Infrared Sensor Wire for LED Strip

[FrankTank]

I have about 7 different separately powered LED Tape Lights that I am running in various spots in a room in the house. They each have 1 sensor wire.

I was planning/hoping on extending each sensor wire so I can place each of the 7 sensors in one spot in the room. So I can point the remote and everything turns on all at the same time.

Attached a couple pictures of what the unit looks like. I used orange handled wire strippers to strip each of the Blue Red and Black wires....on my handled strippers the slot I used to cut said 20-22 gauge.

Can anyone recommend a 3-conductor wire with jacket to use to safely splice and extend these wires? I want it to be safe as I am using it indoors. Also, is there a limit to extend this type of wiring?

Any input/guidance is appreciated

I hope this all made sense. I just want to be safe

 

[Tha fios agaibh]

If you look closely along the jacket it should tell you the cable size and type.
looks like it might be 20-3 sjt cord?

 

[FrankTank]

I can't see anywhere on the jacket.
I bought some of 22-4 at the store. Says its security wire rated up to 300volts.

I am not sure if it's ok or not I tested it and it works but I just want to be safe with it.

On the original sensor wire each of the 3 wires have 9 very thin copper strands. I stripped the security wire and each has 6 copper strands but these are a touch thicker.

This is the wire I bought
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Southwir...3R-Shielded-Security-Cable-57572444/202316269

I think it's sufficient and safe for this but I want to be sure.
?????
Am I overthinking this??

 

[Tha fios agaibh]

Technically it violates the UL listing of the device to spice the cable like that.

As far as safety and actually doing it, Your fine. It's low voltage (5v) I wouldn't splice the cable but run new cable the entire length and splice in the boxes.
You'll probably need to buy a couple cord grip (strain relief) fittings.

 

[FrankTank]

Technically it violates the UL listing of the device to spice the cable like that.

As far as safety and actually doing it, Your fine. It's low voltage (5v) I wouldn't splice the cable but run new cable the entire length and splice in the boxes.
You'll probably need to buy a couple cord grip (strain relief) fittings.

I'd be scared to splice so near to the soldered wires. I bought some butt splices and was just going to splice em with that and put heat shrink wrap around it also.

What kind o splice are you speaking of within the box? Also, what kind of cord grip strain relief?

thanks!

 

[Tha fios agaibh]

I would replace the entire cable with your desired length and solder the conductors in the boxes at their proactive solder nodes.

 

[FrankTank]

Dang.
I don't trust my soldering abilities.... or lack of for that matter

 

[Tha fios agaibh]

This has a cable range of .16 thru .31
They make all kinds and sizes of cord grip fittings designed to transition from cable to box.

 

[Tha fios agaibh]

You could just leave a few inches of wire strip 1/2 inch or so insulation off and twist together wires with small blue wire nuts.

It's wise to not make wires too long where noise could be introduced.

 

[FrankTank]

You could just leave a few inches of wire strip 1/2 inch or so insulation off and twist together wires with small blue wire nuts.

It's wise to not make wires too long where noise could be introduced.

Ok thanks. I'll take a look again in the morning and maybe bust out the old soldering iron and practice on a busted calculator or something.

Thank you!

 

[Tha fios agaibh]

I'm saying you don't have to solder if your not comfortable with it.
Just use small wire nuts or crimp on lugs.

 

[FrankTank]

Gotcha.

Is there a rule of thumb to consider? A limit perhaps? To how long I can safely lengthen this sensor wire?

I was only planning on about 10 ft for each but maybe one of the wires 15-20 ft

 

[Tha fios agaibh]

Should be fine under 25ft. It just the longer the wire the more voltage drop/signal loss and potentially noise could be introduced.

 

[Doug3004]

If you are using optical sensors, you have a second option that may work--which is to use optical fiber to extend the sensor range directly rather than use copper tire to extend the sensor's wires.

You can either buy end-emitting 2mm/3mm jacketed fiber (for decorating) and just deal with the lack of end fittings yourself, or you can buy cheap Toslink cables online and get toslink butt-couplers to allow attaching them together easier. (You can cut the end off one short cable to attach it to the sensor with heat-shrink tube)

Toslink is often said to have a relatively short range of only ~30 feet but that is partly related to the plastic fiber and partly related to the high bandwidth that it uses. Much slower signals can go a lot farther, especially if it's not bent around a lot of corners.

Telecom fiber (glass) cable can transmit WAY farther--but it isn't cheap or easy to use. I've looked at using it for oddball things and sometimes you can find the cable cheap, but every other aspect of using it is more difficult and expensive, even if you don't need real telecom-level performance from it. The tools for cutting it, polishing the end, and mounting the end fittings is all very expensive.

 

[FrankTank]

If you are using optical sensors, you have a second option that may work--which is to use optical fiber to extend the sensor range directly rather than use copper tire to extend the sensor's wires.

You can either buy end-emitting 2mm/3mm jacketed fiber (for decorating) and just deal with the lack of end fittings yourself, or you can buy cheap Toslink cables online and get toslink butt-couplers to allow attaching them together easier. (You can cut the end off one short cable to attach it to the sensor with heat-shrink tube)

Toslink is often said to have a relatively short range of only ~30 feet but that is partly related to the plastic fiber and partly related to the high bandwidth that it uses. Much slower signals can go a lot farther, especially if it's not bent around a lot of corners.

Telecom fiber (glass) cable can transmit WAY farther--but it isn't cheap or easy to use. I've looked at using it for oddball things and sometimes you can find the cable cheap, but every other aspect of using it is more difficult and expensive, even if you don't need real telecom-level performance from it. The tools for cutting it, polishing the end, and mounting the end fittings is all very expensive.

Theoretically
If I went with optic cable... couldn't you just simply cut each end of the optic cable to expose it....and then just tape one end straight on the the existing IR sensor?

Then you just point the remote at the other exposed end of the optic cable.....and bammo light travels down and triggers the sensor

 

[Doug3004]

Theoretically
If I went with optic cable... couldn't you just simply cut each end of the optic cable to expose it....and then just tape one end straight on the the existing IR sensor?

Then you just point the remote at the other exposed end of the optic cable.....and bammo light travels down and triggers the sensor

I have mainly seen this used with a light source on one end and a photodetector on the other, not with IR remote use. So you may want to just buy one shorter cable and test out the effectiveness with that first.

The plastic end-emitting optical cable or toslink cable you can just cut with anything (scissors, wire cutters) and then you just slice the end off flat with a sharp blade. You don't have to do anything else to it.

Generic toslink cables are pretty cheap on the china-direct sites, 10 meters for $7 or so.

 

[FrankTank]

I actually had an old optic cable in my junk drawer. Tested with the ends on and after I cut it. Worked just fine but the remote had to be close to the end and perfect LOS.

Now I am wondering if the 3mm optic cable would be worth ordering or if it would be same. Perfect LOS.

Any stateside websites that carry the 3mm cable and are reasonably priced?

I have mainly seen this used with a light source on one end and a photodetector on the other, not with IR remote use. So you may want to just buy one shorter cable and test out the effectiveness with that first.

The plastic end-emitting optical cable or toslink cable you can just cut with anything (scissors, wire cutters) and then you just slice the end off flat with a sharp blade. You don't have to do anything else to it.

Generic toslink cables are pretty cheap on the china-direct sites, 10 meters for $7 or so.

 

[FrankTank]

I started to butt splice em... just doesn’t seem secure.

What about soldering the wires together instead of on the circuit board? And then just heat shrink wrap?