WS2811 Technicolor Strings Have High Failure Rate

[tbone321]

I guess the real question is "what difference does it make?".  They are not servicable units.  Any way you want to spin it, these are defective junk and Ray has to take some ownership of this. 

[CaptainMurdoch]

Before going back out after repair I plan to apply silicon or plastic dip as others have tried.

Better make it good.

Count me among the fallen.  I set out my technicolor tree only 3 days ago.  Tonight I brought it back into the garage.  I put silicon 360 degrees around the wire going in the 'top' of the pixel as they were oriented using about a tube and a half for only 368 pixels.  Today it started to rain.  I went outside and had 3 pixels lit up even though no show was running.  So, I started up a playlist and 3 strings showed failures.  I left it playing for a while, flash forward a couple hours and now I'm now at 5 out of 8 strands with total failures and others flickering white occasionally.

Closer inspection of the silicon confirms what another user posted that it didn't stick to the wires well once out in the weather.  They were fine until the rain hit.  Waterabsorbant != Waterproof.  I have the C9 covers on them and am running at 8.0 Volts.

I brought them all back into the garage and will see if they dry out.

Is there anyone who has bought these via AliExpress who can start leaving negative feedback on these things to help prevent other users from getting duped into buying them before these issues are fixed?

[Hauvega]

Do you have any moisture inside the c9 covers?  Mine had and they were hanging down.

[dduck]

Ray told me last night that he can't see "how water can come inside the pcb.  I guess the problem is it got through a splice".
I had only 1 splice on a single string.   He mentioned he has a new improved 12v ws2811 pcb.    But for the moisture
issue he either is not telling me what he knows or has no idea what the problem is.

As for me I have given up on these strings for this year.

[txag2008]

Do any of you plan to pursue getting them refunded or replaced by Ray?  I've got 300 Technicolor 1804s that have been giving me big issues too.

[tbone321]

While Ray may be willing to do this, you will need to return the defective product to him and as others have said, that can get expensive. 

[keitha43]

Back in Jan of 2012 it cost me 172.00 to ship back a little over 1000 of then ip66 nodes. At first he complained he couldn't replace 1000 nodes or "he would die". Later he agreed to.

[CaptainMurdoch]

Do any of you plan to pursue getting them refunded or replaced by Ray?

I emailed him last night to see what he says.

Back in Jan of 2012 it cost me 172.00 to ship back a little over 1000 of then ip66 nodes. At first he complained he couldn't replace 1000 nodes or "he would die". Later he agreed to.

At an estimated 1.4LB each for my eight 50-count strands, the DHL web price would be $172 for me to ship back $240 worth of lights (8x $30).  For these, I shouldn't have to pay to return faulty strings, I can't use them at 12V and can't use them outside, and that's the point I'll make with him.

Ray told me last night that he can't see "how water can come inside the pcb.  I guess the problem is it got through a splice".

No splices for me either except one at the very end of one strand where a node was bad out of the box.  Mine are strapped to EMT conduit so there isn't any flexing of the cables going on other than unwrapping them and strapping them on.  I think that he is not wanting to admit to too many people what is going on with them.  If he truly doesn't know then I wouldn't touch the v2 version either.

Do you have any moisture inside the c9 covers?  Mine had and they were hanging down.

No moisture that I could see in any.  I took off some and looked and it looked dry around the LED.

One thing I did notice with the C9 covers is that they seemed to 'intercept' more rain water than a typical node since they are larger size.  Water is dripping off the C9's onto the wire and next pixel below.

[Hauvega]

I added a few more pics. You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login 
The black corrosion around the solder joints.  I am cleaning them up. Then I put some thinned conformal coating (MG 4223)has uv dye in it.  After it dries, I then mix up some clear epoxy and fill the hole.  I am testing a repaired string that I have already done it to see if it works.

[arw01]

Curious, if you took a 1" pex tube, if it's big enough, and put a string of pixels in it, put it out into the weather with a pair of 90's point down on each end so NO water could reach those pixels at all, if they would stay lit properly in the pex tubing?

To me, besides condensation inside the plastic coating itself, that would be a way to completely eliminate external water as the source.

[CaptainMurdoch]

Curious, if you took a 1" pex tube, if it's big enough, and put a string of pixels in it, put it out into the weather with a pair of 90's point down on each end so NO water could reach those pixels at all, if they would stay lit properly in the pex tubing?

Might have a chance if they were brand new and if you ran on 8V and if there was no condensation that could form in the tube.  You might have to actually seal the tube in a dry environment to keep condensation from forming.  I wouldn't give it much of a chance if the pixels are already flakey due to power or water.

Mine ran perfect both inside the house and out in the yard for 40 hours or so total time, until it started to rain and within a short amount of time I had randomly lit pixels.

[dduck]

I  agree with you CaptainMurdoch.    We have got too much damage.

Now if anyone is interested for new strings.   They do not fit in 1" PEX.   
You would need the cheaper HDPE pipe in a bigger size.   
One note though is they fit inside the thin wall 1" PVC pipe used for SSC's.

Bill

[Hauvega]

I would not trust the redesigned strings unless they are tested thoroughly.  That includes dis assembly of a redesigned node brand new and nodes exposed to the weather for a period of time.  I still would like to get some of the failed tm1804 tc's. 

[Steve Gase]

Sigh...   

Big sigh...

After building 50 buck converter pigtails and assembling my TC TM1804 conduit segments, I started doing my testing using 8.5V and 50% intensity.  The 3 first strings failed before even getting to the yard.  I did not apply 12V to the lights before doing the test.

I don't see much of a point in replacing pixels or building out the remaining 47 strings based on everything I've heard.

So, I'm throwing in the towel. 

I've just sent Ray my request for refund/replacement.

I have 9 strings of IP68 128ct strings...  I'll start working on them

[taybrynn]

Bummer ... I can feel you pain.   

I've been noticing that my 3 pin quick connects from last year vs what I got this year ... Totally different .... Look the same, but the threads in the new ones are total garbage compared to last years quick,connectors.   Plus I've had a bunch with internal shorts ... Now I protest for that.   I think ray may be outsourcing some products because they are no longer exactly the same quality as they once were.