A 20-Ball String Is Not a Finished 2 m Drop: Specify 3D Pixel Balls by Hanging Length
If your drawing calls for a two-metre drop of glowing balls, a catalogue line saying “20 balls per chain, 10 cm spacing” is only a starting point. LIKELIGHT lists a 35/50 mm 3D RGB pixel-ball string with those standard options. Twenty ball centres contain nineteen intervals, so the distance from the first centre to the last is 19 × 10 cm = 190 cm. That leaves the top suspension lead, the lower tail and the position of the first ball unresolved. Quote the finished drop from the fixing point to the lowest visible ball, rather than ordering by a nominal chain length.
Draw the drop before choosing the ball size
On an elevation, mark the ceiling fixing point, first illuminated ball, last illuminated ball and any lower cable tail. State whether the specified drop ends at the last ball centre, the bottom of its housing or the connector. Those are different dimensions. The published 35 mm and 50 mm sizes describe the ball diameter; they do not set the distance between balls. A larger ball can change the visual weight and clearance near a railing, while the 10 cm centre spacing remains a separate order choice.
The LIKELIGHT product photo shows milky and clear covers with black and white cable examples. Use it to choose a visual direction, then ask for the exact diameter, cover, cable colour and control version that can be supplied together. Do not infer a finished installation or a complete option matrix from one gallery image.
What the 190 cm calculation does and does not buy
For a standard 20-ball chain with 10 cm from one ball centre to the next, nineteen gaps make 190 cm between the first and last centres. This is a simple geometry estimate, not a measured overall cable length. The upper lead may need to reach a hidden service point; the lower end may need a neat finish or a future connection. Neither allowance is included in the 190 cm figure. If your design needs exactly two metres from the ceiling fixing to the bottom of the last ball, ask for a drawing that includes those offsets. A custom count or pitch may be more suitable than trying to hide an unplanned extra cable loop.
For a grid of hanging drops, provide the number of drops and the centre positions on the plan as well as each vertical schedule. A 10 cm pitch along one string does not establish the horizontal spacing between strings. This matters when the artwork must read as a pattern rather than a cluster of unrelated points.
Keep the electrical order separate from the geometry
The LIKELIGHT page lists DC24V, a maximum 1.44 W per ball, UCS2903/DMX512 control directions and 20 balls per chain or custom. It also uses more than one IC name in the page text. Treat these as family information until the exact order version is confirmed; a controller or connector chosen for one protocol cannot be assumed to work with another. As an illustrative upper-bound lamp-load calculation, 20 × 1.44 W = 28.8 W for the balls alone. It does not size the power supply or prove one feed can run any particular number of drops. Cable loss, connectors, control hardware and the final wiring plan still matter.
The page lists IP67 for the ball product. If the drops are outdoors, ask separately how the finished connectors, top termination and support will be protected. For an indoor atrium, agree where a complete drop can be disconnected and replaced without dismantling neighbouring strings. Do not hang the installation by an unspecified cable or connector; the project designer must approve the support method and load.
Request a quote for the drawing, not just the ball count
Send LIKELIGHT the drop length measured from its fixing point, the number of drops, the desired ball size and centre spacing, and whether the site is indoors or outdoors. Include a simple elevation if available. Ask for a version-specific chain drawing showing first and last ball positions, lead and tail lengths, connector direction, support method and the exact DC24V/control configuration. Then compare a representative hanging section with the approved drawing before repeating it across the project.
