Hi all 🤗🎄

[Reganj]

Complete newbie to pixels here. Have hung Christmas lights for many years. From Solar way back to plug in LEDs these days. Seems to get more crazy as the years go on. Three kids under 5yrs helps fuel the bug.
Was a bit of a last minute thing to go RGB this year. Plan was to start with a 16x50 mega tree, build the controller with 16 ports plus add x2 smart expansions x2 600w 12v power supplies. I could only order components as the cash came avalible so was ordering everything at random times. It all worked out in end.
I think my controller turned up mid November 2023
Built and programmed everything and flicked the switch on 1st December 2023 fewww.
Actually have had a heap of technical issues which I managed to get around eventually. I will try iron the rest out via you legends. Main problem being the controller disconnecting from the network.
I'm in Caroline Springs Melbourne.
Ended up running a 24x50 270deg Mega tree and a few hoops with a left over bunch of 100.
Cheers

 

[ryanschristmaslights]

Hi, welcome.

You might like to submit your display onto our locations map. If you fancy looking at more displays, it appears one nearest to you is in Cairnlea.

2023 Christmas lights locations in Australia, New Zealand and Overseas - Interactive map

Find Christmas lights display locations in Australia, New Zealand and Overseas

auschristmaslighting.com

 

[David_AVD]

Nice work.

For the network issue, is the LAN cable a pre-made or home-made one?

 

[Skymaster]

Two comments - I am not seeing any network connection to the F16v5 - are you using wireless?
Secondly - that fan at the top of the box appears to be facing the wrong way - blowing air down over the equipment - this should ideally be reversed to exhaust the hot air out from the PSUs and allow the cool air to be drawn in at your passive vents at the bottom

 

[Skymaster]

A hotly debated opinion from what I'm seeing. My brother inlaw is a server technician and we had this discussion.
Yes I opted for the blow in option. The main thing I don't like about it is if there is moisture in the air or its raining.

Agreed, but when it's at the top of the case, and heat rises ....

By all means run positive pressure from the bottom of the case


Here's a recent discussion had on the topic

Controller fans

I'm after some advice on how many fans to install on my main controller box. I have a falcon v3 and 2 power supplys. Being in Vic it will get fairly hot over December so do I need 1 fan or 2 ( 1 sucking 1 blowing to keep air curculating) thanks

auschristmaslighting.com

 

[Reganj]

Agreed, but when it's at the top of the case, and heat rises ....

By all means run positive pressure from the bottom of the case


Here's a recent discussion had on the topic

Controller fans

I'm after some advice on how many fans to install on my main controller box. I have a falcon v3 and 2 power supplys. Being in Vic it will get fairly hot over December so do I need 1 fan or 2 ( 1 sucking 1 blowing to keep air curculating) thanks

auschristmaslighting.com

True

 

[Reganj]

Nice work.

For the network issue, is the LAN cable a pre-made or home-made one?

They were all home made. Went through 100m of black cat6 for most of them not working. It did my head in, even tests came.up fine. Now have replace all with premade purchased

 

[Reganj]

Hi, welcome.

You might like to submit your display onto our locations map. If you fancy looking at more displays, it appears one nearest to you is in Cairnlea.

2023 Christmas lights locations in Australia, New Zealand and Overseas - Interactive map

Find Christmas lights display locations in Australia, New Zealand and Overseas

auschristmaslighting.com

Will definitely look into it once this drop out issue is solved

 

[Reganj]

Two comments - I am not seeing any network connection to the F16v5 - are you using wireless?
Secondly - that fan at the top of the box appears to be facing the wrong way - blowing air down over the equipment - this should ideally be reversed to exhaust the hot air out from the PSUs and allow the cool air to be drawn in at your passive vents at the bottom

Not wireless. Running network cable from left hand side port but both work.

 

[Skymaster]

Two pointers on working your own cat cables.

1. Always use cat5e, not cat6. It's loads easier to work with, you don't have to worry about the plastic spline, or getting the two part offset crimp connectors. Your hand terminations will never pass a cat6 noise test anyway.

2. It's not an 8 wire cable, it's a four pair cable. Just because something buzzes out on pin 1 to 1, 2 to 2 etc, doesn't mean you have the correct legs of the twisted pair. This can introduce crosstalk between pairs. Your DC tester won't pick up on this.

 

[Reganj]

Two pointers on working your own cat cables.

1. Always use cat5e, not cat6. It's loads easier to work with, you don't have to worry about the plastic spline, or getting the two part offset crimp connectors. Your hand terminations will never pass a cat6 noise test anyway.

2. It's not an 8 wire cable, it's a four pair cable. Just because something buzzes out on pin 1 to 1, 2 to 2 etc, doesn't mean you have the correct legs of the twisted pair. This can introduce crosstalk between pairs. Your DC tester won't pick up on this.

Interesting. I will try changing them all to cat5e. The long one to my router is cat5e 30m long.
This then goes to a d-link in the garage which has the controller and pi plugged in to.

 

[Reganj]

DROP OUT PROBLEM SOLVED!
Update to my drop out saga. I fixed it! I remembered when I brought the rasberry pi 2nd hand it didn't have a power supply. I just used one of my old Samsung chargers. It was 5v. Today I brought a proper charger, Looks like I really needed that extra 0.1v.
I also merged the IP addresses for eth/wan to the same. Changed the last cable to Cat5e, moved the data cables away from the power leads.
Bloody wrapped! Mrs was at breaking point doing life with three kids without me
Thanks to all who helped.
*Just a fan to flip now

 

[Skymaster]

I just used one of my old Samsung chargers. It was 5v.

I'd hazard a guess that the old charger was only a 1A or maybe even 0.5A output. The Raspberry Pi's need a good clean 2-3A for proper operation. They will often work with basic stuff but then have issues once they require the additional power that's not there.