Shopping list needed. I'm Starting Fresh.... mostly

[Prendy]

Hi All,

I offloaded my controller last year out of sheer frustration, however i'm ready to get going again. A little bit about me, i can build stuff, i can think up stuff, but i can't solder. At all. SO the easiest to put together for me, the better.

I'm looking at putting together the following:

1 mega tree - 16x50 pixels, 180 degrees.
4 leaping arches

This is probably enought o get me going this year and make the neighbours go ooooohhhhh

I have enclosures, a couple of 12 v 600w power supplies and the skills to put together the hardware.

What i'm looking for is a shopping list.

I'm guessing i will need:

1 x Falcon F16v4 with xconnector pigtails
16 strings of 50 bullet nodes with xconnector
2 x 5m strips for the arches, each arch 2.5m with xconnectors
extension cables to join it all up with xconnectors
maybe t-connectors if i have to inject power, if so the easiest non-solder way to do that?

This is all to avoid soldering, cutting and joining. Worst case i'm happy to use the heat shrink self soldering deals to get me through.

Can someone or someones please provide some links and exactly what i need to get to make this all possible?

Many thanks.

 

[OzAz]

For the arches instead of strip, which is the hardest thing to solder, you could use pixels. Either with ELD's "Single Large Arch" attached to PVC pipe and designed for 50 pixels, or drill directly into the PVC pipe like LDL's arches.

 

[uncledan]

I couldn't solder when I started with pixels back in 2014 either. It comes over time. After you do it a few hundred or thousand times it becomes second nature and a needed part of this hobby. Don't avoid soldering. Learn to solder and buy what you need (and some extras)

 

[bpratt]

Even a F16v3 will do it all for you, so no need to get a v4 one if they are in short supply.

You can get the T connectors with Xconnect on them, so for PI you'll be fine there.

The heatshrink connectors are fine, most people use them without issues.

You haven't mentioned if you'll be using your computer or a raspberry pi to run the show, but that's not urgent.

Which part of Brisbane are you ? I'm on the south side at Jimboomba if you need any help.

 

[abundy]

Hey Prendy, instead of 16x50 pixel strings, get 8x100, so you will do an up/down for string 1 (up) and string 2 (down).
This will give you less connectors and if you run at say 30% you might get away with Power injection at every 200 pixels.

Here are some of the local suppliers I have used if you like to keep the money in the country..
While the falcon controller is very popular and is a good fit with Xlights, another controller you might want to consider is from Advatek, located here in melbourne.

https://www.advateklights.com/products/pixel-control/standard

Light it up leds - Paul (@paullyxmas76 on this site) has the pixels you are looking for

Light It Up LEDs | Light it Up LEDs Xmas

WS2811 PIXELS And accessories to bring your Pixel Lighting Displays alive!

www.lightitupleds-xmas.com.au

https://auschristmaslighting.com/threads/new-online-store-in-oz.13581/

Extreme lighting displays - Troy (@Troy ELD on this site) has archs based on coro which takes 12mm pixels instead of strip.

Arches – Extreme Lighting Displays

www.extremelightingdisplays.com.au

Hanson Electronics - Alan (AAH on this site) You can find all the other stuff you might need as well as some of Al's own controllers for this hobby.

Hanson Electronics

Hanson Electronics Christmas Light Controllers Custom electronics

www.hansonelectronics.com.au

Of course there are others avenues to purchase your kit, but i have found that if something goes wrong the local guys are fantastic in resolving any issues.

Good luck

 

[NickT]

I just did a similar order and things no one told me about but I added to my order were:

Pixel pushing pliers: https://www.holidaycoro.com/Pixel-Node-Pliers-p/871.htm
F_amps: https://www.pixelcontroller.com/store/controllers/53-falcon-picap.html
Caps for the end of your strings to waterproof them! https://www.aliexpress.com/i/32877439853.html

I got them all through ETOP but Ray Wu or whoever you are ordering through should sell an equivalent of the above items as well.

Also https://piptree-designs-108285.square.site/product/Mega-Tree/57 is a local supplier of tree toppers (@BooY ) should you need one. Just got my large one.

 

[Littledear]

Pixel pliers can also be bought locally through Extreme Lighting Displays: https://www.extremelightingdisplays.com.au/shop/christmas/accessories/pixel-pliers/

 

[Dez]

The good news is you can use solder shrink tubes which mean no soldering needed. A bit of practise on soldering will soon hone your skills anyway.

 

[Mark_M]

Welcome to this hobby @Prendy,
I do suggest learning to solder, it will take a moment at first but you'll get there. Holding a hot metal tip to a bit of wire isn't hard, it's getting the timing and sequence.

Caps for the end of your strings to waterproof them! https://www.aliexpress.com/i/32877439853.html

I have a few of these caps. I used them over the pig tails coming out of a conduit box outside. After a heavy rain storm I found some of them full of water. If they're full of water it corrodes the connector out faster.
I've now taken them off.

 

[djgra79]

Soldering is preferred when dealing with cabling. That said, I too don't solder but in recent times have gotten much better at it. A lot of my cabling is just twisted wires to connect, but then double heat shrink over the top. It's not fool proof though.
As @uncledan pointed out, more you practise the better you get, even with just some crap wires not actual pixels etc.

 

[Prendy]

Time to learn.

If you aren't willing to learn new skills you wont get very far in this hobby.

Yeah got a mate that’s willing to teach me.

 

[i13]

I agree with the point about learning to solder. What has not been posted here yet is some tips for how to make soldering easier.

• A decent soldering station that is at least 60 watts with an adjustable temperature. I like digital ones. Mine was $150 from Jaycar and I love it.
• A soldering tip that is in good condition and an appropriate size
• Solder that is an appropriate thickness with flux in it. Lead free solder is much more difficult to use.
• Wires that are clean
• A well lit working area

The solder sleeves are worth having but I only use them for on-the-spot fixes e.g. if something breaks in the display. It saves me from having to take the display item down and bring it to the workbench. They produce an okay join but it is not as strong compared to a regular solder join.

The T splitters are a convenient way to distribute power on a mega tree and they do reduce the amount of soldering required.

It is worth ordering a few more pixels than you think you'll need. Having a couple of spare strands with a connector on each end lets you quickly swap out a strand on the tree if it is faulty. Spare pixels are also useful for repairs and null pixels. Another item to add to the list is a pixel tester. It will let you test everything without risking damaging a more expensive Falcon controller if your wiring is wrong: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32261108366.html

Have you decided on a supplier? I would suggest one who will make custom orders. The pixels should ideally be spaced slightly further apart than they'll be mounted. Further apart means more voltage drop (probably not an issue with 12V strands of 50 pixels each) but too close is obviously a problem. Suppliers can be approximate with spacing so you'll need to have some headroom. Pixel nodes are available with different wire thicknesses and this can affect the price.

Before buying 12V pixels, it is worth reading this thread: https://auschristmaslighting.com/threads/12161/

 

[Pavle]

Putting together my first display with pixels this year so been through this as well recently. My biggest newbie error looks to have been around the T connectors (3-2-3).

I incorrectly assumed the connector would always be a 3 pin connector, but only using 2 wires through the injection of the T - didn’t end up this way, so now I have a 2 pin pigtail and 3 pin extension leads that obviously don’t go together. I will now need cut the 3 pin connector off, and solder my injection leads to the 2 pin pig tails.

 

[Kotche]

I just jumped all-in with some essentials, buying from LightItUpLEDS:

• pixel pliers
• xconnect pigtails
• xconnect caps
• pixel tester (xconnect)
• Mean Well PSU
• 18AWG wire
• xconnect Ts
• inline fuse holders
• 5x 100node bullet pixel strings, 12V (xconnect pigtails)

And a Falcon F16v4 controller ordered as well.

Some initial capital outlay, for sure, with a view for expansion in due course. I can't not enjoy this hobby

 

[NickT]

Putting together my first display with pixels this year so been through this as well recently. My biggest newbie error looks to have been around the T connectors (3-2-3).

I incorrectly assumed the connector would always be a 3 pin connector, but only using 2 wires through the injection of the T - didn’t end up this way, so now I have a 2 pin pigtail and 3 pin extension leads that obviously don’t go together. I will now need cut the 3 pin connector off, and solder my injection leads to the 2 pin pig tails.

I hope the ones I ordered aren't like this