RGB LED Light Controller

[maboat]

@Detonate I'm reading the faq on this controller and it states

Question:

I needed to know if the music mode automatically changes the color of the leds to the tones and doesnt just flash to the beat and also if it will run off of a microphone and not just a hardwire?​

Answer:

It doesn't change color to the music; it will flash.
​

Sounds like this controller only flashes to music, but color changes are all done manualy (via remote control). Is that true? In your video there are color changes, but I can't tell if the music is changing the color or you are pressing buttons to change the color.

 

[Detonate]

Yeah, that FAQ is confusing as hell...

As is the instructions. I'm not sure I have everything figured out, but what I can say is that in general, you use the remote to select 2 colors.
A base color with no music, and then a flash color, for when the music hits in the tone that you have set...

So for instance there is a ground button, here is what the manual says.

GROUND
Selects 7 ground color changing. Display will show "d0-d-"

And then it says...

+ and -
In Ground mode, these buttons choose the flash color. Display will show "C0-C6"

So then if I press the music button...

MUSIC
If pressed quickly, this button will choose between the 5 music modes. Display will show "U0-U4".

From there I can select a tone that the flashes respond too..

T/E
Tone and Edit dual-function key. If pressed quickly, it can select the 6 audio tone levels. If pressed and held for a few seconds, it will go to DIY color edit mode.

No idea what that means, except it seemed like one of the Tone Levels responded more to high frequency, one more to lower frequency, and then it also had an affect on which zones were flashing...

So it would take a little playing with, but I was able to make it Flash Zone 1 with Bass hits, and Zone 4 with Snare hits by tweaking the Tones and the Sensetivity.

+ and -
In music modes, these buttons control the music sensitivity. Display will show "1-64"

There is actually a ton of ability to control stuff, it's just confusing as hell... And I still haven't figured out how to use the Edit Mode or save to the 10 DIY modes...

I played with it more at lunch today with the manual printed out, and was able to get a much better understanding on how to use it.

 

[Detonate]

So to answer your question, they are indeed just flashing... But they are flashing with a different color.

So it's not like it goes from unlit to Color 1 and back to unlit every time the music hits.

It can go from Color 1, flash to Color 2, and then BACK to Color 1.

Color changing to me would be to go from Color 1, to Color 2, to Color 3, etc, etc, etc... every time the music 'hit'....

Some of the modes flash say Zone 1 with low tones, and Zone 4 with Highs...

Or Z1 & Z4, or 2 & 3....

Then there are some that are more like an EQ that flash Z1-4 based on how hard the music is hitting....

Maybe I need to do another video where I talk through what I'm changing...

 

[maboat]

Yeeesh. Once you figure it out, don't let anybody touch it!

 

[Cory]

I think I'll be assigning this to one of my teenagers to figure out

 

[Wayloncle]

I didn't know you could do all of that with the controller! I have a strip of these under my awning on my camper, it didn't have a manual for it and I never looked to see if I could find one online.

 

[Christy]

@Detonate That's them!

@Murf'n'surf, those are really supposed to be strip light to strip light connectors. When I did the undercabinet lights in the kitchen, I did use them for wire to strip light, but I ended up having to solder the wire to the connector and ripping the little "door" on that side of the connector and then using heat shrink tubing over the whole connector. I chose to do it that way because my soldering skills are horrendous....it was my very first time soldering anything actually and I had to watch a ton of YouTube videos. Looking back, I should have made @Detonate solder it for me.

 

[maboat]

.. I chose to do it that way because my soldering skills are horrendous....it was my very first time soldering anything actually and I had to watch a ton of YouTube videos.

@Christy First time soldering and you chose to do it on these tiny little pads that can't handle excess heat which usually takes lots of experience. Nice work!
Did you go down a Black Diamond your first time skiing too?

 

[Cory]

What are you or what are you planning on using for wiring for your LED's? I see they make dedicated RGB4-22 wires for LED's but I am wondering if there are alternatives. Perusing the local HD I see 22-4 for security systems etc and I also see a 24-4 cat 5 wire. The cat 5 is noticibly smaller and cheaper. Knowing LED's don't pull much, maybe 24 gauge is adequate? Be easier to route.

 

[Christy]

What are you or what are you planning on using for wiring for your LED's? I see they make dedicated RGB4-22 wires for LED's but I am wondering if there are alternatives. Perusing the local HD I see 22-4 for security systems etc and I also see a 24-4 cat 5 wire. The cat 5 is noticibly smaller and cheaper. Knowing LED's don't pull much, maybe 24 gauge is adequate? Be easier to route.

I used the 22-4 security wire from home depot for the kitchen job. It worked fine but the colors didn't match up exactly (white instead of blue on the home depot wire).

 

[Christy]

@Christy First time soldering and you chose to do it on these tiny little pads that can't handle excess heat which usually takes lots of experience. Nice work!
Did you go down a Black Diamond your first time skiing too?

No, I just jumped up to the blue.

 

[txav8r]

Soldering on RGB ribbon is a tedious task, but like you mentioned, good YouTube videos on it.

 

[Detonate]

No, I just jumped up to the blue.

You also did a sweet cartwheel down the bunny slope.

What are you or what are you planning on using for wiring for your LED's? I see they make dedicated RGB4-22 wires for LED's but I am wondering if there are alternatives. Perusing the local HD I see 22-4 for security systems etc and I also see a 24-4 cat 5 wire. The cat 5 is noticibly smaller and cheaper. Knowing LED's don't pull much, maybe 24 gauge is adequate? Be easier to route.

I bought this RGB Extension Cable.

Mostly me just being anal I wanted the colors to match up... Of course on that wire, the colors are Black, Green, Red, Blue, and on the LED lights, they were Black, Blue, Red, Green...

So of course I crossed everything over so that the colors matched up perfect! I'm only using that in-boat, and for pig-tailing the LEDs on the Tower Speaker Cans into the can.... For in the tower wiring, I was able to get my hands on some of the 6 conductor WetWire from Wet Sounds that has 12/2 and 22/4 all in the same jacket...

That chit is $300 a spool! But since I had to replace one of my mid-bass drivers I got them to sell me some by the foot.

 

[maboat]

What are you or what are you planning on using for wiring for your LED's? I see they make dedicated RGB4-22 wires for LED's but I am wondering if there are alternatives. Perusing the local HD I see 22-4 for security systems etc and I also see a 24-4 cat 5 wire. The cat 5 is noticibly smaller and cheaper. Knowing LED's don't pull much, maybe 24 gauge is adequate? Be easier to route.

There are a few things to note:

1. Wire gauge. 24ga might be fine in many cases but it depends on length and number of LEDs you're powering (current draw). Its not enough to power a full 5m strip. The max current over 24ga wire is about .5a which is only enough to power about 1/4 of the full length of the 5m strip. 22ga (or thicker on long runs) would be needed to power the full 5-meter strip.

2. Number of conductors. Of course, for RGB+ we need 4 conductors. Thats fairly obvious. You mentioned CAT-5 so I wanted to point out "Cat-5" should be 4 PAIRS which is 8 total conductors. If what you saw is really 24-4, then technically its not Cat-5 it would just be 24-4 and is probably twisted in 2 pairs.

3. Wire construction. Solid or Stranded. Stranded wire is more flexible and easier to work with. Solid wire is stronger and harder to work with. Strength is not much of a requirement in this application. I would go with stranded.

4. Cable layout. Flat or round. Many "RGB" cables are flat ribbons of 4 insulated conductors with no external sheath. The colors may or may not align with the order on your RGB strip. Flat cables are also more fickle when it comes to routing them through various spaces. They bend well on one axis but not on another axis. I would avoid the flat cables and go with a round cable with outer sheath.

SO...
When I first wired for single-color LED cupholders and courtesy lights, I used 24-2 solid siamese cable and it worked but it was a pain. Now I'm getting ready to start rewiring for RGB leds and I'll be using 22-4 Stranded, Round sheath cable. Lots of it out there, you just need to look for all the parameters, not the gauge alone.

 

[txav8r]

I would agree mark. Either 18-4 or 22-4 round cable with a thick insulation...for protection and strain relief. Hear shrink it even if you don't need waterproof. Again, that is for strain relief. Lots I vibration and corrosion opportunity in a boat. A need exists to protect against that. So even if smaller gauge works...it breaks way too easy from the above mentioned.

 

[Detonate]

Either 18-4 or 22-4 round cable with a thick insulation...for protection and strain relief.

I don't know about all that... Maybe for in the tower, but in the boat, I doubt that a thick insulated jacket is necessary.

None of the factory wire is all jacketed like that. When I ran all new wiring for my in-boat speakers I just used regular old speaker wire and it still looks brand new.

I have 22/2 run all through the boat for my old LEDs and it's held up just fine. The 22/4, unjacketed will hold up even better. I do think the shrink wrapping is a good idea though for the soldered joints.

 

[farrelltravis]

Has anyone used one of these cheapo ones? Any idea if they actually work well?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Music-sound...760?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a7fad20f0