WS2811 Technicolor Strings Have High Failure Rate

[Steve Gase]

There is too much confusion around these lights to get a good understanding.

I am seeing people refer to a v1 and v2 of the string being out there... I was aware of only a v1 that was released.  there were different factory runs, and that might have made a difference in quality... but all of this is unknown.

a v2 with 5050 LEDs was discussed for this year. 

the v1 strings are being reworked now with Timon and others involved in the redesign and testing.  the first runs are being tested now, but there are still questions about the plastic being used.

the v1 strings had different results based on user, but overall it was suspect enough that I wouldn't trust them.   if you have a batch of them -- maybe you'll be successful with them, but most likely you will not.

the best thing IMO is for the new versions to be "rebranded", and let the "Technicolor" name die.  Otherwise we will continue to be confused over this mess.

[keitha43]

So what is the conclusion on these technicolor WS2811 strings?
How many people are having problems?
Are they bad design or manufacturing?
Or is this a normal % of manufacturing failure?
Have they been fixed or not?

I would ask Ray for your money back. I have not heard anyone say they didn't  have any problems. Of the new design they are testing now only time will tell. I probably wouldn't trust the new design until it makes it through a Christmas season without problems.

[sittinguphigh]

Attention just got a email back from Ray. He has made improvements to the technicolor strings.
Not sure when he made these changes. But I can see some are having problems.
So I take it this more then normal manufacture defect percent problems.
He has offered to replace them and send the new ones to test. Some one with better testing equipment may want to contact him and take him up on it.

 

[sittinguphigh]

Did turning down the intensity switch for the strings enable the technicolor strings to hold 100 to 128 nodes?

[keitha43]

Turning down the intensity did not help the failure rate much. If at all.

Sent from my Thunderbolt using Tapatalk 2.

[sittinguphigh]

Did turning down the intensity help with how many nodes per string you can use?

[Steve Gase]

Did turning down the intensity help with how many nodes per string you can use?

I took 2 actions before applying power to the strings for the first time:

1) adjusted intensity to 50% or less
2) added buck converters to reduce the controller's 12v output to be 8.5v

Each of the strings experienced failures -- from pixel #8, through pixel #50.

After each of 5 strings having similar results, I threw in the towel.

[sittinguphigh]

A lot of reviews on Ray's site. All having no problems with the news ones.
Hopefully this is a good sign. The creator of the Technicolor strings is testing them now.
He is not happy with what happened.

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By theory should taking down the intensity and voltage allow more nodes to be used?
 


 

[keitha43]

These are not the new ones. He just sent out some samples this week for testing. I think Steve at first didn't see an issue until he put them outside and in real world conditions. The good reviews were probably indoors with very little testing. Everybody including me assumed they would work okay based upon the videos of the creator as he was designing them. And it is also not his fault the way they were manufactured was not the same as his prototypes were manufactured. I would not trust them until someone says they have survived outdoor in the cold in high winds and multiple rainstorms.

[Steve Gase]

These are not the new ones. He just sent out some samples this week for testing. I think Steve at first didn't see an issue until he put them outside and in real world conditions. The good reviews were probably indoors with very little testing. Everybody including me assumed they would work okay based upon the videos of the creator as he was designing them. And it is also not his fault the way they were manufactured was not the same as his prototypes were manufactured. I would not trust them until someone says they have survived outdoor in the cold in high winds and multiple rainstorms.

My tests will include strapping them to the car and running through 3 different drive-through car washes. 
Wind, water, stress on the wires.

[keitha43]

Or you could bring them to Oklahoma

[sittinguphigh]

  Now that's a funny.

[Hauvega]

These are not the new ones. He just sent out some samples this week for testing. I think Steve at first didn't see an issue until he put them outside and in real world conditions. The good reviews were probably indoors with very little testing. Everybody including me assumed they would work okay based upon the videos of the creator as he was designing them. And it is also not his fault the way they were manufactured was not the same as his prototypes were manufactured. I would not trust them until someone says they have survived outdoor in the cold in high winds and multiple rainstorms.

I would like to see the original prototypes to see how they were constructed.  Did the prototypes have conformal coating?  Some of the new sample strings need to be taken apart to see how they are constructed.  Apply power and leave outside for year for acclimation.  Then at the end of the test cycle disassemble some of the nodes to see the effects on the pcb and wiring. 

[drlucas]

I know this thread has been quiet the last few months (a good thing i think!!) and I really don't want to bring up the "bad" memories with it, but I am because I'm going through a similar situation now with a batch of flex strips I bought from Ray. I have strips failing in very random spots for no real reason. I'm going to try to touch up all the resistors and see if it was just bad assembly, but I'm fearful that the same issue is at hand but now with the strips. I'm 99% sure Ray has a new design now for the strips so this issue likely won't be lasting for too long, but wanted to ask - what was the actual part(s) that were failing and was it due to overheating?

let me know if this was sorted out.
Cheers!
Ryan

[tbone321]

I think that you are comparing apples to baseballs here and what was happening there probably has little to do with what is happening with your strips.  IIRC, the primary issue was that the LEDs in the Technicolor nodes were being driven too hard in order to get that extra lumen of light output which caused excessive failures.  What exactly is happening with your light strips?