Guide
Permanent lighting controller guide
The controller is what your customer touches every day after the crew leaves — it holds the scenes, runs the schedules and drives every light. Choosing it comes down to three questions: how many zones, how much power, and how far the signal travels.
What a channel is
A channel is an independently controllable output. One channel means the whole system acts as one zone — every light in the same scene at the same time. Four channels means up to four zones (front, sides, gables) each with their own scenes and schedules, driven from one box.
Single-channel or 4-channel?
| Spec | Single-Channel | 4-Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Zones | 1 | Up to 4 |
| Typical job | Front elevation, one continuous roofline | Larger homes, wraps, commercial frontages |
| Price | $529.99 | $749.99 |
We also stock a Surplife controller for fleets standardized on that platform — worth a call to confirm fit before switching a crew over.
The power supply behind it
Every controller we sell is configured at order time with a 350 W (standard), 450 W or 600 W supply. Bigger layouts, denser light spacing and long runs with power injection all pull from that budget — when in doubt, step up a size rather than running at the ceiling.
When the signal needs help
Controllers are usually mounted somewhere sheltered — a garage, a mechanical room — which can put real distance between the controller and the first light. When the data path gets long, an in-line data booster keeps every light downstream responding crisply.