Lectric Lar
Supporting Member
Thought I'd share a project I used to control a holiday EL Wire display.
I started with a 3-ch DMX Relay board I bought on Amazon. It has dip switches to set the first channel of three consecutive channels. I used my own project box maker in FreeCad to build an enclosure to mount the board, a buck converter (set to output around 3v,) and three EL Wire power supplies, as well as the DMX sockets and a power socket.
The EL supplies were extracted from the battery powered units that came with the EL Wire. I removed the push button switch and soldered a wire in place to keep it turned on. I've learned that the supplies being on without a connected wire do not work well. The first version of this idea used one EL supply and switched the output between different EL loops. The supply would turn off, even though shorted on, at some unpredictable time, but relatively soon after the display would start running.
This version uses separate supplies, still shorted on, but switching the power to them as needed through the relays. I've had no issues with this configuration.
The power input is 12vdc from a wall-wart, which is fed to the relay board, and the buck.
The DMX connecters are set up to loop-through (no protection), and worked well to pass the signal downstream to other DMX controlled units.
When outside, the unit is protected in a water proof box, which also houses other equipment, so I didn't opt to make this project box sealed.
I've used the unit to control a Halloween tombstone display, and then reuse it at Christmas for a snowman. I've included some halloween pictures, but I don't seem to have a Christmas one in my collection. I'll have to be sure to take one next December.
I started with a 3-ch DMX Relay board I bought on Amazon. It has dip switches to set the first channel of three consecutive channels. I used my own project box maker in FreeCad to build an enclosure to mount the board, a buck converter (set to output around 3v,) and three EL Wire power supplies, as well as the DMX sockets and a power socket.
The EL supplies were extracted from the battery powered units that came with the EL Wire. I removed the push button switch and soldered a wire in place to keep it turned on. I've learned that the supplies being on without a connected wire do not work well. The first version of this idea used one EL supply and switched the output between different EL loops. The supply would turn off, even though shorted on, at some unpredictable time, but relatively soon after the display would start running.
This version uses separate supplies, still shorted on, but switching the power to them as needed through the relays. I've had no issues with this configuration.
The power input is 12vdc from a wall-wart, which is fed to the relay board, and the buck.
The DMX connecters are set up to loop-through (no protection), and worked well to pass the signal downstream to other DMX controlled units.
When outside, the unit is protected in a water proof box, which also houses other equipment, so I didn't opt to make this project box sealed.
I've used the unit to control a Halloween tombstone display, and then reuse it at Christmas for a snowman. I've included some halloween pictures, but I don't seem to have a Christmas one in my collection. I'll have to be sure to take one next December.
