DiyLightAnimation
Hardware => Lynx MR16 / 16 CH DC Controller => Topic started by: grumpy2076 on February 04, 2012,
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Im thinking of using these with the mr16 controler, is there any resson i cant, they are 35 watts each but cant find out how much amps they use.
http://www.homedepot.com/Lighting-Fans-Outdoor-Lighting-Landscape-Deck-Lighting-Landscape-Lights/h_d1/N-5yc1vZbvnoZ1z115yu/R-202762158/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&storeId=10051
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In the description it mentions:
Powered by a low-voltage Malibu transformer for long-lasting lighting
This is a 12V AC (not DC!) power source.
This will not work with a MR16 which uses DC voltage -- modifiable, but usually 12V DC.
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MMM thanks steve i almost made a big mistake lol now to plane B, wait whats plan B <fp.
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If it is a 12 volt halogen bulb, why wouldn't it work on 12 VDC?? As long as there is not a transformer in it. I know the coiled filiment may add a little reactance but you could always 'dim' it a little if needed.
35 watt @ 12 volt would be about 3 amps 35/12
Am I missing something?
Roy
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If you are looking for spot/floods you can use 110v incandescent, LED, etc. with an LE (Lynx Express) controller.
If you are going with 12v MR16, you can create floods out of 12v parts... there are products for sale, like rainbows. In my case, I took a $5 home depot halogen work light, tossed asside it's guts, and replaced them with 10 5050 RGB nodes (30 color changing LEDs altogether). With this you can use a MR16 with 3 of its 16 channels to control this... but you can choose any color throughout your song. Cost for the nodes... about $5 more.
And another choice -- and my favorite for brightness is the AetherII. This DOES use 12V AC, and it provides a powerful RGB light. When the coops open for this, I plan to get a few more.
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A incadescent light bulb will work on ac or dc voltage.
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A incadescent light bulb will work on ac or dc voltage.
hadn't tried it. good to know. are there any gotchas?
(i figured with mentions throughout the forums of rectifiers, bridges, and stuff that I have no idea what purpose they serve... that it was better to use AC with products designed with AC in mind.)
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A rectifier turns ac to dc voltage. A led can only run on dc current; and also a led is a one way direction for current. Ac current alternates. With incas all that needs to be done is heat up the filament. So it does not matter as long as it causes a short across the filament and it heats up causing light.
Here is a link to a interactive diagram on pbs.com which might explain incas better.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/edison/sfeature/acdc.html
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And you will need to make sure the mr16 is not overloaded on that channel with that 35 watt bulb.
Watts/volts=amps
35watts/12 volts =2.91666 amps That is almost 3 amps of current on one channel.
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from the manual...
Do not attempt to control more than 2.5 amps per channel from the MR16 controller. This is about 15 of the MR16s I am using per channel. I also recommend you keep the total controller current under 35 amps if possible.
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Grumpy:
If you really want the rock facade, you can probably buy a smaller MR-16 bulb and take out the existing one and replace it.
\dmc
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yea a mr16 led is what is needed. That halogen will just pull way to much power for a mr16 channel to handle.
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i was thinking about this bulb
http://www.elementalled.com/rgb-mr-16-led-track-light-bulb.html
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i was thinking about this bulb
http://www.elementalled.com/rgb-mr-16-led-track-light-bulb.html
Wow that bulb is 50.00 dollars a piece. It would not work with a mr16 as individually controlled colors. That particular bulb has a built in circuitry.
Here you can get individual colors of mr16's at a resonable price.
http://www.christmasinkent.com/MR16sales/MR16sales.htm
The mr16 controller is not capable of controlling rgb like in the pixxelnet setup. Each channel of the mr16 would be a color. So channel 1 is red, 2 is green, 3 is blue. Only able to do 5 sets of the 3 colors;and channel 16 left over.
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i was looking more at this i posted the wrong web site
http://www.elementalled.com/rgb-mr-16-led-track-light-bulb.html
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i was looking more at this i posted the wrong web site
http://www.elementalled.com/rgb-mr-16-led-track-light-bulb.html
That is the same thing.
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im looking to controle each light with the controler and just us the mr16 to control the power on off, im thinking this is going to work but got some things to play with. i post update of if it works or fails lol
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Yea i do not know what to tell you on doing that;since i have never done it.
One of two things could happen.\
1. The power mosfet could quit from the controllers in the mr16.
2. The controller in the mr16 bulb could fry from the dimming up and down.
Not trying to be negative here, just saying what i know about electronics lol.
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If you are looking for spot/floods you can use 110v incandescent, LED, etc. with an LE (Lynx Express) controller.
If you are going with 12v MR16, you can create floods out of 12v parts... there are products for sale, like rainbows. In my case, I took a $5 home depot halogen work light, tossed asside it's guts, and replaced them with 10 5050 RGB nodes (30 color changing LEDs altogether). With this you can use a MR16 with 3 of its 16 channels to control this... but you can choose any color throughout your song. Cost for the nodes... about $5 more.
Hi Steve. Thats a great idea. Do you have any video showing the brightness of these? I have a relatively small area of white on the house that im looking to illuminate, and i think the aether might be overkill (not to mention over my budget).
Thanks.
-Greg
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i appretiat the help and thank you for your advice, im think im just going to mess around and try to figure something out lol whats the werst that can happen <md..
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O the worst that could happen, is the thing blow up. I have had leds blow up before. early learning experience, do not put 12 volts to a led that is 3 volts, the top of the led hit the ceiling lol.
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O the worst that could happen, is the thing blow up. I have had leds blow up before. early learning experience, do not put 12 volts to a led that is 3 volts, the top of the led hit the ceiling lol.
http://www.eevblog.com/2009/11/04/eevblog-42-exploding-capacitors-in-high-speed/
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Here is a video of a led exploding.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRnxZlAr_FU
Moral of the post is be very careful while experimenting, i know myself electronics can become really dangerouse if the components are not used right.
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In the description it mentions:
Powered by a low-voltage Malibu transformer for long-lasting lighting
This is a 12V AC (not DC!) power source.
This will not work with a MR16 which uses DC voltage -- modifiable, but usually 12V DC.
this is not correct. Although it is using AC, it is a simple halogen bulb and will work just fine with DC. The MR16 is a DC device and is really not modifiable to work with AC.
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mm well we will find out i got the rock light and ordered the bulb for it so wish me luck lol <md..
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well got my rgb mr16, and put into my spot light rock and wow its so awsome hope to try to get pics asap still playing with it will see how it gose
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here are a few pics, this is one light its a 3w rgb mr16
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Well there are a lot of opinions out there!
Let's look at the spec the bulb is rated at 35W (35 watts) OK.
The wall plug is 12 VAC (12 volts alternating current).
The MR-16 is a DC (direct current) device.
A light bulb (filament type) will operate on either AC or DC.
Acording to ohms law P(power) = V (voltage) x I (amperes)
We have some given data power of the quartz halegeon bulb is 35W and the operating voltage is 12VAC.
So let's subsitute the given values into the formula 35w = 12 vac x I (amperes)
Let's drop the units we get 35= 12 x I
From algebra in high school we know that in the above fomula the equal sign means that either side of the equation must be equal.
What must we do to move the 12 to the left side of the equal sign. Answer is divide both sides by 12.
Therfore the equation look like 35/12 = (12 xI)/12
The equation looks like this 35/12= I
Do the division leaves 2.91 = I so the current needed is 2.91 amperes.
Can it work on a MR-16 ???????????? yes but the wiki says 2.5 amps max the FET can handle it but watch the overall max current in the wiki on the MR-16.
Wally
wbe12345
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these rgb light im using only uses .09 watts >.d9
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what are you guys using for a power supply, tis is yhe next step for me testing went great now time to put every thing together
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For 12 and 5 volts, pc power supplies are hard to beat. Just be sure to protect it from water. The wall mart battery boxes in the automotive department are good for this after you seal up the vent holes on top.
There are a couple of pins that need to be shorted to turn it on and you need a load to stabilize the 12v output, but that is pretty easy to rig up.
RM