Rgb decklights

[333rocky333]

I have some decklights and controller has conked out.
This controller was fed with 18vdc
I also have plenty of power supplies mostly 12 volt dc and also ones for lower dc Voltages.
Each light has 4 wires and , I'm quessing from bits found on internet 1 wire is +ve and the other 3 are -ve for each of the 3 colours.

Can I simply just connect a dc power source to two wires and use them as just 1 fixed colour.

What voltage would I be aiming at and do I need to add any resisters in series.
I would also like to keep all ten of these lights still linked together
I cannot seem to open them to see what's actually. inside.
Thanks in advance

 

[RandomGrinch]

Can I simply just connect a dc power source to two wires and use them as just 1 fixed colour.

Yes, it's possible.
As your existing power supply was 18V DC, it's likely that the controller was outputting 12V DC, rather than being a CC supply.
Commoning the negatives and supplying 12V should theoretically give a whitish light.
However, I would really like to see any details that are on the old controller, before confirming anything.

...or why not find a new controller?

 

[ericmark]

I note my lights the outputs of red, green, blue, low temperature and high temperature LED's exceeds the total output by a good amount. The controller will not allow all to be used together, so some care is required.

 

[RandomGrinch]

controller will not allow all to be used together, so some care is required.

Yes, but that's usually due to the limits of the ICs in the controller itself, rather than the bulb, or strip it's connected to.
The controller is often a separately purchased item. It doesn't know how many bulbs it's going to be connected to
But as above, I'd love to see any markings on the old controller first.

 

[333rocky333]

Thanks I was a bit concerned putting 12v across the leds as thought may be a bit much.

I bought them a few years back and never fitted them till now and when I plugged in the controller it screeches and no lights.
It did start to work briefly for a few minute's and I quickly checked

It was
static on light blue
+ BLACK TO - ORANGE 5VDC
static on dark blue
+ BLACK TO - RED 5VDC
Theres also a 4th white core
It then stoped working again.
Some bloke on internet broke open a single colour one and inside was a 100 Ohm smd resister, but mines RGB and can't get mine open without destroying one of them.
Unfortunately the makes now obsolete
I made a mistake the transformer does say its 12v but when I measured it its output was18v
The white units in the pics.

I have bought another brands controller (the black unit ) but this says needs a 12vdc max supply and not had time to sort an alternative out from the garage.
If it was outputting 18 volt I quess this may have damaged the old controller, when I did connect it to my new one with no load it seemed too hot so I turned. It off.
My intention being to measure the voltages at the 4 pins.
Also the 4 pin plugs different so i will need to rig something temporary to try it.
Thought I'd seek advise before I blow the leds..

 

[RandomGrinch]

Manual available here but not very helpful...

MICROMARK COLOUR MASTER DELUXE BEDIENUNGSANLEITUNG Pdf-Herunterladen

Ansicht Und Herunterladen Micromark Colour Master Deluxe Bedienungsanleitung Online. Led Set Mit Farbwechsel. Colour Master Deluxe Lichtanlage Pdf Anleitung Herunterladen.

www.manualslib.de

Some potentially interesting info here...

Although this is suggesting common cathode?

But at the moment I'm struggling to find anything definitive.

If you feel like taking the lid off of the controller, we may learn something from a peek inside?