Hi from up here in North Queensland, I’ve done Christmas lights the last 4 or 5 years with just the standard lights and inflatables. I’m looking to start phasing out some older decorations and bringing in some automation. It might be too late to start this year, but hoping to get my hands on the basics and start my journey down the rabbit hole! Just about to get stuck into the manual and by the sound of things that will give me a good starting point!
Hey guys!
- Thread starter Timo_123
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Welcome to ACL.
I have a number of options that can get you automated very quick. My ready to run DMX2-24 allows you to have computer control of the boring 2 wire 2 channel lights that are the norm from Big W and Bunnings these days. For pixel lighting I have ready to run Baldrick 8 controllers in 5V or 12V options. For more diy I have vast quantities of different stuff. I've got a very limited range of pixels but I've got enough that you can get some blinky lights happening quickly.
I have a number of options that can get you automated very quick. My ready to run DMX2-24 allows you to have computer control of the boring 2 wire 2 channel lights that are the norm from Big W and Bunnings these days. For pixel lighting I have ready to run Baldrick 8 controllers in 5V or 12V options. For more diy I have vast quantities of different stuff. I've got a very limited range of pixels but I've got enough that you can get some blinky lights happening quickly.
Hi Timo,
I'll always recommend this video
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jf7uLhUObAk
Start small. @AAH's suggestions above are a great starting point.
For supply of pixels, there is also Light It up - https://www.lightitupleds-xmas.com.au/s/shop - in WA; Paul is the big supplier in Australia.
Good luck and feel free to yell out if there are any questions.
I'll always recommend this video
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jf7uLhUObAk
Start small. @AAH's suggestions above are a great starting point.
For supply of pixels, there is also Light It up - https://www.lightitupleds-xmas.com.au/s/shop - in WA; Paul is the big supplier in Australia.
Good luck and feel free to yell out if there are any questions.
I can definitely recommend the ready to run Baldrick 8-port from Alan - I bought 2 fitted with 500w power supplies.
Plug in a string of pixels, turn on test mode and in 5 minutes you will have a display up and running that will be as good as, if not better, than your standard lights from Bunnings/Big-W/K-Mart. Then, when you have time you can add more strings, models etc. and make a full blown animated xLights display for next year.
I can also recommend WS2811 smart pixels from Paul at Light It Up but...
...think seriously about wire seeds.
The manual is great but keep in mind that some things are a little out of date as the LED world moves on quickly.
PR
Plug in a string of pixels, turn on test mode and in 5 minutes you will have a display up and running that will be as good as, if not better, than your standard lights from Bunnings/Big-W/K-Mart. Then, when you have time you can add more strings, models etc. and make a full blown animated xLights display for next year.
I can also recommend WS2811 smart pixels from Paul at Light It Up but...
...think seriously about wire seeds.
The manual is great but keep in mind that some things are a little out of date as the LED world moves on quickly.
PR
The ACL 101 was going to get an update earlier in the year and Ryan started it with me planning on helping along with a few others. The last couple of revisions have been Ryan and I each doing separate edits and then combining them. This year we planned on doing a live collaboration using the document in the cloud. I have been rather busy and I've barely added much more than about 10 changes to date. I don't know how far along Ryan has gotten as I haven't actually logged into the document to see what has been done and what I can do. The 101 is entirely a volunteer project and was originally created by FastEddy before being taken over by myself and then Ryan joining in. Much of the backbone of the lighting technology hasn't changed but lighting protocols like DDP are yet to make it into the manual. It's honestly getting so easy to get lit up these days that you can almost get away without reading anything. A few quick videos, joining in to ACL chat or hitting up the Xlights zoom room will generally get a person solved with most things.
- Thread starter
- #6
Thanks for the info, I’m currently rolling out my existing lights and checking voltages etc, I have 2 led string lights with a rated voltage of 24V and a set of icicles rated at 31V, do you think I can get away with running all of them off the 1 controller or are the voltages to much of a mismatch? I’ll be looking to place an order tomorrow or Wednesday for a DMX2-24 and potentially a Baldrick with some accessories to make a start, I have a rather small space (10x8) so figure I can get away with 5V or is it better to run 12V? Thanks!
Hi, How North in North Queensland?
With most of us dragging the lights out, testing them and putting them up now would be a great time to visit a few people and see how their displays are put together. Seeing it in the flesh helps make sense of what you see in the manual and drool over in the brochures.
Julian
With most of us dragging the lights out, testing them and putting them up now would be a great time to visit a few people and see how their displays are put together. Seeing it in the flesh helps make sense of what you see in the manual and drool over in the brochures.
Julian
It's quite likely that you could run them all off the same voltage. I'd probably wind the standard 31V down a few volts.
I have a 1/2 acre front yard and I run 5V bullet pixels fairly universally. Adding many, many thousands of 5V seed pixels this year as well.
- Thread starter
- #9
Hey mate, not quite as north as you, down here in Townsville. Is there anything in particular you do or precautions you take for cyclones? Trying to design my lights in a way they can be removed quickly.
My whole display can be put up (and pulled down) in a day or two but that is a lot of hard work when the sun is blaring, so I put it up over a few weeks working just a few hours in the morning before it gets too hot. When the cyclone hinted at hitting us last year we pulled all the big props down in a few hours and left the rest to fend for itself. The mega tree was probably the biggest job. All the yard props are on metal frames installed on posts with sockets in the ground, that way it can be taken down quickly if required.
Once the rain starts the grass grows that quickly I am mowing every week so I designed my props and layout so I do not need to move any props to mow the yard.
This year I added extra roof outlines which are attached by magnets so I will be interested to see how they go.
There are lots of good displays in Townsville and heaps of knowledge there so reach out to the locals!
Once the rain starts the grass grows that quickly I am mowing every week so I designed my props and layout so I do not need to move any props to mow the yard.
This year I added extra roof outlines which are attached by magnets so I will be interested to see how they go.
There are lots of good displays in Townsville and heaps of knowledge there so reach out to the locals!
The Ready-To-Run is a complete control box solution:
Ready to run DMX2-24 | Hanson Electronics
Ready to run DMX2-24 light dimmer for fairy lights
www.hansonelectronics.com.au
Ordinarily you'd need a power supply, pigtails to suit the Bunnings lights and an enclosure; the above is all ready to go.
They plug in to the DMX2-24 instead of the 240V adapter that comes with the set- the pig tails have the same connector on them.
Nataliet
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Is there anyway you could link them here as reference im not sure what they look like just want to make sure i purchase the correct ones! Thank youThe Ready-To-Run is a complete control box solution:
Ready to run DMX2-24 | Hanson Electronics
Ready to run DMX2-24 light dimmer for fairy lights
Ordinarily you'd need a power supply, pigtails to suit the Bunnings lights and an enclosure; the above is all ready to go.
They plug in to the DMX2-24 instead of the 240V adapter that comes with the set- the pig tails have the same connector on them.
Take a look at that product link- it has a picture of what it is able to connect to
Nataliet
New elf
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- Nov 24, 2024
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Oh ignore that i just seen your original link appreciate it