Hello all! I am overwelmed

P

PatCoop

New elf
Joined
Dec 2, 2020
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6
Hey everyone! I’m am totally a newb and I was wanting to start with building one prop this year. I don’t have a time line and don’t expect to use it in my display this year. All it is, is a Coro sign with space for 119 pixel nodes. The sign reads “ DITTO and has arrows at each end. You see, my neighbors on either side of me, have put up lights, and me.....not so much. I bought cheap addressable 5volt rgb pixel bullet nodes from Amazon and a meanwell 5volt power supply. I also bought a raspberry pi 4. I know I will need a pixel controller, but what else might I need bring this prop to fruition?
 
Welcome to ACL! Power and data is all you need. You can get a pixel tester/controller from Amazon for less than $20. Something like this I use in the garage for testing and under cabinet lights. Amazon.com: Aclorol SP105E Wireless Bluetooth LED Light Controller DC5V~24V for WS2811 WS2812B WS2801 SK6812 Individually Addressable Programmable LED Strip Pixel Module Panel Lamp Android and iOS Smartphone: Home Improvement If you bought cheap 5v bullet nodes from Amazon you will probably have to power inject the prop. Drop by chat and ask away if you have questions. Lots of helpful people here!
 
Hi Pat. Welcome to ACL.

For your first year, you could use a $5 pixel tester to feed data to your pixels. That would get some changing colours etc happening and at least get it running until you sort out the bigger picture.
 
Where do you suggest buying supplies from? I am finding out that Amazon is misleading about quality of products.
 
uncledan said:
Welcome to ACL! Power and data is all you need. You can get a pixel tester/controller from Amazon for less than $20. Something like this I use in the garage for testing and under cabinet lights. Amazon.com: Aclorol SP105E Wireless Bluetooth LED Light Controller DC5V~24V for WS2811 WS2812B WS2801 SK6812 Individually Addressable Programmable LED Strip Pixel Module Panel Lamp Android and iOS Smartphone: Home Improvement If you bought cheap 5v bullet nodes from Amazon you will probably have to power inject the prop. Drop by chat and ask away if you have questions. Lots of helpful people here!
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I do not know how to power inject. I have a meanwell 5 volt 350 watt power supply. Is this sufficient or is it too much to run? Sorry I do not know very much about this.
 
Amazon is fine for a pixel tester. They all come from the same place in China anyways. I've never ordered pixels or power supplies on Amazon though.
Pixelcontrollers- Falcons from pixelcontroller.com
Pixels, pigtails, misc blinky stuff - (Most of us buy direct from China) I buy from ScottLED, but lots of reputable vendors out there, especially in the USA. sales03@scottled is contact for @benbrown (member here at ACL)
Power Supplies - Arrow.com for majority of mine. Again lots of reputable vendors for "genuine" Meanwell psu's
 
You could also put a post on a local Christmas lights FB group to see if anyone has a spare controller that you can buy from them? That's how I sold a controller last year.
 
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