FabianSince the launch of the Philips Hue Perifo track system, I’ve been using a small installation in the kitchen, which has been a real problem solver for me. I have now fitted out another room so that I can test a few more Perifo products there – including the Hue Perifo T connector.
The €39.99 “T Corner Connector” can be used to create branches in two directions, whereby the angle is fixed at 90 degrees. In principle, several areas in a large room can be reached with one power connection, as can be seen on the cover picture in this article.
Installing the Hue Perifo T connector in practice
The product images in the Philips Hue online store give the impression that you are getting a fixed part. But this is not the case, you get a kit. The box contains three connectors that are connected to each other with two cables. These three connectors are inserted into the ends of the Perifo rails. There are also two small plastic parts for fastening and covering the gaps.
I personally found the instructions a little confusing. It’s best to lay the individual parts next to each other on the floor first, then the principle of the connectors should be relatively easy to understand.
At the end of the day, however, it has to be said quite clearly: the individual part construction of the Hue Perifo T connector is not necessarily premium. You have to be absolutely precise when attaching the rails so that there are no gaps at the end. We couldn’t completely avoid this in our case. I’m sure that the T-piece as a fixed element would have been the absolutely better solution.
Rails run in different directions
In practice, there is another “disadvantage” around the T-piece. The Perifo rails are not symmetrical, they always run from A to B. Both branches of the T-connector start with A and are connected to the B side of the rails. Although the rails are in a straight line, they run in different directions.
What does this mean? You cannot place long light sources, such as the Hue Perifo Gradient Light Tube or the Hue Perifo Linear Lightbar, across the T-connector on the track system.
Philips Hue Perifo track system
from $289.97 / £244.97 / €289,97
I agree it seems complicated, and I don’t have one to verify how it is build exactly, but I suspect this could be a manufacturing decision to allow for other angles or even flexible star connectors later on using the same pieces with just a set of different plastic covers.
You could even use it to 3D-print your own cover for weirdly shaped rooms with a near-perfect finish.
Did you map the whole polarity thing?
From your picture it seems you used the piece with the two wires on the right, I assume it’s because the power came from that side so it made sense to avoid going through two pieces to reach the opposite part of the T, and minimize the Amps on each wire section.
However, that might not be the intended pattern. If each wire connection reverses the polarity, and C-B-A are the stems of your ‘T’ in your picture, with A being the piece both wires connect to, I suspect a C-A-B pattern, as in the piece with two wires being used as the 90° stem of the ‘T’, could fix your polarity issue, the C-A wiring would reverse it for the new 90° segment, while the A-B wiring would reverse it again, ensuring your C and B segments that make a single straight line (180° of each other) have identical polarity again.