Help with my first setup

gerry

gerry

Senior elf
Joined
Dec 19, 2012
Messages
857
Location
Bellfield , Melbourne
Hello all
I am a newbie just starting out on actually building anything , though I met some of you folks at the Melbourne mini last year and have been a ‘periodic’ visitor to the Tuppets show.

After much reading of the information of the forum, I would like to start with two items and see how I go – Pixel strips for a house outline and some arches. I would greatly appreciate comments and validations of the following:
For the house outline, for 50 metres of lights , I plan to use 10 * 2811 strips (12V) of 5 m each – 30 LED/M (therefore, 1500 channels and total 360W) . One J1SYS P2 controller and 2 * 350 W power supplies.

The pixel strips are one of (not sure which one) :
http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/5m-led-digital-strip-DC12V-input-WS2811IC-256-scale-10pcs-IC-and-30pcs-5050-SMD-RGB/701799_568458133.html
or
http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/5m-DC12V-30leds-m-10pcs-ws2811-ic-meter-10pixels-led-digital-strip-IP68-epoxy-resin-filled/701799_1480126091.html

Power supply:
http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/350W-Dual-Output-Switching-Power-Supply-88-264VAC-input-12V-350W-output-CE-and-ROHS-approved/701799_289599951.html

For the arches , 5 arches on the front fence (each arch would be 2 metres ) and 5 smaller arches (each arch would be 1 metre).
Plan to use 3 (2 + 1) * 2811 strips (12V) of 5 m each (total 450 channels), a 2nd J1Sys P2 controller and 1 * 350 W controller.
Plus 1 spare 350 controller.

Pixel strips are the same as above.

Many thanks

Gerry
 
Welcome to ACL. Your setup looks good the second link to the strip is more water proof than the first but you really can't go wrong with the selections you have made. :)
 
Hi Gerry


For your house outline you have 10 x 5m strips or 10 x 150 pixels (1500) pixels.
You wont be able to run this off 1 P2 as a P2 will only do 8 universes. (@ 170 pixels per univ 1500/170 = 8.8)
so you may be better off with either a P12 or maybe an E682 which will both do 12 universes


Also the first link is the same pixels I have used in my display which are fine. The second link are the same just resin filled, better waterproofing but a pain to work with.


Cheers
Rod
 
Hi Gerry
As Rod has pointed out the P2 won't do quite the amount you want to do so you need something bigger than a P2. If you were at the mini on the Sunday, I wasn't so I don't know if you were, then you might have seen the 2 Lukes from Advatek demo their pixel board. It is another alternative to the J1Sys P12 and they are local boys.
Info on it is at http://www.advateklights.com/pixlite-control/
 
Maybe 2 p2s. One at either end of the house. Don't forget you will have to run power injection from your power supply as well. I think p2s are great value for money about $100 for 8 universes. (Don't quote me on price)
 
Ummm, it's only 1500 channels, not 1500 pixels. So that makes it only 3 universes, doesn't it. The strip is 10ic per metre, not 30. The p2 or any of the others should do the trick I think.
 
Welcome to ACL. Personally for gutters i still use my trusty old TP3244 controllers because with my gutters I am spanning over a long distance. So i have one controller on the left side and another on the right side and a final one up on the second story gutter. This ensures that if one pixel does die then I dont loose all the gutters and also allows me to have my power next to my controllers and my power injection runs are shorter.
I have three areas where i have distributed my control system which includes power supply, DC boards, J1sys controllers for each area as I have divided my display as left side, right side and second story and have found that this works best for me.

I also prefer to use the 12vdc strip that you linked to as there is less voltage drop issues to contend with when dealing with longer runs like gutters and outlines.
 
Hello all,

Thank you very much for your responses and advice. I feel better already. Last year I spent so much of time reading stuff on the forum , making notes and cross referencing, that it then got too late to make December.

Eddy, thank you - I will go with P2 controllers to start with (because of the wealth of information on the forum) – one at each side of the house and then step back when working and have a look.

For the pig tails and caps, do I need 3 core one or the 4 core as below ? Most of the postings on the forum indicate use of 3 core . Was planning to order 100.
http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/100-pairs-3-Core-White-Waterproof-Line-15cm-long-each-male-and-female-3core/701799_331631241.html
or
http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/50-pairs-4-Core-White-Waterproof-Line-15cm-long-each-male-and-female/701799_323485474.html


Besides the 4 core 14-020 cable mentioned, should I be ordering any others connectors for the power injection ie
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/3core-T-type-waterproof-splitter-white-color-the-male-connect-s-diameter-13-5mm/601823340.html

or would I run a 5 metre lengths along with the strip , solder onto the pigtail connector, and join with the power cables from the strip, and heat shrink together.
Regards
Gerry
 
Ws2811 has only 3 wires. Positive ground and data. Some other types have a fourth wire for clock. You only need the 3 core pigtails. So when you use the 4 core security cable just use 2 wires for the ground one for positive and one for data.

Personally I use the t pieces that way I can run my power injection the shortest route if there is one. For power injection use the 4 core wire and use 2 wires for positive and 2 wires to ground. On the pigtail don't connect anything to the data cable.
 
Christmas @ the Myrtle (Damicka10) said:
Ws2811 has only 3 wires. Positive ground and data. Some other types have a fourth wire for clock. You only need the 3 core pigtails. So when you use the 4 core security cable just use 2 wires for the ground one for positive and one for data.

Personally I use the t pieces that way I can run my power injection the shortest route if there is one. For power injection use the 4 core wire and use 2 wires for positive and 2 wires to ground. On the pigtail don't connect anything to the data cable.
Click to expand...
Mick, is this your method with power injection from the same power supply as the controller?
 
Yeah. I started doing it because the stars on my roof came pre wired with pigtails so I used a t piece to connect them and just ran a power injection cable from the power supply. I try and order most of my stuff with the pigtails already soldered on.
 
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