Little Gem Lights - 2014

kevr

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OK the idea of this post is to get the ball rolling and keep me on track. Once I commit to putting it on paper or in this case on the forum it will most likely happen. After a pretty hectic 2013 we have decided to get the pixel show started, I'm sure there will be the odd meltdown or two but I'll give it a go.

I am converting my 3 street arches to pixels this year, they have previously been 5 channels of 250 multi colour LED's and are 3.5m long. The new ones will be 5m led digital strip from Ray I will use the 10pcs IC and 30pcs 5050 and I will drive these with a ECG-P2 I purchase early last year.

Roof outline will also be using the same strip and most likely a ECG-P12R or similar to drive these and also a couple of strings of the DC12V WS2811 LED Technicolor pixel with C9 covers on my gutters.

I would also like to do a small pixel tree around 3 - 3.5m using the 60pcs/m strip 2.5m of strip and 12 strings and another ECG-P...

So the plan has been layed out;
300m 4 core has arrived
first strip, connectors and technicolour pixels ordered
Vixen 3 has been warmed up

So watch this space.

Kev
 

Beacy

It's so much better on the dark side
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I did the strip arhes last year, the boss gave it a big thumbs down so rgb pixel arches this year.....but she is winding them one ...but she doesn't know that yet lol
 

mborg10

Michael Borg
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kevr said:
I would also like to do a small pixel tree around 3 - 3.5m using the 60pcs/m strip 2.5m of strip and 12 strings and another ECG-P...

If your planning on using the 60ic per/m strip for your ray tree. I'd suggest keeping it to 2.8m which would be 170 pixels. That way each strip can be controlled on 1 universe. If you want to make it bigger go the 30ic/m which a lot of others have used.
 

Kaden

Pixels! I need more pixels!
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Christmas @ the Myrtle (Damicka10) said:
If your planning on using the 60ic per/m strip for your ray tree. I'd suggest keeping it to 2.8m which would be 170 pixels. That way each strip can be controlled on 1 universe. If you want to make it bigger go the 30ic/m which a lot of others have used.


This is old advice now, with controllers like the ECG-P2 you can have 4 universes on 1 string with no problems
 

kevr

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I've chewed over the arches quite a bit, I am going to put the strip in 50mm flexible conduit to get a nice big tube effect, my arches are made of 10mm steel rod and are self supporting so the conduit should sit nicely.

I liked how Shell did her borders so I'll happily copy that idea using the conduit.

I have wound thousands of LEDs and would recommend using a simple winder, I made mine out of wooden off-cuts and a few bits of PVC, this saved heaps of time.

Yep the tree will be 3-3.5m overall but only 2.5m of strip I'll get the arches sorted then get onto this, it will probably be a steel frame construction as I am use to working with steel.

Kev
 

SmartAlecLights

Im a SmartAlec what can i say!
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Murray Bridge, S.A.
i'll be doing a simular idea but with 5 fence archs @ 3.5m , an 5 driveway arch's @ 5m
i will be using the p2 to control them all.
using the 12v 10ic/30led meter strip,
but attached to pvc pipe
 

arw01

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Eastern Washington
So are you fellows using the WS2811 with the 10ics for 30 leds, or talking one of the TM family where each IC individually controls 3 leds?


If the former, the worked great in PEX pipe for my arches and along the house. I've heard the 25mm is more translucent, but I was very happy with 17mm here in the states.


Alan
 

dale82

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Kingaroy
Hi, if you look in the gallery for my vids my arches are 2811ic 30led p/m strips on 25mm conduit. And they work really well.
 

kevr

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Your arches look great. I think the 10pcs IC and 30pcs 5050 will be fine and the conduit will give me a bit of protection from the sun.

We had trouble with the sun melting the hot glue on my corro-stars this year so sun damage to my lights can be a bit of a problem.

Kev
 

kevr

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More progress, lights ordered on the 10th March from Ray and arrived in New Zealand on the 16th March.

12 strips of the 5m led digital strip,DC12V input,WS2811IC
100 3 Core White Waterproof pigtail
3 strings of 50nodes DC12V WS2811 LED technicolor pixel

I will have a play with the setup in the weekend and hopefully see some lights working.

Kev
 

kevr

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A little more progress this week;

I have ordered 3 new controllers from Luke, two of the PixLite 4's (roof outline & arches) and one of the PixLite 16's. I will use the 16 on my tree which I think is now going to be 16 strings 2.5m long 30 led's/m, I want to put pictures on it so I hope it will be enough for rough images.

Programming has finally started with the backbone of a 4 or 5 started in Vixen 3. I have had a couple of small problems usually me (I.D.10.T error) but overall very happy with Vixen 3. The Lipsync feature is now not far away for Vixen 3 so it will be full steam ahead redoing a couple of sequences, I have decided not to convert the old ones I will redo them and make them even better. I love the singing trees and I just about have to sandblast the smile of my face when I watch them, siple things amuse simple minds I suppose.

I need to order some more 12v power supplies this weekend, more from China I think, I have been using the 24v ones for a few years now and have not had one fail, famous last words! I will buy a couple of spares though.

Kev
 

kevr

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Wet and cold here today so it's off to the soldering iron to make up some leads for the controllers. I have 3 core waterproof connectors from Ray which I have to lengthen with 4 core security cable to about 400 mm.

I have been looking for some sort of a standard for the connections but I can't find anything, does anyone have a suggestion. Was thinking red + blue - green data, I'm sure I read somewhere to double up the wire on the -ve? I will be making up extensions for the roof as well.

I am going to use ws2811 strip and Pixlite controllers.

Kev
 

AAH

I love blinky lights :)
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I use the picture below as a reference. I don't actually have any idea where I found it and didn't immediately find a match when I just googled it.
 

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