8806 power

[mkomkom]

Hi!

So, as I gather from other posts, the max voltage on these strips are 5V. What is the minimum voltage for them?

On a practical basis, can more than a meter be used on a person (w/ batteries)?

How long can 5 meters run (at say 50% draw) off of battery sources? (if 5V is the limit, I was imagining using 2 AA batteries with a 5V step-up). Are we talking one minute or 20 minutes?

If 5 meters are just unthinkable with batteries like this, how about 1 meter?

Can the strip be powered from both ends? Do the power sources need to have the exact same voltages from both ends?

I want to incorporate this into a halloween costume and include as much of 5 meters as possible, for as long as possible.

Sorry for so many questions, but I have a strip coming in the mail and there seems to be a scarcity of specs available in print. So, I am trying to prod the community about their experiences so far...

Thanks in advance!

-Tyler-

[adafruit_support_bill]

I haven't tested for absolute minimum, but they seem to do OK on a 4.8v battery pack.

More than one meter should be doable.

1 meter @50% is going to be close to 1000mA. A minty-boost won't handle it. You would probably be better off with a 4.8v rechargeable pack. You can do the math depending on the pack you pick: mA * h = mAH. A 1000mAH pack will drive 1000mA for 1H (assuming you believe the manufacturer's rating.)

If you are doing much more than a couple meters, you will probably want to power both ends.

[nonuniform]

I'm thinking about a similar project, a wearable LED light show using the 8806 strips, probably the whole 5m reel.

Based on my initial calculations, it seemed like I'd be drawing 10a for 5m of the LEDs. I don't plan to run them at full intensity, I'll be using them for sound interactive color swirls from green-amber-red. I've found other threads here that mention a 5m real of the 8806 strips only use about 2a. So....what should I expect the draw to be in amps?

Also, what does it mean to power both ends?

[adafruit_support_bill]

Powering from both ends means running power leads to both ends of the strip. This better distributes the power over the length of the strip.

The 10A figure is the absolute theoretical maximum and not likely in normal use. 2A is probably a reasonable number to work with. Unless you are severely underpowered, the strip will still work. In most cases if you are slightly underpowered for part of your sequence, the strip will just be a little dimmer.