Issues with strings

[hub0001]

I have two strings of 54 nodes each. The second string is separated by a 12foot 18/3 cable. The second string will only light up to pixels. The third one in flickers. The rest are dark. Located on port 5 of a falcon f16v3 controller.
If i couple up the second string directly to the output of the first one. No issues all function. Cable rings through on all wires with less than 1 ohm drop across each wire. No shorts across wires.
V+ at the end of the cable shows 11volts .
Port 5 output  has 110 channels assigned.

Any ideas why the it wont talk through the jumper?

[allknowing2012]

Too far a jump from last pixel to first pixel. 12' is likely too far and proven with your testing. If you want to jump that far you might look at getting F-Amps from pixelcontroller.com or find find a way to reduce the distance between props. You can get further distance from controller to first pixel then you can get from pixel to pixel.

[hub0001]

Thanks for the advise. Had exactly the same problem with another group. About 12 Feet apart.
Have f amps on order . Had free ports on the falcon so i split the groups up until i get the f-amps.

[RandyS]

Another suggestion - you might try using Cat5 or Cat6 cable rather than 3 conductor cable.  I have found I can run at least twice as long a run using Cat5 than I can with cable..........

[Gilrock]

That's a good point.  I remember when all my original cabling was Cat5e and I would double/triple up the lines.  Everything worked great.  Then everyone was whining about how it wasn't a good choice.  I switch some of my stuff to 18/3 stranded cable and then its flashing and not working until I put null pixels in the middle of the cable.

[allknowing2012]

I am a cat5 user for this reason too :-) Solids are ground, green strip is data .. remaining stripes are voltage. Doesnt seem many folks do it this way anymore with all the diff receivers out there.

[hub0001]

I would have thought the smaller gauge wire for data would have restricted signal. Will give it a shot and see what happens

[Gilrock]

I twisted orange/orange-white/brown together for power....green/green-white/brown-white for ground....and blue/blue-white for data.  Lots of folks whined about me using 2 wires for data but field testing shows it works fine.  My main reason for doing it was it added more strength into the green connector.  I also like to tin the wires so that the twisted wires don't come apart.  Another thing people like to whine about.  I researched the data on 2 wires thing and with the speeds the signal is travelling it doesn't matter for the short distances in our shows.  Funny thing is I see people using spreadsheets and calculations to design their cabling and controllers and I've got a EE degree and my method is more of a rough guess and see if any fuses or breakers blow...lol.

[scuba]

I've used cat5 for 15 years and run 5V LED's.  I double up etc the un-used lines... just made up your mind how you will apply UNFORMALLY the different colors of the wire.  CAT 5 works well!

I think a well done post on this subject was made by.... maybe Kieth.  I really don't remember who did it, but it would be helpful to Newbies and Oldies. (LOL)

Also please keep in mind that some of the "connectors" supplied by Chinese suppliers have corrosion within the cables and connectors (not copper oxide: green corrosion, but black/gray colored stranded wires).  This corrosion will result in a large Voltage drop for your models. 

BTW: I'm a Ph.D in Nuclear engineering.  Doing the best I can with ohm's law.