These amplifiers may take some ingenuity to mount since the terminal blocks cover the mounting slots (for the most part 1 end is completely covered, the other about 80%), so don't count on using just a couple of screws to hold them in place. I chose to use zip ties. Fortunately I was able to drill a couple of holes above and below the amplifier and snake a zip tie through them and back out. It isn't the prettiest installation in the world but it works.
I installed 4 strings of lights. I chose to use 4 amplifiers just so all of the light levels would be the same. I could have gotten away with only 3 (powering 1 string from the RBG controller) but chose not to since the extra amplifier was not expensive.
Wiring is a snap. All terminal connections are clearly labeled. One feature that isn't mentioned in the instructions is the power wiring. There are 2 power wire connections 1 consisting of a 5mm round plug-in connection, and the 2nd via screw terminals on the opposite side. You only need to power 1 of these not both. I chose to use the screw terminals.
These particular units are NOT waterproof! Don't use them outdoors or where they can be subjected to excessive moisture.
After an initial goof up of getting the power wiring polarity incorrect, I got all strings working properly. About the wiring problem you don't need to be too concerned about wiring these things backwards they just don't work if wired improperly you won't burn anything up by doing it, they just won't work.
All in all these are fine units. The cases are sturdy aluminum and the screw terminals work well. I've already purchased more of these for another RGB LED strip light project.
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I use these in a theatre setting, in scenery and props onstage. They are lower resolution (a bit steppy at the low end, which leads to less consistent color) than more expensive DMX decoder/drivers. In a standalone setting where fine control is not as important, though, they'd be just fine.Another piece of advice I haven't seen anywhere else: if you want consistent output, you should install these every ~12 feet instead of the full 16.4 feet of a reel of LED strip. The voltage tends to drop pretty far toward the end of the strip due to the small traces running along it. In my current project, with them installed in a continuous loop around the inside of a billboard frame and spaced at 16.4', it is quite obvious where one strip ends and the next begins due to the intensity and color shift. I have not tried it yet, but I think it may be the case that I would get more consistent color between the LED strips if the amplifiers were spaced closer together.
As other people have mentioned, mounting these is quite easy all you have to do is pull out the green phoenix connectors which will expose the flange slots.
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