Hello All:

First time here and my 1st post. I took me a while to find a forum that might help me answer I question I can't seem to find an answer to so maybe here I can. So to give a little back story, I am wanting to string my room with Addressable RGB lights and be able to address each individual light. I got most of the gist on how to do this but the one thing that keeps throwing me is the amount of power I will nee to do this. I have started my light project by buy a Adruino Uno for the control. As for the lights I am buying Alitove WS2812B Addressable 300 Pixel RGB LED light strip 5m/16.4ft. The specs on these light are as follows:

1. Name: ALITOVE WS2812B 5M/roll 300 pixels LED strip
2. Light source: 5050 RGB LED
3. LED Qty: 60pcs per meter
4. Wave length (NM): R,620~625nm ; G,515~525nm; B,465~475nm
5. The gray level: 256
6. Color: full color (24-bit )
7. View angle:120°
8. Voltage: DC 5V
9. Max current:18A
10. Max power: 90W
11. Waterproof: Waterproof IP65
12. Dimension: 5000*12*3mm
13. Package: 16.4ft/roll
14. Life span:≥50000hrs
15. Port scanning frequency reaches to 2KHz/s
16. Data transmitting speed is up to 800Kbps
17. FPCB board color: Black
18. RGB order: Green/Red/Blue ( Please set up the controller before you use it. )
19. Red wire: 5V+ ; Black Wire: GDN ; Green wire: Data

 

Welcome to the forums.

Your project is 6) 5m strips ?
If yes..... you'll need a 15A supply per strip based on the mfg specs.

 

Are you saying you want to connect 2 light strips to 1 power supply and have that power supply operate at 80 percent capacity? If yes the power supply must be a 5vdc/43.2 amp. You can round up the 43.2 amp to a whole number to match a specific device. You can also round down the 43.2 amp to a whole number to match a specific device but you will lose capacity and at 36 amps you are at 100 percent capacity.

 

So if I hook up each strand separately I will need a 5v 15 amp supply but if I hook 2 up I will need a 5v 43.2 amp supply. Is this correct? Either way what would you recommend as to what to buy for both options?

Would this be ample for just 1 string at a time:
https://www.amazon.com/ALITOVE-Trans...s%2C656&sr=1-3

 

No. You need a ac/dc power supply with a 5vdc/18 amp rated output as a minimum. Because this power supply output (18 amp dc) and the amps required by the light array (18 amp dc)are the same, the power supply has zero reserve capacity.. The 5vdc requirement is fixed by the array manufacturer and relates to the number of LEDs that are connected in series.

 

You're talking about some pretty bright pixels. Unless you are intending to run all three colors at maximum brightness...... a 15A-18A would have plenty of reserve power.

 

So using both methods, hooking up two strands together and only hooking 1 strand each to a power supply, which power supply would you recommend as to my power needs. Please no specs on supplies, just supplies themselves. This project is ending up costing more than I thought it would but it is going to be worth it when I am done.

 

You certainly were concerned about specs in post #1. If you don't understand each of the 19 specs for the LED array, power supplies, etc., this is a project facing failure. Projects can be a chance to learn and enjoy. I suggest you spend some time understanding what a product specs means and how you use them to make product X orchestrate with product Y, like your Alitove , Adruino or power supply. Good luck.

 

Thanks for not answering the question. I am not an electrician so I do not understand what is needed. If I did then I would not be here asking the questions I am asking. When I bought my lights, the power supply I asked about earlier with the link above was the one that was recommended with the purchase. Now I've been told that that is not good enough so I came here to learn and get advise from people who know and can teach me the right way but instead, from at least one of you, I get criticized for not knowing and I need to learn. That is why I am here, so I can learn and make this project right. So instead of telling me I should know the answer, how about helping me find the right tools I need to make this project work.

 

Years ago there used to be a famous quote attached to many posts I think applies here. Give a man a fish and he eats for a day. Teach a man how to fish and he eats for a lifetime. Think about it.

 

Ok...... let's focus on the problems at hand.

You are going to be using six 5m pixel strips. Each one requires a 15A power supply. That means a total of six 15A power supplies. If you want to put two strips on a power supply then you'll need three 30A power supplies. If you are buying from Amazon..... just search for 30A power supplies or even slightly larger. Switching power supplies are cheap now. The fact that this breaking the budget is something we cannot help.

 

To Beelzebob:
You are not teaching me anything, you are just criticizing me for my lack of knowledge. Now since out of the 2 people that have responded to my post here you both are telling me 2 different things. 1 is saying I can use a 5v 15a power supply and you are telling me I can't. So you should see my confusion as to what I need to do here. Do I follow your advise and get a power supply that can handle 18a or more, or do I follow the advise of Pjmax and stick with the power supply that is recommended in the listing for the lights that I bought. What would you do in this instance since also you have a much lower post count then he does, and the fact that I do not know if either of you really know what your are talking about. So I have to take it on faith

To Pjmax:
I know this is going above the budget I set for myself but I am also willing to go above it. It just means that I have to spread the cost out over time and take a little longer to get this done. So the 5v15a supply is good enough, that is as long as I do not run the lights at full intensity correct? And I should be able to get away with a 15 amp supply if I go with 1 for each strand? If so then I will go with the one in the link I posted above and just have to get six of them.

 

The manufacturer is giving you the absolute maximum power draw. That would be with every pixel turned on high.... all three colors. If that's what you are planning to do...... then go with the bigger supply. I don't know what your end application is but I doubt it requires anywhere near the intensity that those pixels are capable of.

I was just looking at the power supply you linked to. That comes in a nice neat package and you pay for that. I use industrial type power supplies for my pixel power. The link shows a 20A version for less than your 15A one. On the same page they show 5V 60A power supplies for $30.

Pixel power

 

PJmax's suggestion of using 15A power supplies (limits brightness) is good as long as your program doesn't call for brightness exceeding 15A. Since I don't know the led array's brightness relationship to power supply amps, I would choose 18 amp power supplies so I could run the LED array at its maximum brightness if I wanted to or I forgot the limitation of the power supply while programming. So as I see it, both PJmax and I are correct. One has limitations, the other doesn't.

 

OK with that being said I want to thank you both. In the end, I got the answers I was looking for and now I think I can get this project to it fruition. I went with the power supply that Pjmax suggested which is what I was looking for although in the long run it is not what I envisioned and it will cost more than I was hoping but sa la vie. Beelzebob I know I got a little testy there and I am sorry but in the end you did give me advise you thought was pointing me in the right direction. At least you two were more help than I got at several other boards I thought I could get answers at. Again thanks for the help.

 

If you get some time..... visit the big Christmas lighting guys. They all use pixels for their displays now. The pixels come in 5v and 12v. I don't understand why some choose to use the 5v type as that requires heavier wiring to carry more amperage.

Jeff over at Canispater Christmas is fantastic. He is easy to follow and has some good easy to follow videos explaining all about powering and using pixels.
Youtube.com/channel/UCby1v6Kbi8AHMkV2yMyF1MQ