Just starting out... Purchase plan?

K

Ktag

Apprentice elf
Joined
Dec 25, 2012
Messages
51
Location
North Brisbane
Hi all

Great site. I am planning my first purchases. I have done a lot of research reading and watching but have to start doing to make it all fit.

If I could get some feedback about my understanding, my plans and my product choices that would be awesome... thanks in advance. Also thanks "Driver" for allowing me to have a stickybeak at your setup the other night.

I plan to purchase the following to start playing around with sequencing, pixels, rgb, controllers etc. Basically to get a hands on understanding.

Ray Wu:
1x 27ch ray Wu controller (or should I get David's DC24 instead...and why)
5m LED 12V WS2811 strip 30
5m LED 5V WS2811 strip 30 (is 30/m enough or should I look at 60/m?)
350W 12V power supply
350W 5V power supply

J1Sys:
ECG-P12R
ECG-D4
EXG-PPX

Power supply for BigW lights - not yet decided.... one option is to use similar to above but 27V/350W (Ray WU $24) or a variable digital power supply (EBAY $100) which could then be used for testing???

My current plans are:
- Use my current Big W multicoloured light strings and cut and build them into mini trees. Connect via 27Ch. Powered by "?? yet".
- Connect the 12 & 5v PS to the P12R board and run the 2 different types of 2811 lights - deciding on whether I will like each pixel controlled (5V) or if each set of 3 is enough (12V).
- Using a 2nd LAN card from one of my computers (separate from home network) E131 to the ECG-D4, then to each of the controllers (using EXG-PPX and switch if required for distance).
- LSP


Now, do I have my head around this yet?? Will the above give me the ability to see what is possible, practise putting it together and then start planning for real?

Probably something else I will need is a soldering iron (my old one is probably 10+ yrs old, never been looked after and I probably couldn't find it anyway).... any suggestions?


Thanks all in advance

Glenn
 
Looks like the pieces are falling into place for you in your head as you are pretty much right on the money with your setup. You may want to throw in some 3 pin plugs as well
 
Superfast replies, thanks.

Madko, I am trialing LightShow Pro. So probably will go with this.

ɟɐsʇǝppʎ, Not yet sure how it will all fit together... But I would think you are suggesting connecting the 2811 strips etc. to a 3 pin plug, add a plug to each end of some 2.5mm flex (thanks DougieB) to make it easy to peice and unpeice together?

Reference the power supply for the BigW lights, I am leaning towards the variable power supply to run them... http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/140896467251?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649
Thoughts??
 
i would look at some of the post on here about the bigw lights and what psu they are using. i would not use that one outside due to the size of it myself.
great for when your trying to figure out the best voltage for the lights.
 
If you need a 30V PSU to power Big W strings, one of the Mean Well SP-240-30 units will drive about 40 of the 200-count strings. They are adjustable from 27V to 33V and are rated for 8 Amps.

Be aware that cheap bench power supplies are not rated for long term operation at their maximum current.
 
Hi Glenn,
You can get WS2811 in single pixel control @ 12V -- saves getting a 5V PSU (and more voltage drop issues) then

I'd go the ECG-D2 (2xDMX outputs).

I believe david's DC24/48 can handle higher current than ray's boards which have a 15A combined limit.

As for the 3pin plugs - that's those white waterproof connectors I had on my display (expect I had the 4 pin version). Worth buying 50 pairs - i regret forgetting to order some more last year - so had to consume most of the 4pin ones I had left over from the previous year.

I run my BigW's off the Ray 27Volter @ 31V output, then after 10m off figure 8 is closer to 29-30V at the garden where the controller is.

No need IMO for a isolated show LAN either - espicially if you are sending via E1.31 via Unicast - your LAN switche(s) will
 
Thanks all. I have adjusted some of my order and am now waiting for the packages arrival, so I can truly start to understand how it all fits together.

Software wise. Should I just go with lightshow pro or try one of the others?
 
Try a few of them out and go with what feels best for you. I will say though that LSP is easier to get into for someone new compared to someone who is coming from a different software package as they will come across with pre-concieved ways of doing things which may not be the way its done in LSP
 
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