Knowledge Base

Administration

When is my order Shipping?

Orders ship at different times based on the shipping location. If your order is…Shipping direct from our factory: 3 to 5 weeks
Shipping from our warehouse: 2-3 days
An LED Light Box or LED Light Panel: 7-10 days

When is my tracking number?

Our systems automatically generate a tracking number once your order is shipped. Occasionally, this e-mail finds its way into your junk folder.
If you are unable to find it there, don’t hesitate to contact us to get your tracking number.

How can i pay for my order?

We accept Visa, MasterCard, Amex, and Wire Transfers as payments.

How do i qualify for Net Terms?

Customers must have purchased from our company a minimum of three times before credit terms will be extended. Our products are custom made to the client’s specifications and cannot be resold if the order is cancelled once production has begun.

Are duties and customs covered in your shipping costs?

No. Duties and customs are the sole responsibility of customers. GLLS has no control over the assessment.

Can you provide an estimate on duties and customs?

Unfortunately, we do not have any way of estimating duties or customs fees.

What is your tariff code?

8541402000

What is your overage policy?

We charge actual shipping costs with no overage.

Can you resend my invoice/receipt?

Yes. Contact your salesperson for assistance with this.

I've received my order but I'm missing my assemblies. What should i do?

Assemblies are a service fee for installing the leads and end cap on the light and are not a physical product.

Can I get a price list?

All of our solutions are custom to each client’s project, therefore we do not offer price lists.

LED Neon Flex

Why is my Vivid RGB showing seemingly random colors?

This could be caused by connection problems, or shorts along the fixture. Try connecting the fixture directly to power to see if the issue could be the decoder, and check for resistance (link blog post) along the circuit board.

What does - round - mean on an LED Neon Flex quote?

“Round” on an LED Neon Flex quote indicates the profile of the light. It has a rounded top instead of a flat top.

Why is one of my cutting units not lit?

If the unlit unit is at an end, the fixture is either assembled incorrectly or not cut directly on the cutting unit. If the unlit cutting unit is in the middle of the run, it could be that the light was twisted or the bending diameter wasn’t respected and the circuit board became damaged.

How do I power a length of Vivid Pixel that is longer than 32.8ft (10m)?

You will need to connect the 3 wire side of your fixture to the decoder, and the 2 wire side to power.

Can I cut the fixtures in the field?

Yes, if you have purchased Snap Connector leads. Be sure to cut your fixture straight, directly along the cutting line, and correctly assemble the connectors. Note that if you choose to cut your lengths in the field rather than ordering pre-cut lengths, it will void your warranty for water ingression. The limited warranty will still apply to other warranty issues with the fixture not related to cutting.

What is the difference between an 01 end and an 02 end?

This determines the side of the fixture the lead will be mounted on. It is mainly important in Seamless side exit leads. (add diagram of 01 and 02 ends)

What is the minimum order quantity?

There is no minimum order quantity on stock orders.
For Seamless lead orders, the minimum order quantity is 65.62 feet (20m)
For color jacketed orders, the minimum order quantity is 656.17 feet (200m)

Why do dark spots appear when the fixture is dimmed?

The new Constant Current IC sees this problem under 19V. The first 3 LEDs are receiving more current than the last 3, causing an uneven dim.

Do you carry rope light?

No, our fixtures are ribbon lights, with a flexible circuit board inside, not wires.

What tool should I use to cut the fixture in the field?

Anvil cutters are required for straight, clean cuts in the field.

What is the difference between a seamless connector and a snap connector?

Seamless connectors are injection-molded at the time of manufacturing and are a guaranteed weather-tight seal. Snap connectors are a DIY(do it yourself) option that work well for projects that require on-site cut-to length pieces on a job site. When properly installed, snap connectors are weatherproof. However, GLLS does not warranty DIY assemblies against water ingression because GLLS cannot control if the DIY connector was assembled properly.

What materials are used to make the mounting hardware?

Our standard mounting channel is fabricated with anodized aluminum. Our self-locking mounting channel is fabricated with the same anodized aluminum, with the addition of a special stainless steel locking clip. Our 2 inches mounting clip version of this channel is made of the same materials, just cut to size for curved installations. Our plastic mounting channel is made of a plastic poly-carbonate with UV inhibitors.

Why are the white LED Neon Flex fixtures more expensive than other colors?

The white LEDs are tailor made by our LED supplier to ensure the color temperatures and color coordinates are in right range (3 steps MacAdam and color temperature range) even after the thick diffuser. They are not standard white LEDs we can easily source – that is the reason why our whites are more expensive than other colors.

What is the percentage of Thermal Fluctuations in your light fixtures?

The shrink rate for our PVC LED Neon Flex is 0.5%, which means 20m length can be shrink around 100mm while the SILICONE LED Neon Flex is 0.05%.

What is the smallest length a light strip can be made?

Because of the requirements for lead wires, fixtures can be made no smaller than 3 cutting units.

What is the Lumen Maintenance of the Neon Flex?

At 77°F (25°C), the fixture will take 70,000hrs to lose 30% of its output, and 90,000hrs to lose 50%.
At 122°F (50°C), the fixture will take 50,000hrs to lose 30% of its output, and 70,000hrs to lose 50%.This is based on our LM80 report and our UL Listing report.

What can I do to avoid voltage drop?

Make sure the gauge of your V+ wire is large enough to avoid the drop. With Vivid RGB, the other 3 wires can be 1 gauge smaller than the V+.

Can I install LED Neon Flex under water?

LED Neon Flex has an IP rating of 68. This means our fixtures can be submerged up to 39in (1m) for 40 minutes. If the ends of your fixture are kept out of the water, the fixture can be safely installed submerged up to 39in (1m) of water. Due to the pressure of the water, the fixture should not be installed deeper without some form of casing to protect the fixture from the pressure.

What are the 3 wires of a Dynamic White fixture?

The red wire is your voltage in wire, the other two are warm white and cool white. When connecting to a controller, connect your red wire to V+, and the other two to channel 1 and 2.

Why are your fixtures moving to Constant Current instead of Constant Voltage?

Constant Current circuits increase the lifespan of the LEDs. Our CC fixtures use better LEDS, and the voltage and current to the LEDs is managed better with an IC (integrated circuit) instead of a resistor. Our fixtures still require a CV power supply. CC power supplies will damage the CC fixtures.

What is the tolerance between PVC batches?

300K +/- may occur.

Why is my Vivid Pixel blue?

The Vivid Pixel fixture will turn a solid blue when it is recieving power, but not data. Blue dots will be illuminated on the fixture when the data is connected to the signal output side instead of the signal input side.

What does IP68 mean?

IP 68 is the rating our fixtures have earned through rigorous testing. The 6 refers to protection against dust, and is the highest achievable number meaning our fixtures are dust-tight. The 8 refers to water ingress, and means the product is submersible up to 39in (1m) in water.

What is a Dynamic White fixture?

Dynamic white fixtures are capable of being set to specific color temperatures between warm white and cool white. DMX controllers and decoders are required to operate Dynamic White fixtures.

Why are there different end options for lead wires?

Our flexible PCB is off-center in the lights. Because of this, 01 ends and 02 ends require differently set pins to connect properly.

What are the pantone numbers and the RAL codes for the standard color jacketed Vivid S colors?

Our standard color jacketed Vivid S Pantone and RAL codes are as follows:
Red: Pantone – 711C RAL – RAL 3028
Green: Pantone – 3278C RAL – RAL 6024
Blue: Pantone – 2103C RAL – RAL 1012
Yellow: Pantone – 103C RAL – RAL 5000

Is your 120V light fixtures dimmable?

Yes, our 120V light fixture is dimmable, we normally use triac dimmer, ELV and MLV.

Is your Light fixtures Suitable For Sauna?

No. As of the moment no LED light fixtures work well in the Sauna, because of the heat. Most builders make a chamber that the light sits in and shielded from heat. Our light will continue to work, but the light output will degrade quicker than the rated lifespan.

‍Traditional Dry SaunasTemperatures range between 78-90°C (180-195°F), though many are content to get in their sauna at 140°F while it gets hotter. Sauna bathers like set-off a blast of moist heat by pouring water over hot rocks creating steam.
‍What Are the Differences Between Saunas and Steam Rooms?

LED Light Panel

What is the purpose of the White, Red, Green, and Blue wires on the RGB LED Light Panels?

White is Common Positive (+). The Red, Green, and Blue wires are Negative (-) connections to the Red, Green, and Blue LED channels. For DMX controllers that have Ch 1, 2, 3 (etc.), the Red is Channel 1, Green is Channel 2, and Blue is Channel 3.

What is the purpose of the Red, Yellow, and White wires on the Dynamic White LED Light Panels?

Red is Common Positive (+). The White and Yellow wires are Negative (-). White controls the brightness of the cool white settings, and Yellow controls the brightness of the warm white settings.

What are the CRI and R9 values of the LED Light Panels?

LED Light Panels have CRI and R9 values of 90 and above.

What side is the face of the panel?

The face of the panel (the lighted surface) has a protective film which will have the warranty sticker attached. The back of the panel has a reflective backing and you will find the model number on it.

Do LED Light Panels come with mounting hardware?

No – LED Light Panels do not come with mounting hardware. Clips and fasteners can be found online or in most hardware stores.

What is the difference between an open face and closed face LED Light Panel?

A closed face LED Light Panel has a slightly wider frame of 15mm, compared to an open faced panel with a frame of 8mm. An open faced panel provides more light but does come with a risk of hot spots.

Which wire is positive (+) and which wire is negative (-)?

The positive (+) wire on a static color temperature LED Light Panel will be a solid color, The negative (-) wire will be marked with dashes.

Why is my LED Light Panel only partly lit?

Typically, an LED Light Panel is only partly lit when it has been damaged. Flexing the panel will damage the circuit board, causing dark or miscolored areas depending on the panel type. The damage can be hard to detect at the time of installation, but it will worsen over time. It is always important to handle an LED Light Panel with care.

Do panels come with a diffuser?

LED Light Panels can be ordered with a diffusion sheet on the lighted surface, but must be requested by the client. Please note that this diffusion sheet will NOT cover or hide the frame.

What is the Lumen Maintenance of the LED Light Panels?

Lumen Maintenance (L70) of the LED Light Panels is around 50,000 hours (5.7 years at 24 hours of operation over 365 days). The SMP (Switch Mode Power supply), however, will only last between , 20,000-30,000 hours.

Can I have an LED Light Panel made to size?

Yes, all of our fixtures are custom cut. See our spec sheets for maximum and minimum sizes.

What is the lead time on custom sizes?

The lead time for all LED Light Panels is between 7-10 days.

Can you make organic (such as circular) shaped LED Light Panels?

GLLS is not able to create organic shaped LED Light Panels due to the nature of our heat sync. Depending on the scale of the project, we may be willing to invest in special engineering to create an organic shape. Contact our sales team if you want to run your project by us for consideration.

Can you make the LED Light Panels frameless?

Our LED Light Panels do not come in a frameless option. The LED Light Panel frame is an important part of the heat dissipation of the product and extends the lifetime of your product. However, we are able to remove the frame from any side of the panel that does not have LEDs.

Are LED Light Panels dimmable?

LED Light Panels are dimmable using the proper controllers.

LED Light Boxes

Do LED Light Box frames come in custom colors?

LED Light Boxes can be ordered with a custom color frame. There is a minimum order quantity, however, of 200 units. Standard LED Light Box frame colors are Silver, Black, and Ivory White.

Which wire is positive (+) and which wire is negative (-)?

The positive (+) wire on a static color temperature LED Light Box will be a solid color, The negative (-) wire will be marked with dashes.

What type of power supplies are available for an LED Light Box?

GLLS offers hard wire power supplies for LED Light Boxes intended for dimming. On non-dimming LED Light Box projects, we offer plug and play power supplies.

What is the Lumen Maintenance of the LED Light Boxes?

Lumen Maintenance (L70) of the LED Light Boxes is around 50,000 hours (5.7 years at 24 hours of operation over 365 days). The SMP (Switch Mode Power supply), however, will only last between , 20,000-30,000 hours.

Can I have an LED Light Box made to size?

Yes, all of our fixtures are custom cut. See our spec sheets for maximum and minimum sizes.

What is the lead time on custom sizes?

The lead time for all LED Light Boxes is between 7-10 days.

Are LED Light Boxes dimmable?

LED Light Boxes are dimmable using the proper controllers.

Do you offer hanging options for your LED Light Boxes?

Yes.We offer 4 different hanging options for our LED Light Boxes.
1). Hang against wall – use standard hanging clip
2). Hang in the air – use air hanging clip
3). Direct screw – use pre-drilled holes and screw in the light box directly to the wall.
4). Install from the back – use square nuts to hold light box from the back.

Power Supplies

Why isn't my power supply dimming correctly?

If your power supply isn’t dimming correctly, check to make sure it’s an LED dimmer that is 0-10V. Otherwise, it could be underloaded. The total wattage of the fixture must be within 60% of the power supply.

My power supply isn’t dimming at all, what’s happening?

If your power supply isn’t diming, ensure that your dimmer is for LEDs, and that the power supply is not underloaded.

Which wires are for dimming?

The dimming wires on a power supply are the White and Blue wires.

Should I tear the dimming wires out if I am not using them?

You should never tear the dimming wires out of your power supply. Instead, you can tape or cap each wire separately. If you do not separate them when capping them off, it will set the dimming to 0% and your fixture will not light up.

Why didn’t my power supply come with a wall plug? Is it a 3-prong or a 2-prong cord I need?

The power supplies provided do not come with a wall plug due to the variety of different outlet configurations and standards around the world.

Do I plug both sides of the LED into the same power supply or different ones?

GLLS recommends that fixtures that need to be powered from both ends be powered from the same power supply. This is recommended so that in the event of one of the power supplies failing, the fixture will not be damaged by voltage drop.

What is the input voltage of your power supplies?

The input voltage range for the HLG power supplies is 90VAC to 305VAC.

Are your power supplies CLA/UL listed?

The HLG power supplies are not UL listed but they are UL Recognized components for use in hazardous (Classified) locations.

Are your power supplies class 2 rated?

HLG power supplies rated for 100W or lower are Class 2 rated.

How far can my lights be away from the power supply?

The distance between the power supply and light fixture is dependent on the length and current draw of the fixture. In theory, the fixture can be any distance away from the power supply if the AWG of the wire used is increased to prevent a voltage drop of more than 10% of the fixtures required voltage.

Can the power supply be enclosed or will it over heat?

The power supplies can be placed in an enclosure. Its important that the temperature inside the enclosure does not exceed the maximum rated ambient temperature of the power supplies which is 90°C.

Can I stack my power supplies? How far apart do they need to be?

Power supplies should not be stacked on top of each other and should be 10-15cm apart to keep proper ventilation around the power supplies.

Can I plug multiple devices to the power supply?

Multiple devices can be connected to one power supply if the maximum current draw is not exceeded. The maximum current varies per HLG model.

What dimmer do you recommend?

GLLS recommends the Lutron Diva dimmer, but any 0-10V LED dimmer will work.

Are the Meanwell power supplies rated for wet locations?

Meanwell power supplies are not rated for wet locations. We recommend using a Nema box or similar water-tight product.

Can I RMA my power supply?

You cannot RMA a power supply without first providing adequate images of the power supply being tested to our warranty department. 99% of power supplies that are returned are not damaged, but simply need to be reset.

Can I power my fixture with a battery?

It is possible to power our fixtures with a battery as they accept DC voltages. It is, however, difficult to find a battery the correct size for the fixture. 12V car batteries could be used with our 12V products, but a 24V battery for our more common 24V fixtures could be difficult to find.

Can I connect multiple fixtures to one power supply?

It is possible to connect multiple fixtures to one power supply as long as you have accounted for the wattage rating. We recommend using a power supply rated for 10-15% higher wattage than your draw.

What is the warranty of your power supplies?

HLG power supplies have a seven-year warranty.

How many power supplies can I have on one circuit?

The following table shows Meanwells recommendations for how many HLG power supplies that can be connected to one Miniature Circuit Breaker S200 series manufactured by ABB.

What is the biggest power supply you sell?

The largest power supply GLLS sells is the HLG-320H power supply.

Are your power supplies CV or CC?

GLLS light fixtures are only compatible with constant voltage power supplies.

What is the average life span of your Power Supplies?

The HLG power supplies are extremely reliable and rarely fail before their seven-year warranty.

Can I put your power supply outside?

HLG power supplies are IP67 rated but should be installed in a weatherproof enclosure for use in outdoor applications.

Do you offer barrel connectors with your power supplies?

Barrel connectors can be purchased as a separate item and wired to the power supply by the installer.

What does AC/L and AC/N stand for on your power supplies?

AC/L and AC/N is the AC line and neutral (respectively) from the wall outlet to the input of the power supply.

DMX

Why are my lights staying white no matter how I program them?

Please ensure the DMX input wires connecting the DMX controller to the DMX decoder are correct. Often, lights will show as white when the positive (+) and negative (-) wires are reversed.

Why are my lights strobing/flickering?

When a light fixture shorts, the power supply will turn on and off rapidly and cause a strobing effect. Listen to the power supply; if you hear a ticking, it is being overloaded due to a short in the light.

What are your options for remote DMX control?

GLLS does offer mini DMX controllers, but they have limitations. A mini DMX controller can only control 40ft (12.19m) of 4 wire Vivid RGB, and 50ft (15.24m) of Vivid Pixel. We are currently researching options that can control longer lengths of fixture.

What are the advantages of using a DMX with Slesea over a DMX with a mini remote?

With a mini remote, custom colors are very difficult to program, and shows are not really possible to save. With a Slesa, you can very easily program custom colors and save multiple shows that you can switch between. You can also manage multiple control zones at once with a Slesa, whereas the mini controller will only work on the zone it’s synced with.

How do I connect multiple 854 decoders to one Dimwheel?

You have two options to connect one Dimwheel to multiple decoders. Option one, the easier way to connect them, is to connect one Dimwheel to one decoder’s DMX IN. Connect the second decoder by connecting its DMX IN to the first decoder’s DMX IN. Repeat this for each decoder.The second option is to connect a separate wire from the Dimwheel to each decoder. This can be difficult depending on the number of decoders you have, and the number of wires you need to fit into one terminal.

How do I connect multiple 854 decoders to one Slesa?

To connect multiple decoders to one Slesa, connect the Slesa to the first decoder’s DMX IN. Connect the first decoder’s DMX OUT to the second decoder’s DMX IN. Repeat this for each decoder.Note: Please ensure that pin 2 is connected to Data -, and pin 3 is connected to Data + of the decoder.

What is the hourly rate for an on-site service call?

Our on-site service calls are $150USD per hour.

Pixel Control

Will your UCS2903 and UCS2904 work with controllers that are not compatible with UCS2903 or UCS2904 chipsets?

YES. For example, the WS2188 chipset is almost identical, except for a couple details:Both are 800kHz.
Both have data ‘0’ as 0.25uS high followed by 1.0uS low.
UCS2903 data ‘1’ is 1.0uS high followed by 0.25uS low.
WS2811 data ‘1’ is 0.6uS high followed by 0.65uS low (in theory too short a high).AAll though this does not meet the UCS2903 spec of 1.0uS to 0.25uS it is close enough to run these pixels.
UCS2903 reset is greater than 24uS.
WS2811 reset is greater than 50uS (old type) and greater than 280uS (new type).This should be fine as both WS2811 reset times are greater than the UCS2903.The reason not to mix WS2811’s and UCS2903’s on the same data line is that the data timing that works with both types of pixel is regenerated by a “UCS903 or WS2811” pixel of which ever type the timing becomes specific to that pixel type and unlikely to be recognized by the other.That said WS2811’s may run on UCS2903’s data but not the other way round.