I'm looking at installing LED RGB striptape in a planter in my garden. I already have a 3 core SWA cable from my garage to the planter that was used for old halogen lights in the 90's. The tape I have been looking at has a 13A plug top, supplying the power supply, then that feeds a small unit that I presume is for the colour change. That then supplies the tape. It is this cable that I will have to cut, install the PSU and colour change unit in my garage and from the later supply the tape with the SWA. It is 1.5, possibly 2.5 and only 5m long so no issue with volt drop.
However will I have enough cores? I have seen tape with 2 cores (is that single colour?), 4 cores, even 6 cores. If it is 4 core, I was considering using the armouring for the negative as a last resort, but from what I've seen, the tape has a +12v supply then the others must be sunk down to 0v, so probably not an option.
Could I just use the +12v and 2 of the other cores to give limited colour option?
Perhaps I could leave the PSU in the garage and mount the colour change unit outside, possibly this will require fewer cores. It depends on the IP rating of the said unit.
Any advice would be welcome. Oh and installing another cable is out of the question. it is a block paved drive.
However will I have enough cores? I have seen tape with 2 cores (is that single colour?), 4 cores, even 6 cores. If it is 4 core, I was considering using the armouring for the negative as a last resort, but from what I've seen, the tape has a +12v supply then the others must be sunk down to 0v, so probably not an option.
Could I just use the +12v and 2 of the other cores to give limited colour option?
Perhaps I could leave the PSU in the garage and mount the colour change unit outside, possibly this will require fewer cores. It depends on the IP rating of the said unit.
Any advice would be welcome. Oh and installing another cable is out of the question. it is a block paved drive.