I purchased 3 light strip pros to go on the ceiling around the perimeter of my daughter’s room. I didn’t want wires hanging everywhere so I ran some aluminum channel to hold the lights. I also didn’t want the controller/remote piece to be hanging as well as I wanted to group the 3 controllers together in the same spot on the wall. The power was easy enough, but the 3 wires going to the light strip is what is giving me trouble. I snipped the white 3 wire cable and added an extension. The problem is, after about 5 feet of extension wire, the light strip behaves erratically. Has anyone done this and was successful?
Not sure if it is helpful but below is a diagram of what I’m attempting to do. Moving the Controller from “light Strip 2” over to the others by extending the 3 wire cable.
For some background, I have been running computer controlled music synchronized Christmas lighting for a decade. These light shows use in many cases similar technology to the Wyze Light Strip Pro - so I have some understanding what can and can not be done. I will be using the term pixels to describe each approx 4 inch section of the strip. Yes, there are solutions.
Let me explain a little what is happening. The controller is sending three signals to the pixels - positive voltage, power and data return (often referred to incorrectly as ground), and data. The power and return is pretty simple, but the data is a fairly low level signal and does not get very far. At each pixel chip on the strip, the data signal is regenerated. So there are limits to how far the first pixel is from the controller and between each chip. Since in this case, the strip is left intact, the distance from pixel to pixel is not a problem, but the distance from controller to first pixel is a problem with your extension. Frankly, with the current pixel technology, I am a bit surprised that adding only 5 feet is causing a problem, but we’ll deal with that.
The solution is to regenerate the data signal in between the controller and the first pixel. In the Christmas lighting world, that is often done simply by inserting a pixel with the same pixel chip type in between the controller and the first pixel. For example, if you have a 20 foot cable run between the controller and first pixel, simply add a pixel at around 10 - 12 feet from the controller. There is a trick that is needed to keep that pixel from lighting, and in the lighting world, that is not a problem. Unfortunately that is harder in this case because we have no control of controller setup. There are devices that can regenerate the signal without causing that problem and do not care what pixel technology is being used. Here is a signal regerator that I have used and works well: https://pixelcontroller.com/store/products/53-falcon-picap.html?search_query=f-amp&results=6
Wow, thank you for the detailed information! I have some background in electronics as well and you laid it out for me perfectly, plus providing 2 solutions. I will try out the first solution of adding a pixel (I already have trimmed a 4 inch section) and will report back this evening. Thank you so much!
Since you already cut off a 4 inch section, that will regenerate the signal just fine. An easy solution to keep the light from being visible is to simply cover the strip with electrical tape or heat shrink tubing (better). Note if you did not figure it out, the strip is directional. the arrow on the strip indicates the data flow. Also the data position label is Data Out (date leaving that section of strip) and Data In (Data entering that section of the strip).
@K6CCC - I just happened to think of a potential issue. Several of the patterns with these lights use a “chaser” type design. Wouldn’t doing this method cause a small gap, that would appear as a delay to the next strip, during these patterns while the regenerating pixel section is lit up. I have to extend the wire to roughly 12 feet, so there will be multiple regeneration pixels to get it passed the 5 foot limitation. Because of that the chaser designs may look incomplete.
I hope that makes sense on what I am trying to say.
@K6CCC - Just thought I would report back. I received the signal regenerators you recommended in the mail the other day. Hooked them up and they work GREAT! Was able to add about 15 feet of extension between the controller and beginning of the first pixel. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
@tcox8 I am late to this thread but hoping you may be able to still help. I am trying to do I think what you accomplished with your LED pro strips. I have the controllers down by an outlet, and I want the strips up by the ceiling. I bought some extra 3 wire cable and have extended in between the strip and the controller, one about 10 ft, another about 20ft. After initial setup the 10ft extension strip works but with a few errors, while the 20ft strip responds to almost nothing at all and just shows some random colors.
My first question is do you recall what wires were the power, signal, and ground? My assumption was black = power, red= signal, and green=ground? But maybe I am messing something up there.
Secondly, is this similar to what you experienced, and if I add in some of these F-Amps before each strip, that may solve it?
Thanks!
That color combination is not likely. More likely red - power, black - ground, & green = signal. HOWEVER, you can not make any assumption - you have to measure it…
Putting the F-amp right before the strip is not the idea. You are trying to shorten the electrical distance between the controller and pixels. So if you have 20 feet of extension, put the F-amp at about 10 feet. Obviously if you going to install an F-amp, you will need to positively determine which wire is which.
Thanks @K6CCC! . I misspoke on the placement, and yes I hope to place one in the middle of the run to relay the signal. Can you place two F-Amps inline? For example, one at 7ft and one at 14ft? Or does an “original” pixel need to follow after any amps?
