New here from Sunshine Coast Queensland

[bedingfeld]

Hi All

I have been looking at Pixel light shows for a few years and now want to get involved and set up for Xmas 2021 with a small display.

Small display, I'm talking probably House outlines, vertical lines on columns, Small Mega tree 2.5-3m tall, couple of snow flakes and some jumping arches.

I'm a bit overwhelmed with all the information, I have downloaded the 101 Manual and that has some great information.

I was going to use xlights to do the layout and synchronization of the display. Is this the best starting point to lay out your display how you would envision it looking then you know how many pixels your working with? This will then trigger the shopping list of what is required.

Mega tree
I was going to do a 180deg 2.5-3m tall. How many strands would you recommend if you want to display images?
Star - what is the best star to buy on the market, I would like approx 5 strings through the star?
Pixel Strip - What is the best place to buy this from?
Pixels - I was thinking 5v Bullet style would you recommend WB2811 or WB2812? Pixel spacing every 2inches?
Power Injection - Would you power inject at the bottom of each strand? What power supply is required for running this type of tree?
Controller - Up in the air on what is required here? Im leaning to go with the F16V3 Pixel Controller - Ready to Run this has MeanWell 350W 12V or 5V Power Supply, CG-1500 Enclosure, Pigtails, 3-wire Power Cable, Cat5e Cable, Cat5e Coupler and Falcon Mounting Plate. Can this be mounted approx 5m away from the base of the tree?

If I got the F16V3 Pixel Controller - Ready to Run controller - would I need to get more controllers to run the roof outline, snowflakes, and jumping arches, or is this big enough to run the whole lot. If your running multiple controllers do you need specific types to talk to each other?

How many power modules would you typically buy for this sort of set up?

Mounting House Outline
I was thinking of permanently mounting the lights to the facia. What are the best mounting options? Would you use pixel strips?
Mounting to Bricks options?

Leaping arches
What is the best material to construct these out of in Australia?

Does anyone have a shopping list already on excel they could send to me so I can look through and see if I have missed anything?

Sorry for the long post, and thanks in advance as I see this forum seems to help a lot of people out.

Neal

 

[Junior]

MEGA TREE( Im still learning myself/ this gets overwhelming for me even after 3 years. I'll try my best to answer some questions.

I have 5m mega tree. And it's got 32 strips of 100 of 2 inch apart. . And it's great for images. So not sure what you would go for. Try not to have big gaps jmo. 32 would be great lol.

Star I have is chroma star 36 is what I got.

Stars – Extreme Lighting Displays

www.extremelightingdisplays.com.au

Many big boppers use 5v. I have never used it myself. So can't comment. I use 12v.

Yep you can power inject if you like. All the big boppers do. I will power inject but my tree runs of one controller. 3470 for the tree on 12 ports. Power injecting you'd only use half the ports. 300 per port seems to be magic number.

Controller I have a couple of pixlite16 mk2. From advatek here in Australia. One to run the house. One to run the tree. Power supply. I just have the 12v ones.

I've used cat 5. But the big boppers use speaker wires. Apparently you can get it from Bunnings. I wish I used speaker wires. But I haven't.

Why wouldn't the controller be near the tree? Unless you want to use it for everything else too.

I have advatek and suppose they all have this where you have a advatek app. And it picks up each controller. I have one called mega tree and one called house. And can fiddle with each via it.

Power supplies I have 2 for tree. 2 or 3 for house.

Mounting to house. I used a square PVC. Trunking from Bunnings. Attached that to my house and made holes in it. Had I know about strips. I would of attaching the strips to the trunking to get better and acurate spacing. But you may have to ask others cos the this has been mastered better and better over the years.

Fan arches are big these days mate. Look into them from Boscoyo. Or Here in Australia via extreme lighting. https://www.extremelightingdisplays.com.au/product-category/arches/

I use this 3 years ago. Old school. My arches look ancient. But I still love the normal ones. I've attached the ones I got from eBay. It's one huge role you just cut up the arches to your size desire.

 

[Dreamin]

I mate, I'm up at Peregian Springs on the Sunshine Coast, why not drive by and take a look, happy to run though what I did (my first year this year) and have a chat. It will be running up to new year. Message me and we can organise a time if you want during the day for behind the scenes.

I've got a mega tree, singing bulbs and penguin, and basic outline and arches etc, running 4,000 pixels.

Address is 10 Gracemere Boulevard, Peregian Springs if you want to swing by and look at the lights running.

 

[bedingfeld]

MEGA TREE( Im still learning myself/ this gets overwhelming for me even after 3 years. I'll try my best to answer some questions.

I have 5m mega tree. And it's got 32 strips of 100 of 2 inch apart. . And it's great for images. So not sure what you would go for. Try not to have big gaps jmo. 32 would be great lol.

Star I have is chroma star 36 is what I got.

Stars – Extreme Lighting Displays

www.extremelightingdisplays.com.au

Many big boppers use 5v. I have never used it myself. So can't comment. I use 12v.

Yep you can power inject if you like. All the big boppers do. I will power inject but my tree runs of one controller. 3470 for the tree on 12 ports. Power injecting you'd only use after the ports. 300 per port seems to be magic number.

Controller I have a couple of pixlite16 mk2. From advatek here in Australia. One to run the house. One to run the tree. Power supply. I just have the 12v ones.

I've used cat 5. But the big boppers use speaker wires. Apparently you can get it from Bunnings. I wish I used speaker wires. But I haven't.

Why wouldn't the controller be near the tree? Unless you want to use it for everything else too.

I have advatek and suppose they all have this where you have a advatek app. And it picks up each controller. I have one called mega tree and one called house. And can fiddle with each via it.

Power supplies I have 2 for tree. 2 or 3 for house.

Mounting to house. I used a square PVC. Trunking from Bunnings. Attached that to my house and made holes in it. Had I know about strips. I would of attaching the strips to the trunking to get better and acurate spacing. But you may have to ask others cos the this has been mastered better and better over the years.

Fan arches are big these days mate. Look into them from Boscoyo. Or Here in Australia via extreme lighting. https://www.extremelightingdisplays.com.au/product-category/arches/

I use this 3 years ago. Old school. My arches look ancient. But I still love the normal ones. I've attached the ones I got from eBay. It's one huge role you just cut up the arches to your size desire.

Thanks for your information I’ll take a look. The fan arch’s look ok, might make things more simple.

 

[Jay.S]

Address is 10 Gracemere Boulevard, Peregian Springs if you want to swing by and look at the lights running.

Jumior is in Ipswich, That's quite a drive you are suggesting

 

[darylc]

Jumior is in Ipswich, That's quite a drive you are suggesting

Huh?

The OP and Dreamin are both on the Sunshine coast.

 

[bedingfeld]

I mate, I'm up at Peregian Springs on the Sunshine Coast, why not drive by and take a look, happy to run though what I did (my first year this year) and have a chat. It will be running up to new year. Message me and we can organise a time if you want during the day for behind the scenes.

I've got a mega tree, singing bulbs and penguin, and basic outline and arches etc, running 4,000 pixels.

Address is 10 Gracemere Boulevard, Peregian Springs if you want to swing by and look at the lights running.

I might take you up on that offer. I just saw your display on Facebook it looks great.
We are down at the beach on Wednesday but might take a drive on Wednesday night to have a look.

 

[bpratt]

Mounting House Outline
I was thinking of permanently mounting the lights to the facia. What are the best mounting options? Would you use pixel strips?
Mounting to Bricks options?

Consider the option of 25mm conduit, using bullet pixels.

Bunnings sell the Deta brand conduit clips, which you can screw in to your fascia with a single screw. You could paint the clip the same colour as your fascia.

Or you could do what I did with that same clip and conduit, by getting some aluminium plate which you cut to an appropriate length, fold in the right spot to hang over the edge of your gutters, and using the same screw that holds your colourbond sheet down on the roof, you screw it on to the roof.


Now, my window frames are done in 25mm conduit using bullet pixels too, and I use those brick clips on both sides of the window to keep them in place. I only use one brick clip on each side.

 

[jamieh]

Consider the option of 25mm conduit, using bullet pixels.

Bunnings sell the Deta brand conduit clips, which you can screw in to your fascia with a single screw. You could paint the clip the same colour as your fascia.

Or you could do what I did with that same clip and conduit, by getting some aluminium plate which you cut to an appropriate length, fold in the right spot to hang over the edge of your gutters, and using the same screw that holds your colourbond sheet down on the roof, you screw it on to the roof.


Now, my window frames are done in 25mm conduit using bullet pixels too, and I use those brick clips on both sides of the window to keep them in place. I only use one brick clip on each side.

Hi,
I have a noob question in regards to the the outline lighting using 25mm conduit and bullet pixels.

How to you mount the pixels to the conduit? Do you just cable tie them to the conduit or do you drill the conduit so the pixel sticks through it?

I am looking at setting up my first display in 2021 and are now starting the search for mounting options so i can slowly build up my equipment throughout the year.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Elecgreg]

From what I’ve seen you could do either however the drilled method would look better during daylight hours. Also ensure the pixels stay in line someone will correct me if I’ve got it wrong

 

[Jay.S]

Huh? The OP and Dreamin are both on the Sunshine coast.

I thought he was giving his address to Junior which is a good 2 hour drive... My bad! Anyway, there are plenty of people you can learn from on the north-side of BNE. Feel free to contact me

 

[bpratt]

Hi,
I have a noob question in regards to the the outline lighting using 25mm conduit and bullet pixels.

How to you mount the pixels to the conduit? Do you just cable tie them to the conduit or do you drill the conduit so the pixel sticks through it?

Drilled the whole way through, push pixel in from one side with 14-16mm hole (for wiggle room) and 12mm on the front side so the pixel becomes fixed in it.

No cable ties to hold them in place at all (unless you make the 12mm hole too big on the front side).

I then use the plastic conduit clips from Bunnings to clip the conduit to.

 

[jamieh]

Drilled the whole way through, push pixel in from one side with 14-16mm hole (for wiggle room) and 12mm on the front side so the pixel becomes fixed in it.

No cable ties to hold them in place at all (unless you make the 12mm hole too big on the front side).

I then use the plastic conduit clips from Bunnings to clip the conduit to.

Thanks for the information.

That makes sense to me and will be pretty easy to source the conduit etc as im a sparky.

Do you recommend using 5V or 12V strings?

Im looking forward to getting started and will slowly build up my equipment over the year so hopefully i can atleast do outlines of my house for Xmas 2021.

Just need to see how i can go about getting a Falcon F16V3 controller as i noticed that there isnt going to be anymore bulk buys of it this year.

 

[TANSA]

The question that is a never ending debate 5V/12V 12V regulated/resistor
Just to put another spin in your outlines
I have the old tin roof and use 25x40 duct with magnets

 

[bpratt]

Do you recommend using 5V or 12V strings?

I use 12v pixels here, but that doesn't mean to say you can't use 5v, although for roof outlines, I'd steer towards 12v as there will be lesser power injection required.