Controller suggestions for starting out (besides Falcon)
- Thread starter Lowbridge
- Start date
@Lowbridge welcome to ACL. As you have stated you are quite new to the hobby, have you downloaded and read through the 101 manual as yet to get an understanding of the hobby overall?
auschristmaslighting.com
Whilst your original question was around a controller, there are a number of other things to consider including (but not limited to)
Cable/wire, connectors/pigtails, fusing options, PSUs, enclosures (and subsequently cable glands, vents), pixels, mounting hardware and solutions (coro props for example) tools such as wire cutters, heat shrink etc etc.
Dont want to try and scare you off, just making sure you get the best knowledge and make informed decisions along the way.
You've made the first step by joining ACL, arguably one of the best one-stop-shop locations on the internet for the hobby, plenty of help around whenever you need to ask
AusChristmasLighting 101 Manual
The AusChristmasLighting 101 manual is released for download for all registered site members. This manual provides guidence to the introduction and setup of different types of computer controlled Christmas displays that many of the members here have used. It is by no means a complete list of...
auschristmaslighting.com
Whilst your original question was around a controller, there are a number of other things to consider including (but not limited to)
Cable/wire, connectors/pigtails, fusing options, PSUs, enclosures (and subsequently cable glands, vents), pixels, mounting hardware and solutions (coro props for example) tools such as wire cutters, heat shrink etc etc.
Dont want to try and scare you off, just making sure you get the best knowledge and make informed decisions along the way.
You've made the first step by joining ACL, arguably one of the best one-stop-shop locations on the internet for the hobby, plenty of help around whenever you need to ask
Lowbridge
New elf
- Thread starter
- #18
this is true definitely not just plugging in a cord. Tools and all the components I have it’s the knowledge of this hobby that I don’t.. but that will come. I’m getting familiar with all of what you described. The area of lack of knowledge will be I think getting the hardware to work together and I start the sequencing that’s when I’ll really be in the dark, but my credo is I learned to walk I can do this…with help! Thank you for your all your insight I’m really excited to begin turning my show into LEDs it only took five years to convince my wife that LEDs last longer and look better she’s just afraid that I’ve found another money Pitt
Fibre optic data between the controller and pixels is not something that I have heard of. From memory, Fing (ACL member) was looking into fibre optic networking between the show player (which is probably a computer for you) and the controllers. This was after his display was struck by lightning and it travelled through his Ethernet cables that linked the network together.
What do you want to achieve with fibre optic? There is probably another way to achieve the result that you want and hence fibre optic has not caught on.
What do you want to achieve with fibre optic? There is probably another way to achieve the result that you want and hence fibre optic has not caught on.
TerryK
Retired Elf
Could be but not really economical to implement. A converter for the Data Line is the problem (none currently exist that I know of) and then too if a string is powered from the controller. For Data Line distances it is more feasible to use a receiver providing of course if the controller has expansion the capabilities.
There are Ethernet to fiber converters available, so from a PC to a controller fiber is possible. The adapters I have looked at aren't exactly cheap though.
TerryK
Retired Elf
It would be. A Data Line amp adds another bit of complexity to a display; another device to manage.