Help with pixels

[Bonz]

hi guys

last xmas was my first time putting some RGB lights on our roof and they turned out fantastic (picture attched).

For this year I am wanting to put some bullet type led's around the borders of the front 3 windows you can see in the picture. The borders for the 2 large windows are 300 x 250cms and the one on the right is 300 x 160cms

I was going to use chromatrim and conduit to attach the lights to the bricks but was just wanting some feedback on below before I go ahead and buy things

1. I believe I would need 434 led strings for the larger windows (each) and 363 led's for the smaller window. I am basing that off the chromatrim spacing of 1 led per 2.54cms. This may be a dumb question but do I need to inject power for a string of this length? Hopefully not as thats another thing I have no idea about. These are the type I was looking at - do you think they would be suitable?

Resistor voltage drop/DC12V/100pcs/strand/bullet type/ RGB addressable 12mm WS2811 led pixel node,18AWG all BLACK wire,IP68 - AliExpress 39

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com

www.aliexpress.com

2. Could I use 1 controller to control all 3 sets of strings so i can sync them up, if I can do you have a one that you would recommend?

thanks in advance for any replies, as you can probably tell I have little to no idea what I am talking about when it comes to these lights

B.regards,
Jamie

 

[Johnnyboy]

It looks like your spacing on the roof line is around the 3inch mark, you could do 1inch spacing on the windows but it does add up quickly going that route.
The pixels you linked will work fine, but you will need to power inject if you use much more than about 250-300 (at 30% brightness). If you went with 2-3inch spacing, you likely wouldn't need to power inject.

For the Controller, depends what you are looking for it to do. If you want to use xLights then i would say the Baldrick Board is a good choice

Baldrick 8 Port Pixel Controller | Hanson Electronics

Baldrick 8 Port Pixel Controller

www.hansonelectronics.com.au

If you wanted to use either xLights or WLED i would look for something ESP32 based

SAL32-DMX-Pixel

shop.smartaleclights.com.au

(Note: you need to email them and ask for the 12v version if you go this way, the default is 5v despite what the website says)

Both need a 12v powers supply to run the controller and pixels.

 

[RolyT]

Yeah as mentioned above, although chromatrim is 1 inch spacing you can just skip every second hole and go 2 inch instead ( or even 3 inch at a pinch but that gets a bit too big unless on a long run imho).

Will save you a bunch of pixels/$ and reduce or remove power injection issues

 

[Indigogyre]

hi guys

last xmas was my first time putting some RGB lights on our roof and they turned out fantastic (picture attched).

For this year I am wanting to put some bullet type led's around the borders of the front 3 windows you can see in the picture. The borders for the 2 large windows are 300 x 250cms and the one on the right is 300 x 160cms

I was going to use chromatrim and conduit to attach the lights to the bricks but was just wanting some feedback on below before I go ahead and buy things

1. I believe I would need 434 led strings for the larger windows (each) and 363 led's for the smaller window. I am basing that off the chromatrim spacing of 1 led per 2.54cms. This may be a dumb question but do I need to inject power for a string of this length? Hopefully not as thats another thing I have no idea about. These are the type I was looking at - do you think they would be suitable?

Decide on a single spacing and use it across everything for a more uniform look. I use 1 pixel every 2" (5cm) and it looks perfectly fine from the viewing distances. The normal recommendation is the closer the viewing distance the closer the pixels are to each other. Except for things considered high density.

I personally think for trim and outlines every other hole would do. It's how I run my my trim connected to pvc also.

Pro Tip: make your physical outlines before you model anything up in xLights. I learned that it can be very tricky making outlines for windows and might not turn out the way you expect due to various reason for putting all the parts together. Just make sure the number of pixels on the sides match, and the number of pixels on top/bottom match for frames.

Yes, you will most likely need power injection of some sort. General rule of thumb is every 75 pixels for 5v and every 150 pixels for 12v. This is a rough rule and people will adjust after testing personally. I use 12v pixels and think about power injection every 200 pixels or so depending on how the prop is working.

Resistor voltage drop/DC12V/100pcs/strand/bullet type/ RGB addressable 12mm WS2811 led pixel node,18AWG all BLACK wire,IP68 - AliExpress 39

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com

www.aliexpress.com

2. Could I use 1 controller to control all 3 sets of strings so i can sync them up, if I can do you have a one that you would recommend?

thanks in advance for any replies, as you can probably tell I have little to no idea what I am talking about when it comes to these lights

B.regards,
Jamie

Yes, others have chimed in already and there are many, many options. I currently only use Falcon controllers.

 

[Rodney766]

Power injection on window frames is easy as the start and end of the strings should be at the same corner of the window, simply join the power cables of the first and last pixel together.

 

[MikeKrebs]

Since you are just getting started, you might try seed pixels. Many people having fun with them the last few years. Attach directly to pvc conduit and insert into window cutouts. They are light weight, can be standard spaced or very dense. Since you are in Australia, you have some good folks that you can call for help with your choices and if you are close enough, stop by their displays/shops to see product up close.

 

[Juddge]

im going to agree, normal pixels are good for props, but for all diy style, i highly recommend seed pixels