as $629.99 USD (or equivalent CAD)?
Great video. any reason you went with the 5 light/meter over the 10 light/m?
Thanks. No technical reason for choice. I like the look and the higher density versions do cost a little more.
Hi Dan; On app, which of the LED types did you choose in the settings? I just got the exact same kit, only the 24v version. They did ship the wrong color of mounting brackets. I needed dark brown and got white. Thanks for the video. Great help for me, as I've never attempted this before.
In the SurpLife Android app, I have "Common RGBW" selected. Dang about getting wrong color metal channel. Is ETOP working with you to exchange? Are they just sending new channel without you returning the white channel? Just curious.
@@DanPattenAudioG33k They are reluctant for returning and suggested that I paint them. Truly, that's probably the easiest solution for the issue. Looks to be overall good quality.
@@dannycrews5365 Shipping USA to China is several times more expensive than shipping China to USA. I am not surprised . Maybe you can ask for partial refund?
Very neat installation Dan! Your video convinced me that the installation is not rocket science :)
Were you able to figure out why the pixels pull only about half of stated wattage? superlightingled specs are 0.72W/pc, whereas yours did pull about 0.4W/pc.
I am reading (at superlightingled) that power injection should be done every 40 LED lights, whereas ETOP was suggesting every 70 lights. Did you go with power injection every 70 lights (as per your video)?
Finally, it was not clear from your video the wiring for the fuse block. As I understand it, there are 6 independent circuits on the fuse block. What is the primary need of the fuse block? To protect the LED lights (vs. protecting the LED controller or LED power supply)? What are you wiring in circuit 1/2/3's input on the fuse block? The 3 independent outputs from the power supply? And then fuse block output 1 goes to the LED controller that powers the first string of lights, versus fuse block output 2 and 3 are used for power injection down the string?
Thanks
Thanks for kind comments. I might have not been to clear in video, there are two separate runs and I added 2 taps per run. So I was a little less that 40 modules per tap.
The power difference is because of controller. When the app commands a single color to full, the controller will issue full. When the app commands RGB full on, the controller backs off intensity of all 3 colors. Odd. Maybe this a thermal protection issue? Not sure.
I am looking at switching the controller to WLED and will make some measurements.
I used 4 fuses for each segment: controller, tap wire, tap wire and initial feed of the segment. Just being extra cautious. Hopefully fuses will help protect the LED string if anything catastrophic happens. Cost of controller and power supply are minimal compared to the LEDs and installation labor. I am thinking of adding an over-voltage protect device on the power supply output as well. Each fuse block has 6 circuits and I am only using 4.
Hope that helps.
@@DanPattenAudioG33k , thank you for feedback Dan, much appreciated. I'm now clear on the power injection topic.
Still not fully clear on the fuse block wiring :( Zooming in on a single power supply and fuse block, from your video at 19:58, it appears that 3 or 4 red wires are connected to DC + terminal (on the fuse block), while 3-4 green wires are connected to DC - terminal (on the fuse block). I'd assume these 3/4 red/green wires (connected to DC + and DC - ) come from the power supply, is that the case or not? I'm confused why a single red/green wire from power supply to DC+/DC- would not be sufficient. Would that be because your power supply has multiple outputs and you need to group them together to achieve maximum amperage / power?
In terms of loads (on the fuse block), I noticed the 4 loads you mentioned. I'd assume load 1 (bottom left side of the fuse block) goes to the LED controller, is that a 2A fuse? I'd assume loads 2 to 4 (on the right side of the fuse block) go to 1 initial feed + 2 power injection points, is that a 5A fuse? Did I get it right?
Hopefully my questions are clear :)
It is common for power supplies to have multiple connectors that are all in parallel. This power supply actually has (4) for positive and (4) for negative. This is done to spread the current over multiple pins, multiple wires and wiring convenience. This supply is capable of 30A output and doubtful that a single connector is rated for that much. The existing cable harness already had 4 wires populated, so I just used them all. If the power supply had a single massive connector for power and ground, I would have used one wire :)
Yes, bottom left is just powering the controller. That fuse could could be much smaller, maybe 0.5A. Correct, fuses on right side are the feed for each string. They could all be the same value. Just didn't have 3 of the same value, maybe all 5A would be fine.
Ill have better current numbers once I switch to different controller.
Dan, thank you for the video! With the Chinese companies coming and going overnight, if one of the strips stops working, are there easily available replacement parts? Or would you have to replace all the strips?
Good question. That is a risk with purchasing directly in that there is no local warranty/guarantee. I am keeping a couple of extra segments for backup.
If an individual LED module died:
- You can easily replace that 1 meter length with a spare.
- An individual LED could be by passed by cutting it out of the loop.
These LEDs use a standard controller IC that is compatible with other manufacturers. Other manufacturers also use the 30mm standard puck, Gemstone appears to be same physically. Wiring may be different.
@@DanPattenAudioG33k I'd be curious what your thoughts are comparing the gemstone to these led's? I had a quote here for gemstone lights from a local company of almost 18K for my whole house. (approx 350' of track required...) That seemed outrageous and have been looking into doing exactly what you've done. I started basically along the same track as yourself and had priced everything out on aliexpress, then thought, there must be a youtube video with someone doing a diy permanent holiday lights. Your video is the first one I've looked at and you've done a great job! I'm surprised home depot and others haven't started putting out kits yet. It would be nice to be able to buy the channels in longer length's I would think.
@@alvinhilbrec8272 $18K Wow! That is a lot of cash. Mine was 200 feet for the front and side. I ended up with extra that I did a shed in my backyard and have extra strips if I have failures. A friend of mine has Gemstone and they looked very similar to what I installed. I initially thought longer strips would be nice but found that the 1M length worked well. The eves at my home are not too straight and longer pieces would have been unwieldy to work with IMO. Thanks for the kind comments.
Are you familiar with WLED? If so, have you tried modifying with the wled software?
Just learned about WLED a few weeks ago and have a ESP32 board in-hand now. Started playing with WLED a couple of days ago attached to two small strings in my work room. Planning on switching to the WLED/ESP32 controller within a couple of days. Planning on documenting the process.
@@DanPattenAudioG33k I would be super excited to see that. I am considering following your plan here but the thing I really want is to get something WLED compatible so I can use Homebridge to put it into Homekit!
WLED is also recognized my xLights as a controller, in case you want to step up your game!@@DanPattenAudioG33k
Dan I am struggle on this hook up, I bought the 250ft kit and can’t seem to get it correct. I put up 60 LED and seams like it’s back feeding. I added the power at 60led and can’t seem to get a nice clean color. Any help would be appreciated
Not sure I understand your question.
(1) Are you using the UFO/Round controller?
(2) Have you selected "Common RGBW" in Type of IC Setting?
(3) Have you performed the color calibration, Red, Green, Blue, White in that order?
(4) Using Colorful>Slider, select a single color and verify that each color is correct.
(5) In Settings>Num of Lights, select 60 for lights per segment. Select 1 for number of segments.
Dan what controller are you using now?
I am currently using the round "UFO" controller supplied by ETOP. There is no manufacturer or model number on the device or packaging. The Android app is called Surplife by Zengge which I think is the manufacturer.
Surplife app is ok but does not allow independent control of the white channel and the controller every once in a while spits our spurious data.
I am in the process of switching to WLED on ESP32.
Did you get your problem solved? I have had some issues with Zengge controller sending random data (flashes). Just switched to WLED on ESP32. Pleased with the results so far. New video: th-cam.com/video/9kOUtz8EDm8/w-d-xo.html
Hi Dan, Thank you for the video. I have a question "What is class 1 and class 2 powersupply? If i am using the class 1 powersupply then how do i know that i am following the wiring method requirements of class 1 circuit.
There is a difference between Class I/II and Class 1/2 and that is super confusing. Class I/II mostly details grounding and insulation. Class 1/2 mostly details power output capability of the power supply. These two different standards having similar names is one of the dumbest things in electronics.
Not sure of your question. A Class 2 power supply is inherently limited to specific amount of power (approximately 100W) and is lower than 60V (I believe).
Very nice! I would like to know more details about the controller functionality. For example, what features would you like that the controller (or the app) isn't able to do?
Thanks. I am impressed with the controller considering the cost (maybe $25). The Android app is nice and seems stable and even has cloud capability. Wifi setup was easy because it establishes a BLE connection first then connects via WiFi. Just starting to use App and biggest issue so far relates to dedicated White LED. In all of the settings, when white is selected, you get White from mix of RGB. You can not select the dedicated pure White LED. The only way to turn on the the dedicated White LED is turn on the whole string.
Contacted Surplife technical support and they answered in about 2 days and are aware of the issue and plan on upgrading the App to allow this control but with no timeline of implementation.
I went with the a similar setup as you, I used a slightly different track system but the LED lights and controller and power injection all the same idea.
I have the same controller with the Surplife App, and am experiencing the same struggle with “White Lighting” customization or the lack of it. Please let me know if you hear back from Surplife or if you figure out a work around.
I am considering going to a new controller and using WLeD with a Dig-Quad controller. Although that requires some additional programming.
If it weren’t for the lack of White Light customization this would be a perfect setup.
Have you had an issue with “Data Loss” I have 150ft ish of track and 225 individual light nodes all on one controller on one long run with 4 Homerun power injection points, voltage and current are not an issue, but I have noticed what I think might be data weakness issues, some minor flickering some interference or something not sure. I recently ordered some “Data Boosters” from Alibaba.com that can be daisy chained in along the run. Specifically where I have extensions for jumps from one track to another 10ft extensions. I am hoping this may help with Data.
@DanPattenAudioG33k
I am going to convert the system over to WLED running on an ESP32 in the next couple of days.
Surplife did respond and said that they will add white channel in the future. I asked when and they responded "not sure" :)
Every once in a while I will get a data flash that will run the through the whole string. A different color/pattern will flash through the string. Maybe this is what you are seeing. IMO, I would not think that data boosters inserted mid string would help. Each LED puck should provide a buffer to the next. If there was a data loss issue, it would have to be between the controller output and first LED. I have probably 12' between the controller and first LED.
I am assuming it is a programming glitch in the controller. I could be wrong :)
I will convert over to WLED and see how it works out. I have been playing with WLED/ESP32 on my work bench and close to converting.
Was shipping added to the cost that you showed in the video?
Yes. I added in shipping for the parts that came from the LED supplier.
Hi Dan, Great Job! I did the same thing as you but I am seeing a red hue that comes of the lights. Would you know why? I also did the 6K lights with 2 24V power supplies.
What controller are you using? Often, red LEDs are turned on slightly to make a white LED look more warm. Is your controller possibly trying to do some color matching and turning on your RED leds?
Typically red hue is not enough power to the lights. How long is your run? Are you doing any power injection? Is the hue on all lights or just near the end.
I have two runs of approximately 110' and 90'. Yes, as I detailed in video, I have power injection at a couple of locations on each run. With the original controllers (little inexpensive round units), I did have some issues however
it was consistent for the whole string. With the WLED and ESP32, I do not have any color issues. LEDs are only turned on to what is programmed.
I am using the the same surplife controller as you. I've calibrated the colors and set it up with RBGW common. I read somewhere that the black.wire.is.supposed.to.be the positive? I was always.taught than in DC the red.is Pos.
I injected.power every 100 pucks. And since.I am using 2 24V power supplies so that should be good.
Hey Dan, the lights are no longer listed on Amazon. Do you know if paul zhang has a website?
Just updated the video details, it has direct links to AliExpress, Alibaba and email. There were only a few items on Amazon when I was initially looking, not sure why the items are not Amazon right now.
Sorry, I should have watched the entire video. :)
Can’t you put a link to the track and the lights so I can order them. Thanks
I wanted to get permission from the manufacturer first. Just did :) I have updated details about the video. It contains AliExpress, Alibaba and email link.
Where did you get the tracks
The metal tracks were included with the purchase from ETOP.
Are the LEDs individually addressable? Can the app control each LED separately if you wanted to?
Yes, each LED can be individually addressed. All the LEDs have serial input and a serial output, so each LED can be addressed by shifting data through the string. For example, each module has 4 LEDs with each LED having 8 bits of control (so 32 bits) and if you had 100 modules, that would be a 100x32bit string to individually control each LED.
Question on the power cabling, so does each zone have 2 distinct sets of power cables or are they tied in parallel?
I ran two separate power cables (just to make sure). However, I am pretty confident that a single 14AWG wire in parallel with each data string would be sufficient.
I ran two separate power cables for each zone but I am pretty sure that was overkill. I think a single 14AWG for each zone would have been fine. Then tap into that 14AWG cable as needed.
Wow. $5k-$6k for someone to install. My neck of the woods they’re getting $8k+ for a very average house
The install companies are making good money. Maybe I chose the wrong career :)
8k?!! Daaaaang 😅
Do you have any list of settings in the app for the number of lights? It’s kind of confusing what to select.
Are you interested in my setup for WLED?
Unfortunately my son is not a rock climber and lives 1000 miles away.
Sorry about that :) Maybe you can convince neighborhood college aid kid...
One problem: those lights off Amazon are garbage. You need commercial grade LEDS. You did a decent job installing them so I will give you credit there, but a professional company gives you better lights and a slightly better installment with no risk of injury to you. Awesome to see someone do it their self though.
The LEDs I installed are working well and look very similar to parts some of the professional companies are installing. Time will tell though as far as longevity goes. Fingers crossed :)
That’s incorrect
You don’t need commercial grade LEDs
I own a professional and profitable christmas lights in California and this lights are great
Sir you did a great job
I would hire you
@@coachjcpartida3592 He did a good job but these lights are not lasting 10 years lol. I have the exact same company, and our lights cost substantially more. Anyone can make this a profitable business, you are just a bad contractor who uses cheap stuff.
5000k 🤮🤢
The 5000K can be pretty bright :) I chose the 5000K over the 3000K because I can add a little bit of red to tame the 5000K. I have actually been adding a little bit of orange to tame it down.
@danPattenAudioG33k I have a few questions as I purchased this system too and wondered if I could contact you to have a small discussion.
Email me and we can possibly talk.
@@DanPattenAudioG33k I can't seem to locate your email in the about page.
That is odd, I have contact email selected and I get contacted from time to time through the email. I'll see if I can see it from some other devices.
I noticed that I am able to see the email address when viewing TH-cam from desktop computer but not from my phone / android app.