Hi everyone! I’m really excited to share my recent experience with Govee products, especially their outdoor lighting solutions. I’ve been looking into setting up some string lights for my porch and roof, and after doing some research, I decided to go with Govee’s 50-light package. It’s been a fun project, but I’ve also faced a few challenges along the way.
First off, I wanted to extend the lights to the peak of my roof, which is about 16 feet up. I decided to cut and extend one of the strings, using 16/3 insulated wire. I also used solder and heat shrink tubing for all the connections to ensure everything was secure. When I plugged them in, the first 21 lights worked perfectly, but the next 6 were a bit dim, and the rest flickered. I realized this was likely due to voltage drop over the longer line.
To tackle this, I considered a few options. One was replacing the 36V 2A power supply with a 36V 3A one to see if that helped with the voltage drop. Another idea was to jump the + and ground wires at the end of the last string, something I’ve seen work with other RGBIC string lights. I’ve already tried replacing the solder joints and tested different configurations, but the flickering persists.
I’ve also been monitoring the voltage readings. At the controller, it’s 35.9V, 34V after the first string, and 32V after the 16-foot extension. This drop seems to be the main issue. I’m curious if anyone else has tried similar solutions or has any other suggestions to improve the voltage stability.
I’m really happy with how the lights look when they’re working properly, and I can’t wait to have them up for the holidays. It’s been a great learning experience, and I’m excited to see how I can optimize the setup even further. If anyone has tips or tricks, I’d love to hear them! Thanks for your support, and happy lighting! 