Thanks for the comment, and I’m glad to hear the videos have been helpful for you. I do try to explain as much detail as possible so you gain an understanding of the why things work the way they do more so than to copy how I do things. Congratulations on diving into the world of pixels. It’s a lot of fun and the planning and execution will challenge your mind (in a good way). Do continue checking out the various videos, as I cover material from different angles. For power injection, the safest thing to be mindful of is to connect V+ to V+ and GND (or V-) to GND. If you do that, you can’t go wrong. ;)

@@NiFamilyLights question about design. Have you ever attempted to move your air intake to the bottom of the enclosure so you could free up a portion of the bottom plate? I was thinking two receivers on top and a distributor on the bottom middle (where the air in is currently located) so I could have 8 ports and 8 power injections out. Thoughts and/or concerns. Obviously I wouldn’t be able to have individual pigtail holes would be one but any others from your experience?

@The Taternator, I don't think there's enough room to drill a circular hole large enough to mount the air intake bud vent. That said, you could just drill some holes or cut out a slot (and cover it with the screening material to keep bugs out). That would certainly work, which would give you more space on the bottom of the door plate to mount more electronics. Great idea!

@@NiFamilyLights Agreed that the ipv1115 vent would be a no go but I found a similar but smaller version called the AMVENTSM vent which should fit the tight space. If it were you and you were to ever wire a pair of receivers and a distributor board to two ps’s how would you do it? Two receivers to one and the distro board to the other and keep both ps’s in parallel like you do in your current build? Thanks.

@The Tatenator, that looks like a good option. As to your PS question...since each diff board has 4 outputs, two boards would have 8 outputs. Most power distro boards also have 8 outputs. So, as you wrote, I would connect 2 receiver boards to one power supply and the power distro board to the second power supply.

Joel, thanks for the shout out! For the pigtails, I got those from the same vendor that I purchased my pixels from. You can order those from most any vendor. Just be sure to specify the connector you need, most common these days is XConnect or Ray Wu style connector ends.

Thanks Brian. The auto fuse is connected on one side to the 12V (V+) power supply output. The other end is connected to the 12V wire than goes straight to the 12V (V+) input of one of the electronics boards. The same goes for the second power supply going to the second electronics board input.

Randy, thanks for the comment, and I’m glad these videos are helping you out. For power injection, it sounds like you’ve ordered all the right parts. I also use similar power injection Ts, if you watch the video posted titles “How to Chain Pixel Props Like a Champ”. For the power distro board, you should get 2 wire pigtails and get some 2 wire pre-made extensions to connect to the 2 pin power injection T. My power injection T has 3 pins and is wired a certain way. So, I use standard 3 wire pigtails and 3 wire pre-made 10’ extensions, knowing that only 2 of the 3 wires are being used for power injection to the T. Be sure to check the pins so that you know which pins should be used for V+ and and GND. You definitely don’t want to get those crossed. If you do, the 5A fuse will blow very quickly. So, have a number of extra mini ATC fuses on hand. Good luck.

Hi Steve , thank you for all the advice, I got all the wires you mentioned. I also bought the same type of rj45 connector but Im not sure if this is waterproof. There's no gland that covers the connection outside the box. Is this safe to use when it's raining? It says it is not waterproof without the dust cap.

Randy, you're welcome. The RJ45 connectors I use are not "waterproof", but they should work just fine as long as you have them pointing down or covered in some other way. Mine are exposed (not covered) and pointing down (as shown in this build) so water doesn't run along the wires towards the connector. It's been fine like that for 5 years at my house and 4 years at the church show. There are waterproof connectors that cover the external side. Those are used commonly with outdoor POE cameras.

thanks Steve. If it worked for you the last 5 years it should be fine.

@@randybaron5190 you can also use some dielectric grease around the RJ45 plug when you insert it. that will keep water out as well. but as steve said, as long as its pointing down you should be a-ok.

Ryan, good questions. I have one F16V3 in the ammo crate controller box with one differential expansion board. I have a second ammo crate controller build with two smart receivers that is used with the megatree. There’s a CG1500 controller box with a receiver on the porch roof, and there’s a second CG1500 controller box with a receiver on the yard. That’s the full controller breakdown and setup for my entire show. The F16 breakdown build video shows what the two ammo box builds look like. And this video shows what the 2 CG1500 builds look like, as they are both identical.

BMac, those are all good questions. Congrats on getting a F16v3 board. It’s a solid controller that will let you grow your show for years to come. 1) If you’re using a single differential receiver, you do not need a differential expansion board. You can run a network cable from one of the serial ports directly to the differential receiver board. 2 and 3) The wire gauge on the AC side can 16 or 18 AWG. For the DC side, I recommend using 10 or 12 AWG wire to connect V+ and GND to the power input of the F16v3. You can use the same 10 or 12 AWG wire to connect the DC grounds of the power supply together. You actually won’t need to do that since both sides of the F16v3 grounds are already bonded together. Welcome to the hobby and enjoy the ride.

@@NiFamilyLights I really can't thank you enough! Your videos are remarkably helpful and thorough! Thanks for your help.

@Spencer Steinmann, that's an interesting question. Typical commercial electronics are typically rated to handle up to 70 degrees C (or 158 degrees F). So, the electronics may be just fine up there if your attic gets up to 130 degrees F. Depending on the boards, you may want to check with the supplier to determine the tested environmental ratings. I checked 12V 350W Meanwell power supplies and those are rated for up to 70 degrees C. The generic power supplies didn't have any operating temperatures stated, but those may be similar in what they can handle. Sorry I can't be more assuring, but I think you'd be ok. I've had commercial Unifi POE switches in my attic (that run hot on their own), and they ran just fine for several years up in the attic (recently moved into a more hospitable environmental).

@Graph Guy, I looked as well. It appears that the CG-1500 was discontinued earlier this year. That's too bad given it's versatility. However, there are other options for cases similar in size. The internal dimensions of the CG-1500 was 9.75' x 9.75' x 4.5' (H). The BUD NBF-32026 has internal dimensions of 15-1/8" x 11-1/64" x 5-61/64" (H). amzn.to/3AdLrRk The BUD NBF-32022 has internal dimensions of 12-63/64" x 9-3/64" x 5-39/64" (H). amzn.to/3TDsFtz The MTM ACR-18 Ammo Crate has internal dimensions of 13" x 9" x 4.8"(H). amzn.to/3UVlIFj Hopefully you're able to find something that works for you.

@framptonesq The pigtails shown are about 18” long. I got these from the vendor where I sourced my pixels. These were standard lengths, as I didn’t need to request a custom length. You should be able to get pigtails from most any pixel vendor, and you can check that they are at least 16” or 18” long.

J Patel, the number of pixels a smart receiver can control is based on the division of pixels from the main Falcon F16 controller (or F48). The F16v3 has 16 built in outputs, each capable of handling 1,024 pixels per output. Once you add one differential expansion board (supporting up to 4 differential receivers (or smart receiver chains)) -- each receiver has 4 outputs totaling 16 in addition to the original 16, you need to divide up the 1,024 pixels per output in half. You can adjust this division in the Falcon configuration. Assuming you divide the number of pixels per output in half (1,024 for 16 outputs), that's 512 pixels per output across 32 outputs. Remember, each smart receiver has 4 outputs, so that puts the total number of pixels per smart receiver at 2,048 pixels. In my show, my setup is basically a F16v3 with one diff expansion board. I divide the pixels per output in half as written above. So, as long as you are able to provide enough power for your pixels, each smart receiver can easily handle lots of pixels (1,638 in my case). If you have an F16v3 with 2 expansion boards, that essentially gives you 16 x 3 outputs or 48 outputs. This is essentially the same as an F48. You'll now have up to divide the 1,024 pixels per output (for 16) by 3, or about 340 pixels per outputs (for 48 outputs). There are sliders in the configuration to tweak this, but 340 is a good starting point. Using 340 per output, a smart receiver with 4 outputs could handle 1,360 pixels (340 x 4). Hopefully this explanation helps you out.

Steve @@NiFamilyLights, thanks Steve, once again great explanation! I watched all of your videos and still keep watching. I don't have words to express gratitude for great work of knowledge sharing you are doing. GOD BLESS YOU & EVERYONE else. I will seek your help as I am setting up my first show with F48 differential receiver with few smart receiver boards.i am not planning to go heavy at beginning & started ordering stuff and building some. Thanks again Steve.

Absolutely! There are a number of thermostat sensor/control products to do that. You'll need to connect the power to the thermostat and then connect the fan to the thermostat. Just be sure the thermostat can be powered by the appropriate voltage of your power supply.

@MHL1528 more detailed wiring is shown in Part II of this video. Here’s a link to it. m.kzfaq.info/get/bejne/nKejm9yWzdS7qXk.html

Yes, that section starts at 18:12.

@@NiFamilyLights thanks so much for answering. I saw you video and thought this is what I was looking for so I ordered everything you had shown. I saw the time frame you mentioned but I am not able to see how you connected the fuses to the power supply and how the board are connect. I hope am explaining myself.

@@gerard2056 Apologies, I was referencing a timestamp of the Ammo Box Breakdown build that shows how those power supplies are connected to fuses and the electronics. For the CG1500 build, the auto fuses come with the wiring looped. Just cut the loop in the middle. For one end, crimp a spade connector and attach it to the V+ screw terminal of the power supply. For the other end, it goes to the WAGO lever nut. From the WAGO lever nut, run a wire to the V+ of your Diff Receiver or Power Distro Board.

@@NiFamilyLights Thanks I will try it tonight. I hope I can keep reaching out to you for help. I am new to this and I was to get it right.

Why did you drop the volt/amp meter?

@Chris wren, the fuses I use between the controller electronics and power supply are 20A. Regarding the Ethernet plug, I set these boxes up vertically. So, they are at the bottom of the enclosure facing down. I’ve not had any water issues with them with 6 years of use. If you are concerned, you can add a piece of plastic from a trash bag or something else and tape it to the enclosure to “shield” the interface.

@@NiFamilyLights Thanks for getting back to me on this it helps out a lot thanks again .

All of the items in the build are in the description below including links to places where they can be purchased. The IPV-1115 Bud Industries vents are available at digikey. There are likely other places you can get them. In the video, I show the hole saw kit used to drill through the box to mount the vents. Check out the section at 10:44.

@@NiFamilyLights Tenx Ni. Question: How do you power inject in the middle of string if you do not have those power injection cable.?

If you don’t have power injection Tees, you can make your own wiring connections. Check out this video at 33 min 57 sec where I draw out how the Tees work internally. m.kzfaq.info/get/bejne/kMiPlsKls7nYaWQ.html

@Charles C, you can purchase the wire from any local home improvement store or from an online store such as Amazon. Just be sure to order pure copper wire for the best performance.

@John Nagy, coming off these boxes, I’m using pre-made 10’ pixel extension wires. At best, the wire gauge is effectively 22AWG (although advertised as 18AWG). Runs range between 10’ to 30’ for most power injection that I do off these boxes, or 1-3 of those pre-made extension cables linked together. Note, all of my props are wired to balance power from the first to the last pixel of each prop.

@@NiFamilyLights Thank you so much for the information. So many different ways people are doing it. Lol

@@NiFamilyLights I have another question. You have two power supplies in your set up. How do you power inject from 2 different supplies? Thank you. Would love to see your actual displays as well. I have no doubt they are spectacular

@John Nagy To power inject from different power supplies, there's no difference with the wiring from the box to any power injection point. Within the box, be sure to jumper the V- (GND) between the two power supplies. This will ensure the V- (GND) is the same between the power supplies as to not cause data corruption of pixel data when power injecting. And, if you're ever in the area, please do stop by. As you know, the pixels look much better in person than in a recording!

...or is the end with the Pins exposed NOT the Male for xconnectors?

Thanks MotoMerica. All the pigtails coming from the controller and power distro boards have female ends. That way the male pigtail end of the pixels can plug right in.

The AC wire I used connecting the two power supplies is solid core 12 AWG wiring. It’s stiff, so once bent to the desired shape, it stays put.

Hi Derek, if you score the polycarbonate with a utility knife, you can get it to the point where you can bend and break it. For areas that are cut out, I pre-scored, then drilled holes. After drilling holes in the corners of the cut out area. Then I grabbed pieces with pliers to bend and break sections. For circular holes, I used a hole saw to cut those.

Hi Bruce. I’m not sure I understand your question. The V+ power is separate between the receiver board and the power distro board since each one is powered by their own power supply. When I power inject, the power injection Ts break V+ to maintain V+ isolation.

The power distro board (electronic board on the left) is powered by “PS1”, which is the upper power supply. The differential receiver board (electronic board on the right) is powered by “PS2”, the lower power supply. The positives on the distro board are internally connected to the V+ input. So, no additional wiring is needed.

@@NiFamilyLights Thabk you. Just to clarify, when you say internally connected, you mean directly to the PS1 supply? I thought when using a second PSU to PI, you had to leave the positive connections off because the PS2 has the positive connected to the pixels. Am I correct? Or did you wire the V+ from the connectors because both PSU’s are connected together and not independent?

What I mean by internally connected is, within the circuit board itself, all V+ for the power distro outputs are connected to the single V+ terminal coming from the power supply. You are correct, do NOT connect the V+ from two power supplies to a single power distro board V+ terminal. Also, do NOT connect the V+ between two power supplies, unless they are specifically designed to allow that (which most of them are not).

@@NiFamilyLights perfect. Thank you. So, your 2nd power supply is connected to your first with the ground and neutral wires only? I wanted to add, you power inject cables are not connected with the positive terminal on the ports right? Only the ground?

I believe you found the Part 2 of this video series which shows how everything is wired up. Posting here so others who find this comment know there's a Part 2. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/nKejm9yWzdS7qXk.html

Kenneth, if you are referring to using one AC power cord to power two Meanwell 350W power supplies, absolutely! You just need to be mindful of how many power supplies in total you are running off a single 15A 110V AC circuit and ensuring you're using a good quality extension cord (typically 18 or 16 AWG). Assuming you max out the 350W power supplies, two together would use 6.4A of the 15A circuit. But, it's highly unlikely that you'll push the power supplies that hard.

@@NiFamilyLights I also didn't realize I could do this. Your CG-1500 builds are very clean and I want to set up the PSU side the same as you have yours. Any chance you could share a more detailed picture of the wiring on the PSU side showing how you have the PSUs powered with one 110 plug and the in/outs of the wago connectors. It's hard to see what's going on in the vid. Or maybe you have a wiring schematic? Thanks for sharing your knowledge!

Joel, thanks. I'll try to make a vid with some wiring diagrams of the internal wiring of these builds. In the meantime, the AC pigtail comes in and goes to the lower power supply. Still on the AC side, I connected the lower power supply to the upper power supply by making a jumper cable, connecting GND to GND, N to N, and Line to Line (aka Hot to Hot). On the DC side, I made a jumper and connected GND to GND, bonding the DC grounds together which will be important if you're doing power injection. The V+ for each power supply has an inline fuse which then goes to one of the electronic components. The corresponding DC GND also goes to the same electronic components. Last, I connected the 12V brushless fan to the power and ground connections from one of the electronic components. The fan stays on all the time when the box is powered.

@@NiFamilyLights Your post above made sense, but I also watched your new video. Totally clear now. So fantastic that you take the time to help individuals, like myself, who are new to the hobby by answering questions and showing detailed step-by-step videos.

Melvin, see the links in the video description. I believe what you are looking for are there.

I found the link thanks

Joshua, welcome to the hobby. You can hit me up on FB messenger.

I currently don’t sell any products, just information here on KZfaq.

Sorry, no, I don’t sell any products. This channel is devoted to helping others with their DIY projects. However, CCLights.com does build and sell finished controllers to your specs. So, check them out.

Thanks but sorry. My builds are not for sale. :)

@@NiFamilyLights np thanks